Is this game worth playing?

[Jinx]

This is one of the Final Fantasy titles I've never played. Given it's the original, it seems like it would be important to play it, only just to say you did.

But I've heard the story is bad, the time paradox stupid, and the gameplay broken. And from what I've seen, it seems like the characters are lacking personality, so it's hard to connect.

For those of you who have played this game: is it worth a go, or not worth the time?

[VeloZer0]

It is definitely primitive compared to earlier games, but I don't think that means it is a bad game. Just a simpler experience.

In terms of story there is absolutely no interaction from the characters, they are just 4 generic warriors of light on a mission. Though the games story doesn't have a huge amount of depth I found what there was interesting enough. In reality the motivation to beat this, and other RPGs of the eara, was the knowledge that it is a game and that you are trying to beat it. Not that it is some epic tale that you are trying to unravel.

The original and to a lesser extent FFOrigins versions don't have a great balancing job between the classes. It isn't that certain characters are overpowered, its that a lot of stuff is under powered and everything else is adequate. If you play the GBA version it is much more balanced but they also changed the leveling curve and relative strength of your party to make it much easier. I would recommend playing this one, as FF1 in it's original incarnation is something you won't get through without a high threshold for frustration.

Though it has aged quite a bit it is still worth playing. I'm way more interested in going back and giving it another whirl than a lot of the newer titles.

[Bubba]

Like you said, I pretty much only completed this just so I can say I did.

What you've heard is about right. There's not much of a story and the characters well... they aren't really characters. It's still quite fun to play though and there are a few stand out moments in it.

I got it on my smart phone so I could jump in and out when I'm commuting... or for when I'm pretending to listen to my Mum on the phone.

[Raistlin]

If you like dungeon crawlers, grinding, and a challenge, FFI is definitely worth your time. But if you want a detailed story and characters like the later FFs, you probably won't enjoy this game nearly as much as others have. Still, it is a fun little game and worth playing if only so you understand FF's history and all the references to it. One option then would be to play a later remake of the game, such as for the GBA, which is much, much easier than the original NES game (or the more faithful PS1 version), and so requires less grinding and frustration.

[Kiyenna]

Honestly I was pretty disappointed when I finished FFI. The storyline leaves a lot to be desired. It's not too terribly long, though. And it did have it's high points. Like the song in the Chaos Shrine. I would go in there just to listen to that song.

[Nightsintodreams]

Its a fun game, but the NES version is incredibly punishing. Not to mention "hold reset for five seconds and THEN press the power button"...I can't count the number of times I've lost my saved game because I didn't hold the reset button long enough, grrrr.

If you can survive the Ice Cavern, you can survive anything. And I think that pretty much sums it up.

It IS a short game, as others have said, but its worth playing if only to understand the series history a little better.

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

Yes it is worth playing! You might want to play the remakes b/c it's less frustrating and this fix a lot of the broken spells.

[Leeza]

I might be biased somewhat as this is the first game I've ever played, but I loved it then when it first came out and I love it now. If I didn't like this game, I wouldn't have bothered with any other FFs. I believe it's worth a try if for nothing else than for seeing where it all started.

[Talneharus]

I would honestly say its a fun game. So much as you don't mind a fair amount of challenge especially the original NES version. Though being able to say i beat it is an accomplishment that i felt was worth the effort, and perhaps my sick twisted enjoyment of being punished by old NES games. Beating this game and the original Zelda had a great feel of victory after felling the final bosses, which is something some of the easier games of our day kinda lack. Of course i may just be a glutten for punishment!

[Leen-Leen]

Still, it is a fun little game and worth playing if only so you understand FF's history and all the references to it. One option then would be to play a later remake of the game, such as for the GBA, which is much, much easier than the original NES game (or the more faithful PS1 version), and so requires less grinding and frustration.

I haven't played FFI, but this is probably the only reason why I would play :P Just to see what the one game that started it all was like. Has anyone played the PSP version? Any opinions on it? I'd probably pick it up at some point just to try it out.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Play it just to tell us how you like it. Or how far you get into it before ragequitting if you don't like it.

I actually like that style of game because I grew up on that crap. The first time I picked it up was when I was like 5 and didn't even know how to play these games yet, so it was stupid hard. It's fun though if you actually know what you're doing.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

People play this game for various reasons:

-Some stumbled upon it from a very young age.

-Some people are fans of later Final Fantasy titles and they want to see "how it all started". (i'm in this group)

-The name is so widely known that some people just want to know what the fuss is about, even if they hadn't been fans of RPG's previously.

Is this game worth playing? I definately think so. I first got my hands on it in the form of "Final Fantasy Origins" for the Playstation 1. From what I'm told the remakes of this game fix the bugs from the original release, so I'd get a newer copy if you want to check it out.

I really enjoyed the freedom of this game. Right from the get go you get to choose your characters names and jobs. I like superimposing my thoughts on to the characters I control, it made the game feel more personal for me.

I also like beating up a group of pirates only for the captain to randomly hand you the keys to his ship. This game is full of awesome.

[WildRaubtier]

Honestly, no, the game is a pretty dated stock-standard JRPG. If you're interested in playing games for legacy value then sure, but if you just want an old game that's fun then there's plenty of other choices out there.

[Wolf Kanno]

I feel the game has aged pretty well, though like others have pointed out, don't play it with modern gaming expectations. You won't find them here. It's a pretty decent romp, pretty short, has some decent re-playability, and it's story is actually pretty good for it's timeframe and tech level.

I say play it just so you can say you have, it's kind of a baptism for FF fans.

[maybee]

I've played it but it pays not to know the ending or any other plot-twists otherwise you're going to be pretty bored at times.

It's fun battle wise, but don't aspect a huge massive story or huge character development.

I'll say only get it if your curious on how everything started and that you want to complete every main FF game.