I have a real soft spot for both FFII and VIII and have really grown to appreciate both over time. Helped that I never had problems with the games when I initially played them. They certainly have their faults but it comes down to whether you feel these faults are charming or detrimental to the whole experience.

While the fanbase at large has issues with X-2, I'm probably one of the few who has issues with the battle system on this forum, the Grid mechanics are tedious in terms of maximizing the bonuses they offer and slow down combat, the job classes don't feel properly balanced, the accessory/relic mechanic is more tedious than it should be and doesn't offer as many viable options as it promises much like VI's versions, and finally I feel the "fastest and bestest gameplay" in the series only applies if you choose to ignore all the previous mechanics I mentioned and stick to a simply Attack/heal strategy for every battle because using any skill or mechanic that actually requires a bit of a charge time slows the battle process down considerably. Overall, I find the combat too clunky and like the plot itself, it's trying too hard to have its cake and eat it too. Story wise, I think X-2 is one of the cringiest games in the franchise. It's difficult to make it through any cutscene or dialogue in this game without some deep introspective on why you're putting up with it.

We already know I don't like XIII and consider it the worst game in the franchise only slightly ahead of some trashy mobile titles and cheap sequels. Of anything, I don't feel like it get enough hate from the fanbase.

XV is still too early for me to tell. I kind of need to do another run through, especially with all the patches and new content added to see where it stands now. The best thing I can say about it initially was that it was the best it could be considering its development history. I imagine my feelings for it will sink it lower in time on my personal list, but that will likely be due to my distaste of action-rpg combat and open world/MMO design as opposed to anything actually unique to the game itself. I do feel this game has a stronger chance of being reconsidered as "one of the better ones" by the fanbase, largely because I feel this game did a better job of bringing in fresh blood to the fanbase than FFXI-XIV did.