11) Final Fantasy XII (2006)
Final Fantasy XII is the closest you’ll get to playing a single-player MMO, whatever that’s worth. The open world with roaming enemies and the hunt side-quests that you find on a notice board both feel very much inspired by its predecessor Final Fantasy XI, and for those who prefer to play their RPGs alone, this is a welcome return to form after the online-only entry.
The political drama of FFXII is an incredibly welcome change of pace from the ever-prevalent romance angle seen in FFX, FFIX, and FFVIII, and the gameplay feels like a natural evolution in the series. Most of the main characters are all genuinely interesting to follow and learn more about, whether that be the “leading man” Balthier to the princess Ashe who is long thought dead by her kingdom, they all have importance in the story.
The game severely falters with its pacing, however. The first few chapters move along nice and smooth, but after about ten hours you find yourself walking around more than Frodo and Samwise on their way to Mordor. The maps you must traverse to each new destination are massive, and often upon reaching a new area you’ll need to just wander and grind for a couple hours before feeling confident enough to move on. Final Fantasy XII has a lot of good going for it, but that horrible pacing does it no favors.
