Final Fantasy Explorers

Final Fantasy Explorers is an action RPG that Square Enix released in 2014 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. Instead of the series' traditional turn-based combat system, it offers fast real-time action battles inspired more by the monster-hunting genre than by classic Final Fantasy titles. The player creates their own character, chooses one of several classes – from warrior through warlock to dragoon – and sets out with friends on expeditions into dangerous lands full of monsters and legendary bosses that reference older entries in the series.

The game's biggest quirk is the "Trans" system, which lets you temporarily take on the form of an iconic summon – Ifrit, Shiva, Bahamut, Odin, and others – after defeating it, fighting with its own attacks and powers. Explorers is thus one of the few games in the series to make summon battles a core gameplay mechanic rather than a one-off spell cast from a menu. The game supports co-op for up to four players, both locally and online, and it's precisely these shared expeditions for rare loot and stronger weapons that form the core of its long-term appeal – similar to the monster-hunting genre it openly draws inspiration from. Progressing through the game unlocks further classes and their combinations, so the player gradually builds their own fighting style out of offensive and support abilities. Story-wise, the game is set in a fictional kingdom built around a giant crystal, to which adventurers from all over the world flock to explore the surrounding land and fight the monsters that the crystal's power attracts.

Why play: Explorers will appeal to players who wanted to try Final Fantasy from a different angle – as a cooperative monster hunt with a group of friends, where you can briefly become Bahamut himself and fight with his own power.