If you like Final Fantasy games that take a less familiar route, choose Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles for tactical battles and extensive character customization, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered for a numbered entry with optional features that ease some older-design friction, or Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age for political fantasy. Final Fantasy IX offers a more overtly fantastical setting, while Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! is the pick if you want a dungeon-focused spin-off instead of a conventional numbered RPG.
What “underrated” means in this guide
There is no official Square Enix ranking of the least-loved Final Fantasy games, and “underrated” is a matter of taste rather than a measurable status. These recommendations are better understood as alternatives for players whose favorite parts of the series are not always the most obvious: tactical combat, unusual conveniences in a remaster, political storytelling, traditional fantasy, or a spin-off built around dungeon exploration.
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Square Enix’s catalogue includes numbered entries I–XVI as well as additional games. This list is not a claim that the five picks are objectively the best or least popular. It is a guide to choosing what to play next based on the kind of experience you want. In particular, Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is a tactical RPG, and Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! is a spin-off; neither is a substitute for the structure of a numbered Final Fantasy in every respect.
Quick picks by the experience you want
| Game | Choose it for | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles | Tactical, turn-based battles and customization | Terrain-aware combat and a job system with more than 20 jobs and 300 abilities, according to Square Enix |
| Final Fantasy VIII Remastered | A less conventional numbered entry with optional convenience features | Optional Battle Assist, No Encounters, and 3x Speed Boost |
| Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age | Political fantasy and resistance to an occupying power | A story centered on Princess Ashe and Vaan |
| Final Fantasy IX | An overtly fantastical world and a character-focused journey | A story of love, war, and betrayal involving Zidane, Garnet, and their companions |
| Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! | A spin-off with a different subgenre and a dungeon loop | Randomly generated dungeons, a buddy system, and local co-op |
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles: best for strategy and character builds
Pick Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles if you want to think about positioning and party development between battles, rather than choosing a numbered RPG first. Square Enix describes its combat as terrain-aware: where units stand matters. The job system is the main draw for players who enjoy changing how characters function, with more than 20 jobs and 300 abilities listed in the publisher’s description.
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The game includes two versions. The enhanced version has visual, interface, dialogue, and voice changes, as well as quality-of-life updates. A classic version is included too, giving players a choice between the enhanced presentation and a version closer to the original. If the prospect of returning to an older strategy game is appealing but its original interface or presentation gives you pause, having both options is a useful distinction.
Platforms and price information
Square Enix’s announcement lists Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Steam Deck. The announcement gives a price of $49.99; treat that as the price stated at announcement, not as a promise of the current price in every region or store. Check the relevant storefront for current price, edition, and availability. The announcement confirms platform availability, but does not establish a particular physical edition or retailer listing.
This is also the clearest answer to “Is Final Fantasy Tactics a good place to start?” if what you want from the series is tactical, turn-based play. If you want to start with a more conventional numbered RPG, choose one of the other entries here instead.
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Final Fantasy VIII Remastered: best for a less conventional numbered entry
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is a good choice if you are curious about a numbered Final Fantasy that feels different from the series’ more familiar approaches, but would like a few ways to smooth the experience. Square Enix describes its visuals as newly rendered and lists three optional features: Battle Assist, No Encounters, and 3x Speed Boost.
Those options let players adjust particular parts of the experience. They are conveniences, not a guarantee that every aspect of the game will match a player’s preferences. If you are interested in trying the game but wary of its older design, you can decide whether to use the options rather than treating them as mandatory. The remaster’s availability announcement dates to 2019, so its listed platforms should not be read as a complete or current regional storefront check.
A physical option is a bundle, not an VIII-only cartridge
Square Enix announced a North American physical Nintendo Switch release of Final Fantasy VII (Original) + Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Twin Pack for December 9, 2025, with an announcement price of $39.99. That stated release date has passed, but the announcement alone does not establish present stock, retailer availability, or current price. It is a two-game bundle, not a cartridge containing Final Fantasy VIII Remastered by itself. Check the listing and regional edition details before buying.
Rank #3
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Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age: best for political fantasy
Choose Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age if the appeal of a Final Fantasy story lies in political conflict and people resisting an occupying power. Square Enix’s description centers Princess Ashe and Vaan, with resistance providing the story’s central context. That makes it the most direct fit on this list for someone looking for political fantasy rather than the character-and-world emphasis of Final Fantasy IX or the tactical focus of Tactics.
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Square Enix reported in an April 30, 2019 article that Final Fantasy XII had sold more than 6 million units worldwide. That is a dated, publisher-reported sales figure; it is context about sales, not proof that the game is underrated or a measure of its quality.
Check current platform access
A Square Enix page from 2019 listed PlayStation 4, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One for The Zodiac Age. Because that information is dated, check current regional storefronts for the platform and edition you plan to use rather than assuming the old list covers present availability.
Rank #4
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Final Fantasy IX: best for overt fantasy and a character-focused journey
Final Fantasy IX is the pick if you want a more overtly fantastical setting and a journey centered on its characters. Square Enix describes a story of love, war, and betrayal involving Zidane, Garnet, and their companions. That broad story framing makes it a useful alternative for readers who want a fantasy-led adventure rather than Final Fantasy XII’s political conflict or the turn-based tactical structure of Tactics.
A Square Enix page from 2019 listed PlayStation 4, Steam, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Windows 10. This is a historical platform list, not confirmation that every version remains available in every region or store. Check the storefront where you intend to play, especially if you are deciding between a console, computer, or mobile version.
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If you are open to leaving the numbered-RPG format behind, consider Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!. Square Enix describes randomly generated dungeons, a buddy system, and local co-op. Those are the defining reasons to choose it here: it offers a different subgenre and a play structure built around dungeons, with the option for local cooperative play.
Best Value
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Square Enix listed PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch for the game. As with the older platform lists for Final Fantasy IX and The Zodiac Age, that listing is not a guarantee of current regional availability. Look up the game in the storefront for your region before settling on it.
How to choose your next Final Fantasy
Start with the combat you want
- Choose Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles for tactical, turn-based battles, terrain-aware positioning, and a job system with extensive customization.
- Choose a numbered entry if you want a numbered Final Fantasy rather than a tactical spin-off. The options here differ most clearly in story tone and setting.
- Choose Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! if randomly generated dungeons and local co-op sound more appealing than a conventional numbered-RPG structure.
Match the story to your taste
- Political fantasy and resistance: Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.
- Overt fantasy and a character-focused journey: Final Fantasy IX.
- A less conventional numbered entry: Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, with optional features that can soften some friction.
Check the edition and platform before you commit
The availability information is not equally current across the list. Square Enix’s Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles announcement lists a broad set of platforms, while the listed platforms for VIII Remastered, The Zodiac Age, IX, and Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! come from older announcements or pages. Storefront catalogues can differ by region, so verify the exact version and platform where you live.
For physical buyers, distinguish a game’s platform listing from confirmation of a particular boxed edition. The announced Switch twin pack combines the original Final Fantasy VII and VIII Remastered; the Tactics announcement does not establish a specific physical edition. In both cases, an announcement is not confirmation of live stock or a current retailer price.
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For the strongest match to a specific preference, use the preference rather than the label “underrated” as your guide: Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles for tactical customization, VIII Remastered for an unusual numbered entry with optional conveniences, The Zodiac Age for political fantasy, IX for an overtly fantastical character journey, and Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! for a dungeon-focused spin-off. The recommendations describe different kinds of appeal, not a definitive ranking of the series.
Quick Recap
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