Biggest dungeons in Final Fantasy games

Important takeaways

  • Final Fantasy dungeons tend to be massive, motivate the story, and lead to epic confrontations.
  • The final dungeons of each game offer long walks, tough bosses, and satisfying conclusions.
  • Characters experience personal growth, multiple parties, and challenging puzzles in these beloved games.



Final Fantasy is a beloved series that needs no introduction, allowing players to enjoy many JRPGs with fun characters, amazing battles, and epic stories. The games have their fair share of dungeon crawls as the heroes make their way through dangerous places time and time again.

Family

8 Best Coming of Age Stories in Final Fantasy

After going on an exciting adventure with their party, these Final Fantasy characters grew and matured on a personal level.

Sometimes the dungeons come in Final Fantasy can be huge, to the point that players need multiple parties or a guide to go through these experiences. Most of the time, these huge dungeons justify their presence in the story and usually lead to a defining story moment that is great for fans to see.


1 Castle of Ultimecia

The time warped final dungeon is a long and satisfying way to end the experience

Ultimecia's Castle in Final Fantasy 8


Released
February 11, 1999

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Ultimecia's reveal as the true main villain of the game may be rather rushed, but it gives players an excuse to explore one of the best final dungeons in series history. Players travel to the future to stop this sorceress from compressing time and destroying everything that prevents her from achieving this twisted goal.

A player's commands are locked until they defeat Ultimecia's eight minions, giving them the strength they need to take on the final boss. The party is split in two and must explore together to progress and reach the end of this surreal dungeon, where they encounter Ultimecia in one of Final Fantasys best boss rushes.

2 Memory

The final step in the player's journey to meet Kuja and end the game

Memoria in Final Fantasy 9


Released
July 7, 2000

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

A challenging dungeon that players must navigate through to reach the Crystal World, Memoria can be a daunting place to explore if players aren't strong enough to beat the many bosses that stand in their way. Zidane and co. should have tons of abilities and awesome gear that will let them blast through this area in style.

It takes a while, but by taking down the six bosses found in Memoria, players can beat Kuja for good. It's a long trek but a satisfying one for players who have fallen in love with this game and can't wait to save the world with their lovable company of adventurers.

3 Kefka's Tower

So big that it takes three games for players to get through the whole thing

Kefka's Tower in Final Fantasy 6


Final Fantasy 6

Released
October 11, 1994

Developer
Square Enix, Square

OpenCritic Rating
Powerful

Final Fantasy 6s unique non-linear approach to the second half of the game means that players can technically head to Kefka's Tower from the moment they regain their airship. However, given that the tower requires three parties to traverse, it is recommended that players have at least twelve characters to choose from before heading to this final area.

Family

8 Final Fantasy Games With The Best Dialogue, Ranked

The quality of dialogue in a Final Fantasy game is critical to its success. These games stand out as having the best dialogue in the franchise.

Kefka's Tower is huge and has some of the strongest enemies in the game, with each party member having to deal with a deity of the warring triad before they can take on Kefka. It's a long and rewarding trek that's a great way to end a player's adventure through what is arguably the best Final Fantasy games of all time.

4 The labyrinth of time

A bonus dungeon with many floors and puzzles

Labyrinth of Time in Final Fantasy 1

Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Edition

System

PlayStation-1

Released
December 18, 1987

The Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Edition added new content to the game for hardcore fans to check out. However, it required a player's party to be as strong as possible, especially if they decide to take on the Labyrinth of Time.


In an early example of roguelike design, each floor of this dungeon is randomly selected from six layouts, with each floor having a puzzle and a time limit. Completing the puzzle allows players to earn a blue seal while failure earns them the red one instead. The strength of the final boss depends on the type of seal players have, and players may have to go through ten floors before reaching the deepest part of the maze and facing Chronodia, the game's hardest super boss.

5 Interdimensional Rift

A journey through space and time to take out Exdeath once and for all

Interdimensional Rift in Final Fantasy 5

Released
December 6, 1992

OpenCritic Rating
Powerful

Exdeath is a vicious villain who has plagued several worlds with his evil ways. To stop him from sending these worlds into the void, the party must travel to the interdimensional rift, where this void had been sealed from the beginning.


It's a long and grueling dungeon filled to the brim with tough encounters and a memorable performance from Gilgamesh redeeming himself. At the end of this long trek, players assume Exdeath's true form and defeat it, only to find themselves in a battle with Neo Exdeath after this malevolent presence merged with the Void.

6 North Crater

Players must brave the dangers of the final dungeon to stop Sephiroth in his tracks once and for all

The Northern Crater in Final Fantasy 7

Released
31 January 1997

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Final Fantasy 7 is one of the best JRPGs ever made that ushered in the genre's golden era on the PlayStation. As fans have come to expect, the game itself is full of epic moments, including a memorable trek through the Northern Crater where the party makes a last stand against Sephiroth.


Family

8 Best Final Fantasy Games With Almost No Grinding

Grinding may be a staple of the RPG genre, but not everyone enjoys doing it. Thankfully, these Final Fantasy games largely leave that behind.

The trek through the final dungeon is grueling, with the toughest monsters in the game inhabiting the Northern Crater. Players must make sure they have their inventory up to the nines before attempting to wade through this challenging area.

7 Omega ruins

A large optional dungeon with some of Final Fantasy 10's toughest enemies

Omega Ruins in Final Fantasy 10

System

PlayStation-1

Released
December 17, 2001

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Omega Ruins is an optional dungeon in Final Fantasy 10 which features some unique mechanics and some of the game's toughest enemies. Not only is this a great place to grind if players want to take on Dark Aeons and Penance, but it also has two bosses of its own that are tons of fun to deal with.

It is also a long dungeon where a single misstep can be costly for the players. As long as they keep an eye on them, the party should be able to make it through this optional area before finally taking on Ultima and Omega Weapon.


8 Gralea

Was an absolute nightmare to get through before the game was patched

Gralea in Final Fantasy 15

Released
November 9, 2016

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Gralea may not be a dungeon per se, but it certainly feels like one when Noctis is separated from his allies and has to go through this area with nothing but Ring of the Luciii, which took forever to kill enemies before a patch that fixed this issue .

When the game launched, players hated Chapter 13 for its boring combat and a long trek through uninteresting environments that were sometimes a nightmare to manage. Thankfully, players who want to skip this section can control Gladio and Ignis entirely instead of enjoying a shorter and more satisfying route through the Imperial Capital.

More

Final Fantasy: 8 Best Unwinnable Battles in the Series, Ranked

There are some fights in Final Fantasy games that are meant to be challenging, and then there are those fights that are intentionally unwinnable.

Leave a Comment