Will We Ever Get a Good Final Fantasy Again
The best Final Fantasy game is...
Final Fantasy Seven Remake is a thing again, so here's our ranking of the best Final Fantasy games.
Final Fantasy is a strange series. Its ups and downs over the years have arguably been acquired by its virtually appealing central idea: that every entry is set in a new universe, with new characters and completely dissimilar systems. This means the series has sometimes alternated betwixt beingness an innovator and out-of-engagement—but information technology has remained more or less enjoyable for three decades.
At its best, Terminal Fantasy will give you lot an adventure you'll never forget, a combat and progression system that you lot'll obsess over, or characters y'all'll accept a real affinity for. Sometimes, information technology'll requite what might be the best minigame in history. And other times, it'll give you a laughing scene you'll wish you could forget.
With most of the worthwhile entries on PC now—minus I and II, and spin-offs similar Crisis Core—we thought information technology'd be a skilful fourth dimension to hash out which mainline games are the best. Since this is an argument that'southward been going on for years with a lot of near-identical outcomes, nosotros've included an extra gene here—how the games' PC versions turned out informs the rankings here, since it'due south so inconsistent across the series. Tell the states your choices at the bottom, and enjoy.
1. Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age
Samuel Roberts: This isn't my personal favourite Final Fantasy, but it's an impressive, MMO-infused RPG that's the best of them all when it comes to gainsay systems, progression and how well its art has held up since its original release on the PS2, 12 years ago. Those factors are probably what near players are interested in, and so I feel comfortable calling information technology the best. It but doesn't have much center, or a story I like, or a decent protagonist. I like it when Last Fantasy has those things. It does have a British version of Han Solo, though. I'm a big Balthier fan, and if I could be him I would.
Tom Senior: There were apparently a lot of rewrites and story-shuffling during development and it really shows. Luckily 12 has my favourite RPG systems of whatsoever Final Fantasy and the fast-forrad control added by the remaster ways I tin can blast through zones, level up apace, and test out new party lineups. 12 has a unlike entreatment to the rest of the serial. You can't really coast through it without engaging pretty heavily with the combat and graphic symbol building, which tin can really elevate in the first few hours.
Plus the story never quite gains momentum. Last Fantasy has never been good at telling stories about politics, kings and queens. Give me a good party of pals who become on a journeying and kill lots of cactuars.
Wes Fenlon: Sam and Tom are nuts: Final Fantasy 12 has probably the best, to the lowest degree cliché story in a Final Fantasy game this side of Tactics. Information technology just, uh, kinda disappears and then completely falls apart in the last third of the game. But earlier that: swell stuff! The world and writing, similar in Matsuno's Final Fantasy Tactics, are fantasy past manner of Shakespearean tragedy, with a quippy rogue, a dutiful simply disgraced knight, and a princess forced to step into a leadership role she never expected. In that location'southward some smashing wartime politics to dig into hither, though the throughline never quite explores them as much as it should. But the season that story brings sets it so far apart from your typical teens-relieve-the-earth JRPG.
It's also hard to overstate how much FF12's earth pattern—broken up into MMO-like zones, where everything is the same scale, rather than a world map or the disappointing list of locations similar FF10's—adds to the believability of information technology as a identify. It feels like a proper world you're exploring, at a level of fidelity no Last Fantasy game had delivered before.
2. Final Fantasy ix
Wes: Final Fantasy 9 is that one game I'll probably wax poetic nearly for the rest of my life. Information technology just has such heart. It's a game that feels joyously fabricated, jubilant the Final Fantasy series up to that point and the end of Square's insane hot streak during the PS1 era. It'south peppered with in-jokes and references that manage to never exist obnoxious or exclusionary; if you don't become them, they just add more flavor to a world already overstuffed with personality.
You can take Terminal Fantasy 9'south opening hour as a case report for what makes information technology special amid the serial: you'll control three separate characters at different points, and during that time you tin can freely run around a city collecting tons of subconscious items and gil caches, meet characters who will take small, cute narrative moments a dozen plus hours later, kick off a sidequest that lasts the entire game, play a minigame, learn FF9's card game and collect some rare cards, and participate in a wonderfully entertaining fake sword fight that was designed for this one scene and never used again.
That'south really Final Fantasy 9 in a nutshell: it'southward so dense with things to practise, with hidden delights, and with artistic design that goes above and across, information technology's hard not to be charmed by the sheer love that went into every surface area. And the PC version will run on pretty much annihilation. The boxing system isn't the best in the series, but everything else more than makes upwardly for it.
Andy Kelly: I didn't honey the return to a medieval-influenced fantasy setting in 9 as much as some people. This is my least favourite of the PlayStation era, fifty-fifty though it's arguably a amend game than 7 and eight, at least mechanically. I practice love the story, though. There are some keen moments, ordinarily involving sad-eyed black mage Vivi. And the cities are among the series' grandest, particularly Lindblum. Also, it has the best world map theme.
3. Concluding Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn
Steven Messner: There is no modernistic Last Fantasy more than in touch with the serial' roots that Last Fantasy 14. Despite being an MMO (which understandably volition turn some away), FF14 is a sincere love letter of the alphabet that captures all of the whimsy and drama of the before entries in the series. It'south a shame that you'll accept to endure a painfully deadening level-up process, just in one case you lot get to the after chapters of A Realm Reborn and into the exquisite Heavensward and Stormblood expansions, Terminal Fantasy fourteen'south story begins to rival some of the series' best. In between the usual MMO grinds, at that place's an emotional, character-driven story of betrayal and revolution all gear up in a more medieval fantasy aesthetic that is a welcome deviation from the spikey-haired, leather-clad await of later Final Fantasys.
Fortunately, Last Fantasy 14 is a damn good MMO to boot. Its endgame can be a little repetitive, but everything from the dungeons and raids to the crafting and job system are then beautifully realized and fun that I'g not pulling my hair out waiting for the next update.
iv. Final Fantasy 7
Tom: At this bespeak information technology feels like Final Fantasy 7 has been dismantled, digested, and rendered downwards into a puddle of memes, and I struggle to detach the game from powerful feelings of nostalgia for the many hours I spent extracting every underground from that world map. However, I actually think the story holds up. It's tangled at points, when you start getting into supersoldiers and mistaken identities, but the broader descent into a terrible doomsday scenario is very constructive, and the apocalypse is marshalled by peradventure the serial' greatest villain. Sephiroth starting Cloud downwardly through the flames of Nibelheim is one of the best moments in any Final Fantasy game.
It's a rich RPG, total of and then many optional elite pursuits. The Weapons that appear later on in the campaign roam the map, prepare to exist challenged as soon as your gear and party were strong enough. Don't fancy that? Breed and race Chocobos in the Gilded Saucer, or get and observe the secret political party members Yuffie and Vincent. Information technology's an former game at present, but information technology nevertheless feels huge and aggressive.
Andy G: I don't care what anyone says: Final Fantasy 7 is still good. I play it every couple of years, and always notice it just as captivating as the first time. I recall the variety is a big part of it. In that location's such a wild mix of visual styles, moods, prepare pieces, and activities here, from the melodramatic and serious to the totally cool. One minute you lot're fighting a behemothic mechanical scorpion, the adjacent you're trying to out-squat a wrestler to win a powdered wig.
The earth is great too. Every location has its own distinctive personality, from the high-tech militarism of Junon, to the cosy sands of the Costa del Sol. And I love how the inflow of the meteor transforms the mood of the game, with NPCs getting new dialogue to reflect the coming apocalypse. Information technology's a proper big, heady adventure, especially when y'all unlock the Highwind airship and can explore the map largely unrestricted.
5. Terminal Fantasy 10/10-2
Andy K: I remember being disappointed with x when I outset played it, because information technology got rid of the explorable world map that I loved in 7, eight, and nine. Instead yous'd just option locations from a map interface, which is nowhere almost as compelling as actually walking around yourself. The world map was such a Final Fantasy icon that I'g baffled they got rid of it.
I enjoyed the game overall, but this change meant I never actually felt like I was on some one thousand journeying. The globe didn't feel every bit convincing somehow, like a series of disparate places artificially strung together. There were some great locations in at that place, though: particularly the rolling hills of the Calm Lands and the stormy Thunder Plains.
Samuel: This is my favourite Terminal Fantasy game past a long style. Blitzball is a great minigame that connects well with the main chance, once you empathize how it works, and the way the game explores faith is pretty risky for a mainstream RPG. It also has a progression organization and end game that tin keep you playing for tens of hours afterwards. The PS2 version came out at just the correct time for me to fall in love with information technology (I was 14, basically), and I play information technology every three or four years.
When I played the PC version a couple of years agone I had a new appreciation for Ten-2
I also disagree that getting rid of the earth map was a bad thing—FF10's world is a niggling besides linear and paves the way for 13's long corridors, just it does feel strangely real to me, in how much personality there is in individual places like Kilika, Luca or Guadosalam. The fact it has no major cities, because this unstoppable force keeps destroying them, neatly explains why information technology'south a globe by and large fabricated up of pocket-size tropical settlements.
I've never really loved Final Fantasy 10-2, honestly, with its straight-to-VHS-style follow-upward story about lovers from thou years ago or some bullshit, but when I played the PC version a couple of years ago I had a new appreciation for information technology. It was the first Final Fantasy game with an all-female cast and it has a very unlike, fun energy to 10. It'south almost like 15 in how the friendships at the heart of the game are a large part of why it'southward an enjoyable journey, even if the overarching story is bad. Square Enix completely redid the gainsay and progression systems, which they really didn't need to practise to go people to buy this directly sequel.
I also liked seeing the world of Spira several years later, with new locations and additions to existing ones, every bit well equally granular bits of new story that tell you what happened to all its characters. I wish there were fewer recycled assets and I don't honey the musical numbers, but hey, not every Final Fantasy game is going to be my thing. I liked listening to developer Nina Freeman talk about the game on this podcast. She makes a good case for why it'due south better than I thought information technology was back in 2004.
6. Final Fantasy fifteen
Tom: I beloved the thought of the roadtrip RPG and FF15, in its best moments, strikes a perfect tone. You go to guide your four skilful lads through a lazy summer, chirapsia upward wildlife for cash. Later on the constraints of 13, the open world feels enormous, and it'south extremely pretty.
I miss the depth and grapheme building of previous games, but some extraordinary animation work means the gainsay always looks flashy, even if yous're non really doing very much. Also, the food. My god, the food.
Samuel: This is how I feel—a cynic would say this is a game of zilch more than empty spectacle. But how can you non savour that journey? It's like the opposite of Concluding Fantasy 12: endearing, total of character, and the combat is stylish but has little going on below information technology. The story is...was at that place a story? The king is killed, and you come up back and kill the guy who is your relative from thousands of years agone, who now sits on the throne speaking in a British accent. Is that right? Anyway, who cares when the summons look this cool:
My favourite thing about FF15 might be the hidden Pitioss Dungeon, a gainsay-free puzzle labyrinth which sparked a Dark Souls-level lore investigation from dedicated players (read the Reddit thread here). It'southward apparently been debunked somewhat by the FF15 squad and the game'due south DLC, only I choose to believe it's real because it's better than much of the game's actual story, and makes me wonder which elements of the cancelled Versus 13 made the cutting.
Andy: I dear the breezy road trip feel of 15. It's an infectiously sunny, colourful game, and the bond between the machine boys is quite disarming. Merely equally an RPG it left me cold, which is almost entirely the fault of those utterly banal sidequests. Everywhere yous go you're being given tasks to complete, just they're flatly written, unexciting, and tedious. I could have ignored them and focused on the main story, I suppose, just I hate having uncompleted quests in my log. So I simply quit the game and never returned.
Samuel: I agree that nigh of its sidequests are terrible, although I do like the hunts. Fewer but better quests should be how Tabata and company brand side content in their next RPG.
vii. Final Fantasy viii
Tom: The first quarter of the game, culminating in that assassination attempt, is absolutely banging. The plot drifts off in weird directions from there and somewhen collapses into a succession of giant plot holes. It's a corking ride, though. Squall is kinda Cloud-low-cal, merely at least he gets to take a romance, and his rivalry with Seifer is engrossing.
It's as large and involved every bit 7, and full of secrets, just for me it's a affect forgettable. The gardens are beautifully designed, only I don't feel as connected to those places every bit I did to Cosmo Canyon, Junon, and Midgar. I liked the gainsay, though, including the magic junctioning organization and ludicrous summons.
Andy K: There'due south a lot I dear about 8. The understated art design. The downbeat, melancholy tone. That beautifully atmospheric music. Triple Triad, of grade, which remains one of the all-time minigames of all time. The weird characters. Hell, I even dear the junction system, which is undeniably weird and clunky, but fun to experiment with.
The story seriously goes off the rails in the final act, information technology can be overly melodramatic, one of the twists is a real eye-roller, and the way enemies scale to your level is kinda annoying. Merely otherwise I think it's ane of the best, most interesting, and most subversive Terminal Fantasies. Information technology'southward the Alien 3 of the series, and I mean that every bit a compliment.
Samuel: Concluding Fantasy viii is a big favourite of mine, but it loses points for having worse audio than the PSone versions, fifty-fifty now, though y'all can modernistic the original soundtrack back in. This week I had to sign in through Foursquare Enix's store just to play the damn game on Steam, which is dumb. I love the junctioning system and the combat, though, and this game offers a ridiculously melodramatic but engaging story.
Information technology also has ane of my favourite 'secrets' in the serial: the Deep Sea Research Facility in the center of the sea, where you fight Bahamut and Ultima Weapon. Exploring the depths of that place is like a horror movie. Check out the first minute of this to run into what I'm talking about:
Wes: "...Whatever."
8. Terminal Fantasy 6
Tom: The PC port hideously reworks the fonts and reduces the pixel sprites to brilliant, blotchy characters. It's awful, because otherwise FF6 is an absolute care for. Great characters, a strong sense of sense of humour, and a surprisingly dark world total of steam engines, mechs, and an oppressive empire drastic to capture the ability of magic for itself. The starting graphic symbol, Terra, has the rare ability to cast spells, and equally she flees the empire's phalanxes of hunter mechs she teams upwards with characters like the roguish Locke, a ninja called Shadow, a king with a chainsaw chosen Figaro, and more.
The characters are fantastic, just 6 throws some insane turns into its story that I won't spoil. Great game, shame well-nigh the port.
Samuel: Same feeling. I love this game, and I had the PSone version many years ago, which wasn't as well bad (minus the loading screens). If the PC version was the best 1, it'd undoubtedly be ranked a lot higher than this in our list.
Wes: This is non the all-time way to play ane of the best games in the series, as Tom alluded to. It's full of an energetic charm that Foursquare would but really reach once again with FF9, just nevertheless manages to deliver some heart wrenching moments with tiny little sprite people. And what a boldly freeform game! Even without a chore organization, you can pretty much do anything you want with any character later on a certain point, and explore much of the globe in any order you adopt. Also, modders have thankfully fixed some of the PC port's most egregious bug, and so information technology'due south possible to clean upwardly the graphics and return the original sprites to their proper place.
nine. Final Fantasy 13
Samuel: Even if it takes a while to open, I similar the paradigm shift arrangement in Final Fantasy 13, and how it encourages wholesale on-the-fly changes in tactics. Even if you spend nearly of the game walking through a corridor, it is at least a consistently beautiful corridor. thirteen'south PC port was pretty lousy at launch, and I haven't tried it since then, because it wants to eat a monstrous 60GB of my hard-drive space. FF13's soundtrack is one of the best in the series, though, and even if its story is overwrought and lacks likeable heroes, I've still got some affection for information technology.
Tom: The image shift system is cool, it feels fast and fluid in one case you're fighting enemies tough plenty to warrant using information technology properly. I tin't really forgive all the corridors though, and I constitute a lot of the squad annoying, particularly Hope. The lack of freedom feels like such a retrograde step after 12 and y'all need a glossary to unpack what'south going on between the fal'Cie and the fifty'Cie.
Wes: A genuinely great battle arrangement is wasted on a mess of a story that confuses a deluge of proper nouns with an interesting plot. Combat with a total party is an absolute nail, and so of class Concluding Fantasy 13 spends about of its kickoff xv hours refusing to let you lot just play the damn game with a full team. It's one of the worst starts ever in a genre known for tedious beginnings. But hey, at least it does become amend from there.
10. Final Fantasy iv (or 5)
Samuel: I've got a soft spot for 4, which is the betoken at which you can trace back all the modernistic Concluding Fantasy games, with its increased focus on story and setting over the simpler FF3. I love the character designs—this is where these heroes and villains became iconic. I can't say I dear the 3D edition of it that'due south come up to PC, though, which is based on the DS port from near a decade ago. The Game Boy Accelerate edition that I used to ain looked a lot nicer, though this 3D version does have a phenomenal opening movie (meet above).
Wes: This is when Final Fantasy figured out it wanted to be a series of epic adventures: it was Square's stab, at the time, of channeling an anime plot into a bunch of sprite characters. It's worth playing just to encounter the roots of what would become grander adventures in FF6 and FF7.
If you don't dear Final Fantasy's melodrama, bandy Final Fantasy 5 in, here. Like FF6 it has some hideously reworked sprites on PC, just that Chore organization is so good, there's however an annual event where people become together to replay the game all these years later.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/best-final-fantasy-game/
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