Which is your favorite Final Fantasy?

[Twilight Dirac 721]

FF7 is my all time favorite. As a little kid I played FF: Mystic Quest, FF3, FF4, FF7, FF8. I played most of them though. FF13 and FF13-2 and FF13-3 sucked. I don't know why they kept making more FF13 games but whatever floats their boat.

 

I honestly lost interest after playing FF9.  I think it was supposed to go back to the series medieval fantasy roots after FF went sci-fi in 7 and 8, but I never understood what was wrong with that.  I would rank FF7 as the number 2 game behind FF6, its sci-fi setting obviously didn't hurt it and FF6 was obviously was more of a steampunk setting than a traditional medieval fantasy setting (then again so was FF9 to an extent) so there obviously wasn't anything wrong with exploring these types of settings, it did the series a good deal of justice.  What turned me off is they took away a lot of the player's customization options and the combat went from enjoyable to grueling.  Looks like they did switch back to a sci-fi setting again anyway, although with even less options from what I have heard about FF13.  That one seems like less of a game and more like a movie that the developers would prefer the player would have as little involvement with as possible.  That is sort of the direction I felt the series was going in after I completed FF9.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Twilight Dirac

[Misty Shadow 8,062]

I think my all-time favorite is Final Fantasy X. I'm probably biased though since it was the first one I played. I've actually found every Final Fantasy game I've played to be good in some way, so it's hard for me to choose favorites.

[Discordian 6,016]

I honestly lost interest after playing FF9.  I think it was supposed to go back to the series medieval fantasy roots after FF went sci-fi in 7 and 8, but I never understood what was wrong with that.  I would rank FF7 as the number 2 game behind FF6, its sci-fi setting obviously didn't hurt it and FF6 was obviously was more of a steampunk setting than a traditional medieval fantasy setting (then again so was FF9 to an extent) so there obviously wasn't anything wrong with exploring these types of settings, it did the series a good deal of justice.  What turned me off is they took away a lot of the player's customization options and the combat went from enjoyable to grueling.  Looks like they did switch back to a sci-fi setting again anyway, although with even less options from what I have heard about FF13.  That one seems like less of a game and more like a movie that the developers would prefer the player would have as little involvement with as possible.  That is sort of the direction I felt the series was going in after I completed FF9.

FFIX was also more industrial than medieval and had it's fair share of sci-fi near the end too.

 

After that the series did a pretty good job of mixing the settings up. FFX seemed futuristic when it started and even moreso by the end. FFXII was somewhat fantasy but had lots of futuristic elements as well. FFXIII is the pinnacle of the sci-fi in the series so far.

 

FFXIII itself was pretty linear but it had a great cast. What's more is there is a difference between playing the game and playing it right. A lot of people will try to tell you that you can beat the entire game by mashing X and maybe to some degree you can but if you wanna beat the game well or do any of the optional stuff it requires a little more thought into what paradigms you're using, what your equipment is doing and whatnot. What's more is you can technically mash X through any other FF game but that doesn't mean you're playing it well. XIII-2 changed a lot. The game was far less linear and the combat changed a bit since you had more control over the party members with the monster capture system. What both games did was streamlined a fast-paced combat system. They took the ATB system and made it faster than ever. For a lot of people that would have made the game incredibly harder if they had to make every decision. You can even still make the decisions on your own if you really wanted to. Auto-battle is an option, not the only way to play, but it speeds up the decision-making process and your paradigm decisions can still mean the difference between life and death.

 

Don't get me wrong, FFXIII was definitely heavily under-utilized and could have changed quite a few things but for what it was trying to be I thought it succeeded greatly.

 

---

 

I can't wait to see what FFXV has in store. The world looks incredibly open. The combat looks a bit slow but I can't really say much just from watching gameplay.

[Twilight Dirac 721]

 

 

What's more is there is a difference between playing the game and playing it right. A lot of people will try to tell you that you can beat the entire game by mashing X and maybe to some degree you can but if you wanna beat the game well or do any of the optional stuff it requires a little more thought into what paradigms you're using, what your equipment is doing and whatnot. What's more is you can technically mash X through any other FF game but that doesn't mean you're playing it well.

 

This isn't consistent with my experience.  I have played a lot of the FF series include FF2, FF4, FF6, FF7 and FF9 along with a couple of the offshoots, and these games would kill you dead if you tried to just button mashed your way through combat.  Some of the older ones in particular were brutal.  And in FF4, 6 and 7 how you equipped and leveled your party was also important.  If you can beat a game without paying attention to what you are doing, then it is not really a game.

 

 

 

They took the ATB system and made it faster than ever.

 

How much faster do you need the ATB system to be.  The system was already incredibly fast in FF2, FF4, and FF6.  It slowed down in FF7, but only because of gratuitous cut scenes, the underlying mechanics can still play incredibly fast (there may have even been an options to adjust the speed in FF6, FF6 was awesome that way). 

[Discordian 6,016]

This isn't consistent with my experience.  I have played a lot of the FF series include FF2, FF4, FF6, FF7 and FF9 along with a couple of the offshoots, and these games would kill you dead if you tried to just button mashed your way through combat.  Some of the older ones in particular were brutal.  And in FF4, 6 and 7 how you equipped and leveled your party was also important.  If you can beat a game without paying attention to what you are doing, then it is not really a game.

 

 

 

 

How much faster do you need the ATB system to be.  The system was already incredibly fast in FF2, FF4, and FF6.  It slowed down in FF7, but only because of gratuitous cut scenes, the underlying mechanics can still play incredibly fast (there may have even been an options to adjust the speed in FF6, FF6 was awesome that way).

There's a win/lose condition so it's definitely a game.

 

You're right that not every FF can be played that way but a lot of them can. I mashed my way through FFVII the first time I played it...when I was thirteen.

 

FFXIII is the same way in that you can do it but it won't make the game easy. If you aren't paying attention then you'll get curbstomped by some of the later bosses that can change their own strategies on a dime. You need to know when to use what paradigms.

 

I don't really even care about the ATB system but with the way the game played the ATB system was faster than most of the other games. They queued up six attacks within seconds where past games only had one until the ATB system filled up. Though there's also the fact that enemies had way more health overall than in other games so it made up for it so it wasn't too difficult.

 

All I'm saying is that people treat FFXIII like what it's doing is bad and then go on to say that the reasons that is are the only way to experience the game. The game gives you options, most people just don't use them.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,696]

FFX was the first I played and it had the best combat system for my money, but IX is my true favorite. That game was truly an extraordinary experience when I accepted it for what it was.

[Gatekeeper Giggle 2,902]

I liked 6 and 7 equally. They were both really great games and I find it impossible to pick between the two. 

[Unikitty 1,212]

FFIX will always be my favourite, despite never having finished the game until just a few years ago. The characters are great, being fun and interesting, but all having their own deep storyline. The visuals are astounding both in comparison to games of their time, as well as having an amazing art style. The audio was top notch as per usual. The story was complex and unique. And finally, the gameplay, whilst not being radically different to the past games, was still polished and enjoyable.

My favourite part of the game wasn't even the main questing. It was running around the world with my trusty chocobo, searching for treasure and ways to get the top tier chocobo.

 

 

My least favourite game would have to be FFX. It's simply overplayed and dull. I may have a little bias as I've never actually completed the game, but considering what I have seen over time, it definitely doesn't rank very high. I think I'd sooner play Kingdom Hearts than FFX.

[Twilight Dirac 721]

 

 

FFX was the first I played and it had the best combat system for my money, but IX is my true favorite. That game was truly an extraordinary experience when I accepted it for what it was.

 

 

 

FFIX will always be my favourite, despite never having finished the game until just a few years ago. The characters are great, being fun and interesting, but all having their own deep storyline. The visuals are astounding both in comparison to games of their time, as well as having an amazing art style. The audio was top notch as per usual. The story was complex and unique. And finally, the gameplay, whilst not being radically different to the past games, was still polished and enjoyable. My favourite part of the game wasn't even the main questing. It was running around the world with my trusty chocobo, searching for treasure and ways to get the top tier chocobo.

 

I sometimes have to wonder if I got a different copy of this game than everyone else.  The game started out good but I ended up absolutely hating it by the end.  It honestly did turn me off to the series as a whole.   I heard FF12 was good and have been meaning to try it one of these days, by my heart hasn't been in it since I finished playing FF9.

[V1NYL_DA5H 180]

10. Twas the most enjoyable. With the flashback and the awesome story

[Radiance64 7,053]

Never owned a SNES or Playstation system yet so I haven't played too many FFs

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance used to be my jam tho...

[Magnum Flare 553]

Can't like 7 or 8 coz I haven't played them 

 

Of all the list available, I've personally played 4, 10, 13,13-2, Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus,

 

From the list, i actually like 13-2 the best. Probably because modern graphics just amuse me so.

[Sanctified Absence 126]

I feel like this post belongs in the Post Your Unpopular Opinions thread but... The XIII series.

 

I adore pretty much every Final Fantasy game, and I can see where the XIII's have their downfalls (particularly XIII, XIII-2 and LR were much better than the first) but I just felt like I enjoyed those three the most.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Sanctified Absence

[Discordian 6,016]

I sometimes have to wonder if I got a different copy of this game than everyone else.  The game started out good but I ended up absolutely hating it by the end.  It honestly did turn me off to the series as a whole.   I heard FF12 was good and have been meaning to try it one of these days, by my heart hasn't been in it since I finished playing FF9.

 

There's really no right or wrong answer to what is the best in the series. Every game is good for its own reasons but for some those reasons aren't enough.

 

But do try to give other games in the series a try. Not just the main ones but the side games too. My reason for this is because literally every game in the series is different. Playing one FF you can't really say you've got a feel for the series as a whole. Even if you've played most of the earlier ones you still won't have any idea what's going on with the later ones and vice versa.

 

Be wary of FFXII though. It's one of the most polarizing games in the franchise. There are people who absolutely adore it and there are those who hate it completely. There's not usually any middle ground on that game.

[Megas 27,971]

I feel like this post belongs in the Post Your Unpopular Opinions thread but... The XIII series.

 

I adore pretty much every Final Fantasy game, and I can see where the XIII's have their downfalls (particularly XIII, XIII-2 and LR were much better than the first) but I just felt like I enjoyed those three the most.

Nothing wrong with having an unpopular opinion, I mean, my favorite's VIII(in the main series), and that's not exactly the most beloved game in the series either 

[Pastel 7,630]

IX and XII are my 2 favorites.

There were so many things to do in the XII!

[Justin_Case001 4,910]

My favorite probably has to be 6, but it's a really tough call between 6, 8, and 12.  I think I have to go with 6 for nostalgia.  It was one of the first games I ever played, and made me a true die hard FF fan.  The nostalgia pushes it over the edge for me.

 

Favorites: 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13

Middle: 1, 2

Least favorites: 3, 5, 9, 10

 

Quick review of each

1: Classic, nostalgic, sparks the imagination

2: Most unique leveling system ever, the use-it-or-lose-it system.  Very fun.

3. As far as FF goes, fairly meh.

4. Great story and music, great characters.

5. Kinda meh, but we got two of the greatest songs in FF history out of it: Dear Friends and Clash on the Big Bridge

6. Unbelievable story, characters, and music.  A flawless masterpiece.

7. A masterpiece, but I wish the joysticks functioned.  I wish they'd remake it.  Materia system made for incredible builds.

8. A flawless masterpiece.  Draw and junction system was extremely different and interesting.

9. Fun setting and art style, meh characters and gameplay.

10.  Great music.  Good story.  Meh gameplay.  It's FF1 with a PS2 skin.  No ATB means battles are boring.  Sphere grid wasn't very interesting, either.  Desperately needed a free look camera.

(Never played 10-2 or 11)

12. Fairly good story, okay characters, best gameplay of the entire series.  Plus Fran is the sexiest fictional character ever made.  Also some of the best locations in the series.

13.  Very good gameplay, a masterpiece of characters and storytelling.  Very underappreciated.  Unfairly criticized for being too linear.  The point was the incredible story.

 

I also really love Tactics and Dirge of Cerberus.  Tactics is a flawless masterpiece.  Dirge is one of the most underappreciated games of all time, imo.

 

Right now I'm playing Lightning Returns.  Stupid story.  Ridiculous premise.  Shouldn't really exist.  Slapped together.  Fabulous gameplay.  Sexy fashion show.  I love it.  :S

[Saethwr 12]

FFIX.

It was the first one I played and the one I can most get along with.

Tried FFVIII and the juctioning system confused me to much to enjoy it. 

Edited February 11, 2015 by Saethwr

[Tao 8,525]

I loved/love FFX. 

 

I still own and play the game on and than

when I get into a mood for a good story

and lovely graphics! It was also my

first role play game back in the day!

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,018]

My overall favorite is Final Fantasy 9. The characters, gameplay, and many throwbacks to the old games cement that game's greatness. Plus the soundtrack is epic. Surprisingly one of my other favorites is Final Fantasy X-2. Yeah, the story is absolutely terrible but the game is surprisingly very well done and I loved the class system in it.

[Mutemutt 773]

When it comes to the main numbered series, my nostalgia index says VIII. Overall, my nostalgia index says Crystal Chronicles. Nowadays I'd say that I hold the most love for the XIII series.

 

Final Fantasy 8 was just my intro to the franchise. Admittedly, I remember it more fondly than I actually like it now. Oh well.

 

Crystal Chronicles was the most fun game I had for the gamecube at the time. I play this game nonstop with my cousin and friend, staying up like all day and night during the summer. The only game that could even compare was Tales of Symphonia. I really miss the days where we could all sit down on the same couch or floor and just play through an entire game together. And don't even get me started on the music in the game; I really wish I could hear more from Kumi Tanioka. The instrument selection adds so much character to the game. One of the most memorable original soundtracks.

 

And, My god, is there so much hate for Final Fantasy XIII, and yet I can't help but love it. And yeah I "game over"d in that game way more than 7 or 8 or 12, despite having that auto battle option. The paradigm system really was where the bulk of the battle centered around not so much what attacks you chose. 

[Art Thief 215]

Crisis Core will always be my favorite Final Fantasy, it's the only game that made me shed a tear.

[Shift 4,274]

I'm a FF7 fan, mostly because I like the characters and the spinoffs really go into the plot and characters even if it's pretty confusing.

[Discordian 6,016]

When it comes to the main numbered series, my nostalgia index says VIII. Overall, my nostalgia index says Crystal Chronicles. Nowadays I'd say that I hold the most love for the XIII series.

 

Final Fantasy 8 was just my intro to the franchise. Admittedly, I remember it more fondly than I actually like it now. Oh well.

 

Crystal Chronicles was the most fun game I had for the gamecube at the time. I play this game nonstop with my cousin and friend, staying up like all day and night during the summer. The only game that could even compare was Tales of Symphonia. I really miss the days where we could all sit down on the same couch or floor and just play through an entire game together. And don't even get me started on the music in the game; I really wish I could hear more from Kumi Tanioka. The instrument selection adds so much character to the game. One of the most memorable original soundtracks.

 

And, My god, is there so much hate for Final Fantasy XIII, and yet I can't help but love it. And yeah I "game over"d in that game way more than 7 or 8 or 12, despite having that auto battle option. The paradigm system really was where the bulk of the battle centered around not so much what attacks you chose.

All of my for Crystal Chronicles fans. That game was always great but dat final boss blew me away.

 

As for FFXIII, it's like I always say: You can play a lot of main FF games by mashing X but that doesn't mean you're playing it well. I haven't played it in years but my friend who is much better at games than I am says that he switched off between autobattle and manual selection of skills all the time because the autobattle engine didn't always pick the optimum skills. I'm inclined to believe him considering he's the guy who's preferred difficulty is somewhere between Dante Must Die and Master Ninja, if you get my drift. <.< >.>

[----------------------- 171]

My top three are FFV (it's the first one I've played, so it holds a special place in my heart, hehe), FFVII, and FFIX. However, FFVI is a very close second. I haven't finished it, but it's pretty damn good, and desperately deserves a remake now that VII is getting one. ^o^

 

I also like the Dissidia games, if that counts!