Every Final Fantasy Game, Ranked By Length

Final Fantasy has been entertaining gamers for more than three decades, rarely taking a break between mainline entries and spin-offs. RPGs are generally never short affairs, so fans definitely get plenty of bang for their buck when jumping into one of these many worlds. Each of the Final Fantasy games takes quite a while to complete, with these completion figures calculated in howlongtobeat.com.

Players love the Final Fantasy games because of their epic stories and riveting side content, leading to them spending hours upon hours in these games without any regrets. Each and every title in the series is a blast in its own right despite its problems, and players can definitely find the hours fly by as they get invested in these amazing titles.

Updated on March 6, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Final Fantasy is one of the best video game franchises of all time, featuring a wealth of popular and beloved games that have stood the test of time to become some of the greatest JRPGs ever made. These games take many hours to complete, with players potentially spending hundreds of hours in these games if they strive to complete everything in sight. Players who want to try out a Final Fantasy game will have to resign themselves to the fact that they’ll be uncovering new plotlines and dastardly players after reaching the halfway point of a game they thought was drawing to a close.

27 Final Fantasy

18.5 Hours

The tale that started it all holds up surprisingly well due to its straightforward nature and charm. Of course, gamers are better off playing one of the many ports instead of the NES original. The first release is plagued with weird bugs, causing certain vital gameplay mechanics to function abnormally.

The optimal version is the 20th-anniversary edition released for the PSP. Its sprite art is gorgeous and doesn’t look jarringly cartoonish like the updates done to some of the later 2D Final Fantasy games.

26 Final Fantasy 2

25.5 Hours

The second game in the series is often remembered as one of the worst. It pushed things forward with a more nuanced story, but the gameplay veered far from what fans are now accustomed to. The idea of characters leveling up as abilities were used led to the stats easily being broken by players attacking their own party members.

Still, it’s not horrid or unplayable by any stretch of the word. People looking to play through all of the games won’t find this one a slog. Plus, it’s still on the relatively short side of things.

25 Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

28.5 Hours

The idea of retelling the story of the first Final Fantasy game with real-time action elements is certainly a bold initiative and Stranger of Paradise does its best with this concept. Featuring a cheesy story and fun characters, the script of Final Fantasy Origin is the perfect example of something that is just hammy enough to become endearing to fans.

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The game itself features a ton of fanservice for fans of the series, even if the level design itself can be slightly rudimentary at times. Fans of the series will love the bold initiative to change up the story of the first game, with the protagonist’s edgy attitude actually serving the story in its own way.

24 Final Fantasy 3

35.5 Hours

The third entry sees silent protagonists come back for a more straightforward adventure than its predecessor. Gamers in the West did not know this, however, since they could not get their hands on it until the Nintendo DS 3D remake.

Despite the simplicity of its narrative, it’ll take longer than the prior two. Like the first game, however, its charm and whimsy keep players glued to the screen the whole time, making the hours fly by like an airship.

23 Final Fantasy 5

37 Hours

Final Fantasy 5 often gets left out of the conversation. It’s not quite an all-time great, but it’s not as flawed or outdated as Final Fantasy 2, so it kind of just sits there on its own. Still, one will find just as engrossing a world as the others if they take the plunge.

Really, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the two-dimensional outings. Not many games this old can occupy gamers’ time for more than thirty–five hours.

22 Final Fantasy 4

37.5 Hours

While Final Fantasy 4 isn’t the first one to have a more complicated narrative, it is often seen as the first one that did it right. Because of its strong story, the gameplay is relatively straightforward, and it is always easy to know where the next objective lies. Unless one is stuck at a combat encounter, the game should be a breeze to whisk through in less than a day’s worth of gameplay.

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Final Fantasy 4 is also followed up by a sequel, though it is less celebrated than the other sequels from the series. It’s a shame, but fans who love this universe can definitely check out this new chapter if they wish.

21 Final Fantasy 6

41.5 Hours

The second half of this game brought a new element to the series, giving players a then-unprecedented level of choice on how to approach tackling objectives. This not only makes it years ahead of other games in the series but also ahead of its time when it comes to the JRPG genre in general.

After the halfway point, one can even dart towards the finish without seeing everything on the newly transformed world map, cutting down game time significantly. However, one is a fool if they don’t take a look at everything one of the most celebrated 2D JRPGs of all time has to offer. Anybody wondering how long it takes to beat Final Fantasy 6 should be pleasantly satisfied to know it takes a solid 41 hours, a decent runtime even for modern JRPGs.

20 Final Fantasy 13-2

42 Hours

Final Fantasy 13-2 is the shortest of the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy, at least when it comes to the main story. This bodes well as it’s probably the worst of the three games in terms of both gameplay mechanics and story. Fans of the original game will still have some fun with it, but everyone else might be better off watching the cutscenes on YouTube and skipping ahead to Lightning Returns instead.

A single playthrough typically takes just over 40 hours if players try accomplishing some side content along the way while completing all of the game’s tasks will require a little over 72 hours of playtime. Thanks in large to the omission of Lightning and the need to play as Serah though, this can feel like a lot of work for very little payoff. The Chocobo racing is a lot of fun, but everything else just feels like busy work.

19 Final Fantasy 7 Remake

42.5 Hours

Despite only covering the Midgar section of the original game, a standard playthrough of Final Fantasy 7 Remake clocks in at a whopping 42.5 hours. That the original release doesn’t take too much longer, should give a fairly good idea of just how much Tetsuya Nomura and his team changed and added to the release.

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Those hoping to complete all of the game’s side quests can expect to spend an additional 7 and a half hours on top of their main playthrough, while a full completionist run will take a staggering 84 hours. This is largely down to players needing to complete the game again on hard mode, where there are also some additional challenges for players to take on.

The PlayStation 5 Release, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, comes with a slew of upgrades to the visuals and performance along with a new story expansion starring Yuffie Kisaragi. This DLC episode takes about five hours to complete. However, completionists can expect to spend about 17 hours on the new content, since it has to be beaten at least twice along with the side quests.

18 Final Fantasy 4: The After Years

45.5 Hours

The After Years serves as a sequel to Final Fantasy 4. It didn’t really enjoy the greatest reception because of how it treads on most of the same ground as its predecessor. Plot points, locations, dungeons, and everything else along the same lines felt shamelessly similar, which turned many people off from enjoying this title.

However, players who managed to forgive this title for these faults can enjoy a decent sequel with some interesting ideas. It’s always nice to see these beloved characters enjoy their time in the limelight once again, especially since Final Fantasy 4 is a fan-favorite for many who loved how gameplay and storytelling merged seamlessly in this title.

17 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13

46.5 Hours

Not too many people stuck with Lightning through to the end of her trilogy, but those who did likely spent at least 110 hours across all three games. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 accounts for around 45 hours of that, especially if players try to attempt most of the side content.

Completing everything that the game has to offer will take players around 65 and a half hours, which actually makes it the shortest of the three games from a completionist’s perspective. It provides a fitting conclusion to Lightning’s journey and so is definitely worth doing for those who are fans of the character, although getting through 13-2 first can be a bit of a slog.

16 Final Fantasy 10-2

46.5 Hours

Final Fantasy 10-2 was a fairly groundbreaking game, in as much that it was the first time that Square Enix developed a sequel to a mainline Final Fantasy game. It continues the story of Tidus and Yuna while further expanding upon the lore of Spira. It’s not quite as good as its predecessor, but it’s certainly not without its charms.

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While the PS2 release’s main story took almost 50 hours to complete if players only gunned for the main story, quality-of-life updates implemented in modern ports have brought this time down considerably making it a much more palatable experience. The ‘True’ ending still requires a second playthrough though, and players will need to tackle the incredibly frustrating tower alignment mini-game if they’re attempting a completionist run.

15 Final Fantasy 9

48 Hours

Many people felt like Final Fantasy 9‘s change in setting and tone was a step back from the last two games in the series back when it was launched. However, over time, the reception to this title has been so positive that many people consider it to be one of the greatest games in the entire series!

The ninth entry was a counter-point to the two science-fiction-themed titles before it. The return to form stands as the PlayStation’s swan song, and what a great send-off it was. The 48 hours it takes to beat Final Fantasy 9 was plenty enough time to stave off PS2 cravings. Who wanted the next-gen console when the PS1 was still pumping out RPGs of this quality?

14 Final Fantasy 7

49 Hours

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Cloud and his friends’ journey not only elevated the series to new heights but the medium as a whole. Its massive detailed world, cosmic story, and hard-hitting emotional beats were unlike anything else gamers saw at the time.

Thirty-eight hours is about how long it takes to get through it, but doing everything there is to do can at least double the playtime. The PS1 was a revolutionary console, and Square was there as one of the leaders of the charge with their JRPG classic.

13 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

50 Hours

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the second part of a trilogy that strives to update and tweak the narrative of Final Fantasy 7 for a new audience. The game’s combat system is as cinematic as they come, with the addition of synergy abilities and new moves making things feel fresh and engaging.

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The open world may not be the best thing about this game but it doesn’t detract too much from the rest of its strengths. It’s admirable just how much these games flesh out the narrative of a title, even if some of the content feels like filler.

12 Final Fantasy 15

50 Hours

The fifteenth mainline Final Fantasy entry was somewhat polarizing for fans. It looked undeniably gorgeous, but it was too easy and the battle system was not engaging enough, despite the fights themselves being marvelous spectacles.

Its length also wildly varies because of its structure. The first several chapters are brimming with side quests. One can spend dozens of hours doing favors for town folk, greatly inflating the playtime. After a certain point, the story puts the players on rails and beelines toward a finish, which is a shame given the strengths of this open world.

11 Final Fantasy 8

52.5 Hours

The follow-up to Final Fantasy 7 doesn’t get as much praise as its predecessor, but it still basks in enough glory on its own. Additionally, it differentiates itself from the pack with its unique Draw mechanic, addictive card game Triple Triad, and the enemies scaling to the player’s level which makes grinding unnecessary.

With the remaster, one can experience this magnificent adventure more comfortably than ever before. The ability to speed up the gameplay might affect how long it takes to beat Final Fantasy 7, but it is a beefy adventure no matter how one looks at it.

10 Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions

53 Hours

Final Fantasy Tactics is the best Final Fantasy spin-off by a country mile, even if Crisis Core is a close second. It’s a shame that Square Enix has abandoned this genre with their latest entries since the Final Fantasy Tactics series had the potential to be something amazing.

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There’s no telling just how much fans will sing praises for the company if a new game in the series is announced. War of the Lions was just an updated re-release, and the waves it made should’ve been a sign for Square Enix to revive this spinoff series once again.

9 Final Fantasy Tactics

53.5 Hours

Even though it is not a mainline entry, Final Fantasy Tactics certainly qualifies in the eyes of many as it is often considered one of the best strategy RPGs of all time. The gameplay builds upon the foundation set by Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together.

The job system and party formal are malleable, letting players build whatever kind of squad they wish. The 50-hour time is mostly due to the game’s difficulty. Experts can easily cut this down to between 34 and 40.

8 Final Fantasy 16

55.5 Hours

Many players were worried that the shift to a real-time action game with a solitary protagonist would not work well for Final Fantasy 16. However, with Yoshi-P at the helm, many fans felt that the game was in great hands, and these people were certainly proven right when the game was released to critical and commercial acclaim.

The story of Clive and the amazing world with its political depth and intrigue made it a great title in every way that fans absolutely adored. The game may have some faults of its own, but the amazing storytelling and fun combat certainly make up for any minor missteps that appear along the way.