Final Fantasy involves a band of warriors assembled to save the world from the forces of evil. Players create a party of four adventurers and set forth to explore their large world. Characters are selected from six different classes (Fighter, Black Belt, Thief, Red Mage, White Mage and Black Mage), each with its own defining attributes.

The Fighter can use almost any weapon or armor, the Red Mage can use some weapons, some armor, and some spells, and the Black Mage can cast powerful battle spells but cannot use most of the armor or weapons. Other classes feature similarly balanced restrictions. Once a certain point in the game is reached, the characters become experts in their current class and change into a more powerful identity (e.g. the Black Mage becomes the Black Wizard).

Players can enter towns, buy items and spells, learn clues about their quest, and even occasionally fight. And as the story progresses, non-player characters may have more to reveal or different things to say. Final Fantasy has a deep story and huge areas to explore, taking the heroes to mountains and volcanoes, buried submarines, space stations, and even through time.