So let's talk and rank the Final Fantasy series

I really like the idea that one series could successfully manage nearly thirty years of existence and evolve title-to-title while also having at least one really solid game in each decade (minus the 2010s? FF 14? I dunno).

So I like looking up people's ranking of the series a lot as I'm just starting out FF6 and 10 and because the opinions, while being wonderfully varied, also have some consistency. Things like 6 having a really good story and being the best. 10 being super linear but apparently holding its own. 7 being either great or baby's first JRPG. 2 not existing. 13 not existing even more. Etc.

Seeing as I've exhausted nearly every Top X Final Fantasy games list out there, I nearly forgot that there's one more place and that's System Wars. Of course, let's be honest, this place is sinking into its own grave slowly and one would not be chastised for not wanting to make a thread here.

System Wars, what's your favorite Final Fantasy game, and rank the ones you've played. Played the entire core series? Fantastic, go for a whole list. Played Dirge of Cerebus and Crisis Core, and watched all Final Fantasy 7's series movies? Tell us about it. Played through Tactics? You're a nerd. Enjoyed FF13? Suck a [this comment moderated by super600].

I'll stick to just the main line series, but overall I like the FF Tactics games more than the FF games proper. They have better gameplay as far as I'm concerned as they are by design more strategic as a whole.

1. 6
2. 5
3. 9
4. 12 (international)
5. 4
6. 10
7. 7
8. 8
9. 3

Didn't play the MMO's, and don't want to. 2,1, and 13 aren't good games, aren't worth a spin, aren't worth a play through. 1 and 2 have an excuse at least in that they are so old, but 13 has none, it's just lame.

lets not

/thread

Final Fantasy 6-9 > the rest

how about we rank SNIPER clones instead

they're all terrible

1. FF6
2. FF7(didn't like it though)
3. And only played these two :p

So yeah thats pretty much it.

they all suck

that was easy.

Can I brother get some JRPGS love up in here?

1. FFIX

2. FFVI

3. FFT

4. FFX

5. FFVII

6. FFXII

Too lazy to rank the rest. The only thing you need to know at this point is that you should never go near the FFXIII series.

Let's not, FF is dead to me.

I've only played 7 and 10 and have completed neither. I enjoyed both equally but had I found where I was supposed to go at the world map in FF7, it would be a favorite.

7& 8 will always be my favorites. after that Square stopped taking risks. Square was an RPG powerhouse in the late 90s. now they're just bleh.

9 seemed to be quite risky. Completely went away from what the series was going for before it.

9 was a reaction to people wanting a more traditional final fantasy. it was pretty much fan service.

I gave up on the franchise after 9.

6 was the pinnacle IMO.

1. final fantasy vii

2. final fantasy iv

3. final fantasy ix

4. final fantasy v

5. final fantasy x

6. final fantasy iii

any I have missed out Is because I have not played them or they suck so much I won't include them

Of the ones i've played (6,7,8,9 & 10), i've completed 6 & 7. Played good chunks of the other ones to have a respectable opinion on them, but i haven't mustered the commitment to finish them because of some issues i had with them.

I was never a fan of the PS1 FF titles because of the loading times and battle animations which made random encounters a pain in the ass. A very big problem in my playthrough of FF9, which had a painfully slow combat system, but was saved by a charming atmosphere and a lovable cast of characters. FF 10 was a general bore with a plot and characters (with shitty voice acting) that never interested me from the moment i started playing, though it had a fun combat system. FF8 had all the problems of the above; a needlessly convoluted battle system, ridiculously lengthy summon animations combined with loading times, a stupid plot that made no sense, and a very uninteresting cast of chars.

I'd rank them as following:

1. FF6
2. FF7
3. FF9
4. FF10
5. FF8

I've only played FF8, and that was 3 years ago on the ps3. I liked it, certainly had a great visual appeal for such an old game. But I never finished it. In fact I probably didn't even get half way through considering how long FF games tend to be.

So uh... 1. FF8

:P

Keep in mind my Top three shuttle around a lot. Which one I like the best (ot their correct ranking order) mostly depends on how I am feeling that day. But as of right now, here's how I would rank them:

• Final Fantasy 6
• Final Fantasy 4
• Final Fantasy 9
• Final Fantasy 12
• Final Fantasy 5
• Final Fantasy 7
• Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn
• Final Fantasy 10
• Final Fantasy 3
• Final Fantasy 1
• Final Fantasy 2
• Final Fantasy 8
• Final Fantasy 13

The top five games are absolutely amazing- 6, 4, and 9 are marvelous, borderline flawless classics. 12 had issues, but it comes through due to great, progressive gameplay and a stirring soundtrack, and 5, well, 5 was one of the most expansive role playing games ever.

7 gets a lot of hype, but it was a standard, average game that got by simply because of its shiny graphics. And if you don't believe me, try going back to it and playing it now- it's not a bad game by any means, it's just not a great one either, and certainly not the series' best. 14: A Realm Reborn is amazing, it's probably the best Final Fantasy game in ages, and actually gives me some hope for the future of the franchise. 10 is absolutely shit, it has nothing going for it except for amazing music and an intriguing story. Everything else is absolutely shit. The level system is asinine, obtuse, and ultimately ends up doing the exact same thing that an ordinary level system would, the characters and voice acting are cringeworthy, the storytelling and presentation is awful, the battles are slow paced and a slog, I could go on. 3, meh. It's just a proto-FF5, you're better off skipping it. FF1, similarly, is aged too badly to be worth a shit. FF2 had one of the most misguided leveling systems of all time, though at least I appreciate its attempt at telling a story. 8 is WTF worthy, and might have one of the most unlikeable protagonists in history. 13 is pure shit, as far as I am concerned, it does not exist.

Never played 11 enough to have an opinion on it either way.

Out of the classic games only 4 and 6 are good the rest suck.The ps1 games are all great and 10 was the last great FF game.Everything else is garbage.

So here's how it goes:

VI,IV,VII,VIII,IX,X=the only good ones

4-12 all had some NEATness to them... including 11.. 13 was a pile of doo doo

ranking

1. VII
2. VI
3. VIII
4. IX
5. IV
6. XII
7. Tactics
8. X
9. Type-O
10. V
11. I
12. II
13. Crisis Core
14. XIII
15. XIII-2
16. X-2
17. XIII-3
18. III

Funny that people call FFVII the baby's first JRPG when the game has the most challenging optional bosses and best and most satisfying side-quests in the entire series.

FFVII being first is my ranking not nostalgia either, I only came to play the game after beating XIII and then FFVI.

My first FF was the first on the Nes as a kid but I really didn't get into the series until VIII on the PS1 when I was a teenager. I think VIII is incredibly underrated by people while IX is a bit overrated.

My biggest complain with FFIX is that it's just too easy. One of the easiest games in the series in fact. Hardly any challenge at all and the side-quest are lame as ****. VIII's battle system is broken as **** and I love it.

Fucking hate how over the top Crisis Core is. More than a FFVII pre-quel it feels like a game based on The Matrix. Advent Children was another piece of shit. No game in the FFVII compilation recaptures the magic of FFVII, which is why I believe we are better off without a remake of VII.

I don't wan to admit it but FFX-2 has the best battle system in the series but is so silly. I mean, changing clothing changes the properties of the characters?

FFXIII saga is sinful but FFIII was even worse. No story and intense grind. That's III in a nutshell.

Talking about the storylines of the games would require a monumental amount of words, so I 'm not even gonna talk about it right now. But FFVI has the best story and characters. FFVII and VIII the best setting, very reminiscent to FFXV's, a clash between cyberpunk, modern and medieval. Not a fan of the medieval/steampunk setting of VI's. Not a fan of steampunk in general to be honest.

I'd go with this as well probably, reversing the spots of 6 and 7 simply because 7's way more memorable for me, also 6 gameplay wise is almost as boring as 4. I much preferred the materia system.

I'd add 12 with the Zodiac Job system probably before 9.

FF 8 had my second favorite setting, but it's got a lot of flaws in it's combat.

1 though 10 where good games everything after has been garbage.

1. VII
2. VIII
3. Tactics
4. IX
5. XIV: A Realm Reborn
6. X
7. V
8. VI
9. XII
10. XI
11. XIII

1. IX
2. VI
3. XII
4. V
5. VIII
6. IV
7. X
8. VII
9. XI
10. X-2
11. XIII
12. XIV
13. III

6 > 4 > 1 > 2

agree with mentors.

FFVI is the only one that maintains a steady place on my list while the others depend on the day really. FFVI was the total package. It was the last FF game that got everything right. Subsequent releases managed to beat FFVI in individual areas, but never as a whole.

• 6
• 9
• 12
• 7
• 4
• 10
• 5
• 8
• .. 3 I guess.

1, 2 and 13 are just whatever. I never played any spin offs or MMOs

Also, as stupid as it sounds I always considered Chrono Trigger a FF game. It always comes to mind when I make these lists. If we were counting Chrono Trigger I'd have it either tied with FFVI or at a very close 2nd.

Again?

All you really need to know is that 4 through 10 and 12 are all worth playing with 6 being on top and 8 being on the bottom.

Im still getting into the series but so far. Note that I haven't even finished all of these games yet so my rankings are tentative at best.

1.XIV

2. XIII

3. VII

4. I

5. II

Still a much better game than 8 though, so I don't see the issue. As for your previous statement about Square not taking risks after 8, that's a load of bullshit really. As a matter of fact it's quite the opposite, they got more risky than ever.

Take a good look at FFs 10, 11, 12, 13 and even the upcoming 15. All of these are radical departures from the base formula of the first 9 titles.

Again boi

I came in here just to say, "I'm too lazy to rank all the Final Fantasys."

Core Series (non MMO)

9

6

7

5

8

4

10

13-2

13

12

3

10-2

1

2

(Haven't played 13-3)

MMOs

11

14

Would be my placement. 14 is a great WoW type MMO, but the world and story simply haven't engrossed me like 11 did through its first couple expansions. Of course I'm not able to out the time into an MMO like 11 required and 14 will certainly benefit from a couple expansions of its own.

I've played so many FF spinoffs over the years I can't even remember them al, let alone accurately rank them. I wouldn't consider any of them worthy of a reccomendation after all this time with the exception of Tactics - which is a classic - and Crisis Core for big fans of 7.

I'll just put my top 3

FFX

FFIX

FFVIII

9 is the best, 6 and 7 are over rated, and everything after 10 sucks. That is all you need to know.

9 is great, though just as flawed as most games in the series and incredibly slow. Still one of the best.

7 was overrated from the day it released (for multiple reasons), but is still a good game.

6 actually didn't do too well commercially (initially), but over the years the word-of-mouth exposure has been so strong that it picked up many new fans and is now solidified on the top of most FF lists. That's not overrated, that's a game earning its rightful place over the years despite having such a slow start. It didn't have insane marketing and sales. It didn't have gimmicks on its side. It wasn't the CG powerhouse my-first-rpg that 7 was. It's at the top all these years later because it's a great game.

12 (especially international) takes a shit on 10 in just about every conceivable way. Gameplay, world and content are all on 12s side. You could argue that 10 has the better story, but they're both laughable in that regard. As much as I did like 10, it was basically walk forward and kill the same palette swap enemies over and over again with the same techniques. Luckily it had the Monster Arena and Cloister Trials to break up the monotony. Still had nothing on the hunts and various side quests of 12 though.

For me is:

FFVI - No doubt one of the finnest JRPGs ever created, that music.
FFVIII - The battle system was pretty fun, the boss battles were great and i liked the story.
FFIV - Really hated the last dungeons, but the game is great.
FFXIII - Such a beautiful looking game sadly the plot, characters and music was meh, but it has one of the best battle systems in the entire franchise.
FFVII - Great game too, but pretty underwhelming after VI, still, it has some of the most memorable characters and music ever.

However, at the end of the day, FF Tactics >>> Every other FF.

@Blabadon:

6

1

4

FF tactics

7

Meh about the rest. Last one I finished was 7. 5 and 3 were alright and two likely awesome in it's day but garbage by the time US got a version.

To each their own, and I'm not about to get into a long drawn out argument as why I feel the way I do. I have been there and done that one hundred times over on this site alone. What I can say however is that games like FFVI are just like Chrono Trigger. They are cult classics that over the years people have poured false hype into. I have been around since before these games released and I do agree that they didn't have insane marketing or sales, but very few games did in those days. You are right, they are not overrated, they are simply over hyped by todays standards by a little thing called nostalgia. FFVI and Chrono Trigger are likened to that of the Nintendo Gamecube in my opinion. Back in the day they were overlooked as being good but nothing special... over the years everybody talks them up like they were the greatest things to ever hit the market. The problem is, there is a reason other games in the genre were more popular then, and that is mostly due to the fact that they were better. The reason those games caught the hype in the first place is because they were a LOT of people's jumping in point with RPG's. RPG's were still rather new in the states (mainstream), and most people in those days considered the genre taboo and out of place in the western market. The two games released in 95' (chrono trigger) and 97' (FFVII). RPG's in the western market didn't get popular (mainstream) until AFTER FFVII released. It was then when people started exploring the genre more, and FFVI and Chrono Trigger were already available on the SNES and were in many ways better than FFVII. That is why those 3 games are held to such high esteem and in theory (mine) why FF can still release any piece of crap with the FF brand labeled on it and it will sell well. One last thing... Chrono Cross is better than Chrono Trigger and was always regarded as being so, however, it is not met with the same level of nostalgia or immediate hype as Chrono Trigger, although scoring very high (higher) in reviews, because by 2000 (when CC released) RPG's were a staple, and there were many on the market that were hyped more and had more flash. The three games mentioned before simply opened the flood gates.

Anyways, I went a lot further with this then I said I was going to.. lol. Like I said, to each their own, and opinions make the world turn. I am simply giving a point of view from someone who actually started playing RPG's before they were even graphic affairs... but, that is a story for another time.

Final Fantasy VII: spawned multiple spinoffs and movies, won Sony a console war, ushered in the era of cinematic gaming, people to this day want a remake

Final Fantasy VI: Darling of hipsters and pseudo intellectuals

Final Fantasy XII's battle system had the most potential, too bad they gave up on it so quickly.

Final Fantasy VIII had the best world and most to do, but suffered from weak villains.

Final Fantasy X was a fine game but certainly the beginning of the series downfall. No world map, running through corridors and tunnels all started here.

6>4>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>all others.

6 is the best one....that's all you need to know.

They all Suck Long Donkey Balls.... Allright Guys... Great Talk, lets move on.

1. IX
2. VI
3. XII
4. V
5. IV
6. VII
7. X
8. XIII
9. VIII

IX will always be the best.

I wish I could play the International version of XII.

IV is overrated.

VIII was garbage.

Any opinion of the others?

I never played a final fantasy, but my younger brother of 23 has played through most of them (1-6,10-13) and is very opinionated on the matter.

He always puts 5 at the very top and has mentioned how terrible he thinks FFX is due to extreme linearity and the worst story in the franchise. If I recall correctly, I think he might place FFXII in second place.