15 Most Ridiculously Difficult Challenges In Final Fantasy History

Did anybody ever actually get the Excalibur II? Thought not.

Final Fantasy VII
Square Enix

There is far more to each Final Fantasy game than its main story, with each title supplemented by tens of hours of optional challenges in the form of sidequests and mini-games.

These range in scope from small and insignificant to mammoth undertakings that require huge investments of time. In most cases they can be skipped and the gameplay experience will not be affected as a result, but the rewards can be hugely impactful.

Difficulty can also vary, from trivial to truly ridiculous. Whilst most players might opt to skip something that presents too much of a challenge, particularly if the reward for completing it is minimal, perfectionists want to collect and experience absolutely everything that a game has to offer and will pursue them all regardless of the astronomical infuriation that they might cause.

What follows are fifteen Final Fantasy challenges that have been driving such players crazy for as long as they've existed, whether they require ungodly levels of backtracking and/or grinding, superhuman reflexes or even sheer dumb luck.

15. Obtaining The Zodiac Spear (XII)

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Final Fantasy XII took a less than conventional approach when it came to treasure chests. Firstly, they were not guaranteed to materialise, with their appearance determined by the RNG. This meant that some players would encounter many when passing through a location, whilst others would find none.

Secondly, their contents were not fixed, meaning that there were both common and rare possibilities that could be acquired from each. Thirdly, they did not disappear after being opened, meaning that the same spawn points could be revisited to farm items.

This concept was frustrating enough and was swiftly done away with when Final Fantasy XIII came around. Frustration is mild compared to exasperation, however, and the latter was the feeling incited when it became apparent that the game's best weapon, the Zodiac Spear, was tied to the opening of chests. Specifically, it could not be obtained if player's opened any of four random chests scattered throughout the game.

No warning was attached to these chests, meaning that any players that followed their natural instinct (and didn't follow a guide) lost their chance to wield the spear forever.

Contributor
Contributor

Alex was about to write a short biography, but he got distracted by something shiny instead.