30 best Final Fantasy games

Best Final Fantasy Games #14 – Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

While this isn’t the first game in the series to take a darker tone with its story, Type-0 HD has the privilege of being the first title to receive an M rating for Mature by the ESRB. The PSP HD remaster of the Japan-only title also isn’t the first title in the franchise to explore the ideas of recruits fighting a war, but it is one that explores the horror and brutality of it from a brutish viewpoint.

The world of Orience makes another appearance on this list, with cadets from elite force Class Zero taking on several missions through an action-RPG system that went more in-depth than what Agito previously offered. You could attack, cast spells and form up as a group, although this console port focused on upscaling graphics and improving the magic and accessory options at the expense of a multiplayer component.

The neo-cyberpunk world mixed in with regal character design created a wonderful mixture, while classic tropes of the Final Fantasy franchise such as Chocobos and Moogles remained a staple. While some of the game’s voice acting and localization was a tad goofy at times, when it came down to the gory destruction war brought the characters of this game, the tone became deathly serious.

More than anything, Final Fantasy Type-0 gets credit for trying to bring a more psychologically deep emphasis on morality to its story. It may have tonal differences from moment to moment, but for the most part, this game goes places few titles in the franchise are willing to explore.