Top 10 Final Fantasy Games
Happy "Day before Mass Effect" Day, nerds!
It was inevitable, the Final Fantasy list. Just as the "Top 100 Games of all time list is. This list however was particularly hard to narrow down. There some omissions that were hard to choose, and of course others that had no chance in hell of making the list. Perhaps I'll make a top 10 worst Final Fantasy game article in the future. If you do read this and disagree with me in any way feel free to leave a comment and let me know how terrible of a Final Fantasy fan I am for leaving out your favourite. I should mention that this list will include an entry or two outside of the core numbered series.
Time to kick things off with the most appropriate title for this position..
10. Final Fantasy X
Yes, the game that highlighted the Playstation 2's power and showcased what the new console could do. Some may have an issue that this game isn't higher on the list and I can assure you that there are more reasons than BlitzBall. Maybe due to the Remaster and the "Re"Remaster on PS4 it's age is definitely showing. As with most entries on this list you will notice that all of these games looked great back in their time in the sun. However, I personally don't think that the visuals have aged well. The gameplay is great which is to be expected from a main line Final Fantasy game, turn based combat and outside of combat some very minor puzzle solving while obtaining Yuna's summons.
The story is great, with characters you learn to care for over time. I say this because I truly didn't enjoy 90 percent of the cast for quite some time, which says a lot because I was completely on board to love Futurama's Bender playing a red headed sports fanatic who destroys enemies with a BlitzBall.
The Sphere Grid was the games big addition to the gameplay. Personally I am a fan of a more traditional leveling system, I enjoy seeing the progression of characters by watching them level up in battle, but I can't deny that the Sphere Grid was great if you knew what you were doing. Being able to cross train your characters and customize your favourite characters so you don't necessarily have to rely on Lulu for her Black Magic but rather have Tidus hone those skills.
This game is special to many as it seemed as though it was evolving for a new generation of gamers, as this was many gamers first Final Fantasy game and helped to turn them on to the series. It didn't matter how incredibly dull and lame Tidus was.
9. Final Fantasy XV
Some might argue that this game should be higher on the list, while others could argue it doesn't deserve to be here whatsoever. Simply put, this game is great. Is the game fun to explore and play? Absolutely. Does the game have a variety of issue? Of course. I'm in the boat of people who are not entirely sure if the story is worth mentioning in the pros list. I feel this way because I truly wan't to believe there is a great story in there. And everything seems to be presented well enough in the world. But none of the characters' motivations make any sense. Not that they aren't believable, just that they are not present in the story we received. Yes, square did say that they would patch in scenes to explain the antagonists motivations and why I should care for certain deaths. But until then, it is an incomplete story that is insanely fun to play and explore for many, many hours with tons of call-outs to your favourite titles in the series.
With one of the smallest casts in Final Fantasy history, including a party of only four males, the game tries to make you feel deeply for these comrades. Though, ultimately fails through dull story telling. The game that has a fraction of the cast also has a fraction of the heart of the others that have come before it.
You might think "Why is this even on your list, you just seem to be dumping all over it", and you would be right in thinking so. Final Fantasy was in a dark place, with a game everyone hated followed by sequels absolutely no one asked for (XIII), along side the launch of an abysmal MMO sequel to XI (XIV, which later re-released and is nothing short of amazing). SquareEnix was cutting it close to seeing the end to the long running series. However, despite this entries shortcomings, the gameplay and fantastical world was enough to buy our forgiveness in the meantime until they blow our minds hopefully with Final Fantasy XVI
8. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
The Playstation Portable masterpiece. One of the best FF games and absolutely the best PSP game to ever be released, and shocking to many that of all the remasters that we see this day and age those who did not get a chance to play this fantastic game on the handheld system may never get to do so.
This game is a prequel to the insanely popular Final Fantasy VII. We follow our protagonist Zack in the events leading up to the jumping off point of VII. Any fan of VII knows Zack's story. If you were to pick up the game and play it for the first time now after playing VII all those years ago, the feeling would almost be equal to watching Star Wars: Rogue One. You know it can;t end good for these characters you have learned to love so much, and at the same time it managers to make the original source material better just by experiencing its companion.
If there was ever a Final Fantasy game that deserved a remaster, it's this beauty right here.
7. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Welcome to the only entry on the list that would make both "Best of" and "Worst of" Final Fantasy lists. I have sunken an ungodly amount of hours into this massive behemoth. I should start off by mentioning that I was never a huge MMO player. If I do play one, it is simply because I like the world or the concept. Take my opinion with a grain of salt here because the only two MMO's I have truly gotten into are of course A Realm Reborn and DC Universe Online.. Because I love DC, so sue me.
A Realm Reborn is a tale of two games. One that was released simply as "Final Fantasy XIV". And this game was utter trash, garbage, a huge pile of shit. Or so I am told.. Never played it. Heard bad things, my heart couldn't handle the crumbling tower that was one of my favourite franchises.
Lucky for me, I didn't have to wait too long for SquareEnix to correct their wrongs by straight up apologizing for the game, taking it back to the developers and re worked the whole damn game. In what I consider to me one of the gaming industries best
"Mighty Ducks moment" they came back from an almost undeniable defeat. They returned with a well polished, insanely fun and stupidly addicting MMO. The game is still going strong with the titles second expansion "Stormblood" to be released this June adding another two jobs to the game, Samurai and Red Mage. I feel this game is going to have a very good road ahead of it.
6. Final Fantasy IV
Also known as Final Fantasy II when it was first released in North America was one of the Final Fantasy games that I did't get to until I was much older and played though quite a few of them.
IV's big input onto the franchise was the ATB (Active Time Battle). Essentially it is your same old Turn based combat system but you are inputting your commands in real time. Each character has a Time Gauge that indicates when you will be able to place their next move. This system caught traction and was placed into some of the other titles in the series.
A huge cast of character, the two most notable ones being Cecil the Dark Knight and Kain the Dragoon. It's this relationship and a few others I wont spoil that fuel this story. A few notable and surprising (at the time) plot twists makes this title one you wont be able to stop thinking about.
5. Final Fantasy XII
Half way there, and here comes the "Love it or Hate it" title in the franchise. Needless to say, I love it. Which is saying a lot considering when I think back on the game, I remember almost nothing of the main protagonist Vaan. Seriously, what a completely un interesting character. He kills some rats in the sewer at the beginning of the game... and then nothing. My bias in this is probably due to the fact that he is completely over shadowed by the hands down one of the coolest character in all of Final Fantasy. Balthier, a goddamn sky pirate. Nothing else matters in the game.
The gameplay is very similar to the MMO that came before it, and elements have been carried into the MMO that followed. The combat is "Real Time" however all your actions have cooldowns and cast times just like regular MMO's.
With the release of Final Fantasy XII remaster titles "The Zodiac Age" coming this summer, you had better believe I will be getting it day one and diving into that world again with my man, Balthier!
4. Final Fantasy VII.
It was inevitable, it had to be here. You can hate this game all you want, but you would be wrong. Without VII it is highly likely that we never would have seen the titles after evolve so much.
The leap in visuals from VI to VII were massive. Finally a 3D world to explore. If you know anything about this game at all, then you know how insane it was believing the whole game would take place in Midgar only to throw you into the classic over world map 5-10 hour into the game. Suddenly what your child mind originally thought was a huge 3D world was shattered when realizing that Midgar is just a small fraction on this world. Final Fantasy VII was the Witcher 3 of the late 90's/early 2000's.
Along side a villain with cool hair, who arguably isn't even the true villain of the game (but who cares, let's kill him anyway because he's insane) makes for great edge teenage drama story telling.
While the graphics have aged terribly to the point that these PC/PS4 remasters make the game look worse, the gameplay is still extremely solid.
The iconic Materia system was also extremely and memorable. So much so, that I named my FFXIV character "Materia". No traditional name. I am named after a magical object.
3. Final Fantasy VI
Also known as Final Fantasy III in the initial North American release. One of the best Final Fantasy games there ever was, as far as story goes. One of the largest cast of characters in any of the main series games. Yet the most criminally unplayed Final Fantasy game. With an absolute beautiful blend of high fantasy and sci-fi elements alongside the series most fiercer villains, Kefka. A clown jester that doesn't reveal his true villainy until about three quarters of the way through the game. This villain more of less succeeds in actually destroying the world. Or the surface it, at least. There is not much else to say about this game, other than if you have not played this game, it is a must. It may be less popular than VII or now XV, but it is on many peoples list of one of the greatest games of all time.
2. Final Fantasy: Tactics
This is probably my first ever introduction to the series. I played originally on the original Playstation, but never finished the game until I played many years later on Playstation 3. Gameplay in the style of your typical Fire Emblem games. Recruit character, manage their jobs, send them into battle, level them up in a giant game of Chess. Which is far more frustrating then the actual game of Chess. Even the spin off title "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance" was amazing. This was a gameplay experiment that seemed perfect for the franchise. One that I am honestly surprised they have not capitalized on. Though leave it to SquareEnix to leave you wanting something just to feed you sequels to the least popular titles in their franchise.
This game is an absolute must for those who are fans of strategic gameplay. If you don;t have an older console to play it on, emulate it. it's worth the prison time. Considering Square hates you and will never release a sequel or remake.
Drum Roll... Aren't you curious?
"What could number one be? Is it the original? maybe even the second title in the series? How about VIII, surely he must love VIII!"
Christ, no.
1. Final Fantasy IX
Yup. Fight me on it. Give me 3 reasons this game shouldn't be at the top of everyones list.
Art style? Amazing. Setting? Fantastic. Character? Both heroic and tragic especially for my second all time favourite Final Fantasy character of all time, Vivi the Black Mage. Steiner and Vivi are the best Final Fantasy team period. They are perfect. When the game does the inevitable and splits your party up, you learn quickly that their magic and muscle work so perfectly together.
The unfortunate part is of all the games that SquareEnix may eventually remake, I highly doubt this will be one of them due to it not being as edgy as previous game. not due to the content. The story and delivery should be regarded alongside VI with being the best in the series. The art style is why I believe they would never remake this title. I have a hard time believing that they would spend money into remaking this masterpiece if they couldn't make it look like XV, and I truly do not believe that is possible. At best, I hope dearly for a remaster with Trophy support for PS4.
That'll do it for todays list. Did you agree or disagree with anything on my list? how badly do you want to fight me over my number one choice? I would love to see your comments or even tweet at me.
Until next time, i'll leave you with this badass picture of the greatest character in video games, Vivi
Later, Nerds!
It was inevitable, the Final Fantasy list. Just as the "Top 100 Games of all time list is. This list however was particularly hard to narrow down. There some omissions that were hard to choose, and of course others that had no chance in hell of making the list. Perhaps I'll make a top 10 worst Final Fantasy game article in the future. If you do read this and disagree with me in any way feel free to leave a comment and let me know how terrible of a Final Fantasy fan I am for leaving out your favourite. I should mention that this list will include an entry or two outside of the core numbered series.
10. Final Fantasy X
Yes, the game that highlighted the Playstation 2's power and showcased what the new console could do. Some may have an issue that this game isn't higher on the list and I can assure you that there are more reasons than BlitzBall. Maybe due to the Remaster and the "Re"Remaster on PS4 it's age is definitely showing. As with most entries on this list you will notice that all of these games looked great back in their time in the sun. However, I personally don't think that the visuals have aged well. The gameplay is great which is to be expected from a main line Final Fantasy game, turn based combat and outside of combat some very minor puzzle solving while obtaining Yuna's summons.
The Sphere Grid was the games big addition to the gameplay. Personally I am a fan of a more traditional leveling system, I enjoy seeing the progression of characters by watching them level up in battle, but I can't deny that the Sphere Grid was great if you knew what you were doing. Being able to cross train your characters and customize your favourite characters so you don't necessarily have to rely on Lulu for her Black Magic but rather have Tidus hone those skills.
This game is special to many as it seemed as though it was evolving for a new generation of gamers, as this was many gamers first Final Fantasy game and helped to turn them on to the series. It didn't matter how incredibly dull and lame Tidus was.
9. Final Fantasy XV
Some might argue that this game should be higher on the list, while others could argue it doesn't deserve to be here whatsoever. Simply put, this game is great. Is the game fun to explore and play? Absolutely. Does the game have a variety of issue? Of course. I'm in the boat of people who are not entirely sure if the story is worth mentioning in the pros list. I feel this way because I truly wan't to believe there is a great story in there. And everything seems to be presented well enough in the world. But none of the characters' motivations make any sense. Not that they aren't believable, just that they are not present in the story we received. Yes, square did say that they would patch in scenes to explain the antagonists motivations and why I should care for certain deaths. But until then, it is an incomplete story that is insanely fun to play and explore for many, many hours with tons of call-outs to your favourite titles in the series.
With one of the smallest casts in Final Fantasy history, including a party of only four males, the game tries to make you feel deeply for these comrades. Though, ultimately fails through dull story telling. The game that has a fraction of the cast also has a fraction of the heart of the others that have come before it.
You might think "Why is this even on your list, you just seem to be dumping all over it", and you would be right in thinking so. Final Fantasy was in a dark place, with a game everyone hated followed by sequels absolutely no one asked for (XIII), along side the launch of an abysmal MMO sequel to XI (XIV, which later re-released and is nothing short of amazing). SquareEnix was cutting it close to seeing the end to the long running series. However, despite this entries shortcomings, the gameplay and fantastical world was enough to buy our forgiveness in the meantime until they blow our minds hopefully with Final Fantasy XVI
8. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
The Playstation Portable masterpiece. One of the best FF games and absolutely the best PSP game to ever be released, and shocking to many that of all the remasters that we see this day and age those who did not get a chance to play this fantastic game on the handheld system may never get to do so.
This game is a prequel to the insanely popular Final Fantasy VII. We follow our protagonist Zack in the events leading up to the jumping off point of VII. Any fan of VII knows Zack's story. If you were to pick up the game and play it for the first time now after playing VII all those years ago, the feeling would almost be equal to watching Star Wars: Rogue One. You know it can;t end good for these characters you have learned to love so much, and at the same time it managers to make the original source material better just by experiencing its companion.
If there was ever a Final Fantasy game that deserved a remaster, it's this beauty right here.
Welcome to the only entry on the list that would make both "Best of" and "Worst of" Final Fantasy lists. I have sunken an ungodly amount of hours into this massive behemoth. I should start off by mentioning that I was never a huge MMO player. If I do play one, it is simply because I like the world or the concept. Take my opinion with a grain of salt here because the only two MMO's I have truly gotten into are of course A Realm Reborn and DC Universe Online.. Because I love DC, so sue me.
A Realm Reborn is a tale of two games. One that was released simply as "Final Fantasy XIV". And this game was utter trash, garbage, a huge pile of shit. Or so I am told.. Never played it. Heard bad things, my heart couldn't handle the crumbling tower that was one of my favourite franchises.
Lucky for me, I didn't have to wait too long for SquareEnix to correct their wrongs by straight up apologizing for the game, taking it back to the developers and re worked the whole damn game. In what I consider to me one of the gaming industries best
"Mighty Ducks moment" they came back from an almost undeniable defeat. They returned with a well polished, insanely fun and stupidly addicting MMO. The game is still going strong with the titles second expansion "Stormblood" to be released this June adding another two jobs to the game, Samurai and Red Mage. I feel this game is going to have a very good road ahead of it.
6. Final Fantasy IV
Also known as Final Fantasy II when it was first released in North America was one of the Final Fantasy games that I did't get to until I was much older and played though quite a few of them.
IV's big input onto the franchise was the ATB (Active Time Battle). Essentially it is your same old Turn based combat system but you are inputting your commands in real time. Each character has a Time Gauge that indicates when you will be able to place their next move. This system caught traction and was placed into some of the other titles in the series.
A huge cast of character, the two most notable ones being Cecil the Dark Knight and Kain the Dragoon. It's this relationship and a few others I wont spoil that fuel this story. A few notable and surprising (at the time) plot twists makes this title one you wont be able to stop thinking about.
5. Final Fantasy XII
Half way there, and here comes the "Love it or Hate it" title in the franchise. Needless to say, I love it. Which is saying a lot considering when I think back on the game, I remember almost nothing of the main protagonist Vaan. Seriously, what a completely un interesting character. He kills some rats in the sewer at the beginning of the game... and then nothing. My bias in this is probably due to the fact that he is completely over shadowed by the hands down one of the coolest character in all of Final Fantasy. Balthier, a goddamn sky pirate. Nothing else matters in the game.
The gameplay is very similar to the MMO that came before it, and elements have been carried into the MMO that followed. The combat is "Real Time" however all your actions have cooldowns and cast times just like regular MMO's.
With the release of Final Fantasy XII remaster titles "The Zodiac Age" coming this summer, you had better believe I will be getting it day one and diving into that world again with my man, Balthier!
4. Final Fantasy VII.
It was inevitable, it had to be here. You can hate this game all you want, but you would be wrong. Without VII it is highly likely that we never would have seen the titles after evolve so much.
The leap in visuals from VI to VII were massive. Finally a 3D world to explore. If you know anything about this game at all, then you know how insane it was believing the whole game would take place in Midgar only to throw you into the classic over world map 5-10 hour into the game. Suddenly what your child mind originally thought was a huge 3D world was shattered when realizing that Midgar is just a small fraction on this world. Final Fantasy VII was the Witcher 3 of the late 90's/early 2000's.
Along side a villain with cool hair, who arguably isn't even the true villain of the game (but who cares, let's kill him anyway because he's insane) makes for great edge teenage drama story telling.
While the graphics have aged terribly to the point that these PC/PS4 remasters make the game look worse, the gameplay is still extremely solid.
The iconic Materia system was also extremely and memorable. So much so, that I named my FFXIV character "Materia". No traditional name. I am named after a magical object.
3. Final Fantasy VI
Also known as Final Fantasy III in the initial North American release. One of the best Final Fantasy games there ever was, as far as story goes. One of the largest cast of characters in any of the main series games. Yet the most criminally unplayed Final Fantasy game. With an absolute beautiful blend of high fantasy and sci-fi elements alongside the series most fiercer villains, Kefka. A clown jester that doesn't reveal his true villainy until about three quarters of the way through the game. This villain more of less succeeds in actually destroying the world. Or the surface it, at least. There is not much else to say about this game, other than if you have not played this game, it is a must. It may be less popular than VII or now XV, but it is on many peoples list of one of the greatest games of all time.
2. Final Fantasy: Tactics
This is probably my first ever introduction to the series. I played originally on the original Playstation, but never finished the game until I played many years later on Playstation 3. Gameplay in the style of your typical Fire Emblem games. Recruit character, manage their jobs, send them into battle, level them up in a giant game of Chess. Which is far more frustrating then the actual game of Chess. Even the spin off title "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance" was amazing. This was a gameplay experiment that seemed perfect for the franchise. One that I am honestly surprised they have not capitalized on. Though leave it to SquareEnix to leave you wanting something just to feed you sequels to the least popular titles in their franchise.
This game is an absolute must for those who are fans of strategic gameplay. If you don;t have an older console to play it on, emulate it. it's worth the prison time. Considering Square hates you and will never release a sequel or remake.
Drum Roll... Aren't you curious?
"What could number one be? Is it the original? maybe even the second title in the series? How about VIII, surely he must love VIII!"
Christ, no.
1. Final Fantasy IX
Yup. Fight me on it. Give me 3 reasons this game shouldn't be at the top of everyones list.
Art style? Amazing. Setting? Fantastic. Character? Both heroic and tragic especially for my second all time favourite Final Fantasy character of all time, Vivi the Black Mage. Steiner and Vivi are the best Final Fantasy team period. They are perfect. When the game does the inevitable and splits your party up, you learn quickly that their magic and muscle work so perfectly together.
The unfortunate part is of all the games that SquareEnix may eventually remake, I highly doubt this will be one of them due to it not being as edgy as previous game. not due to the content. The story and delivery should be regarded alongside VI with being the best in the series. The art style is why I believe they would never remake this title. I have a hard time believing that they would spend money into remaking this masterpiece if they couldn't make it look like XV, and I truly do not believe that is possible. At best, I hope dearly for a remaster with Trophy support for PS4.
That'll do it for todays list. Did you agree or disagree with anything on my list? how badly do you want to fight me over my number one choice? I would love to see your comments or even tweet at me.
Until next time, i'll leave you with this badass picture of the greatest character in video games, Vivi
Later, Nerds!
Amazing fucking list. I completely agree with most of the games on the list. I would of included the original somewhere on the list because it still holds up as a game. But lack of story haha
ReplyDeleteI debated adding the original to the list. If I had done an honourable mentions list it would have absolutely made it.
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