Final Fantasy: Building The Perfect Sequel (1 Feature From Each Game)

Personally, I have Triple Triad to thank for my lifelong Final Fantasy obsession. A curiosity piqued by watching my brother play it led to me becoming hooked on it on a save file of my own. The rest is history.

Whilst Final Fantasy VII had incorporated a number of mini-games into its gameplay mix, none were remotely as immersive as Triple Triad. This tasked players to collect 110 cards depicting the game’s monsters, bosses, summons and main characters by engaging NPCs in an easy to understand ‘battle’ on a 3x3 grid.

Whilst it was possible to complete the game without touching a single card, the appeal of Triple Triad was enhanced by how woven it was into the game mechanics. Monsters could be turned into cards to avoid levelling up, and surplus cards could be turned into items, which in turn could be refined into powerful spells and abilities for the Junction system.

This system attracted flak in some circles, but the fact that it rewarded strategy and planning rather than brute force grinding still makes it appeal to many today.

There is clearly a widespread love for Triple Triad, given that it has since cropped up in third party form on numerous occasions. This includes on Square-Enix’s official Final Fantasy Portal App and as one of the many mini-games from past entries in the franchise in the gargantuan world of Final Fantasy XIV. It will always be welcome as a fantastic timewaster.

The ‘Plus’ rule can f##k off though…