10 Times Video Game Spiritual Successors Were Better Than Official Sequels

Although some Final Fantasy instalments faired better than others, Square's long-running saga didn't have a single bad entry for many years.

Sadly, that winning streak came to an abrupt end thanks to Final Fantasy XIII. Despite the magnificent graphics and innovative battle system, this dud was let down by its mind-numbing linearity. Rather than allowing the heroes to explore to their hearts' content, they must follow a set path for the majority of the main campaign. Free-roaming is such an integral aspect of the franchise, it's preposterous why the developers decided to change it up.

This fall from grace was emphasised further, considered the underwhelming sequel was released two years after Lost Odyssey, written and composed by the original Final Fantasy creators. Rather than overloading itself with convoluted gimmicks, Lost Odyssey utilised old-school mechanics like random battles, timed button presses, and straightforward skill systems. Most importantly, the gameplay didn't involve walking through hallways for ten hours straight.

The long loading screens and the derivative story may have drawn criticism but there's no mistake Lost Odyssey would've been a better Final Fantasy XIII than the one we got.