10 Most Stressful Moments In Final Fantasy Games

Absolute Virtue

Final Fantasy XI (2002)

Obviously Final Fantasy 14 is well known at this point as being one of the best MMORPGs of all time, making it hard for people to remember the previous Final Fantasy MMORPG, Final Fantasy 11. One of the big differences between the two was just how much more difficult the battles were in Final Fantasy 11. Among them, Absolute Virtue earned a reputation as a towering superboss, infamous for its brutal difficulty, not only making it arguably the hardest boss in Final Fantasy, but the hardest boss of all time. Defeating it required extensive grinding, mission completion, and carefully crafted strategies to stand a chance. It would have ranked higher, but it did get toned down in an update, just so it wouldnt take 24 hours to beat.

No Item Dungeon

Final Fantasy XV (2016)

Final Fantasy XV is stressful enough when youre just trying to digest arguably one of the neatest stories in the series, told in the stupidest episodic way. But it gets even MORE stressful. In Final Fantasy XV, Costlemark Tower is the dungeon where item usage is completely disabled once you pass through the sealed door. Widely considered the toughest challenge in the game, it features a level 99 difficulty and demands precise combat skills, smart use of techniques, and well-optimized character builds to survive its many perilous floors. Im being VERY liberal with my estimate, as it took me 4 hours, but at the very least youre looking at 2 hours of hyper-focus.

Hades

Final Fantasy IX (2000)

Back to tough bosses. Originally designed as the games ultimate test, Hades appears as an overwhelming and nearly unstoppable foe. Armed with a deadly array of powerful spells, he bombards your party with devastating attacks and crippling status effects. Unlike most bosses, Hades isnt really relevant to the games world and story. The sudden reveal of Hades, the underworlds dark ruler, as a hidden boss is a surprising twist. Only the most prepared adventurers will survive the encounter, as battling Hades pushes the challenge to a whole new level.

Jump Rope

Final Fantasy IX (2000)

Im not done talking about Final Fantasy IX. In the PS1 classic, Vivi can come across a group of kids who invite him to join a jump-rope mini-game, a tough button-mashing challenge that offers various rewards. The goal here is the biggest prize on the list, which means players need to do 1,000 consecutive jumps. Thats a long time to be locked in and focused. One mistake, and its goodnight moon. If players somehow manage the incredible feat of landing 1,000 consecutive jumps, Vivi is crowned the King of Jump Rope and receives a special commemorative item. The catch? The item serves absolutely no purpose in the game. Congratulations, you played yourself.

Chocobo Race

Final Fantasy X (2001)

Many players agree that getting your hands on the Sun Sigil in Final Fantasy X is one of the most frustrating experiences theyve ever had in gaming, because getting the Sun Sigil requires you to beat the chocobo trainer in the Calm Lands racing mini-game with a perfect time of 0:0:0. Realistically, that means grabbing at least 6 or 7 balloons, and getting hit by no more than 2 birds. Getting a race finished with a time less than 0 makes no sense, and Im ashamed to admit this, but my PS2 controllers as a kid had bite marks in the handles... Because I tried to bite through the controller After repeated attempts at this. Oops.

Emerald Weapon

Final Fantasy VII (1997)

Final Fantasy VII, one of the most celebrated entries in the series, hides several secret bosses outside the main story, bosses which are all designed to truly test your abilities. Among the optional behemoths, Emerald Weapon stands out as one of the deadliest. Just finding this monstrous opponent is a challenge, but once the battle begins, a countdown timer adds even more pressure. Defeating this mechanical terror demands careful planning and strategy. Charging in wont work. Trust me. If you need advice on how to die quickly, Im your guy.

Roof of Riovanes Castle

Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)

Theres no question that Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the greatest games ever made, as famously said by me, every time Im vaguely drunk at a party and want to ruin everyones night. But, it also features one of the most frustrating sections in the entire series. Riovanes Castle is infamous for a brutal save trap that caused many players to give up before finishing the game. Players must enter Riovanes Castle, which triggers three consecutive battles. Youre only allowed to save and access the party screen between fights, and once the sequence begins, theres no turning back. The first battle is relatively easy, involving standard enemies at the castle gates. But after that, the trap is set: if you havent kept a backup save, youre stuck. No way out, no way to prepare. Thats it. Beat it, or start the game again.

Dodging the Lightning Bolts

Final Fantasy X (2001)

One of the more stressful things weve discovered in the Final Fantasy series is when you have to basically lock in. When the game requires your full focus, unbroken, for more than 5 minutes, it may as well be a death sentence. To unlock Lulus celestial weapon, you need the Venus Sigil, which means you gotta head to the thunder plains, and dodge 200 lightning bolts. In order to do this, you have to run around, and wait till you see a flash, thats your warning to instantly hit X. Timed right, youll dodge. Rinse, repeat, never have the opportunity to feel true joy ever again.

Seitengrat Bow

Final Fantasy XIIIX (2000)

Our first entry from Final Fantasy XIIWelcome back to Final Fantasy IX, and our hundredth entry of welcome back to more rinsing and repeating. On the Skyferry deck, theres an invisible chest, which is already stressful enough just knowing this exists and could be found, but theres a mere 1% chance for the invisible chest to appear. If it does, theres a 20% chance itll hold an item, and with the Diamond Armlet equipped, only a 5% chance that item will be the elusive Seitengrat, which is what were trying to get our hands on through rigorous and stressful RINSE, AND, REPEAT. Youre looking at odds of 1 in 10,000 every time you step onto the deck, assuming you even know the chest exists. These are not good odds.

Excalibur II

Final Fantasy IX (2000)

Our worst example of marathon lock-ins comes here, at the end of our list. Excalibur II, Steiners ultimate weapon, is only obtainable if you reach the final dungeon, Memoria, in under twelve hours of playtime. Miss it by even a second, and the sword is gone for good. Players on PAL systems had it even worsethe game ran at about 5/6 the speed of the NTSC version, effectively giving them just ten hours to make it. I thought Australia was meant to be a paradise, Ive been bitten by a snake, stung by a jellyfish, and NOW THIS!? WHAT THE F***, MUM!?