I post on a forum where it would be a clear competition between X-2 and Lightning Returns, mainly due to the combat in both but also helped by the more "lighthearted" tone. However, I'm really clueless where EOFF stands on this.

I'm gonna guess it's not Lightning Returns and probably not Dirge of Cerberus or The After Years.

So...maybe X-2? XIII-2? Crisis Core? (technically a prequel but who cares, you get what I'm saying)