Only one! boom.

[TabbyTrap]

What, every title can't be explode-tastic

Soooo, I'm willing to try ONE and ONLY ONE Final Fantasy. Which one should it be? Give me reasons people!

[Jinx]

FFIX. Reasons? It's perfect.

But seriously, I think it captures the feel of the series well. The characters are fun and relatable, the story is great, the villains likeable, the areas very fun and unique, the music stunning, and there are plenty of sidequests to do if you need a break from the main storyline.

Or FFVII. I know a lot of fans have been introduced to the series because of this game (myself included) and it's great. The world is SO expansive, and there's SO MUCH to do and see. The world is very non-linear if you like to explore. And it has the best music of any entry, imho.

[Nightsintodreams]

Stay far, FAR away from anything before Final Fantasy VI, unless you are a classic JRPG fan. Those games are not a real good way to introduce someone to the series.

I echo Miss Tifa's Boobs above me, and say that Final Fantasy IX or Final Fantasy VII would be the way to go, though I would push to play Final Fantasy IX myself. Both of them are available for download for $9.99 from the Playstation Store Shop, and you can put them on your PSP or your PS3 to play as you wish! You could even pick up both games and pick whichever one suits you better.

[Shauna]

I would go with FF9 for pretty much the same reasons stated in the above post. It's fun, the world is great, the music is fantastic. Good characters, a good story with some genuinely touching and heartfelt moments which can often be followed by some ridiculous comedy... It's just overall pretty fantastic.

[WildRaubtier]

How can you say 9?? You don't even get to fight any cool robots.

For that, you'd want to play either 7 or 8. 7 has more, 8 has the coolest.

Escaping from Dollet and X-ATM092 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEvPVvMIcOo)

[Fynn]

IX or VI. XII remains my favorite, but it's more like an evolution of the series into a newer direction. VI and IX are the ones that best encompass the feel of the series thus far.

[Quindiana Jones]

The man just suggested FFVIII. His opinion is meaningless. ;)

FFIX, because it is the best FF ever made. It excels in every category one could ask from an FF. FFVII would be an acceptable substitute, if you're too much of a giant arse to play FFIX. :D

If you play FFIX, you will inevitably fall in love with the series and play all the others, which will make FFIX even better because you'll understand all the references next time you play it. It's a game that keeps on giving.

[Jinx]

The man just suggested FFVIII. His opinion is meaningless. ;)

[VeloZer0]

I generally shy away from recommending FF9 as an introductory title to the series. The ATB element of the battles is set to agonizingly slow, something that is going to have a more pronounced effect to people who aren't used to playing turn based or semi turn based games. So unless you are introducing the series to the slim population of JRPG fans who have never played a FF title I think you can do better.

I would recommend FF6 or FF7. They are the FF titles with the most renown for a reason.

[Quindiana Jones]

Maybe so, though the Everything Else of the game is set to amazingly awesome. ;)

[Cloudane]

If it's not already clear from the responses so far, everyone is different and has wildly varying views on FF games. One man's favourite is another man's most hated FF. So it's impossible to recommend one particular FF with so little to go on...

What are your preferences?....
Do you like a lot of battle strategy, or prefer to mostly hack and slash?
If you like strategy, do you prefer to strategise before or during battle?
Insane save-the-world stories or deep subtle stuff?
Want to know pretty much where you're going and be guided along, or a really open world?
Do you like love stories?
Battrout insane villains?
How bothered are you about graphics?

[VeloZer0]

Maybe so, though the Everything Else of the game is set to amazingly awesome. http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/wink.gif

If the gameplay turns you off I don't see how you can possible have a positive game experience. Remember, we aren't talking about best game, but best to introduce someone. You can't assume that they overlook flaws the same way fans do. Cloudane is right about needing to know where someone is coming from. Seeing as most other genres place a high emphasis on gameplay I don't think you can sluff this off to someone coming into the series.

[Wolf Kanno]

I will echo VI, VII, and IX as the best. Honestly I feel IX's battle system is more of a bother if you are used to the other versions of it, as a first game you won't really notice how slow it is cause you have no other entry to compare it to. :p

[VeloZer0]

No, but I have many non-JRPG fans remark about how they couldn't get into the genre because battles moved too slowly. If this is an obstacle I don't think we should advocate throwing people in to the worst example in the series!

[Wolf Kanno]

I felt the battles were too slow back when I was playing the games that don't really have the problem (VI and VII) Turn Base gameplay is like playing Chess, you have to accept it's not going to be lightning quick and honestly I feel the games with legitimately fast battle systems have their problems (X-2,XII,XIII). Besides, the player gets used to it unless they have some weird OCD for that kind of thing. IX is really slow for me in the beginning but by the end of the first disc, I stop noticing.

[Fynn]

After thinking about it thoroughly, I don't think IX is a good place to start. After my fiancee started playing it (after only having played VII and VIII), she didn't like it, she didn't even finish it. I could not understand that, since we had similar opinions of the other two FFs, and yet I loved it and she hated it. My conclusions to that were thus - IX was my last FF (as in, last played, cause I till played X and onwards ;) ), so I could get all the references to past titles, be they direct or indirect. IMO, without playing I-VIII beforehand, you miss out o a lot of IX's worth.

[Formalhaut]

IX is sort of a "greatest hits" version of the first eight final fantasies, so to fully appreciate the fan service they did there, you'd have to play some of them.

Of course, failing that, I would choose either VII or X. VII because it is the game that popularised Final fantasy to the masses, had a good story and a good gameplay system. Also, loads of sidequests.

X is more suited to those who want a simpler, more story driven game. While in VII your sort of left to your own devices, in X it is mainly linear, at least until you get the airship. The story is good and not particularly complicated, and the battle system is also easy to understand. Simply put, if you want a nice, fairly gentle introduction, choose X.

[TabbyTrap]

I like explosions, fun, fast paced, and don't give the holy pope rats ass about graphics.

[Jinx]

I like explosions, fun, fast paced, and don't give the holy pope rats ass about graphics.

I'd say FFVII.

[Formalhaut]

In that case, X might not be for you, it is quite long winded, and takes awhile to get going. For explosive action, I would recommend either XIII or VII. VII is quite fast paced during the beginning, and is quite fun. XIII is literally on ecstasy; it is very fast right from the get go. Only thing about XIII is that I wouldn't recommend it as a beginner Final Fantasy. It's too ur... modern and taking the series into a new direction.

[TabbyTrap]

I actually owned XIII for all of ten minutes. I'd rather eat a heaping plate of Brussels Sprouts than try to finish that game.
Seriously, how is it even a game;
Long cutscene, long cutscene, run a very long ways, AUTO BATTLE!

It takes all the brain power out of the game.

[Edge7]

Just came found this thread. I'd say VII too. Explosions (the game opens with you setting a bomb and leaving with a time counting down), you can set the ATB to very fast (the inclusion of ATB to begin with makes turn based combat intense), so there's a lot there already. And you already said you don't care about graphics, so you'll live with FFVII's primitive PS1 graphics.

Anything you look for in a story?

[TabbyTrap]

Just came found this thread. I'd say VII too. Explosions (the game opens with you setting a bomb and leaving with a time counting down), you can set the ATB to very fast (the inclusion of ATB to begin with makes turn based combat intense), so there's a lot there already. And you already said you don't care about graphics, so you'll live with FFVII's primitive PS1 graphics.

Anything you look for in a story?

Good story, but it has to be about the gameplay.

[Edge7]

Fair enough. Would this be your first JRPG?

[TabbyTrap]

Yesser!

[Jinx]

TabbyTrap--FFVII has a character with such large breasts she inspired countless discussions, porns, fan-fictions, and my username.

[Quindiana Jones]

Yeah, I'd go for VII too. It's a damn fine choice.

[TabbyTrap]

TabbyTrap--FFVII has a character with such large breasts she inspired countless discussions, porns, fan-fictions, and my username.

mine are better.

[Jinx]

TabbyTrap--FFVII has a character with such large breasts she inspired countless discussions, porns, fan-fictions, and my username.

mine are better.

Mine are best. :colbert:

[TabbyTrap]

TabbyTrap--FFVII has a character with such large breasts she inspired countless discussions, porns, fan-fictions, and my username.

mine are better.

Mine are best. :colbert:

Prove it

[The Man]

I think we're going to need pictures from both of you if we're going to be able to evaluate this effectively :monster:

And I suspect VII is probably the best entry point into the series, but it's not the best game in the series. That would have to go to either VI or IX.

[Bolivar]

There's something we need to establish first:

What systems do you own and are willing to get a game on? Are you comfortable with emulation? What kind of display do you plan on using? Flat screen, old school round TV or computer monitor?

I agree with VeloZer0 about FFIX's combat. It would've been my first choice because it's the most FF-like FF and is arguably the best. It's the most well-rounded as none of its part suck at all but it doesn't reach some of the same heights other games do. And yes, the battles are painfully slow and the framerate is almost horrible.

FFVII has fast-paced battles because the camera's always hopping around everywhere highlighting choreographed battle animations. Everything is really responsive, you hit circle and Cloud's immediately halfway across the screen about to stab someone. In FFIX, you have to wait for your character to lift up his heavy sword, flip it around a bit, run across the screen, take a slash, and then turn around and come back. VII also has awesome pacing. TabbyTrap had a problem with FFXIII hardly being a game, and FFVII constantly bombards you with new and unique gameplay scenarios in the first five hours in the game. VII's also the best game in the series.

FFIV would be my next choice. It's FFIX-like but for an older generation and if graphics aren't a problem it's a good choice. It's also an awesome representative of what FF is and if you like 16-bit games (SNES, Genesis) you'll probably have a blast.

So without knowing what you have, my choices are
1) Final Fantasy VII
2) Final FAntasy IV

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

I would start with VII or IX. IX will show you a lot of references and spirit of all the previous FF's. VII is generally the most cherished and is a lot of people's favorite game of all time. But after you play them you won't want to stop, maybe. You'll say "I changed my mind I don't wanna play just one" lol

[Formalhaut]

I think we're going to need pictures from both of you if we're going to be able to evaluate this effectively :monster:

And I suspect VII is probably the best entry point into the series, but it's not the best game in the series. That would have to go to either VI or IX.

I don't want the forum to descend into the depravity that is soft-core pornography.

[Cloudane]

I don't want the forum to descend into the depravity that is soft-core pornography.

I do. :kakapo:

[NeoCracker]

I don't want the forum to descend into the depravity that is soft-core pornography.

I do. :kakapo:

We already have our picture thread for that though. :p

[Tigmafuzz]

It seems most people are leaning towards IX and VII. I was actually going to suggest VI because IX is mostly full of references to previous games that made me enjoy it more, but I forgot that I probably would have enjoyed it regardless of whether I had played previous Final Fantasy games anyway :p

I would have to say,based on what you said you prefer in a game, that VII should be your first choice. It can seem a bit long at times, but if it isn't quite your cup of tea, go with IX.
Because IX is the best game in the series. :monster: