Summary

• Lost Odyssey is a hidden gem reminiscent of early Final Fantasy, directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, with a compelling story of memory and immortality.
• Dragon Age offers a unique narrative experience where the choices you make shape the world and characters around you, unlike Final Fantasy.
• Kingdom Hearts, while similar to Final Fantasy, stands out with a complex, symbolic story that challenges fans to analyze and theorize along the way.

It's extremely difficult to talk about RPGs without bringing up 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy. There's a good reason for this as fans often say that it contains some of the best games to ever exist. While some FF games are certainly better than others, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Square Enix is more or less batting a🅺 thousand when it comes to the series. Pushing all of that praise aside, Final Fantasy trades on its reputation a bi♔t, as well.

While the series is great, there's a major problem with continuity of not following the adventures of the same characters often, so it would be nice to have a conversation about top-notch games with similar elements that don't involve Final Fantasy. So which ones might those be?

Updated on March 27, 2024 by Jouanna Bondakji: is out, and what a game it is. If you can't help but crave something that will let you dive into a story as good as Final Fantasy 7's — or even better — this list is for you. We've even added a few more entries for you to check out.

25 Lost Odysꦆsey

Old But Gold

Lost Odyssey is a hidden gem of the Xbox 360 era. The Xbox 360 wasn't the console you'd get if you were primarily an RPG lover, so the game was easily overlooked. It generally still holds up today, though certain graphical aspects leave something to be desired. But what undoubtedly still shines is Lost Odyssey's story, as well as its characters.

This is especially true if you liked the first five Final Fantasy games, since their director and writer, Hironobu Sakaguchi, is one of the game's main developers. The story is one of memory loss and immortality, as the protagonist, Kaim, is an amnesiac immortal man who slowly regains his memories during the course of the game. As he remembers certain events of the past, the story begs the question: are some things best left forgotten?

24 ༺ 🎐Dragon Age Series

Make The Story Yours

The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dragon Age games are loosely connected in the sense that every game follows different characters and events, but there are cameos and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:they share lore. The protagonist is a self-insert of you, making your choices throughout the story affect the world around you. Regardless of the specific plot in each game, there's an ongoing theme of opposing classes clashing to the point of warfare, as well as racism against certain fantasy races.

Since you're playing a character whose personality and morals you can control, you're doing more than just watching the story unfold; you're affecting it. Other games tend to struggle with creating an engaging narrative that also allows you to make your own choices, but Dragon Age excels at doing both.

23 💖 Kingdom Heaꦜrts Series

More Than Meets The Eye

The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Kingdom Hearts games are probably the closest thing to Final Fantasy without being Final Fantasy, since there are 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:actual Final Fantasy cꦓharacters in them, along with some magic and items. But Kingdom Hearts has its own identity entirely, following a big cast of original characters with their own stories that intertwine at some point. The focus of the main games is always Sora, a teenage boy who suddenly has the weight of saving the worlds thrust upon his shoulders when he gains the power to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:wield the Keyblade.

You may have seen the series' story criticized for being convoluted and hard to follow, but it's just that the games are chock-full of symbolism and hidden messages that are only revealed down the line. In reality, Kingdom Hearts is a great series for working out your theory and analysis muscles with other fans. It may not be the most straightforward way of storytelling, but that doesn't make it any less compelling.

22 Immortals Fenyx R🥀ising

Rich Open World Full Of Greek Myth

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Immortals Fenyx Rising wondrously brings ancient Greek Mythology to life with its extravagant open world and characters. And there's some unique storytelling between using gods Zeus and Prometheus to provide commentary as the gameplay events involving your character Fenyx occur, making it feel like your tale is being retold. It's a narrative style not seen in any other Ubisoft title.

The colors and world design are extremely eye-popping and vibrant, and there are tons of environmental puzzles and regions to explore around the sprawling map. Not to mention the many mythological enemies there are to defeat. And you can also ▨take flight with your wings on your journey to free the land from the grave threat of an escaped Titan.

21 Forspoken

The Magic And Mystery Of Athia Awaits

Square Enix's 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Forspokenꦇ may not have lived up to the Final Fantasy series and got lost in its shadow, but its core themes and mechanics feel like an extension. The꧑ narrative transports you from the real city of New York to the fantasy land of Athia through a magical speaking cuff, who will be your companion for the journey.

Though you don't get an entourage like Noctis in FF15, if you've played 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy 16, the magic system, the strong voice acting, and the exceptional dialogue filled with mature language will make you feel right at home. As Frey Holland, you seek a way back to New York but are caught up in the inner politics of Athia, a land oppressed by 1🔯68澳洲幸运5开奖网:a sinister magic-wielding group called the Tantas.

20 🦩NieR: Automata 🐷

A Tale Of Female AI Warriors

If you're searching for an RPG with even more sci-fi elements than in the Final Fantasy series, this will certainly fit the aesthetic, and it's also one from Square Enix. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nier: Automata sees you assume the roles of android companions 2B, 9S, and A2, who go up against rogue machines in a🔯 fight to save the world.

It's a sequel to 2010's Nier and brings a story as complex as a Final Fantasy game. In fact, getting the entirety of the story is designed around completing multiple playthroughs of the game, and gaining new perspectives each run.

19 ꩲ God Of War Ragnarok

A Narrative More Expansive Than Any God Of War

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:God of War Ragnarok embraces more RPG elements and is unparallel to any entry before it in terms of narrative len🃏gth, world-building scale, and character development. The apocalyptic prophecy of Ragnarok is in play, Kratos ꦚis in the crosshairs of Odin and Thor, all the nine realms are available to visit, and the relationship between Kratos and his son Atreus is on the rocks.

In this game, you can play as both Kratos and Atreus as a result of their rift. Kratos gets plenty of new party members on quests with Freya, Tyr, and Brok, while Atreus, or Loki, masters his magical skills to use in combat and befriends another surviving giant named Angrboda. You'll have plenty to keep you occupied, and the minibosses and enemies also get a massive overhaul from the last game 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:with numerous original kinds.

18 ♔ 🌌 Xenoblade Series

Xenogears' Spiritual Successor

Created by the same team that developed Xenosaga and Xenogears, the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Xenoblade Chronicles series🐓 has been a huge hit for Nintendo and Monolith S🐼oft. It carries many of the same themes and philosophies as its predecessor, but the narrative is more accessible.

The first Xenoblade Chronicles 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:has a world that matches Final Fanta💝sy 15 when it comes to exploration and character ꦜbonds. However, the worlds in the Xenoblade series h🌱ave more context, scope, and more importantly a powerful narrative to keep RPG fans gripped until the end. The third game did a great job of tying the first two together into one big narrative.

17 Diablo 4

A Hell Of A Return To Sanctuary

Final Fantasy 16 changed its approach with a more Gothic adult fantasy story that's full of mature themes 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:reminiscent of Game of Thrones. And a perfect follow-up to this kind of tone would definitely be Diablo 4. It's the fourth installment of Blizzard's iconic top-down horror ARPG series, and the voice acting and story are better than ever.

Sanctuary has also never looked so hauntingly gorgeous as well, despite the ominous blood-painted dungeons and scary demons that reside within it. Playing as the Wanderer, you'll 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:traverse various regions of Sanctuary, fighting and looting creatures and accompanying new allies while on your quest to put an end to Lilith and her fo🐽rces.

16 🍨 ✅ The Trails Series

The Biggest Narrative In Gaming

The developers at Falcom already had a good track record for creating great JRPGs with its Ys series. However, its Trails series, a part of the Legend of Heroes series, can't be matched in terms of narrative. The Trails series is massive, and it's only getting bigger with each interconnected game.

The series began with the Trails in the Sky Trilogy and has continued with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Trails of Cold Steel. The games may not have the budget of a Final Fantasy title, but the world-building and emotional narratives outshine even the expanded Final Fantasy 7 saga. If you're a fan of huge epic stories in your RPG then you owe it to yourself to dive into the Trails series.