How to introduce myself to FF series

[temps]

I've never played any of the older Final Fantasy games, but I'm open to giving the series a try. Not terribly interested in playing a lot of games that are 10+ years old though.

So... I see there's a Final Fantasy 7 Remake on Epic Games Store right now. Is that a good intro to the series for someone who never played any of the other games?

Will the story make sense if I start with this game?

[Rutgercs85]

Each game of Final Fantasy is a standalone game, so you dont need to have played all the previous versions to enjoy the most recent one. Have a go at the remake if you want, I enjoyed playing it on the PS4.

[Xelane]

I personally like the Remake, but it does have some very significant changes, so please keep that in mind.

If you can stomach older graphics, I would suggest starting 6 or the original ff7 first (4 and 5 are also regarded as "the best" by a number of people but are more dated than even 6 and 7).

If you want to touch up FF7, there are a lot of very nice mods for it, such as the NinoStyle mod that updates each character model to look identical to their artwork, as well as upscaled environments, and even gameplay mods.

[Electric Cupcake]

I always say to either start at the beginning with 1, or with 4 when all the standard elements that make a Final Fantasy are firmly established.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmDCMMl_k5g

Avoid the Pixel Remasters. The heart and soul of the franchise has always been exploring and discovering things, and the minimaps and chest counters for each area fly in the face of that. I prefer the PSP versions of 1 and 2, and the GBA or old mobile versions of 5 and 6.

For 4, both the PSP Complete Collection version and the 3D remake have perks that the other one doesn't.

[☝️🤓]

Just install one and play it.

[hip]

Obviously the correct way to introduce yourself into FF is to watch the first movie and then go straight to Dirge of Cerberus.

[Xengre]

If you want to start with Final Fantasy series you have a few ways to go.

Start with Final Fantasy 7 (original). You can then move on to other FF games or FF7 Remake. FF7 Remake isn't a good starting point tbh because, at least based on what we've seen so far but no full confirmation, it isn't actually a true remake but an alternate timeline sequel where the primary villain, Sephiroth, is trying to stop events that lead to his demise. It features out of order references such as flash backs, small details, and the sort that might leave you somewhat confused as you play. That said, you "could" try to play it and probably be mostly okay just accepting you wont understand the full details until you finish episode 1, then go play the original after if it interested you enough, and afterwards if you want come back and replay FF7 Remake on hard difficulty with your continued progress for additional unlocks and to then recognize those bits you didn't first time through. Remake features a NG+ kind of feature with hard mode, locked on first run, used to get extra goodies and has additional restrictions but you can actually play it in any order per chapter select.

Final Fantasy 9 if you want a good classic more fantasy oriented classic. Very good game that can readily contend with FF7. A great one to start with and it really sets the pace for the rest of the franchise because it introduces you to a lot of what you can expect, though FF9 does some extra and better than the others.

Final Fantasy 8 is a "maybe" if you have at least one or two JRPGs under your belt and are comfortable with them to some degree. It isn't hard, but the systems are a bit less straight forward than the other FF games and JRPGs. If you want the best of the best JRPG stories this is up there near, or arguably at, the top with multiple stories interwoven, various romances, great primary and supporting cast, excellent world building, deep very layered story, lots of food for thought even after completing the game and reason to replay to uncover additional details, and so forth.

Final Fantasy 10 if you want a simpler straight forward JRPG experience. Linear in nature and very story driven. A solid game and story.

Those would be my recommendations to consider for getting into the franchise.

[ShadowX40]

Originally posted by DieDisneyDie:

Avoid the Pixel Remasters.

Avoid this post

[Korana Noth]

The original FF7 is a pretty good starting point. I've been playing final fantasy games since I was a wee 80's/90's kid, and I can tell you that 7 is a very good entry point to the series. It was heavily marketed, has a solid story, rather broadly appealing cast of characters, and showcases most of the recurring gameplay tropes that appear throughout most of the franchise. This game lured a truckload of new fans to the franchise.

[ehs03y3ol]

I like some of FF VII Remake. But as a franchise introducer, no. Final Fantasy is mainly a old-school TBA jRPG but there's no such a clear time-line or universe connection between games. So you don't need to play any of them in any order or read anything to enjoy any of the game itself.

If some game baits your interest, just go for it.

[2D神]

Pick one you like and go with it. Most FF's are not connected to each other. Some people like the classic job system and crystal story while some like the punk or modern take.

[Fëanor]

The FF VII Remake is fantastic, but I wouldn't consider it a good starting point to dive into the franchise because its action-oriented combat is so much different than the series has traditionally been known for. Not criticizing it, just saying that if your intent is to get a feel for the franchise then you may be misled by VII Remake.

You say you don't want to play 10+ year old games. That is kind of at odds with the idea of introducing oneself to the franchise, as nearly all of the mainline games are more than ten years old. Final Fantasy XIII, for example, came out in 2009, and obviously every game before that came out earlier.

If you really want to see what the hype has been with this franchise over the decades, I would recommend with starting with X. It's old, but there is a remastered version available. The story is phenomenal, and the gameplay is very much representative of the Final Fantasy franchise throughout most of its history. If you like that game and want to dig a little deeper, try the original VII or IX. FFVII is the one that popularized Japanese RPGs in the West, and there are reasons for its continued popularity today. FFIX is utterly charming, and it is light-hearted compared to relatively serious tone of FFVII.

[temps]

I've never tried any JRPGs before. I play FPS games like Half-Life, COD, etc, or RPGs like the original 3 Mass Effect games, the KOTOR games, and The Witcher series.

[Xengre]

Originally posted by temps:

I've never tried any JRPGs before. I play FPS games like Half-Life, COD, etc, or RPGs like the original 3 Mass Effect games, the KOTOR games, and The Witcher series.

In addition to the Final Fantasy games mentioned some other noteworthy mentions if you find you enjoy them...

Dragon Quest series
Grandia 1 & 2 (on Steam)
Xenoblade Chronicles/X/2 (the first, definitive edition is particularly good most agree. nintendo platforms)
Trails in the Sky / Trails of Cold Steel (both on Steam huge multi-arc branching series)
Xenogears (famous PS1 classic)
Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross (famous nintendo/PS1 classic)
Xenosaga series (this is sequential order specific, 3 episodes. episode 1 is especially good. ps2 series, warning massive number of cutscenes. good cutscenes but be prepaired these are longer than Metal Gear Solid cutscenes)
Suikoden (famous PS1 classic)
Legend of Dragoon (famous PS1 classic)
Star Ocean 2 & 3 (famous PSP/PS2 classic, they have enhanced re-releases. any order, the others in the series have mixed reception)
Shadow Hearts Covenant (good PS2 classic)

There are some more examples to get you started browsing, but by no means conclusive. Those are just some of the more frequently recommended popular JRPGs. A warning, if you are okay with older graphics for a good JRPG experience those older JRPGs are typically among the best so it is absolutely worth diving into the classics if you end up liking this genre. The genre has a lot of variety so if you don't like one theme like say... FF7's cyberpunk world and characters you might like another, example FF9's more medieval fantasy theme and varied cast. Etc. PS store might have access to many of those classics, or you can amazon, etc.

[RPG Gamer Man]

Originally posted by Xengre:

Originally posted by temps:

I've never tried any JRPGs before. I play FPS games like Half-Life, COD, etc, or RPGs like the original 3 Mass Effect games, the KOTOR games, and The Witcher series.

In addition to the Final Fantasy games mentioned some other noteworthy mentions if you find you enjoy them...

Dragon Quest series
Grandia 1 & 2 (on Steam)
Xenoblade Chronicles/X/2 (the first, definitive edition is particularly good most agree. nintendo platforms)
Trails in the Sky / Trails of Cold Steel (both on Steam huge multi-arc branching series)
Xenogears (famous PS1 classic)
Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross (famous nintendo/PS1 classic)
Xenosaga series (this is sequential order specific, 3 episodes. episode 1 is especially good. ps2 series, warning massive number of cutscenes. good cutscenes but be prepaired these are longer than Metal Gear Solid cutscenes)
Suikoden (famous PS1 classic)
Legend of Dragoon (famous PS1 classic)
Star Ocean 2 & 3 (famous PSP/PS2 classic, they have enhanced re-releases. any order, the others in the series have mixed reception)
Shadow Hearts Covenant (good PS2 classic)

There are some more examples to get you started browsing, but by no means conclusive. Those are just some of the more frequently recommended popular JRPGs. A warning, if you are okay with older graphics for a good JRPG experience those older JRPGs are typically among the best so it is absolutely worth diving into the classics if you end up liking this genre. The genre has a lot of variety so if you don't like one theme like say... FF7's cyberpunk world and characters you might like another, example FF9's more medieval fantasy theme and varied cast. Etc. PS store might have access to many of those classics, or you can amazon, etc.

You forgot some old enix games like brainlord. Also secret of mana on snes.

[Letobrick]

Final Fantasy 4 would be my recommendation. It had an engaging story and the combat and spell mechanics were also straight-forward and easier to understand. If the graphics aren't appealing enough, final fantasy 9 would be my alternate choice for similar reasons.

If you are interested in the final fantasy 7 remake, I would personally play this version first before playing the remake. I'm playing myself to get re-familiar with the characters and storyline (last played the PS1 version like 20 years ago).