Final Fantasy vs Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy is an RPG game from Square (1987) while Final Fantasy XIII is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2009).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XIII are too close, or too thinly reviewed, to separate on the numbers; the table below shows what each holds.
Final Fantasy
What each one is
Final Fantasy is filed under RPG. In contrast, Final Fantasy XIII under Action-RPG and JRPG.
Final Fantasy is a 1987 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series, created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. The story follows four youths called the Warriors of Light, who each carry one of their world's four elemental crystals which have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. Together, they quest to defeat these evil forces, restore light to the crystals, and save their world.
Final Fantasy XIII is a fantasy RPG in which a band of brave humans struggle against fate in the utopian sky city of Cocoon and the primeval world of Pulse. Follow stylish heroine Lightning's fast paced battles and high adventure in a mysterious new world.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting Final Fantasy takes place in a fantasy world with three large continents. The elemental powers of this world are determined by the state of four crystals, each governing one of the four classical elements : earth, fire, water, and wind. The world of Final Fantasy is inhabited by numerous races, including humans, elves, dwarves, mermaids, dragons, and robots. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy has been well received by critics and commercially successful; the original Famicom (NES) version shipped 520,000 copies in Japan, grossing more than ¥3 billion or $21,000,000 (equivalent to $60,000,000 in 2025) at retail. According to Square's publicity department in 1994, the game had sold 600,000 copies in Japan. The NES release was more successful in North America, where it sold 700,000 copies, adding up to 1. (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting Final Fantasy XIII is set on the futuristic world of Gran Pulse (often simply called Pulse). Central to the story is Cocoon, a massive artificial sphere that floats above Pulse's surface and is ruled by the Sanctum, a theocratic government. The two worlds are controlled by fal'Cie / f æ l ˈ s iː / , mechanical beings with godlike power. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of the Final Fantasy XIII series The six main playable characters of Final Fantasy XIII are Lightning ( Ali Hillis / Maaya Sakamoto ), the main protagonist of the game, a former soldier and older sister to Serah; Snow Villiers ( Troy Baker / Daisuke Ono ), Serah's fiancé and leader of NORA, a paramilitary group; Oerba Dia Vanille (Georgia van Cuylenburg/ Yukari Fukui ), the game's narrator and an exile who is later revealed to be a… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy XIII received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator website Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 83/100 based on 83 reviews, the Xbox 360 version 82/100 based on 54 reviews, and the Windows version 65/100 based on 6 reviews. It was rated 39 out of 40 by the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu . (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Final Fantasy | Final Fantasy XIII | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 6.7/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Mostly Positive (75%, 19,914) |
| Critic aggregate | 67/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | Unknown | $15.99 |
| Install size | — | 60 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | playable |
| Released | 1987 | 2009 |
| Developer | Square | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy vs Final Fantasy XIII, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Final FantasyRPG gameFinal Fantasy XIIIAction-RPG JRPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Final FantasyNo descriptive tagsFinal Fantasy XIIIJRPG, RPG, Female ProtagonistThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy—Final Fantasy XIII19,914 reviews · 3 add-ons · 60 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Final FantasyUnknownFinal Fantasy XIII$15.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 0 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
Where they differ
JRPGRPGFemale ProtagonistLinearGreat SoundtrackSingleplayer
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Final Fantasy XIII is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
System requirements, side by side
| Final Fantasy | Final Fantasy XIII | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | NVIDIA® Geforce® 8 Series/ ATI Radeon™ HD 2000 series |
| Minimum CPU | — | 2GHz Dual Core CPU |
| Minimum RAM | — | 1 GB |
| Install size | — | 60 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Final Fantasy · Final Fantasy XIII.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Final Fantasy and 5 for Final Fantasy XIII. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XIII in scope?
Final Fantasy lists little scope data. Final Fantasy XIII has drawn 19,914 Steam reviews, ships 3 add-ons and installs in 60 GB.
Is Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy XIII better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy XIII?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy XIII?
Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XIII are too close, or too thinly reviewed, to separate on the numbers; the table below shows what each holds. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.