Joshua Robertson is a News Editor for TheGamer. When not writing about breaking news, community stories, or covering industry events, you can find him begging FromSoftware for a Bloodborne remaster.
Unsurprisingly, the comments are filled with like-minded Final Fantasy 10 fans, such as Kaze950. They explain that they were “reminded of getting to Zanarkand for the first time” upon reaching the Monolith, which makes sense given how both games have a similar structure. Even the music is relatively similar.
Another user called Anghellik reckons that both games have a “melancholic tone that not very many games aim for”, while another user called TheIncredibleHork says that “the rather dire circumstances and themes of the game definitely echo in E33.” It’s pretty true as well, as both Expedition 33 and Final Fantasy 10 have strong themes of coping with death and moving on after someone has passed.
It’s a pretty sensible recommendation as well. Final Fantasy 10 is the only game in the series that is purely turn-based, with no active-time battle shenanigans, and there are even more similarities in the game’s world. It has a similar approach to minigames, dotting them across the world like the Gestral Beaches in Clair Obscur, and while they’re completely optional, they do house powerful weapons and items that can boost your characters’ power levels.
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If you take all of this into account, it’s really easy to see the game’s influence. So, if you’re looking to scratch that Clair Obscur itch and fancy giving the Final Fantasy series a try, you can’t really go wrong with Final Fantasy 10.
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Yeah, just checked and at least FF1 2 are purely turn based, but I don’t think anyone has really played these, they’re basically forgotten unless you are a square enix fan and play all of their games(which I have played all final fantasy)
2025-12-26 20:54:28
Echo how can you even say that no one played these game… smh…. final fantasy 1literally saved squaresoft from bankruptcies…. they released PIXEL REMASTER just a few years ago too!!! i swear kids these day have the worst take on everything
2025-12-27 08:51:24
Echo ive beaten 2-10 the only one Noone has beaten is the og final fantasy1.. 2 is one of my absolute favorites..
2025-12-27 11:53:28
Final Fantasy 10 is not even remotely the best Final Fantasy.
2025-12-26 20:35:10
brigzy imagine saying that when game like chrono trigger exist… smh…. ff10 is not even top 5 in the final fantasy series…. 7,12,8,9,6 are all much better with a lot more replayability
2025-12-27 08:47:32
Well. Looks like we can all have opinions right? I’ve been playing FF since FF1 and have also played Chrono Trigger. But FFX is my second favorite after FF6. It’s ok to have different opinions.
2025-12-27 14:12:21
To say not even close is kinda harsh
X is definitely one of the best indid. I started w VIII 13or 14yo. I think that plays a part of everyones opinion. This is also for new comers whondid not play FF growing up. The graphical improvement plays a key variable. For me thou/ i have to say favorite is IX, XII for its risky battle system but to make it somewhat turnstyle by stopping time while choosing command. X while not my favorite but when it came out i was super hyped and i can say that is one game that did bring me to feel immersed in a game world as deeply as 33 did. Dragon quest 8 alomg with og resident evils. Re1 gamecube peaked it then before 4
Shadow of.colssosus
…that immerse is rare
Yes 33 n X killed it
… 6 and 4 as for.othwr ff
2025-12-27 20:51:20
It was at the time , it was the first to do fully voiced story and at,the the time it was great , I liked it better than 7, 8 , 9 ,12 etc 8 was underrated in my opinion. The summon system was the best and loved the Sphere grid and characters were great .
2025-12-28 12:17:15
“Final Fantasy 10 is the only game in the series that is purely turn-based, with no active-time battle shenanigans,” oof, might wanna do some research.
2025-12-26 11:11:45
Gameplay wise, you’re closer going with FFXIII. A system that keeps you on your toes at all times.
2025-12-26 11:15:54
Final Dantayis true turn based, all other final fantasy games are turn based, but as the person said, there is a time mechanic. You wait for your characters bar to fill up, you move, if you sit and wait you still get attacked, whereas ffx if you sit and wait nothing occurs. That is true turn based. Which other final fantasy games often do not have.
2025-12-26 20:47:18
Yes, I agree; people would be better served suggesting Final Fantasy 13 over Final Fantasy 10 to a Clair Obscure lover. If they still like that, THEN go Final Fantasy 9 to get truer turn base and fantasy world building with a gear system very similar to Clair Obscure. If they still like THAT, give them Chrono Trigger as a Welcome to the Club referral: they’ve been converted.
2025-12-27 10:42:12
FF games always gonna be biased so here’s my biased list
XI XII VI IX XIII VIII XV
Eh rest ain’t the same as these
2025-12-26 12:19:37
No, it is more like FF13 and to be honest FF13 need its dues. It is an amazing game that got a lot of crap for its linear beginning of the game that people now praise FF7 Rebirth for l. Unfortunately, if you have a PS5 you cannot play FF13. It is literally the only game in the FF universe you cannot play any version of. Almost like they are trying to erase it ever existed.
2025-12-27 11:29:28
Echo that is such a load of shit, ff6 for example let’s you decide the speed flow of the fights, the flow of magic, and wether enemies attack in-between actions or not. Also 0 mini games making it more pure turn based than anything else mentioned here besides the first entries to the franchise.
2025-12-27 14:18:56
I sincerely hope that the clowns writing these type of polarizing posts don’t get paid like at all…. In just the past year I’ve read more and more brain dead posts like this one. Must be nice to get to make a living off of spreading absolute bullshit around like a child finger painting.
2025-12-27 14:12:28
“It snagged 1 GOTY awards this year”
Doesn’t mention it lost 2 GOTY awards for lying about using A.I before the awards due to the hard stance against it. One of the devs let slip they used A.I and the game lost its good rep very fast loading it to losing not 1 but 2 GOTY awards.
Fans dont like being lied too.
2025-12-29 06:17:21
Lol ff10 isn’t one of the best final fantasies its not even in top 5 lol.. honestly ff10 kind of killed final fantasy for me so this article is laughable at best…the editor obv doesnt know what a good game is..
2025-12-27 11:50:48
I played the FF games as they were released – starting with II (in US, IV in Japan I believe). They just kept getting better! Then X came out, and TBH, I was really disappointed. The open world aspect was a joke, and the game felt way more linear than the previous versions. X-2 turned me off FF altogether. The dialogue was over the top silly in addition to the shortcomings of X. Played some of the later installments a little, but the magic was gone after playing X.
2025-12-26 11:46:38
X-2 was weird, but ffx wasn’t really open world, it was linear, so was literally every other final fantasy game before it. Literally all final fantasy games are linear, they give you open world but you still do missions in order. Also the dialogue wasn’t silly or anything. I don’t get your complaints.
2025-12-26 20:51:54
Yeah X and X-2 are some of the weakest games in the series, with her exception of XII (which is brilliant) all games after IX are really weak.
2025-12-27 04:00:11
Christofer X is one of the greatest games ever made its an absolute masterpiece 😂 some people should stick to fortnight and it shows
2025-12-27 04:06:09
ff12 have the best battle system and the biggest world to explore and the most stuff to do. hunt was incredible.
2025-12-27 08:54:07
brigzy ff10 isnt even top 5 in the series….smh…. they keep repeating the same thing over and over and over again trough the story… it get freaking annoying at some point…
2025-12-27 08:55:19
brigzy of course, if you ignore any games released in the series before and pretty much anything else then you are absolutely right.
If I were as fresh as you I’d probably be impressed with it too… But I’m not so it doesn’t
2025-12-27 08:58:52
10 is my 2nd favorite, nothing beats 12 to me. Just the perfect FF
2025-12-26 02:44:10
12 was just vagrant story 2 with some final fantasy names sprinkled in, not a final fantasy game 🤷
2025-12-26 10:05:33
I prefer VI, IX and VII but XII was good and better than X.
2025-12-26 10:14:23
Cassie they really needed to make this one modernized. I want to see mech armor in 3d
2025-12-26 20:55:08
FFX is the only final fantasy without ATB? What are you, 12? The first six were all purely turn based.
2025-12-27 21:58:37
I definitely disagree, not that Final Fantasy X was a good game, but with the recommendation. I actually disagree with most of the breakout hype over this game introducing people to turn based games. There are SO many people almost bragging that they hate turn based games, but this game is amazing. These people still hate turn based games, and the people that already loved turn based games are probably very familiar with at least a few games in the final fantasy series and have formed opinions on the others. Claire Obscure didn’t convert anyone. It just allowed all of us to get along for a second. This beautiful game doesn’t make me want to finally play Dark Souls, and it won’t make any turn-based hater want to play Shining Force.
2025-12-27 10:32:43
ff10 isnt even in the top 5 best ff…
ff7,ff12,ff9,ff8,ff6 and finally ff10….
2025-12-27 08:45:34
This article is bogus, 33 lost 2 awards and is no longer top spot after they lied about not using AI. The French thought they were slick, no wonder Kojima smirked its making more sense everyday, because the one game that set records is the same game that used AI to do it. That’s stolen art BTW and they profited and bragged as well, so they deserved losing there spot, should’ve been Silksong.
2025-12-27 02:39:25
You’re the first true NPC I’ve ever met if you sincerely think that was problematic AI usage. I’m wondering if you even know the situation or just following headlines. Nothing in the final game was AI.
2025-12-27 10:58:18
Ffx isn’t nowhere near the best final fantasy game. Gtfo with that bs. They have done a bunch of polls for best ff game and only a single one of them had ffx being the best. It usually places in the middle or lower.
2025-12-27 09:26:34
It should be number 1 its one of the greatest games i’ve ever played little bro
2025-12-27 13:00:49
FFX is decent enough, but doesn’t crack the Top 5 for me.
FFVI, IX, VII, V, and IV (in that order).
VIII and XIII I feel were also better.
Then X. And X-2 was interesting mechanics-wise, but mid other than that.
2025-12-26 10:13:44
FFVI is the best one on my list too, I never cared for 7, but FFVI was really good, if they needed to modernize any final fantasy game that should’ve been the one. Cloud was cool I guess, but man, to see the mech army in full 3d, to play some of the missions in a 3d world would be amazing.
I like FFX because it is really depressing and it’s how most final fantasy games should be
2025-12-26 20:49:59
I Respect that, Echo.
I know this isn’t fair, because I don’t hate 7 either, but man does it feel good to see people not swinging on Cloud and Sephiroth’s balls. I love seeing other top 1s mentioned like FF6 or FF12, or one guy FF11! I personally really attached to FF8 because it was my first and that music is foundational to me, but I just love more than just FF7 for the dozenth time getting attention.
2025-12-27 11:05:58
