TheFinal Fantasyseries are some of the biggest RPGs in the industry. For those just starting out, it can be daunting knowing how long they are. That begs the question. Just which game is the biggest? Calculating the size of these worlds was no easy task, as only a few entries have official map sizes. Furthermore, map size can be inflated by including zones that cannot even be visited.
It seemed impossible until we thought of a universal measurement: Time. For that, we turned toHowLongToBeat, a website that crowdsources how long it takes to finish a game.
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The site calculates how long players take to complete the main story, the main campaign with extra content, and the required time to be a full completionist. Even with those hard numbers, we had to do some calculations of our own.
That is why we also took the number oflocationsand divided it by the average number of hours required to complete the main story and optional content, as that had the highest chance that players would have visited all the locations. Based on that average time, we could determine the size of each of the games.
Does that make sense and is this list guaranteed to be 100% accurate? Not entirely, and exceptions might be made along the way, but let’s see what our crazy math works out to be.
15Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VIcan be completed in 35.5 hours, with that time increasing between 41 and 63 hours depending on the side quests explored.There are approximately67 locationsin the game, including Figaro Castle and the Esper Caves. This results in an average of 0.61 hours spent in each location.
This entry can be thanked for pushing the story forward into a global conflict. There is a lot to see and a lot to do with every character. On top of the normal map, there is also the destroyed version, which essentially doubles the size of this adventure.
14Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy Vtakes about 32.5 hours to complete, although the additional content extends that time to somewhere between 37 and 68 hours.There are about60 locationsin the game, with some examples being Carwen and the Barrier Tower. This results in an average of 0.62 hours spent in every location.
That completionist time may seem high, but likeFinal Fantasy III, the fifth entry also has a deep class system. Mastering every class for all four characters takes awhile.
13Final Fantasy I
The originalFinal Fantasytakes about 17.5 hours to complete, with that time extending to 23.5 or 36 hours based on extras.There are about37 locationsin the game.
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This results in an average of 0.63 hours spent in every location.For an NES game,Final Fantasywas pretty big for its time, as most titles on the console only lasted a couple of hours. The map seemed huge back then, but compared to its sequels, it is tiny.
12Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IIIcan be completed in 30 hours, but with that time extending to 36 or 46 hours depending on the optional quests.There are about 54 locations in the game, including the Amur and the Living Woods. This results in an average of 0.67 hours spent in every location.
Technically the first game also had classes, butFinal Fantasy IIIwas the first entry that allowed players to switch after starting. That’s a big reason why this entry takes so long to complete, on top of being Square’s most ambitious feat on the NES. The hardware’s limits were pushed.
11Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IVtakes about 23.5 hours to complete, with that time extending to 28 or 39 hours based on extras. Be it Baron or the Tower of Zot,Final Fantasy IV’shas approximately 41 locations split between Earth, the Underworld, and the Red Moon. This results in an average of 0.68 hours spent in every location.
WhileFinal Fantasy IVhad a lot more ambition piled on, it wasn’t exactly expanded upon. It was more of a refinement of what came before on the NES.
10Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIItakes about 38.5 hours to complete with that time extending to 54 when extras are taken into account.There are about78 locationsin the game, not including the Debug Room’s sections that are not meant to be explorable. This results in an average of 0.69 hours spent in every location.
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This was another big step forward forFinal Fantasyas this ushered in the age of discs, where memory seemed endless. With a giant world and tons of secrets,Final Fantasy VIIwas a beast compared to everything that came before.
9Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy IIcan be completed in 25.5 hours, but side quests can easily extend this time to 32 or 41 hours.There are about 30 locations in the game, resulting in an average of 1.06 hours spent in every location.
Making the next game bigger is the goal of every developer, right?Well, Square may have gone too wild with this one, especially when it comes toFinal Fantasy II’s oddball leveling mechanics. That may account for the spike in completionist hours.
8Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IXcan be completed in 40 hours, but with that time extending to 54.5 depending on side quests. The game has around42 locations, whichresults in an average time of approximately 1.30 hours spent in each area.
What sets this apart from Cloud’s adventure is the attention to detail. Yes, everyone is shorter, but the designs are also more compact. This is true for characters, places, and even the content itself. Aesthetically,Final Fantasy IXwas a return to form for the series.
7Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIIItakes about 42.5 hours to complete, although optional content can quickly balloon that time to somewhere between 59 and 89.5 hours.
There are about38 locationsin the game, with the average time per location coming to 1.55 hours.
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The biggest addition that makesFinal Fantasy VIIIslightly longer are the dream sequences. While these sections reuse assets, they still create new locations all the same.
6Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy Xcan be completed in 48 hours, but with that time extending to 79.5 or 165 hours depending on whether someone explores the optional content.There are about 44 locations in the game, including Baaj and the Kilika Temple. This results in an average of 1.81 hours spent in each location.
Even though this game lacks a truly open-world, seeming like a linear path from one location to the next, Spira is all connected. Despite what one may think, these areas are also dense with side activities.Final Fantasy Xwas the next step forward.
