Final Fantasy.

Ok, here goes. Bascially I have never played a FF game in my puff. It was never a franchise I kinda latched onto unlike RE and Silent Hill for example. Yes, they are completely different genre games but after reading a few reviews and with a lot of people on here suggesting FF games I am curious to have a go. I enjoy RPG games for the fact you can do so much in them and you get a lot of game play.

So my topic is basically where do I start?. I own: DS (main console I use), Wii and PSP. I see there is back stories I reckon and I dont want to delve into them if I have no idea about the main story in any shape or form. So what FF games do you suggest?

Your input will be appreciated. :)

For the most part each Final Fantasy game is has it's own new story. New world and new chars. So any of the games you can pick up. FF5 is a good one to start with for a straight up role playing game. With the updated version they got a little bit more into the story which games from that time were lacking... because of space restrictions.

I would say go with IV as well on the DS, but if you really want to get to the roots of the FF wave go to game stop and pick up FF1 & 2 for the GBA....if you do go with ff1 & 2 package I would suggest a walkthrough :)! I know FF1 doesn't have the greatest graphics but it is always fun to see where it all began :)!

GamerGuy

Yeah see if you can get your hands on the gba versions of FF5 and FF6 your in for a treat. FF6 is considered the best one in the series, well of course that total opinion but its way way good. The stories are deep and the gameplay is pretty fun if you like RPGs.

So pick up 5 and 6 and you cant go wrong :) 

Each FF is a different story, so start wherever you want.

I recommend you Final Fantasy IV in the DS remake. It's an excellent game, but you have to undersestand its a remake of a 1991 game, so it could be a little dense from time time compared to today's standards.

Another good choice would be FF6 (many consider this one to be the best FF ever) or FF5 on their GBA remakes, but remember the graphics wont be as good as FF4 for the DS.

Too bad you dont have a PS1/PS2 or i would recommend you FF7, the best one in my opinion (and the most popular one) but only has a PS1 version and a rare and glitched PC version.

FF1 2 and 3 have GBA PSP and DS remakes but are NES games and too simple compared to the other FFs, so maybe its not a good idea to start with that.

I'm gonna say IV, V, or VI.

They're great games with great stories.  I remember FFIV as the first game to have a point in the story that made me tear up.

Oh, and get whatever version of the games you feel like (or can afford), they're all good - all three games were ported to the GBA and they remade FFIV with 3d graphics for the DS.  

I'm also gonna have to recommend that you don't go with 1, 2, or 3 unless you like old-school rpgs and their sometimes punishing difficulty and lack of story.

Like Gman-88 said, each FF is a completely different story (except for FFX-2) so go with whatever you want.  It's really too bad you don't have a PS2 as well, because, even though opinions differ, FF4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 are all really good jrpgs.  I didn't really care for 10, but like I said, opinions differ.

Each FF is a different story, so start wherever you want.

I recommend you Final Fantasy IV in the DS remake. It's an excellent game, but you have to undersestand its a remake of a 1991 game, so it could be a little dense from time time compared to today's standards.

Another good choice would be FF6 (many consider this one to be the best FF ever) or FF5 on their GBA remakes, but remember the graphics wont be as good as FF4 for the DS.

Too bad you dont have a PS1/PS2 or i would recommend you FF7, the best one in my opinion (and the most popular one) but only has a PS1 version and a rare and glitched PC version.

FF1 2 and 3 have GBA PSP and DS remakes but are NES games and too simple compared to the other FFs, so maybe its not a good idea to start with that.

G-Man88

I do have a PS2 but its gathering dust under my bed at the min, as I have my Wii conected up instead and a 360 which has just died recently ( elite for crimbo though :D ).

Thanks for your feedback everyone. :)

Looks like I shall be purchasing a DS FF. Probaby IV by the sounds it as it seems to be getting the most reactions.

Also what about Core Crisis for the PSP, the graphics just look immense, is this a remake? I find the remakes, ports etc quite hard to take in. haha Suppose its the same for everyone who would be jumping onto a franchise which has been around for many a year. But I am glad to hear its not a game-to-game story line so I can start where ever I want too.

Crisis Core is game of it's own but i took place little after or before events happening in FF7.-Flagg-

Yah i enjoyed it but was not a big fan of the random leveling up system...the game overall seemed a bit easy...but definately worth the price of admission overall

FF1, 2, and 3 are granted dry when it comes to content, but they are fun to see the roots of a lot of current RPGs.

FF VII for your ps2 would be a GREAT purchase. Arguably it is the best FF ever made.

BUT for your DS I would deffinetly pickup FFIV or if you are looking for a bit more strategy go for a FF Tactics.

GamerGuy

Since DS is your main system I say start with FFIV. It has a great story and characters and the ATB combat is fun. Plenty to do with tons of dungeons to explore. Youll get a good 40+ hours.

But personally, I absolutely love Crisis Core. It is a prequel to FFVII but shouldnt be hard to get into the story even though you havent played FFVII. Its the story, world and characters that set it apart imo, and I admit Im a bit bias :P Crisis Core is shorter than FFIV if you go through story mode only, about 20 hours. If you want to do all the side missions youll get a good 50+ hours.

Difficulty wise, if you are looking for a more challenging game then start with FFIV.

Oh and you might want to look at FFXII: Revenant Wings. It is an RTS so it has entirely different gameplay than any of the other Final Fantasy games. But it really is a lot of fun.

Also what about Core Crisis for the PSP, the graphics just look immense, is this a remake? I find the remakes, ports etc quite hard to take in. haha Suppose its the same for everyone who would be jumping onto a franchise which has been around for many a year. But I am glad to hear its not a game-to-game story line so I can start where ever I want too.

InsultToInjury_

I said all FFs have different storylines, but i lied. Only Main FFs (only the words Final Fantasy and a number in the title) and other games such as FF Tactics have independent storylines. But other games such as FF X-2, FF Drige of Cerberus or FF Crisis Core are sequels of other FF main games.

Crisis Core is a prequel to FF7 and i dont recommend it unless you played FF7 already.

To avoid confussion see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Final_Fantasy_media 

Most people have already said this so instead of going into a lot of detail I will simply put in another good word for Final Fantasy IV for the DS. Great gameplay, wonderful story and likeable characters; there really is a lot of great stuff in that title. FF III might also be worth a look too but overall it isn't as good. It's not bad by any means, you would probably still have a good time with it, but it just doesn't have the same level of polish as 4 does. Still worth a look though if you ge the chance.

If you want something a bit different then FF XII: Revenant Wings and FF Tactics A2 might also be worth considering. They are more strategy-based though so I don't know if that is really what you are after. They're both pretty good though and a great addition to any DS owners library.

Hope that helps. :)