Final Fantasy vs. The Elder Scrolls: A Rivalry of RPG Legends

Worlds and Setting

Final Fantasy: Each mainline entry in the Final Fantasy series exists within its own unique world, with distinct settings, lore, and themes, which gives the series a sense of diversity. However, there are recurring thematic elements, creatures, and mythological references that create a broader sense of continuity within the franchise. Key recurring elements include crystals, summons such as Bahamut and Shiva, and the concept of Lifestream or planetary energy. These shared elements don’t form direct continuations between games, but they serve as connective threads that evoke a sense of lineage, adding depth to the series’ world-building.

The Elder Scrolls: The world of Tamriel, while grounded in a more realistic and medieval aesthetic compared to some Final Fantasy settings, is rich in magic and mythological beings. Gods, Daedra (demons), and magical artifacts form the backbone of much of the lore, with magic often being deeply intertwined into the daily lives and conflicts of its inhabitants. Though The Elder Scrolls starts off with a relatively grounded tone, the more mystical elements slowly unfold as the player progresses, revealing a world full of ancient powers and deities that influence the fate of its lands.

Storytelling and Characters

Final Fantasy: The Final Fantasy series is renowned for its emotionally-driven narratives, often revolving around world-shaking events, such as apocalyptic threats or the rise of powerful villains. While each entry introduces unique characters, one of the most consistent aspects of the series is the emotional resonance derived from the characters’ personal arcs and their struggles. Protagonists typically grapple with themes such as sacrifice, destiny, and the struggle between good and evil. The relationships between the party members often form the heart of the story, with moments of personal growth and redemption marking major character developments.

The Elder Scrolls: While The Elder Scrolls places significant emphasis on player agency, it also features well-developed NPCs with their own stories and motivations. Each game in the series has an overarching narrative that revolves around major events or conflicts, such as the Oblivion Crisis in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or the Dragon Crisis in Skyrim. Players’ actions are deeply woven into these conflicts, and their decisions impact the world in significant ways. This balance between personal agency and a broader narrative allows for rich storytelling, where the player is both a part of the world and an active agent within its larger conflicts.

Gameplay

Final Fantasy: The combat in Final Fantasy has evolved over time, but it consistently features a blend of strategic elements and action-oriented gameplay. Recent entries have moved towards more real-time, action-based combat systems, but core elements such as party management, exploiting enemy weaknesses, and managing resources like MP and items remain central to the gameplay. These strategic aspects, even in the context of more action-driven combat, maintain the depth that has been a hallmark of the series. Whether through turn-based mechanics or real-time combat, Final Fantasy games continue to challenge players with tactical decision-making that demands both quick reflexes and thoughtful planning.

The Elder Scrolls: Combat in The Elder Scrolls is generally simpler compared to Final Fantasy’s intricate systems. However, The Elder Scrolls offers significant strategic depth through the open-ended nature of character building. Players can choose from a wide array of playstyles, including stealth, magic, or brute force, and customize their combat approach accordingly. In Skyrim, for example, shouts add an extra layer of strategic options. This flexibility allows players to approach challenges in a variety of ways, catering to personal preferences and providing a unique experience for each player. While the combat might not be as complex as that of Final Fantasy, its adaptability and customization offer their own form of depth.

Legacy and Influence

Final Fantasy: The Final Fantasy series has had a profound influence on the JRPG genre, defining many of its tropes and conventions. It helped establish the structure of turn-based combat, grand storytelling, and the emotional weight of character-driven narratives. The franchise has consistently set trends in the industry, from its use of orchestral soundtracks to its pioneering use of full-motion video. Many of the conventions now synonymous with JRPGs were either pioneered or popularized by Final Fantasy, leaving an indelible mark on the genre.

The Elder Scrolls: The Elder Scrolls has had a significant impact on the open-world RPG genre, especially within the Western gaming tradition. Its open-ended world design, where the player has the freedom to engage in quests at their own pace, has been a major influence on modern RPGs. The Elder Scrolls games have shaped how developers approach world-building, storytelling, and player agency in the open-world genre. The degree of freedom and interactivity within the world set a new benchmark for open-world games and has influenced countless titles that followed, especially in terms of player-driven narratives and expansive, living worlds.

Conclusion

Both Final Fantasy and The Elder Scrolls have left an indelible mark on the RPG genre, but they do so in distinct and complementary ways. Final Fantasy stands as a monumental force in shaping the landscape of JRPGs, with its intricate storytelling, deep character arcs, and strategic combat. Its ability to craft emotionally resonant narratives across a variety of settings and worlds, along with its innovative gameplay mechanics, has set the gold standard for many RPGs that followed.

On the other hand, The Elder Scrolls has redefined the scope of open-world RPGs, offering players unparalleled freedom and the ability to shape their own stories within a living, breathing world. Its focus on player agency, vast exploration, and the interplay between personal choice and world events provides a different kind of depth, one rooted in immersion and the consequences of individual actions.

Ultimately, whether you gravitate toward the epic, narrative-driven adventures of Final Fantasy or the expansive, choice-driven landscapes of The Elder Scrolls, both franchises showcase the power of role-playing games to create worlds that are rich in lore, meaningful experiences, and deep personal connections. While they cater to slightly different tastes, both provide extraordinary adventures that continue to shape the genre for years to come.

Key Points

• Final Fantasy offers different worlds in each mainline game, yet recurring motifs like crystals, summons (Bahamut, Shiva), and Chocobos create a thematic lineage,though the strength of this unity varies between entries (e.g., the tech-heavy FFVII vs. medieval FFIX).
• The Elder Scrolls presents a persistent universe,Tamriel,where grounded political and cultural realism blends with pervasive magical forces, ancient artifacts, and mythical beings like Daedra and dragons.
• Final Fantasy features structured, cinematic narratives that dive into emotional and philosophical themes. This sometimes limits player agency but delivers high-impact storytelling and character arcs.
• The Elder Scrolls prioritizes player freedom. While major conflicts like the Oblivion or Dragon Crisis provide narrative anchors, players can significantly diverge and shape their own story within a reactive world.
• Final Fantasy‘s combat has evolved from turn-based systems to real-time action, yet still emphasizes strategic depth via elemental weaknesses, party synergy, and tactical resource use.
• The Elder Scrolls allows combat creativity through open-ended skill development,be it stealth, destruction magic, melee, or shouts,offering strategic flexibility despite simpler core mechanics.
• Final Fantasy leans into visual spectacle and often surreal or futuristic settings, balancing high fantasy with sci-fi influences across dramatically diverse world designs.
• The Elder Scrolls infuses its fantasy with philosophical and metaphysical concepts,like CHIM and the Dream of the Godhead,layering mythic depth beneath its political and environmental realism.
• Final Fantasy has defined core JRPG conventions globally, influencing turn-based mechanics, class systems, emotional storytelling, and epic-scale presentation.
• The Elder Scrolls helped shape Western open-world RPG design, setting standards in exploration freedom, immersive lore, and dynamic world simulation that many games emulate today.

Fun Facts

• The original Final Fantasy was named so because its creators at Square believed it would be their final project before bankruptcy,it became their breakthrough success.
• In The Elder Scrolls cosmology, all existence is part of Anu’s dream. Those who attain CHIM realize they are part of the dream and can reshape reality without being erased by that knowledge.
• Final Fantasy IX intentionally pays homage to the franchise’s roots, using classic job classes, whimsical character designs, and medieval settings as a throwback to earlier titles.
• M’aiq the Liar is a recurring Elder Scrolls character who exists to humorously comment on game mechanics and fan expectations,essentially serving as an in-game developer wink.
• Final Fantasy’s summon Bahamut appears in nearly all mainline entries, but his lore and form shift wildly,from guardian deity to interstellar weapon.
• Morrowind’s lore includes the Tribunal gods and Vivec’s bizarre metaphysical writings, exploring tonal architecture and reality-shaping philosophies that players can uncover through hidden texts.
• Final Fantasy VI shocked fans by letting Kefka destroy the world mid-game, a storytelling twist that pushed the boundaries of RPG structure at the time.
• Time in The Elder Scrolls is not linear,Akatosh, the god of time, maintains reality’s flow, yet events like Dragon Breaks canonically fracture and rearrange timelines.
• Final Fantasy XII drew heavy inspiration from Star Wars,featuring airships, political rebellion, and characters with striking parallels to Han Solo and Princess Leia.
• The Elder Scrolls’ Dwemer (Deep Elves) disappeared en masse during an event tied to god-making and the Heart of Lorkhan; no confirmed explanation exists, making it one of gaming’s deepest mysteries.
• Final Fantasy X was the first entry with full voice acting and no traditional world map, marking a pivotal shift toward cinematic immersion in the series.
• Early versions of Oblivion’s Radiant AI were too realistic,NPCs would steal food, murder rivals, or die of hunger, forcing devs to tone down their autonomy.
• Final Fantasy VII’s “One-Winged Angel” was groundbreaking, being the first in the series to use full orchestration and a Latin choir, elevating video game music to new artistic heights.
• In Skyrim, the player can unwittingly assassinate a key character for one faction, only to discover later they were critical to another plotline,demonstrating deeply interwoven questlines.
• Many Final Fantasy magic systems tie directly into the world’s metaphysics,such as FFVII’s Materia, which is crystallized Mako energy (the planet’s lifeforce) used to cast spells.