Square Enix has three large RPG giants under its chugalug that it continues to support year later twelvemonth. Those three would be Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts. Since those last two have more ties together as Dragon Quest is kind of its own thing, we wanted to pit the two against each other.

This is not to determine the definitive Japanese RPG franchise. We but thought it would be a fun practise to actually cease and think about what each series brings to the table. Whether one agrees with our choices, or not, this is sure to incite some heated conversations.

10 Consistent Sequels: Final Fantasy

Depending on who one asks, the amount of Final Fantasy games available may be viewed as a bad thing. Since 1987 Square, and now Square Enix, has been pumping out sequels for over thirty years at present. There are fifteen chief installments on top of dozens upon dozens of spinoffs. The consistency rate may have slowed down recently, but the pacing and quality far outrank that of Kingdom Hearts. It took 14 years for them to make Kingdom Hearts III for crying out loud!

9 Celebrity Talent: Kingdom Hearts

Final Fantasy 10 was the first game in the primary series to receive vox actors. Except for a few moments, similar the laughing scene, the work was pretty skilful and has remained good ever since. However, there'due south no chirapsia the quality of talent Kingdom Hearts has received over the years. Information technology'southward incredible that Haley Joel Osment has been able to play Sora for about as consequent every bit humanly possible despite the crumbling. That is just one example in a bounding main of miraculous talent including Billy Zane, Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Lee, and so many others.

viii Piece of cake To Follow Stories: Final Fantasy

Unfortunately said actors had to wade through excessive amounts of dialogue that often times went nowhere. It would accept a whole commodity, if non several, to fully unpack the Kingdom Hearts saga. While some Final Fantasy games are equally every bit convoluted, like Concluding Fantasy XIII, for the almost part, they are easier to follow. Many of the originals were classic takes on traditional RPG tropes, but with a touch of Square magic.

7 That Disney Magic: Kingdom Hearts

Speaking of magic, despite some screwy stories, there is no escaping the fact that the Disney essence present in every Kingdom Hearts game is miraculous. That is the only way to depict them because the very existence of this series is crazy. Who would have always thought that Donald Duck and Goofy could work in a Foursquare Enix game? Those are just two examples too. Information technology may seem jarring at kickoff and not all Disney worlds work, similar Pirates of the Caribbean's uncanny valley, but the consistency is pretty magical.

vi Switch Paradise: Final Fantasy

This is the third yr of the Switch's lifecycle and at that place are no Kingdom Hearts games on the hardware. At that place isn't even a port of something. The Switch is the perfect place for RPGs and Foursquare Enix has capitalized on that fact for many games including console exclusives like Octopath Traveler on top of many Terminal Fantasy remasters, including Terminal Fantasy Viii as the virtually recent case. Kingdom Hearts Iii probably wouldn't run well on it, just how about all of those HD collections? Surely something has to be in the works, correct?

5 Gainsay: Kingdom Hearts

This was a tough category to nail down since the Last Fantasy series has some of the best battle systems in all of RPGs. The Job Organisation in particular institute throughout the franchise, like in Final Fantasy Tactics, is among the best.

Every bit much as we love them all the alloy of action combat, leveling upwards, and platforming in the first Kingdom Hearts was eye-opening. It was similar the genre was evolving earlier our very eyes and now it is kind of difficult to go back to more traditional turn-based stuff.

4 Mini Games: Final Fantasy

Both franchises are rich in mini-games and while nosotros love playing with Winnie the Pooh and shooting asteroids in Kingdom Hearts, the variety in the Final Fantasy games are a lot richer. The card games in both Final Fantasy IX and Last Fantasy Viii could exist games by themselves as their mechanics are that deep. A few other favorites include Chocobo Hot and Cold in Final Fantasy Ix, the motorbike chase in Concluding Fantasy Vii, and Blitzball in Final Fantasy Ten.

3 Music: Kingdom Hearts

This was another tough choice that could send this listicle into a behemothic flame state of war. Before the rage settles in, hither is why we chose Kingdom Hearts. Information technology's non that the music is improve in these games to a higher place Final Fantasy.

Foursquare Enix has incredibly talented composers under their belt who manage to consistently create brilliant symphonies. So the reason why nosotros went with information technology was that the music fits more with the action combat, thus engaging the player more than. On top of that, the sweeping melodies in cutscenes helped put the heart into Kingdom Hearts.

2 Characters: Final Fantasy

Kingdom Hearts' original characters are great, but what makes that serial a triumph are its cameos from Disney to Final Fantasy. That franchise wouldn't even be without at least Disney and then because of that Final Fantasy almost wins by default. From the pixel progenitors to the Popeye polygons all the way to the more than realistic models of Final Fantasy Xv, the cast in these games are some of the best in the industry's history.

1 Heart: Kingdom Hearts

We lightly touched on this earlier, but Kingdom Hearts has a lot of heart behind its characters and stories. Amid chaotic plot lines of taking over universes, clones, and time travel, deep downward this series has always been most friendship and looking by what is correct and what is wrong. The core message of Kingdom Hearts is beautiful. Sure, we cried when Aeris died and it'south non like Final Fantasy hasn't as well had high points with grand messages. Kingdom Hearts pulls the emotional heartstrings more than consistently.

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About The Author

Tristan Jurkovich (855 Manufactures Published)

Tristan Jurkovich began his career as a journalist in 2011. His babyhood honey of video games and writing fuel his passion for archiving this peachy medium'due south history. He dabbles in every genre, but he's particularly addicted of RPGs and portable consoles. Aside from writing, Tristan also produces a plethora of videos on his YouTube Channel, ReActionExaminer. Check it out!

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