The biggest grinds in Final Fantasy games

Key recommendations

• Some Final Fantasy games have frustrating aspects for benefits that may not be worth the trouble.
• Mastering jobs in Final Fantasy 5 requires a test of patience for hardcore gamers.
• Enhancing Materia in Final Fantasy 7 involves a dizzying process to optimize the abilities of party members.

Final Fantasy is one of the most popular JRPG series that fans can't get enough of. The series broke new ground in the early years of gaming, showing how changing hardware could enhance the genre, before going on hiatus and eventually returning for good.

As one might expect from a JRPG series, there are times when some Final Fantasy the games include a ridiculous grind that can be a nightmare to deal with. Players have to move heaven and earth to enjoy certain benefits that may not be worth the trouble.

8 Learning Magic

Players had to be smart while assigning Magicite

Watching Terra use Magic while the others can only watch in awe, it's a great moment when the players get their hands on the magicites and realize that these Espers are teaching certain spells to the party members. However, this achievement is also accompanied by a sense of dread when players realize the grind that awaits them.

Even if players don't want every party member to enter Final Fantasy 6 to become a spell master, it's quite annoying to make characters learn mandatory spells that can help them in a difficult situation. Late-game Magicite boasts some of the most powerful spells in the game that can be a nightmare to learn if players want their magically inclined characters to be as effective as possible.

7 Cecil's level up after becoming a paladin

Loses all levels after changing courses

Final Fantasy 4His focus on delivering a narrative that played with the show's jobs made for a great time. Cecil's initial journey as a Dark Knight causes him to face a moral crisis that is resolved after he renounces his dark side and becomes a Paladin.

It is one of the most memorable Final Fantasy moments of all time, but players will play a different tune when they open the menu and see that this mandatory party member has dropped to Level 1. If players choose not to eat, then tackling certain bosses with a low-level Cecil can be a absolute nightmare.

6 Drawing 99 stocks of a spell

A requirement for players who wanted to optimize the junction system

Junction system of Final Fantasy 8 it has some good ideas, but the rushed nature of this game's release meant that SquareSoft didn't balance the system that well. This meant that players who wanted their stats boosted to 9 had to draw 99 stocks from each spell in the series.

This grind frustrated fans so much that some of them turned their backs for good Final Fantasy 8. However, with modern innovations such as an acceleration system coupled with easy gameplay, players won't have to spend too much time drawing magic, especially if they don't mind stopping long before they reach their limit. 99 stocks for each spell.

5 Upgrade Materia

A dizzying move if players want more materials with high level magic

The material system of Final Fantasy VII it has aged like a fine wine to the point where its remakes use almost the same formula without major changes. It's a testament to how addictive this mechanic was, allowing players to customize the abilities of their party members.

However, players would be singing a different tune if they want to ensure that every piece of gear they have is updated to the max. The grind is unreal, and what makes matters worse is that players are incentivized to not equip mastered materia to instead focus on other lower-level variants, preventing them from reaping the rewards of using high-level magic and spells in combat.

4 Gaining AP to learn skills

Otherwise, players will be forced to wear weaker gear

Final Fantasy 9 brings back the classic era of the series while integrating modern JRPG systems to allow players to enjoy the best of both worlds. Most of the skills players can learn are related to equipment, which is a fun system with a nagging annoyance that can make a move unpleasant.

AP doesn't exactly grow on trees, and players have to wear weaker gear to learn skills that can land them in hot water against a challenging boss. The constant switching of mediocre gear and AP grinding is a remarkably dull design choice in an otherwise excellent title.

3 Manipulating statistics to make the party stronger

A fix for Final Fantasy 2's weird leveling system

Final Fantasy 2 is the black sheep of the series, criticized for poor progression that ditched a tried and tested leveling system in favor of something experimental. It was a good idea, but it faltered when it came to execution.

The game's broken systems encouraged players to fight and send certain moves repeatedly to level up certain stats. To prevent all characters from having the same growth, players had to do some weird things in battles that felt a little too dirty and hindered Final Fantasy 2 to make a strong impression on the minds of many.

2 Enhancement of all celestial weapons

Some of the crests and symbols are hard to get

Almost every one Final Fantasy the game features cutting edge weapons for their character that are a joy to use. Players like the idea of ​​hitting enemies with a large amount of damage, but Final Fantasy 10 adds a unique twist to this concept, making players work to unleash the full potential of each party member's celestial weapons.

Players must complete the many side activities and mini-games present in the game and achieve incredible results to turn these Celestial Weapons into some of the most effective damage dealers. Some activities are easier to do, but others are a nightmare to tackle. The toughest and most infamous minigames of the lot involve avoiding 200 lightning bolts in a row and achieving a zero second time in the Catcher Chocobo minigame.

1 Mastery of jobs

The game has so many jobs that mastering them all is an exercise in patience

Final Fantasy 5 features one of the best job systems in the entire series, allowing players to do their best to customize their party as they see fit. The focus was on gameplay, with the story taking a light note and becoming iconic in the minds of fans due to its comedic moments and the charming presence of Gilgamesh.

While the job system was fun enough for casual fans to mess with without getting too complicated, hardcore JRPG players looking to max out each job were doomed to a crunch for ages. Jobs require a decent amount of AP to master, with some of the most complex jobs around being a nightmare to master due to their ridiculous requirements.