Rank the FF games

[Wolf Kanno]

Haven't done this one in a while and it seems we have some new blood around here, so why not? Rank all of the numbered FF entries from your least favorite to your absolute fave! Feel free to explain your answers if you wish as well.

[maybee]

13. Final Fantasy XV. Y'all know that I hate this game. It feels manipulative as characters are split up on purpose so Square can get that fat and juicy extra DLC money, and the game didn't even get fully completed because Tabata left. Final Fantasy XV is forever going to be hollow.

Favourite Character : Prompto

Favourite Song : Valse Di Fantastica.





12. Final Fantasy XIII. Final Fantasy XV makes this game look like a masterpiece; I don't hate it as much as I used too, though the game still feels like a playable-movie than a meaty JRPG. Square just had a boner for graphics here and it shows. "smurf Towns, Lighting Waifu needs to look pretty !!" Though on the bright side, I do love the relationship that Fang and Vanille have.

Favourite Character : Sazh

Favourite Song : The Promise




11. Final Fantasy III. This game has some very unfair dungeons and bosses, but it's a full, strong, game nonetheless. Plus you can dress up one of the characters in a cute kitty outfit in the DS remake and the boss theme and final boss theme are some very underrated musical slaps.


Favourite Character : Arc

Favourite Song : Final Battle



10. Final Fantasy I. Can't have Final Fantasy without this game !

Favourite Character : Red Mage

Favourite Song : Town Theme




9. Final Fantasy II. I love how uniquely ambitious this game is. It feels complexed and refreshing and gives you some freedom on how you want to "upgrade" your characters. I've also already said many times before how surprisingly good this game's story is for such a old and early game.


Favourite Character : Maria

Favourite Song : Magician's Tower




8. Final Fantasy XII. Want a typical Final Fantasy story but it's more mature and sophisticated ? Then *sips pepsi and poses at the camera * Final Fantasy XII is for you.

Favourite Character : Fran

Favourite Song : The Archadian Empire



Well SOMETIMES mature and sophisticated.


7. Final Fantasy VIII. Don't get me wrong, I still love this game, but I have to admit how heavily flawed it is. Maybe I'm getting old ? I didn't really mind it's flaws before, but now, I just want a game that feels more solid.

Does FFVIII suck ? No, but is it perfect and one of Final Fantasies best ? Also no. I still believe that Squall Leonhart is one of the best and most realistic heroes.

I think if they removed the drawing system and gave more time dedicated towards the main cast who's not Squall and Rinoa, then game would've felt more stronger. Though, I still love this game. It's a nice love story, and I admire how it attempted to experiment.

Favourite Character : Rinoa Heartilly

Favourite Song : The Extreme



Also smurf Quistis.


6. Final Fantasy X. This game has a fun battle system and it's one of my favourites, but that's why I always go back to this game- it's not the heartwrenching storyline, it's the tag-team battle system and Pokemon-y Summons. The game, while sad and tragic, also has a lot to feel desired and at most times feels more internet meme-y bait than anything else. Again, this game isn't bad, just has some big flaws that hold it down. I think this game should've had the level of maturity XII had, because the story is basically a young teenaged girl brainwashed by a cult to off herself because she's been brainwashed to believe that it's the only way to save everybody from a deadly monster named Sin. I just think that this game's immature moments cut it down.

Again, I love this game, though I wish it took itself more seriously. Plus FFXII shows that you can be mature, but still be silly, outgoing and fun when the moment is right. Why is XII lower then ? I just feel like this game has a much better and deeper story and funner battle system. Same with FFVIII, I like the love story, Squall, Rinoa and Junctioning.

Favourite Character : Auron

Favourite Song : To Zanarkand





5. Final Fantasy V. I wanted to put this game a bit higher because of how fun and addicting this game can be, but unfortunately, it has a almost not even there and very cliche and basic story, the musical soundtrack isn't even really a big favourite of mine either.

Favourite Character : Bartz Klauser

Favourite Song : Mambo De Chocobo



4. Final Fantasy IV. This game is excellent for it's time and was a massive step-forward for the series. It has a beautiful and bright cast of characters and a beautiful soundtrack. Worth playing on the SNES, then again on the DS, and again on the PSP. Worth it all times through.

Favourite Character : Cecil Harvey/ Rydia of Mist

Favourite Song : Red Wings




3. Final Fantasy IX. I'm so glad that this game is receiving some more love from fans. It highly deserves it. What a wonderful cast, story, and soundtrack. Battle system though, however cuts it down a tad, which is depressing.

Favourite Character : Beatrix/ Princess Garnet

Favourite Song : You're Not Alone/ Melodies of Life



2. Final Fantasy VII. This game got spoiled a bit by Square whoring it out so much and the creation of "Emo Cloud" from Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children. Though the original game, despite it's aged like old milk graphics is still so good, as it's a nice and relatable story about identity and finding yourself and who you are. It also has a talking dog.

Also the middle part of CD2 of this game where you have to "save" the Big Materia from Shrina is terrible and doesn't make any sense. Yes, Avalanche wants to save rocks for the earth BUT THERE'S NO FRIGGIN POINT IF THERE'S NO EARTH LEFT.

Favourite Character : Cloud Strife/ Nanaki

Favourite Song : One Winged Angel



1. Final Fantasy VI

We all know how good FFVI is, do I really need to say anything ?

Favourite Character : Terra/ Celes

Favourite Song : Kefka's Theme

[Karifean]

I usually refrain from even trying to do this, but here goes.

Full disclosure, FF VII would be put higher up on the list because of how much fun I've had modding the game, but for the purpose of this list I'll separate it and basically go by "how much does thinking of the game make me smile and want to play through the game again from scratch".

I've not played I, II and III and not played enough of LR and XV to put any of them on the list.

11. Final Fantasy XIII
10. Final Fantasy XIII-2

Honestly I've no desire to play either of these games again. I don't regret playing them once, but once was enough.

9. Final Fantasy IV

Gotta admit I really wasn't feeling this game when I played it. It's the last FF game I played, only a couple years back, and well... it felt dated a lot, in plot and gameplay alike and really didn't have anything interesting to offer. It had its moments for sure but as a complete package it's kinda messy. It has the classic ridiculousness of plot points common also in FFV (CAN'T STOP THE MOVING HAND OF GOLBEZ FROM STEALING THE CRYSTAL, AAH) but wasn't self-aware and tongue in cheek about it like that game was. The fakeout deaths didn't help either.

8. Final Fantasy VI

Pretty damn good game. The combat system is pretty fun and the characters are really memorable. The overarching plot regarding magitek and espers I could kinda take or leave but it gets dropped halfway through anyways to focus solely on the characters which are the best part of the game so, uh, good choice there. I might have to replay the game to really feel where I stand on it nowadays but for now I can say there's many things I like about it, but it hasn't left that great an impact on me personally.

7. Final Fantasy IX

Ah man, now there's a game I really need to play more. FF IX has some of my all time favorite moments in the series and is overall really enjoyable on every level; plot, characters and gameplay all play together very well. Really I'm relatively certain it'll climb the ranks if I just play it some more, but for now it'll have to take a backseat.

6. Final Fantasy VII

The game that started it all for me. Even nowadays it's a game I gladly return to every now and again. It just flows so damn nicely and rarely leaves you feeling like you don't want to do what comes next in line. While I'm not particularly attached to the story it's nonetheless engaging every time. It's not the most amazing game ever, but I enjoy it for what it is a lot.

5. Final Fantasy V

My favorite of the SNES era. It's such a fun game. The pacing is beautiful and you always get to play around just enough with the different options you have to keep you engaged the whole way. The story is a joy to follow along, it's not a serious story and it knows it's not, and the end result is amazing. Plus it has Gilgamesh. How can you not adore this gem.

4. Final Fantasy X-2 HD

This game is a real joy to me, I gotta admit. The combat system is up there as one of the best the series ever had and the sheer amount of fun content the game has is staggering. I don't really give a damn about the main plot, but overall the game did have some real good story moments; I especially loved getting closure on all the different areas in Chapter 5. Also I love the Creature Creator, it's a whole new additional system just littered with amazing and fun side content.

3. Final Fantasy VIII

Huh, didn't expect this one to end up as high as it did before I started writing this list. FF VIII is a really damn fun game to play for me. Yes the combat and character progression systems are broken to hell and back but it still strikes that sweet spot of giving you just enough options and satisfaction in playing to make it real fun nonetheless. I also enjoy the story quite a bit, in particular just about everything surrounding Squall. I've grown to like this game more and more every time I played it.

2. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Holy smurf this is an incredible game. The kind you could play nonstop for days if you had no obligations. The Zodiac Job System allows for incredible playing around with different job setups making every playthrough feel unique, and while the game probably could've used simply having all enemy stats increased by 50% or something, it is still the one game in the series where walking around areas slaughtering everything in your path is actually fun to do and not tedious at all. All the different areas have a damn distinct feel to them, in design and music; whereas games of old had mountains or forests that looked identical, in FF XII the Lhusu and Henne Mines feel nothing alike, nor do the Golmore Jungle and Salikawood, or even the Estersand and Westersand, which for such an expansive world is mighty impressive. Much credit to Hitoshi Sakimoto here for composing a score that very much supports this.

The plot is hit or miss between a few mcguffins and unrealized plot points but some pretty decent struggles and character moments along the way. But I'll be straight I'm really not playing this game for the plot much, I could just grind around Ivalice for days without getting bored one bit.

1. Final Fantasy X HD

I love this game. It's frankly the one game in the series that has a storyline that really gets to me on a personal level. The cast of protagonists is really damn great, and while the cast of human antagonists (sans Jecht) is admittedly lackluster, it was never the point of the story to pit the heroes against a big bad villain anyways. The plot of the game is told superbly through a narrative with actual cinematography and scene direction the series hasn't really used as well before or since. And I dare say this is the only game in the series where the entire cast of protagonists has a very noticeable presence for pretty much the entirety of the game.

The gameplay is excellent and while it's not necessarily balanced and a lot of the nuances of combat don't become relevant until way late in the game when enemies regularly survive more than one hit, you are never low on options and experimenting always tends to feel rewarding, and the OVERKILL system does a lot as well to incentivize doing more than the most mindless rock-paper-scissors technique.

It's a blast to play every time and a game that will hopefully stay with me for many more years.

0. Final Fantasy Epic RPG

Yeah no that's cheating.

[Lord Golbez]

FFII - The leveling system in this game makes it virtually unplayable to me. Wouldn't be so bad if the growth weren't so slow, but it is.

FFXII - This game is terrible. The characters are bland, mostly unlikeable, and other than Ashe, aren't terribly important to the plot. Speaking of Ashe, her story is terrible anyway and it would have been more interesting to focus on the actual war going on. Vaan is the worst but at least he can show emotion unlike half the cast. The game is only better than FF2 because I found it playable enough to complete it. I just regret that I did. The battle system is not enjoyable to me though. I do not like ceding control to preprogrammed routines that don't even include all the options I'd like. Why the hell are there curative spells that particularly target multiple party members but absolutely no gambits that check whether more than one party member has HP below a certain limit? Okay, enough on that.

FF - This game is decent for its time. No bells and whistles. Just the basic FF experience. Not much of a story though.

FFXIII - I never finished this game, so I can't say for sure. The story didn't grip me and I wasn't a fan of the frenetoc gameplay.

FFIII - Never finished this one either. Seems fine, but also lacking in much story.

FFXV - Again, I never finished but what I played, I liked more than FFXII or FFXIII. The story didn't seem that great but I had some interest in it. The gameplay gets kind of annoying though. It's alright in small doses.

FFV - The worst of the best or the best of the worst for me. I'm not as enthralled with the job system as most seem to be but it's fun to play with. FFT did it better (by the way I'm not ranking FFT in this because if I do spinoffs that trout could never end). The problem with this game is it seems a step down from FFIV in storytelling. The characters are all just kind of dull here, other than Faris. The villain is a dumb tree. It seems to copy some of the beats from FFIV and at the same time drain them ofnlife and emotion.

FFIV - This is the game that got me into the series and I still hold a great amount of nostalgia for it, despite it's cliches and repetitive fake deaths. The game has heart and focused on story in an era when that was extremely rare. The game has easily been surpassed by later entries in the series in all ways but one, the class system is still the best system. I don't need malleable jobs. I like set jobs with skill growth tied to leveling. This is what makes FFIV always fun to replay for a classic RPG experience.

FFX - Despite its blemishes and plot holes, FFX was a significant narrative leap in the series with the main character Tidus actually telling the story. The game has flaws like a mediocre villain who gets less and less impressive as the plot goes on and some glaring plot holes that can ruin the experience if you think too hard on them, but it's still a great game and I considered putting it higher on the list because it has really solid gameplay, storytelling and characters. It just doesn't hold up as well as the remaining games on the list for me.

FFIX - This game is just filled to the brim with charm and living up to the Final Fantasy name. It has great characters. Vivi is one f my favorite and possibly my favorite in the series. Also, while I like the brooding introspective characters, Zidane was a nice change of pace from the previous two games. The world is absolutely beautiful and I think disc 1 as a whole comprises the best opening portion of any FF game
If this game only hadn't devolved into "My eidolon is better than yours. Hahaha" in the middle and some doldrums stuff on disk 2, it might have shot to the top of the list for me. That eidolon comparison stuff was kind of fun fan servicey stuff on the first time through, but it's a bit cringeworthy on repeat. 4 discs as good as disc 1 and this would have been my top choice. Alas, I can only dream of a game so perfect.

FFVI

FFVIII

FFVII

I'll fill in reasons for the last three later. Getting tired.

[Galuf]

mines hasnt really changed

IX > V > VI> XIV> XII> IV> T>VII> II>X> VIII> XIII (LR>XIII>XIII-2)> III>I

[Shiva95]

From the one I like the most to the one I like the least (only the main entries):
FFVI
FFX
FFXV
FFIV
FFXIII
FFIX
FFXII
FFVII
FFV
FFVIII
FFI
FFII
FFIII

[Sorceress Claire]

1: Final Fantasy V. One of the most magical FF's to me. I REALLY love the characters especially the girls as they are so sacrificial and sweet even to their beasts and animals. Never in a work of fiction have I seen characters risk their life to save their animals like in this game it's super touching. Exdeath is one of the most powerful and successful villains. The music is comforting and relaxing.. I've used it as a bedtime playlist many times. I also totally love the Job system it can increase replay value a lot. It's fun trying weird things out like Death Potions on the Crystal's and releasing 4 Yellow Dragons to kill Exdeath 2nd fight in four hits. Lastly, the ending is the best in the series.. everything is wrapped up nicely and happy.. we even get to see that there is an afterlife in which your dead friends exist. So perfect in every way!

2: Final Fantasy VII. I love this game. The characters are great with Cloud being one of the deeper characters in the franchise as a result of his mental issues from experiments and Mako poisoning. Tifa and I are very similar in romantic ideals(I want a protective knight) and personality we even share the same birthday May 3rd! Being that I'm an environmentalist IRL I find myself kind of connecting with Avalanche and their ieals and goals. Though I'd try to not kill people while trying to save the planet. The ost is wonderful as well and the setting is nice. I love the Gold Saucer minigames, chocobo breeding and racing. The gameplay is great I love how overpowered magic is especially Enemy Skills early-midgame and Summons along with Quadra Magic/W Cast Comet 2/Demi/Ultima etc.

3: Final Fantasy II(Origins and Jeff Ludwig versions) It has a nice story imho. The story has potential for a lot of depth. This is why a Novelle was written about it expanding on the characters. The reason for the Emperors corruption is creepy(being haunted by demons as a child) You'll need to read the book at a tumblr page called FFIIBook to get the whole feel for FFII's plot and lore. I enjoy the ost. The cast is great... in both design and personas. I actually love the battle system as it actually makes sense. The balance between physical force and magical is perfect.

4: Final Fantasy VIII. This was my first rpg back in 2002 when I was 13 years old. I loved it then and countless playthrough later I still adore it. The characters are good but Squall really stands out for me. The only bothersome thing is that all the other characters are so helpless without him. He has to solve 80% of all their issues as well as his own. He's the perfect example of a capable leader. Because this was my first rpg it's ost as a result is the most nolstalgic for me. Ultimecia is a great villain once you find out why she became evil. She was hated and persecuted for being a sorceress even as a child before she ever thought of being evil.. she was an innocent little girl with sorceress powers and the world loathed her for it. Her constant pain turned her into what she is. As a result she becomes the most powerful(or one of the most powerful) and creepy villains in the series possessing existence level time compression power.

From here on out I'll just make a simple list.

5: Final Fantasy VI.
6: Final Fantasy I.
7: Final Fantasy IX.
8: Final Fantasy III.
9: Final Fantasy IV.
10: Final Fantasy X.

infinitely low on the list... FFX-2! haha

[Rez09]

From bottom to top:

FF2, for its horrible implementation of everything
FFX, for characters I cannot stand
FF12, for a battle system I cannot stand
FF9, for doing nothing to stand out
FF8, for being the best card game with an RPG side quest evah
FF5, for super fun customization
FFT, for super funer customization
FF7, for a solid balance of everything (and cracking me the %$#% up)
FF4, for an even more solid balance of everything (and substantially less cracking me up)
FF3, a great job system and flying off the floating continent the first time
FF1, for the best sense of exploration and challenge
FF6, my favorite balance of everything

[Loony BoB]

VII, my fave game of all time.
VIII
V
XIV
WoFF
XV
XIII-2
XII
XIII
LR:XIII
IX
XI
VII:CC
X
VI
I
II

III/IV - Yet to complete these two, can't really justify placing them until I have done so. III will probably fit under VI or I, and IV it's been too long since I last played it to say for sure. Maybe around XI?

[Kalevala]

VI
IX
VII
IV
X
V
VIII
XII
III
XV
I
X-2
XIII
II

As far as non-numbered entries go: Tactics is of note because it would likely rank very highly. Possibly above VII and below IX.

[Lord Golbez]

VII, my fave game of all time.
VIII
V
XIV
WoFF
XV
XIII-2
XII
XIII
LR:XIII
IX
XI
VII:CC
X
VI
I
II

III/IV - Yet to complete these two, can't really justify placing them until I have done so. III will probably fit under VI or I, and IV it's been too long since I last played it to say for sure. Maybe around XI?

Haha. I appreciate your low ranking for FFVI (even if I think it's a bit too far) to offset the crazy levels of FFVI love among the fandom. Also appreciate your appropriate ranking for FFVII.

[Cell]

Hasn't changed much over the years. From top to bottom.

IV
VII
IX
V
X
XII
VI
XIII
III
I
II
X-2

I haven't rated XI and XIV as they are MMORPG's and I haven't rated others I haven't played.

[Loony BoB]

Haha. I appreciate your low ranking for FFVI (even if I think it's a bit too far) to offset the crazy levels of FFVI love among the fandom. Also appreciate your appropriate ranking for FFVII.

I think the game was just hyped far too much before I played it. It had a lot going for it, and I love the characters, and VI isn't by any means one I would consider a bad game (only II truly took that for me). But for me, the other games just immersed me more. It didn't help that I played it with earplugs off my PSP and often fell asleep to the music, so I didn't get excited to do more, it just made me sleepy. :')

[Sarisa]

The ones that I've played, from best to worst.

X
V
IX
Tactics
Tactics Advanced
I
IV
VIII
XII
VII
X-2
II

[Wolf Kanno]

From least to favorite. I'll explain my reasoning when I have a little more time.

XIII

FFXII: Revenant Wings

Crisis Core

FFX

FFXI

The After Years

Mystic Quest

FFTactics A2

Dissidia/Duodecim

FF

FFII

FFXV

FFVII

FFVIII

FFIII

FFTactics Advance

FFV

FFXII

FFIX

FFIV

FFTactics

FFVI