10 Ridiculous Final Fantasy Things We Just Had To Go With

7. No More World Maps

In order to traverse the many worlds of Final Fantasy quicker, the World Map (or Overworld) was designed, allowing the player to cross the world quicker while still being able to control their own path. Encompassing the entire world of that game, the World Map serves as the path between towns, dungeons and locations and is usually soundtracked by the game's Main Theme (which, in most cases, is one of the highlights of the soundtrack). Every main series Final Fantasy game up to Final Fantasy X featured a World Map, adding a vital sense of exploration and scale to the games. Then, Square just stopped. Final Fantasy X allowed you to jump around the globe using the Airship (when it was acquired near the end of the game) but there was never a true World Map to explore. Final Fantasy XII followed a similar format, although there were far more wider spaces to explore as a compromise. Final Fantasy XIII completely did away with the concept though; you could argue that Gran Pulse has similar qualities but it's really just one large area. It seems strange to lament the loss of the World Map, given that the majority of them are quite vacant, simply serving as a hub world of sorts. Still, leaving Midgar in Final Fantasy VII and realising it was merely one tiny piece of something much larger is a magical moment. Speeding across the globe in an airship having slogged through it all on foot earlier in the game is a joy found in most Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy IX's World Map even featured NPC airships which flew overhead, bringing life to the game's world too. Reportedly, Final Fantasy XV will feature an overworld of sorts, though whether this will be a true World Map or a menu to jump from area to area is unclear. Hopefully it's the former, as while the loss of the World Map hasn't damaged the series in anyway, it's an important element in creating an immersive, fantasy world.