Best-selling author Brandon Sanderson, creator of the Mistborn book series as well as the writer of the final three The Wheel of Time high fantasy novels (after the death of original author, Robert Jordan), has recently revealed his favorite games in a blog post, and Final Fantasy seems to be not only one of his favorites, but also a point of frequent comparison for his own work. Sanderson spends a lot of time writing, creating fundraising campaigns, and also playing video games. There are quite a few film adaptations based on his work in the pipeline, too.

Sanderson is primarily a fantasy writer, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the long-running and popular Final Fantasy series has served as an inspiration for him. He has been a gamer for the majority of his life, and seems to have a taste for a little bit of everything in the video game world. From RPGs like Fallout: New Vegas to first-person shooters like Halo 2, Sanderson’s favorite games are quite diverse, and one of the Final Fantasy games is “the perfect Final Fantasy game” in his eyes, with a very high Metacritic score, and has also served as inspiration for so many other games.

Brandon Sanderson Says FF10 Is “The Perfect Final Fantasy Game”

FF10 Was A Game Changer For RPGs

According to a blog post update from March on Brandon Sanderson’s website, the popular author has FF10 as his third-favorite game of all time, just behind Bloodborne and just ahead of Halo 2. In the blog entry, Sanderson jokes that readers would know “this was coming,” in response to how often fans ask him if FF influences his magic systems or worlds in his own writing. FF10 saw the first instance of the series having voiced dialogue, and that, combined with a stellar soundtrack and a relatable protagonist and a unique world, makes FF10 his favorite.

Sanderson said FF10 has the strongest world-building of the franchise, and Tidus, the game’s lead character, is unique, not being a moody teenager or a traditional knight archetype, but instead being a happy, impulsive jock. The game remains one of the most popular titles in the franchise, influencing games to come, like the recent, massively successful Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, with its innovative Conditional Turn-Based Battle System, which allowed players to see the order of turns to better strategize and change party members during battle.

As part of a Kickstarter campaign for the release of “secret novels” written by Sanderson, a book called Yumi and the Nightmare Painter was released in 2023, and the love story between the two characters has some parallels between them and Tidus and Yuna in FF10. Sanderson also writes at the end of the book about how much he enjoys FF10 and how it influenced Yumi and Nikaro’s relationship throughout the book.

FF10 Has A 92 On Metacritic, & A User Score Of 8.9

It Remains One Of The Most Popular FF Games, Even Two Decades Later

FF10 currently has a score of 92 on Metacritic, making it one of the best-reviewed games in the series. The game is often regarded as the evolution the franchise needed after the PlayStation 1 era, and its popularity influenced a lot of games in the early 2000s, such as the underrated Lost Odyssey, and many games still use inspired elements of its level design and turn-based combat to this day. In a series that has lost some of its identity, from a lot of fans’ perspectives, FF10 remains as the game most fans will recommend to series newcomers, especially if they’re waiting for Final Fantasy 7 Remake part three.

FF10 was followed by a direct sequel, FF X-2, starring Yuna, Rikku, and newcomer Paine. The game featured a unique take on the classic “Job System,” and would see a less linear approach to its gameplay and structure.

The game was praised for its stellar visuals (which still mostly hold up today in 2025), its emotional story, its cinematic presentation, and its ability to innovate in a series that already had 10 entries by 2001. Some fans criticized the more linear experience, as opposed to the previous games in the series, and it was the first FF game to not feature a traditional world map, but nonetheless, FF10 remains a fan-favorite, and is also my favorite game of all time, so I echo Sanderson’s love of the game.

FF10 was a sizable game, too. The main story might have been fairly linear, but the customization of characters and the unique Sphere Grid leveling system was the first time the series broke away from a more traditional leveling number. The game also offered a lot of side content, like optional summons, superbosses, notoriously difficult mini-games, like the lightning dodging and the infamous chocobo race. All of these elements worked so well together, creating an unforgettable experience.

Why Sanderson & So Many Others Love Final Fantasy 10

A Great Story, Memorable Cast Of Characters, And Original Combat

Part of the appeal of FF10 is its ability to stay true to what was at the time the “brand” of FF and present fresh ideas, likable characters, more mature themes, and a unique setting. The world of Spira is both beautiful and haunting. Death awaits consistently as the monster known as Sin kills many of Spira’s inhabitants and destroys countless homes, and only a summoner can defeat it and bring a brief era of peace known as the Calm. But that defeat is only temporary, as Sin is reborn shortly after, and another summoner must give their lives to defeat it.

The story creates a never-ending cycle of sorrow, with only the summoners and their guardians as Spira’s hope, something that both Yuna and Lady Yunalesca mention in the game, though for very different reasons. In addition to the story, the jump to fully-rendered 3D environments, voice acting, cutting-edge graphics, and a unique leveling system to go along with its turn-based combat was mind-boggling at the time. Even in 2025, the game still looks and plays great, too; FF10 is timeless.

FF10 set the groundwork for a lot of games (and books, movies, and other media) that came after. The game was jaw-dropping in 2001, and is often regarded as one of the earliest examples of video games as an art, along with titles like Silent Hill 2 and the prior Final Fantasy 7. With games like Expedition 33 still taking inspiration from FF10, and with an author as renowned as Brandon Sanderson being influenced by the title, it’s clear that the game has touched a lot of people, and the Final Fantasy series wouldn’t be what it is today without it.