4. Hidden Magic And Characters
One of my favourite aspects of the Final Fantasy series, which has also been mostly forgotten in the Final Fantasy XIII series is the hidden magic, summons and characters that could be found strewn throughout the game or for besting certain foes in battle, not to mention the ultimate weapons that could only be gained in this same way. I used to love nothing more than searching every nook and cranny of the game to find every single spell or accessory that I could find to aid me in my journey, something which was explored especially well in Final Fantasy 7, in which particularly powerful summon spells such as the Knights of the Round were kept at arms length until you had figured out exactly how to reach them, which then made you a much more formidable fighter. Final Fantasy 8, like much of the series, also had a standout feature in that some of the Guardian Forces were hidden away, forcing you to search for them and then best them in battle before they would join your cause. These features made the games more exciting and gave players a sense that they were really taking part in a story, giving themselves an original experience with the game that would be different to anyone else who was also playing at the same time. The non-linear gameplay and freedom to explore as much of the game as you wanted, but rewarding all the time and patience that was put in, made for a longer, more satisfying experience. Hidden characters are also a series mainstay for the most part, injecting even further reward for those willing to look for it, in the form of entirely new characters that not only give you more options in battle, but also flesh out the story further, forcing far more emotion on you as they near their impending fate than you may care to admit. Whilst sometimes these hidden characters can be nothing more than light relief and a battle option, such as Quina from Final Fantasy 8, in the case of Final Fantasy 7 the two hidden characters are both much more than that, with their own involving stories, of which Vincent's actually ties in with Sephiroth's and that of Shinra. Adding Yuffie to your party even leads you to the completely new events in Wutai, which in turn rewards the player with stronger weapons and even a new summon materia. So, with all of this compelling evidence for just how much hidden magic and characters add to Final Fantasy, it is almost impossible to suggest that they should not be present in some way in a portable version of the series.