Few video game series match the output ofFinal Fantasy. Forover thirty years the RPG franchise has been steadily churning out titles, whether they be mainline numbered entries or spin-offs. Being epic adventures, each of the games bearing theFinal Fantasymoniker tends to take dozens of hours to complete. While this is usually a plus, an over-bloated experience negatively affects the overall quality.
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The opposite is true as well, where an RPG can feel too short and not give players enough time to live in the world. The following list looks at both sides of this coin, detailingFinal Fantasytitles that were too long, and others that were too short.
Updated August 04, 2025 by Jason Wojnar:Final Fantasy fans generally always have something to look forward to. The big title on their radars now is Final Fantasy XVI. While little is known about the next mainline entry, fans at least know that it is coming out in the summer of 2023.
This is plenty of time to brush up on some older Final Fantasy titles in the meantime. This list will help fans find the beefiest entries as well as the slimmer ones, depending on what they are looking for. The list has also been updated with a couple of more entries, including the two longest entries in the franchise.
12Too Long: Final Fantasy 13 (49 Hours)
The thirteenth entry’s biggest shortcoming was its narrative and world. The gameplay was strong and thecast of characters was likable, but the conflict and lore were needlessly complex and ultimately uninteresting.
The linear design of the first two-thirds of the adventure did not win favor with fans either. Had this chunk of the game been shorter and the open sections of Pulse been more fleshed out, perhaps the polarizing title would have been more fondly remembered.
11Too Short: Final Fantasy 15 (28 Hours)
Final Fantasy 15is the first time the series takes amore traditional open-world approach, with a structure taking cues from many western RPGs. In the first half of the game, this makes one think they are in for a game stretching well over one hundred hours.
However, after a key climactic moment, the rest of the story zooms toward its conclusion. The first eight chapters make up about ninety percent of the game, while the last six go by in the blink of an eye. For those who consider 28 hours even too long, there is alwaysFinal Fantasy 15: Pocket Edition,which condenses the action even further while having a cute, chibi art style.
10Too Long: Final Fantasy 2 (25 1/2 Hours)
The second journey in this franchise is generally considered the weakest, but it is notable for being the first one to strive for a more ambitious story. Unfortunately, the stat progression system –which increases stats based on how often they are used in battle, like inThe Elder Scrollsfranchise– significantly hinders the whole package. A more traditional leveling structure would streamline the experience and shave needless hours of grinding out of the equation, turning a twenty-five hour game into a tighter, more enjoyable RPG.
9Too Short: Final Fantasy (17 1/2 Hours)
The originalFinal Fantasystill holds up today as long as one plays a more updated version, which fixes many of the bugs present in the original release and updates the sprites to a more timeless aesthetic.
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Whatever complaints one has about the series' debut, it is impossible to say it overstays its welcome. It is less than twenty hours long, an impressively short stint for a Japanese RPG even of that era.
8Too Long: Final Fantasy 8 (41 1/2 Hours)
Coming after the universally beloved and historically significantFinal Fantasy 7,Final Fantasy 8continued the trend into a more science fiction world, though ultimately focusing more on the characters' relationships than the world-ending conflict.
The narrative is compelling,but its Achilles heel is the Draw system, which makes players grind the Draw technique for hours on end in order to increase stats. Fortunately, the re-release allows players to speed up the game.
7Too Long: Final Fantasy 11 (707 Hours)
Older MMORPGs are difficult for younger generations to jump into.Final Fantasy 11was a revolution for the genre and marked many firsts within the industry, including being the first console MMORPG and the first MMORPG with cross-play between consoles and PCs.
Though the last expansion has been released long ago, servers are still running and new players are more than welcome to join.Don’t expect all the modern conveniences of the nextFinal FantasyMMO. It is still worth playing as a curiosity, but it is hard to convince someone to put in the hundreds of hours it takes to see all the main story content.
6Too Short: Final Fantasy 4 (23 1/2 Hours)
Final Fantasy 2contained unique characters with distinct personalities, but they were largely forgettable. Only inFinal Fantasy 4did the developerswrite party members gaming would remember for generations to come.
The increased focus on narrative when compared to prior entries also meant a shorter game overall, however. Fans spent more time within the world years later withFinal Fantasy 4: The After Years, but it was not exactly what people wanted from a sequel.
5Too Long: Final Fantasy 12 (60 1/2 Hours)
The second single-player mainline entry to come out on the PS2,Final Fantasy 12contained the biggest world yet for the franchise and had significantly more open-ended environments thanFinal Fantasy 10.
While some enjoyed the vast scope, others abhorred having to journey for hours across the world to reach a destination. Fortunately,the re-release lets players speed up time when out in these areas, streamlining the gameplay while still maintaining its grandiosity.
4Too Short: Final Fantasy 13-2 (28 Hours)
While some would belittle this game by saying any amount of hours is too long, those who wanted more from the world received a shorter game overall than the firstFinal Fantasy 13. On top of this, the time travel angle was not exactly something people were expecting from a sequel.
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Additionally, it ends with a twist and cliffhanger ending, feeling unsatisfying after about twenty-four hours of gameplay. Perhaps theFinal Fantasy 13subseries would have been better servedif this game andLightning Returnswere both abridged and turned into one title.
3Too Long: Final Fantasy 7 Remake (34 Hours)
This dream come true gives fans an in-depth look at theoriginalFinal Fantasy 7’sintroductory hours in Midgarwhile also teasing some incredible and exciting new concepts for the series. While it may seem heresy to complain about such a remake being too long, certain sections definitely overstay their welcome.
This is exacerbated for those who played the original and are familiar with the story beats. Knowing what comes next slightly deflates the tension and has fans looking at their watch, waiting for the next area to open up. Most would have preferred a slightly shorter game,especially if it meant the second part would come out sooner.
