10 Ridiculous Final Fantasy Things We Just Had To Go With

6. Summons

Summons were first introduced in Final Fantasy III and they've since been included in every main series game since in some fashion. Essentially, summons are massively powerful magic abilities; your party character summons a monster which unleashes a magic spell upon the enemy. In some games, summons can be used to fight instead of your party, giving you an awesome new being to control and battle with; they're like souped-up Pokemon. All that power comes at a price though. As the series moved onto the more powerful consoles, Square became more elaborate with their designs, making beautiful looking CGI cutscenes. This also led to more indulgent summon sequences too as the monster emerged in a blaze of glory, unleashing attacks that would shake the earth in some cases. Of course, the problem arises when you want to use summons constantly; suddenly, these beautifully crafted scenes are actually a complete waste of time. In Final Fantasy VIII, this problem was solved somewhat by the introduction of the Boost mini-game, where hammering Square during the Summoning cutscene allowed you to boost the Guardian Force's (the in-game name for the summons) power. Still, you would be excused for avoiding the use of summons throughout the series, just so you didn't have to sit through the same sequences time and time again. On top of that, in several games, Summons are so powerful that they actually feel broken. Guardian Forces in Final Fantasy VIII can be spammed endlessly, making the game an absolute cakewalk if you so wish. Aeons in Final Fantasy X replace your party (preventing them from taking damage) and can deal max damage well before your party members. In summary, they're cheap but effective and if you can stand to watch the same sequences time and time again, you'll have no problems crushing any challenge in the series.
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Contributor

I have an addiction to achievements, a craving for new bands and a dream to become Captain America. I once finished second in a Mario Kart 7 tournament so I'm kind of a big deal.