The Almost-Perfect Save

In late 2020, I embarked on a journey to obtain as close to a perfect save file in as many Final Fantasies as my fragile human constitution could endure. This page describes what “almost-perfect save” means for each game in the series, and what my progress looks like on each one.

Games with no checkmarks have not been started, and may have their completion criteria revised as I do some more research or my stream chat yells at me.

Non-story pure-grinding playlist: Resigned to the Grind Playlist

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Final Fantasy (NES)
☑ Begin playing.
☑ Story completed.

☐ All characters L50.
☐ Max G.
☑ All treasures opened.
☑ 99 of each consumable item.
☑ Access to as many spells as possible.
☑ At least one of each spellcasting item:
☑ As many unique pieces of equipment possible.

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Final Fantasy I (PSP)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Soul of Chaos dungeons completed.
☐ Labyrinth of Time completed.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.

—

Final Fantasy II (PSP)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Bonus content completed.
☐ Weapon levels maxed on final party.
☐ Access to all max level spells.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.

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Final Fantasy III (Famicom)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ Access to at least one set of best gear for each job.
☐ Access to all spells.

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Final Fantasy III (Steam)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Iron Giant defeated.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All jobs L99 on all characters.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ Access to at least one set of best gear for each job.
☐ Access to all spells.
☐ All Legendary Smith equipment obtained.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All Steam achievements.

—

Final Fantasy IV (PSP)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Bonus content completed.
☐ Zeromus EG defeated.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ All summons obtained.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.

—

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (PSP)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Ceodore’s Tale completed.
☐ Rydia’s Tale completed.
☐ Yang’s Tale completed.
☐ Palom’s Tale completed.
☐ Edge’s Tale completed.
☐ Porom’s Tale completed.
☐ Edward’s Tale completed.
☐ Kain’s Tale completed.
☐ Lunarian’s Tale completed.
☐ Gathering’s Tale completed.
☐ Final Tale completed.
☐ Bonus content completed.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ All summons obtained.
☐ All bands discovered.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.

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Final Fantasy IV (Steam)
☑ Begin playing.
☑ Story completed.

☐ NG+ completed.
☐ Second NG+ completed.
☐ Geryon defeated.
☐ Proto-Babil defeated.
☐ Final party L99.
☐ Provide Cover 99 times.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ All summons obtained.
☑ All maps completed.
☐ Access to all augments.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All Steam achievements.

—

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (SNES)
☑ Begin playing.
☑ Story completed.

☑ Benjamin L41.
☑ All treasures opened.
☑ 99 of all consumable items.
☑ All spells learned.
☑ All equipment obtained.
☑ All battlefields cleared.

—

Final Fantasy V Advance (GBA)
☑ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Bonus content completed.
☐ Omega and Shinryu defeated.
☐ Omega Mk. II and Neo Shinryu defeated.
☐ Enuo defeated.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All jobs mastered for all characters.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ All black/white/time spells obtained.
☐ All blue magic obtained.
☐ All summons obtained.
☐ All dark arts obtained.
☐ All songs obtained.
☐ All pianos played.
☐ Max Chicken Knife.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ 99 each of Turtle Shell/Dragon Fang/Dark Matter.
☐ Complete bestiary.

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Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Dragon’s Den completed.
☐ Kaiser Dragon defeated.
☐ Omega Weapon defeated.
☐ Soul Shrine completed.
☐ All characters recruited.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All espers obtained.
☐ All esper magic obtained for all characters.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ Paladin Shield uncursed.
☐ All Tools obtained.
☐ All Blitzes obtained.
☐ All Bushido obtained.
☐ All Dances obtained.
☐ All Lores obtained.
☐ All Rages obtained.
☐ Cid rescued.
☐ All fish caught.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.

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Chrono Trigger (Steam)
☑ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ NG+ completed.
☐ Bonus content completed.
☐ Dream Devourer defeated.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All single techs learned.
☐ All dual/triple techs learned.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ All endings viewed.
☐ All clone dolls and music boxes won.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ 99 each of Petal/Horn/Fang/Feather.
☐ Complete bestiary.

—

Final Fantasy VII (Steam)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Ruby and Emerald WEAPON defeated.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ Master at least one of each master-able materia.
☐ Three complete Enemy Skill materia.
☐ All limit breaks obtained.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ All ultimate weapons obtained.
☐ At least one of each color chocobo leveled to Rank S.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ All Steam achievements.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Hard Mode completed.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All weapons obtained.
☐ Master at least one of each master-able materia.
☐ All Enemy Skills obtained.
☐ All quests complete.
☐ All albums obtained.
☐ All documents obtained.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All PlayStation trophies.

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Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions PSP
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Midlight’s Deep completed.
☐ All named characters L99.
☐ At least one male and female generic L99.
☐ All jobs mastered for all named characters.
☐ All jobs mastered for at least one male and female generic.
☐ Ultima obtained.
☐ Zodiark obtained.
☐ Complete inventory.

—

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered (Steam)
☑ Begin playing.
☑ Story completed.

☑ Omega defeated.
☐ All characters L100.
☑ All GFs obtained.
☐ All GFs L100.
☐ All GF ability slots filled.
☑ Max GF affinity for all characters.
☐ Three full sets of GF abilities (except for redundant abilities).
☑ All weapons obtained.
☑ All magazines obtained.
☑ All Information entries obtained.
☑ All limit breaks obtained.
☑ All SeeD tests completed.
☑ All chocobos befriended.
☑ All Ultimecia Castle seals broken.
☐ At least 100 of each spell.
☑ 100 of each potion icon consumable.
☑ 100 each of Hero and Holy War.
☑ At least one of each Triple Triad card.
☑ Access to all Triple Triad rules.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ All Steam achievements.

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Final Fantasy IX (Steam)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Ozma defeated.
☐ Excalibur II obtained.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All abilities learned.
☐ All Blue Magic obtained.
☐ All treasures opened.
☐ All Chocograph treasures found.
☐ Max Thievery.
☐ Max Frog Drop.
☐ Max Dragon Crest.
☐ 99 of each non-finite summon gem.
☐ Perfect Tetra Master collection.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ All Steam achievements.

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Final Fantasy X HD (Steam)
☑ Begin playing.
☑ Story completed.

☐ Sphere Grid completed for all characters.
☐ Perfect stats for all characters:

  • ☐ 99999 HP.
  • ☐ 999 MP.
  • ☐ 255 Strength.
  • ☐ 255 Defense.
  • ☐ 255 Magic.
  • ☐ 255 Magic Defense.
  • ☐ 230 Luck.
  • ☐ 170 Agility.
  • ☐ 60 Evasion.
  • ☐ 0 Accuracy.

☑ All aeons obtained.
☐ All aeon skills learned.
☑ All Al Bhed Primers obtained.
☑ All Jecht Spheres obtained.
☑ All celestial weapons upgraded.
☐ All Mixes obtained.
☑ All Ronso Rages obtained.
☑ All Overdrives.
☐ All Overdrive modes for all characters.
☑ All monsters captured.
☐ Area Conquest completed.
☐ Species Conquest completed.
☐ Original Conquest completed.
☐ All dark aeons defeated.
☐ Nemesis defeated.
☐ Penance defeated.
☐ Complete inventory.
☑ Omega Ruins chests left untouched.
☐ 178 equipment slots filled:

  • ☐ Empty 0/1-slot equipment.
  • ☐ Empty 4-slot equipment.
  • ☑ Capture weapons.
  • ☐ Piercing only weapons.
  • ☑ Celestial weapons.
  • ☐ 4-elemental strike weapons.
  • ☐ 4-elemental eater armor.
  • ☐ Leveling weapons. (Triple Overdrive + Triple AP + Overdrive -> AP)
  • ☐ Break HP/Break MP armor.
  • ☑ Unique No Encounters weapon. (Harpoon)
  • ☑ Unique Magic Counter armor. (Buckler)
  • ☐ At least one of each weapon/armor model for each character.
  • ☐ Access to every auto-ability.

☐ L99 Blitzball team.
☐ Access to all Blitzball techs.
☑ Missable Blitzball player (Durren) recruited.
☐ All Steam achievements.

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Final Fantasy X-2 HD (Steam)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ NG+ completed.
☐ 100% story completion.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All dresspheres obtained.
☐ All abilities learned for all characters.
☐ All Blue Bullets for all characters.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All Steam achievements.

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Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (Steam)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ Yiazmat defeated.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All gambits obtained.
☐ All magicks/technicks obtained.
☐ All Trials completed.
☐ All espers obtained.
☐ At least 16,822 LP earned for each character. (Enough to buy all licenses on the two most expensive boards, Knight and Monk.)
☐ Sky Pirate’s Den completed.
☐ All maps completed.
☐ All hunts completed.
☐ All rare game hunted.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All Steam achievements.

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Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ All Crystariums complete.
☐ All hunts completed.
☐ All weapons max level.
☐ All accessories max level.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All PlayStation trophies.

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Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ All Crystariums complete.
☐ All monsters captured.
☐ All artefacts obtained.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All PlayStation trophies.

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Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition (Steam)
☐ Begin playing.
☐ Story completed.
☐ All characters L99.
☐ All royal arms obtained.
☐ All techs mastered.
☐ All recipes obtained.
☐ All ascension grids complete.
☐ All hunts completed.
☐ All quests completed.
☐ Complete inventory.
☐ Complete bestiary.
☐ All Steam achievements.