Category: Final Fantasy

  • Which Final Fantasy Should I Play First, and Which Version?

    A Guide for Series Newcomers

    For clymax’s projects, click here.
    This piece reflects the personal opinion of clymax only. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the FFV Central community or of any of its members.

    It can be daunting to know where to start as a newcomer to the series in this day and age.

    Enter ports, re-releases, and mods into the fray, only complicating matters further.

    This post covers the series up to Final Fantasy X. Entries beyond Final Fantasy X can be the subject of a future post.

    Banner credit: Genki_JPN on Twitter.

    Where Should You Start?

    With the following recommendations in hand, a new player can jump in with the very first entry in the series, Final Fantasy, before taking on the rest of the series in release order.

    If open-world chest rando is not desired as a mod theme, a new player can instead start with Final Fantasy III on the PSP before taking on subsequent entries in release order. This skips both Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II.

    EntryVersionModMod Theme
    INESHeadwind+Open-World Chest Rando*
    IIFCUpwind+Open-World Chest Rando*
    IIIPSP (3D Remake)——
    IVSNESUltima PlusExpansion
    VSFCWhirlwind+New Modes Galore
    VISFCT-EditionExpansion
    VIIPSXComprehensive ATB EnhancementATB
    VIIIRemastered——
    IXPSXComprehensive ATB EnhancementATB
    XHD Remaster——

    + The post author is also the hack author, so take the recommendation with a grain of salt. Also, these are private mods only available via an event or via Game Jolt.
    * Only if a heavily modernized and more chaotic version is desired. A loose patch may be available to turn off chest rando: place a help request in our Discord for assistance.

    So, what do you think? Which entry and version would you recommend newcomers start with? Would you recommend a mod? Comment below, or check us out on Discord.

    This post has been viewed 9 time(s).

  • Indie Spotlight: Dualia

    The Indie RPG that Began as a Romhack of Final Fantasy VI

    ppml is an indie dev and hacker best known for Final Fantasy Jobs, a comprehensive hack of Final Fantasy VI. This post is by ppml with minor edits by clymax for publication.

    I wanted to share a brief introduction to Dualia, the RPG I’m developing.

    It originally began as a Final Fantasy VI ROM hack, but due to the project’s ambitious scope, I ultimately decided to abandon the hack and instead build a full game from the ground up.

    What is Dualia?

    Dualia is an indie RPG inspired by classics like Final Fantasy and Bravely Default.

    In development for over three years, it features 18 playable characters—each with their own story, motivations, and ideology—facing a looming catastrophe.

    Your choices will shape the fate of the party and the world itself.

    Narrative Focus

    The story offers multiple perspectives within a conflict between allied nations that can’t agree on how to confront a greater threat.

    Roles shift over time, and some characters may even change sides.

    Character & Combat

    Each hero is based on a distinct profession with a unique combat style.

    Elemental weaknesses also affect your party, triggering status effects tied to personality—such as “rebellion” or “loss of faith.”

    Decision & Battle Systems

    The game branches based on decisions made throughout the story.

    The battle system allows players to store or spend turns, centered around the Crystal—granting extra turns, reviving allies, and evolving into powerful summons.

    More Info

    Languages: English & Spanish

    Platform: Steam

    Release: Late 2027

    Twitter/X: https://x.com/DualiaRPG

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DualiaRPG

    Demo: Menu Interface

    This post has been viewed 48 time(s).

  • Randomizers Compared

    Final Fantasy Series

    For the Whirlwind family of mods, click here. For clymax’s projects, click here.

    This post compares randomizers that coders have made for the Final Fantasy series over the years.

    Both respinners and repatchers are included in this comparison.

    Respinners refer to internal randomizers, also called integrated or self-randomizers.

    Repatchers refer to external randomizers such as web- and app-based randos.

    Note that roguelikes are not included in this post. They may be the subject of a future post. For now, you can find the Ancient Cave hacks for FFV and FFVA here and here.

    Randomizers for the Advance version are not otherwise included but can be included in a future post. For now, you can find one here; the other is not currently available via the surface web.

    Comparison Chart

    Randomizers that are not respinners are repatchers.

    Note that “⏯” represents that the respinner can be toggled in-game mid-run, where toggling it off gives you a vanilla experience. Such a feature is not feasible with repatchers.

    FFNameRepatcherRespinnerAuthor(s)
    IFinal Fantasy Randomizer✓Entroper
    IHeadwind✓clymax
    IIUpwind✓clymax
    IIIFinal Fantasy III Randomizer✓nachoyacopu
    IIICrosswinds✓clymax
    IVFree Enterprise✓b0ardface
    IVDownwind⏯clymax
    VCareer Day✓caerulius, cleartonic
    VGrand Cross✓abyssonym
    VWhirlwind⏯clymax
    VIWorlds Collide✓AtmaTek
    VIBeyond Chaos✓abyssonym
    VIFinal Fantasy VI Randomizer✓Dessyreqt, Lenophis
    VITailwind⏯clymax

    So, what do you think? Do you know of a randomizer that should be added to or removed from the list? Which listed randomizer is your favorite? Comment below, or come check us out on Discord.

    Related Posts:

    FFV Randomizers Compared
    The Big List of Video Game Respinners

    This post has been viewed 114 time(s).

  • Solo Projects Compared

    Mods of Final Fantasy V

    For clymax’s projects, click here. You can also follow him on YouTube or Twitter.

    This post compares Final Fantasy V mods that solo modders have made over the years.

    Comparison Chart

    ReleasedModSystemModderFocus
    2010Ancient CaveSFCAnonymousRoguelike
    2012Custom ClassesGBAludmeisterMechanics
    2012Remix1SFCff5akiOverhaul
    2014Ancient CaveGBAx0_000Roguelike
    2017MSU-1SFCConnSound
    2024DressCodeSFCCubearGraphics
    2024WhirlwindSFCclymaxMechanics

    Honorable Mentions

    These mods were excluded from the previous section because they incorporate community patches or prior works.

    ReleasedModSystemModderFocus
    2018Void DivergenceSFCpraetarius5018Mechanics
    2023IC2SFCwatergaOverhaul
    1. A.k.a. FF5R. ↩︎
    2. A.k.a. FF5r-IC. ↩︎

    More specifically, Void Divergence incorporates the RPGe translation and community bugfixes. IC incorporates Inu’s QoL patches.

    So, what do you think? Do you know of a mod that should be added to or removed from the list? Which listed mod is your favorite? Comment below, or come check us out on Discord.

    This post has been viewed 43 time(s).