Which is the best FF?

[Assassdolan]

Is it VII,or not?
I want to start with the best one

[OwedEvil]

Origineel geplaatst door Assassdolan:

Is it VII,or not?
I want to start with the best one

Yes, easily this. No contest, though 8 comes close. A lot of teh FFs start to really stink after 8.

[Pixel Phoenix]

As has been echoed plenty of times already, "best" is a matter of opinion. Everyone has their own personal taste, and every Final Fantasy (post V) tend to set a different theme and setting, which makes them fairly varied. As such, you'll find people who like VII for its modern setting, or IX for evoking that sense of actual fantasy.

For years, VII was the crowd favorite way back in 2004/2005 when it became massively popular almost out of nowhere. Lately, however, over the past three years or so, VI has been gaining some traction (perhaps due to people deliberately wanting to go against the grain and witness VII being dethroned, who knows), despite my suspicion that most people haven't actually played a Final Fantasy before VII.

Realistically, they're both very, very good and it's up to you to form an opinion. I think it's important to look at what set the groundwork for Final Fantasy games and made them successful aside from just VI and VII.

Hopefully, rather than come to a definitive answer of "what is best", you can come to a decisive answer on "what is best to you". Here are some of my recommendations and summations for the games, in an attempt to provide what I believe is the optimal FF experience for people new to the FF series.

--Final Fantasy III was the first Final Fantasy to introduce job changing. The story is about four orphans who set out on a quest to restore balance to the world. While it's a decent FF game, it's one of the more difficult ones to acquire (unless you don't mind the 3D remake, which I don't personally recommend as it isn't representative of the original FFIII experience). A long time FF fan may enjoy the game, but I would not suggest this one to a newcomer of the series.

--Final Fantasy IV is a fantastic choice as it has been ported many, many times and was remade for the PSP a few years back. It introduces relatable characters and a great story, and cements the groundwork for a character driven plot as well as being the first FF game to utilize the Active Time Battle system. The music is memorable, and each character has their own unique class which allows you to make choices on who you want to bring with you in a party. It sticks to the fantasy themed formula and keeps you engaged with the occasional wacky character to lighten an otherwise dark story. Emotional at times, the diversity of characters allowed Square to flourish in storytelling this time around. If I were to recommend a version, it would be The Complete Collection for the PSP (it's easily accessible on the Playstation Store and can be played on the Vita as well). It's closely representative of the original game and retains much of the difficulty as well as maintaining a visual art style that fits the world and characters. Final Fantasy Chronicles for the PSOne (which comes with Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, another Square classic) is another worthy alternative. A great entry for newcomers.

--Final Fantasy V is a good choice of entry, as it brings back the job system in such a way that allows for huge customization. As with other FF games, FFV deals with the recurring theme of crystals and the need to protect them. Once again, an engaging story with a character driven plot. It also uses the iconic Active Time Battle system. Good versions to play are Final Fantasy V Advance, which has a bunch of small additions and updated graphics, but may be hard to find, or the PSOne port. I'd recommend the PSOne version on the Playstation Store for newcomers.

--Final Fantasy VI takes a major shift in series. It drifts away from the focus on crystals and drops you in a dark, steampunk style world, while still retaining elements of fantasy. The story starts out with you and a group of people you meet who seek to rid the world of a nation know as The Empire, who rule the world by means of dictatorship. As the story progresses, it takes a few twists that throw the world off balance (quite literally). It has a huge cast of relatable characters (the most of any FF game, fourteen in total), and each have their own class, though capable of learning and using magic. The tone of FFVI is very mature in that it deals with real loss and depression, and the inevitability of asking ourselves why we continue to press on in the face of hopelessness. The game may have you in tears at times, and the music is a perfect compliment to its seemingly lonely and oppressive setting. It still uses the Active Time Battle system. Unfortunately, FFVI suffers from not having an easily accessible or decent port (the Advance version having extra content but harder to find, while the PSOne port on the Playstation Store suffers from slow load times), but they are the only two versions I would recommend as they both closely represent the original game. If possible, avoid the Steam version. It's a port of the Android release, and uses chibi style characters rather than the original sprite based art style, which make the characters feel out of place and/or silly and takes away from the aesthetic. This is the last FF to use sprite based artwork and 2D imagery. Often considered one of the best RPGs of all time in many online publishings. A fantastic entry for new players.

--Final Fantasy VII is often one of the top recommended RPGs in almost any article, usually next to FFVI and has one of the most talked about events in video game history. It is the first FF game to use 3D animation. FFVII's story deals with characters that are challenged by the megacorporation known as Shinra, which uses machinery known as Mako Reactors that drain the energy of the planet for their own futuristic goals. FFVII moves away from the fantasy formula and brings us into a modern world where technology has advanced to the modern age, and the events that take place seem believable and possible in our future, at least at first (though magic being an element of fantasy that it still holds onto). In time, though, the game takes a turn and we learn that we're seeing a smaller piece of a bigger picture. It features a mature setting and the game often likes to reflect on the idea of entity, or who we are in the world and why we matter. FFVII has a cast of characters who each excel in their own unique way, but are capable of using magic much like FFVI. The game has a beautiful soundtrack as is often the case with Final Fantasy games, thanks to the genius that is Nobuo Uematsu. It uses the successful Active Time Battle system. The game hasn't been ported as often as the others, but is due for a full remake for the PS4 very soon. You can find the original PSOne version on the Playstation Store, or you can find it here on Steam. The Steam version has much more clear and crisp character models (with the option of cheats), but is otherwise identical to the original. An equally wonderful entry for starters.

--Final Fantasy VIII continues on the success of FFVII and uses utilizes a 3D environment with characters that reflect realistic proportions this time around. It also features a modernized setting but still has an element of fantasy to it. Each character is unique in what they do, and can make use of the Draw system, where a character can "draw" magic from an enemy and cast it on themselves or the opposition. FFVIII has another beautiful soundtrack and focuses on the theme of love and time. Our protagonists are part of an organization called SeeD, who travel from continent to continent in an attempt to stop a sorceress known as Edea. As the story inches forward, we begin to learn of a bigger threat to the world itself. Final Fantasy VIII has seen debate on whether the story is easier to digest than the others because it deals with the concept of time and is mixed in with a deep love story, but that's up to user perception. I've had to come back to this one myself many times over the years because I often question my perceived understanding of the story when it came to certain characters or events. Regardless, the overall journey is a long but heartfelt one. It features the Active Time Battle system just as previous FF games. The game hasn't been ported a whole lot, but just like Final Fantasy VII, you can find the original as a PSOne title on the Playstation Store or on Steam. The Steam version is the same as FFVII's Steam release, with crisper visuals and character models (with cheats available), but otherwise identical to the original. A great entry for newer FF players.

--Final Fantasy IX makes a true return to the roots of fantasy. The tone of the game has an odd mix of knights and castles meshed with cute and silly creatures, and the charm to match. The soundtrack touches on this a lot and compliments the game very well. Final Fantasy IX starts out with the protagonist Zidane Tribal and his group of thieves, who want to kidnap the princess of the city of Alexandria. In time, we learn that the Queen of Alexandria starts to behave unusually and your team begin to wonder why. Many times throughout the game are we thrown around from feeling good to feeling sad, then feeling good again. Often we empathize with the characters for the way they feel, and it drives us to push on. The game returns to the idea of identity like Final Fantasy VII, and what we see ourselves as, and ultimately, what that means to us. The Active Time Battle system makes a return and the game is noticeably more difficult versus VI, VII, and VIII, but not enough to deter newer players away. Characters have their own unique class, and not everyone can learn magic this time around. Nobuo Uematsu, the long time composer of the music for the series, cites Final Fantasy IX being his favorite work. The two versions I recommend are the PSOne classic on the Playstation Store and the Steam version, which follows the tradition of VII and VIII with updated character models and visuals (with cheats as an option), but otherwise identical to the original. A fantastic start for newcomers.

--Final Fantasy X moves away from the setting of fantasy again, and seems to put us in a modern/futuristic world that retain elements of fantasy. The Active Time Battle system is gone and replaced with the Conditional Turned-Based Battle system (characters and enemies gets turns to attack in a conditioned order, without active time). It also replaces levels (a long time tradition in Final Fantasy) with the Sphere Grid, where you allocate a character's stats manually by moving around a grid and using Ability Points. The protagonist is drawn from his world into a new world where the people are in constant fear of a huge monster known as Sin. Final Fantasy X focuses on the theme of love, understanding, and acceptance, and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. Each character has their own role initially, but is capable of imitating any role thanks to the Sphere Grid, except for character specific roles such as Summoning. Despite so many changes to the core mechanics of the game, it was very well received by critics and fans. The versions I recommend are the original for the PS2, or the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on the Playstation Store and Steam. The HD Remasters have been visually improved and feature some extra content (as well as cheats on the Steam version), but otherwise identical to the original. Great start for new FF players.

--Final Fantasy XI is not a single player Final Fantasy game, so I'll be skipping this.

--Final Fantasy XII takes another step in a new direction. The game emerges back into the theme of fantasy with modern influence. It introduces an open world that is split up into zones (much like an MMO), and a Gambit system which allows you to set conditions and actions for your characters in battle and automate them. Final Fantasy XII moves away from random battles, and instead has enemies that can be seen on screen and engaged with the Active Dimensional Battle system. The story revolves around two nations at war where a princess, whose kingdom gets caught up in the war, rallies a group of people to fight against one of the opposing nations, though your perspective begins with a young boy who dreams of becoming a sky pirate. The game uses a Licensing Board, where you obtain license points and administer an ability to a party member. Much like the Sphere Grid, any character can learn any ability on the Licensing Board, though there are exceptions. I would recommend you pick up the PS2 version of the game. Final Fantasy XII is also due for a remaster, which is titled Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, and is targeted for a PS4 release. Although a great entry to the series, it departs from many of the core mechanics and features that made the earlier iterations of FF so very loved. The story can become complicated, the soundtrack is often seen as the weaker composition in the series, and the Gambit system may confuse newer players. Experienced FF players may get more mileage and enjoyment. For what it offers, Final Fantasy XII is still a fantastic game due to the numerous new features and the direction in heads in, but I feel that the story and music took a big hit. As a starting Final Fantasy for new players, I would not suggest this one.

--Final Fantasy XIII is one I can't give an opinion on because I've never played it. I've watched the entire game be played, but have never played it myself as I've never had a desire to. Perhaps someone else could provide strengths and weaknesses of this one?

--Final Fantasy XIV is not a single player Final Fantasy game, so I'll be skipping this.

--Final Fantasy XV is one I haven't played yet, but seems to be aggregating a good score overall. I've often heard it be reviewed as being interesting and unique, but having a lot of design choices that prevent it from being great.

Honorable mentions:

--Final Fantasy Tactics is not a numbered game in the series, but worthy of the FF name. Uses a rotatable playing field with an isometric view, where your characters move around terrain on a grid. Fantastic music, story, and characters. Again, not part of the numbered series but should not be overlooked, either. Easily ranks among one of the best. I recommend picking up Final Fantasy Tactics on the Playstation Store. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is equally good, which can be played on the Wii U or Gameboy Advance.

--Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core is a prequel to final Fantasy VII and the events that take place before it. Very good on its own. An action role playing game that creates a story that ties in very well with FFVII. Good music and a lovable main character (there is no party system for this one, only your protagonist known as Zack Fair). Unfortunately, due to licensing issues, this game is only available on the PSP.

Hope that helps.

[Arsene Lupin]

There is no concensus.

Generally speaking, the "golden age" of Final Fantasy includes Final Fantasy 6, Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8 and Final Fantasy 9.... these games are the most common ones seen mentoined as favourites. Modern Final Fantasy games begin with Final Fantasy 4 and Final Fantasy 5, and end (arguably) with Final Fantasy 10. Each of these games is also very popular.

Final Fantasy 12 also has many fans, but was woefully unfinished, so I'd hesitate to put it on a very high pedastal. In general, the earliest Final Fantasy games and the latest Final Fantasy games are the worst of the franchise. The former due to technical limitations, the latter due to horrific mismanagement and incompetence.

[Pixel Phoenix]

I'd say that's fairly accurate. You really can't go wrong with any Final Fantasy game between FFIV - FFIX or FFX.

Final Fantasy I and II have good ports depending on where you look, but without refined mechanics, they don't hold up too well against the later games when it comes to a good starting Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy III is particularly hard to find that isn't the 3D remake.

Final Fantasy XII has a very mixed reception with the older and dedicated fanbase, while XIII was also met with mixed reception as it strayed away from the roots of the older games that made the series so adored and was mostly designed without the old team. No comment on Final Fantasy XV.

[3Snap]

Whenever you ask a question like this your never going to get a clear and concise answer. Truthfully I don't think you can go wrong by just picking any random FF game and enjoying it if your a fan of rpgs.

Alot of us really hold FF 7 close to our hearts because it was one of our first introductions to the FF series. It's one of my favorites as well, it's pretty solid but there is others within the series with a better story without saying FF 7's still isn't solid in itself.

Honestly if you really want to play what I would argue is squareenix's best rpg they have ever made that still stands the test of time. I would suggest you have a look at "Chrono Trigger" however more then likely you will have to locate a suitable location to obtain the game from.

[Cosgar]

Origineel geplaatst door 3Snap:

Whenever you ask a question like this your never going to get a clear and concise answer. Truthfully I don't think you can go wrong by just picking any random FF game and enjoying it if your a fan of rpgs.

Alot of us really hold FF 7 close to our hearts because it was one of our first introductions to the FF series. It's one of my favorites as well, it's pretty solid but there is others within the series with a better story without saying FF 7's still isn't solid in itself.

Honestly if you really want to play what I would argue is squareenix's best rpg they have ever made that still stands the test of time. I would suggest you have a look at "Chrono Trigger" however more then likely you will have to locate a suitable location to obtain the game from.

Had a similar discussion before. We had to base it on era and game mechanics. Each console generation has its own charm, favored mechanics, style of storytelling, limitations and ways to go beyond those limitations. I liked the PlayStation golden age others preferred PS2 and NES/SNES.
But we all agreed Chrono Trigger is far superior lol.

[Pixel Phoenix]

I'm more a fan of the SNES era myself, although PS1 had a lot of great contenders. The 90s and early 00s generation of games were such a delight. I still play games from that era over games that release today. But then, I have a heavy appreciation for sprites and 2D backgrounds. Developers were so limited with what they could do back then, that half of it was left up to imagination. It was like an unintended, but beautifully blended mix.

I think you'll usually find Chrono Trigger at the top of Square's RPGs; it's pretty popular. I prefer FFVI myself, but Chrono Trigger is just amazing.

FFIV, FFVI, CT, Secret of Mana, and Terranigma are games I try to replay once a year, every year.

[Cosgar]

Chrono Trigger is so brilliant because three of the biggest names of the time came together and actually delivered. Hell, not even delivered but surpassed expectations. Just handling time travel in a way that requires 4th dimensional problem solving was more than enough. Stuff like this usually comes from "catchling lightning in a bottle" dumb luck, but Chrono Trigger's succes was planned.

You have roughly the same tastes I do except I liked V a bit more than VI and Tactics is my all-time favorite Final Fantasy. Not just because I'm a sucker for the job system, but there's something charming about Game of Thrones being told my Precious Moments figurines.

[030079AR]

VI, IX, and XII for me~

[fobby]

for me: 6 has the best cast and probably story, 7 is the most all-around competent, and 9 is the most fun and has the best OST

[Hansuke]

My fav is 12.

[[sMil3]]

FF6/9. FF7 is a bit overrated, at least for me.

[Electric Cupcake]

5 is best. 6 might have slightly better musical score.

[AomoriAkuma.exe]

someone above mentioned 'secret of mana'. THIS. to date, my favorite RPG of all time. granted it was one of my main introductions into gaming as a whole so it holds a special place in my heart.