The Final Fantasy franchise is home to some of the best world-building in video game history, but some of its levels will leave players yearning for escape. Though some of these levels are necessary for the game's story to unfold, perhaps their absence would have made for a better experience.
A level's design can influence a variety of different elements in a video game. If done poorly it can disrupt a story's pacing and bore the player, but a well-designed level will enhance a game's world-building and overall plot. Each entry in the Final Fantasy series attempts to differentiate itself from the last with its level design, but some of these levels will leave a sour taste in the player's mouth.
6 Shinra Headquarters - Final Fantasy 7
Though Final Fantasy 7 Remake's redesign of Shinra Headquarters makes it a much more approachable level, it is difficult to forget how frustrating it was in the original game. Aerith has been kidnapped by the Turks and is being held by Hojo in his lab, so it is up to Cloud and his unlikely companions to ensure her safe return.
Upon reaching Shinra HQ, the player will have to choose how they want to enter. Prioritizing stealth will task Cloud with ascending the building's stairwell and, though it sounds like an easy feat, the time it takes to do so will likely leave the player wishing they chose otherwise. Once all the stairs have been climbed, the party will need to complete a series of puzzles to gain access to Hojo's lab, further diminishing the sense of accomplishment gained by ascending the building thus far. Though the comical back and forth between Cloud and his comrades make the journey to Shinra's top floors slightly less monotonous, it is hard to forget the time wasted in the building's stairwell.
5 The Great Crystal - Final Fantasy 12
Ashe sets forth on a journey to the forgotten city of Giruvegan in the hope of putting a stop to Doctor Cid and the Occuria that controls him. Though her friends insist on waiting for Cid to appear, Ashe decides to delve into the abyssal depths after witnessing an apparition of her deceased husband.
The party is eventually warped into the Great Crystal, a labyrinthian structure crawling with powerful enemies, and forced to make their way to its core. Though the story only briefly showcases its maze-like hallways, the party's second visit will allow them to venture to the Crystal's core. If the monsters scattered throughout this daunting location aren't enough to frustrate players, the puzzles housed within will undoubtedly infuriate them.
4 The Thunder Plains - Final Fantasy 10
After briefly indulging in the hospitality of the Guado, Tidus and his companions are forced to make a perilous journey across the Thunder Plains. Several random encounters will need to be cleared before reaching the next area, but the monsters roaming this wasteland aren't the only objects in the party's way.
Like its name would suggest, the Thunder Plains are home to some deadly weather conditions. Tidus will need to seek shelter from nearby lightning rods to avoid being hit by bolts of electricity while exploring the area, but he will be forced to subject himself to these elements multiple times if he hopes to progress forward. Getting struck by lightning will send him flying back a few steps and, though this doesn't seem like the end of the world, it requires slightly more distance to be traveled, thus increasing the chance of being thrown into an unwanted battle.
3 Chapter 13: Redemption - Final Fantasy 15
Daemons are beginning to multiply, so Noctis and his companions set off to Gralea in the hope of obtaining the means to stop them. They arrive at the outskirts of the city and are forced to complete the rest of their journey on foot, but Ardyn's influence makes the remainder of their quest much more arduous than it was first planned to be.
Noctis and his friends are separated and forced to make their way into the capital independently. To complicate matters, Noctis is prohibited from using the royal arms to aid him in combat and must rely solely on the Ring of the Lucii to vanquish the enemies that stand in his way. The idea of this chapter works well on paper, but its slow pace and labyrinthian design are sure to irk even the most dedicated players.
2 World Of Darkness - Final Fantasy 3
Upon arriving in the World of Darkness, Lunth and his companions will have immediate access to the final boss. It is up to the player to choose whether they should confront Xande and complete the game or explore the mysterious land they find themselves in beforehand. Some players will opt for the former and be swiftly greeted with a game over screen as a result of not heeding the game's warnings.
Defeating Xande requires Luneth to seek help from four Warriors of the Dark, each of whom can be found in the World of Darkness. If they are not recruited, Xande will instantly decimate the party and force the player back to the last point they saved the game. Giving the player the option to fight the final boss without the means of winning is cruel, but forcing them to embark on yet another quest when they are so close to the game's climax is even crueler.
1 Kefka's Tower - Final Fantasy 6
Terra was unable to prevent Kefka from tampering with the Warring Triad and thus allowed the world to fall into chaos. Denizens of this now impoverished land are forced to suffer under Kefka's rule for an entire year until, one day, Celes awakens and decides enough is enough. She journeys across the world in search of her comrades in an attempt to stand against Kefka once more, but it is up to the player to decide who they recruit.
Kefka's Tower can be accessed immediately after obtaining the Falcon, but doing so is not recommended at this point of the game as navigating the structure's confusing twists and turns requires three separate parties. The player should seek out as many party members as possible to lessen the Tower's intended difficulty, but the challenges awaiting them are quite daunting even then. Though approaching the final boss with fourteen playable characters promotes a sense of strength, the process of dividing the main party makes the upcoming fights much more challenging than they need to be.