Final Fantasy I: No that was just following in Dragon Quest's footsteps...

Final Fantasy II: Maybe? It did try and branch out away from DQ and be its own thing.

Final Fantasy III: Nope. Just followed Dragon Quest's footsteps again.

Final FantasyIV : Yes? It did try again to be its own thing and even improved the classic turn-based system.

Final Fantasy V : Gone back to that DQ III shadow.

Final Fantasy VI : Yes, Final Fantasy VI is very innovative.

Final Fantasy VII : Yes, very.

Final Fantasy VIII : Yes and whether that's a bad thing or good thing here is still up to debate years later.

Final Fantasy IX :Yes in a Final Fantasy sense, not sure in a JRPG sense as a whole?

Final Fantasy X :Yes again.

Final Fantasy XI :No. Would say that's Square trying to catch on that WOW trend and get some money from that.

Final Fantasy XII :Maybe? It's very WRPG and offline- RPGish.

Final Fantasy XIII : Nope. It tried too hard to be FFVII X FFX.

Final Fantasy XIV : Look at FFXI

Final Fantasy XV :lol no. Not in the slightest.


Would say that FFI- FF3 ( and FF5 ) was Square trying to rival Dragon Quest and was within their shadow. FF6- FF10 ( and FF4) was innovative because they broke away from DQ's shadow and even created the ATB system which every other RPG used almost during the 90's. Final Fantasy in this stage became themselves.

FF11- FF15 is just Square, now Square- Enix again, following what's hot. FF11- FF15 did have some innovative creativity, but I wouldn't call those games innovative as a whole. Maybe that's why so many people feel like Final Fantasy died with either FFIX or FFX?