Overrated: FFVII, VIII

Thinking a game is overrated doesn't mean you dislike it, right? I honestly enjoyed playing Final Fantasy VII. I enjoyed it on a second play through, too. It just doesn't live up to the hype fans have built around it. It's a good game, but it's not the end-all-be-all of RPGs like some people seem to think it is.

Similarly, I enjoy playing Final Fantasy VIII. The battle system is unique and fun, although it has some critical flaws (particularly the discouragement of using magic in favor of junctioning it to stats; by the end of the game I just spammed aura and meltdown on everything). The plot starts out fantastic as well, but wanes after the end of the second disc. The reason I say FFVIII is overrated is because so many of the fans seems to fawn over Squall and Rinoa's relationship as a beautiful, timeless romance. Really, there hasn't been such a romance in the Final Fantasy series ever; FFVIII spends so much time drawing attention to the romance that the player can notice all the flaws that have existed in previous love stories that didn't matter because they weren't the focus of the game.

Underrated: FFIV, FFIX

Final Fantasy IV is just awesome all around. Good soundtrack (FFIV: Celtic Moon, by the way, is one of my favorite Final Fantasy Albums), interesting characters, and incredibly memorable lines. You know of which one I speak.

I've always loved Final Fantasy IX. The one thing that's always set Final Fantasy IX apart from other games in the series is the consistent novelty throughout. Most Final Fantasy are really impressive at the get-go. You spend the first few hours getting totally psyched as you get used to this new world. In most titles, that feelings wears off after the first quarter of the game or so. FFIX is the only FF title I've ever played where that feeling never went away.