Final Fantasy games worth playing?

[SycoMantis91]

I personally thing every Final Fantasy I-X is well worth playing. I personally LOVE X. But I guess i actually like the story and some of the characters. Personal preference and all that. I think VII is a tad overrated. It's a great game, but it's not the best of Final Fantasy. XIII is just not that good. If you didn't get into the character model and story and combat of X, you'll loathe XIII. Otherwise, it's ok but one of the worst.

As far as the ones i would suggest, IX, IV, VI. They all have amazing stories, engaging characters, a lenghty but meaty campaign, and great strategic styles that make them stand out. IX is personally my favorite of that bunch. I really think just about any of the first X are worth playing, as well as Tactics.

 

[AnotherAvatar]

For the love of god play VI and IX, those might be my favorites, VI specifically. Also if you like the series I'd suggest looking into Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, both are epic and in some ways over-shadow Final Fantasy.

Seriously though, if you take nothing else from this for the love of god get a rom or download it on PSN but play FFVI, it's so good just thinking about it is making me want to play it again.

Also they put out a very nice version for GBA with updated textures, controls, and a better translation (though it got edited in a few place... Damn I hate it that games are considered acceptable to censor, IT'S ART PEOPLE!)

 

[Aurgelmir]

If you are not really a fan by now, having played all those, then FF is not really for you.
All of the games has flaws and good parts, some have more flaws, some have more good parts. So yeah don't like the games you listed, don't buy any other FF games, they are all the same in the end. (figuratively speaking)

This guy's smart ^

Maybe you should just give up on FF and look for stuff you do like. I don't play Fallout 3 or Oblivion, so I won't buy Skyrim or New Vegas. I do like FFXIII, so I'll buy FFXIII-2.

Oh man you are in for a treat. Been playing maybe 12 hours of FFXIII-2 and I am really loving the game.

 

[Skoldpadda]

My absolute fav is IX (it was perfect, just perfect),
and I also adored VI (the only thing that disappointed me was the World of Ruin, it was a bit a bit like Sona in Season 3 of Prison Break; really not the heavy shit that was advertised)
and VII (despite dated visuals and the grind taking too long),
and really liked VIII (except for the interchangeable characters and that fucking song)

I found IV a bit overrated. Great characters that are ruined by the Arbitrary Headcount Limit (there's no emotional impact of certain character deaths if they're just gonna come back when there's a vacant spot in your party). Great story, but I found the linearity of the leveling grating in such a long game. There's no joy in the grind (and I like grinding, it's like doing the dishes. It calms and fulfills me).

Never played I or II.

Played III DS and didn't like it.

The story of V fails to hold my attention.

Never played X, XI, or XII.

And I found XIII to be just awful. I hate the combat and build progression, but even if I'd suck it up and just go for the story, well, that's even worse. Drinking game: take a shot every time Snow uses the word "hero". You might as well just kill yourself.

I've no interest in anything Final Fantasy whatsoever anymore. It's dead to me. I'll just replay IX till I die. It's easily in my top 5 of favourite games ever in the history of history.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

IX

Get IX.

Go out this minute and buy IX.

Seriously, Square re-released it on PSN a year or two ago. You can download IX and pay not very much monies for it at all.

...why are you reading this when you could be buying IX?

...have you bought IX yet? I really think you should. It's rather a good game.

Seriously though, stop reading this and go play Final Fantasy IX.

...played it yet? Good. Isn't it a wonderful game? Aren't you so glad that I suggested you go and buy Final Fantasy IX this instant?

This, pretty much. If you enjoy Final Fantasy AT ALL, you NEED to have tried IX at least once.

IX was created as a one-off throwback to the first few games, before they started moving from plain old fantasy into sci-fi territory. Yeah. Green forests, blue skies and ancient castles galore, and not a car or computer in sight! I tell you, after slogging through a row of increasingly cold, tech-heavy worlds (Final Fantasy VIII, in particular, had the overall atmosphere of a dentist's office), IX felt to me like a breath of fresh air!

EDIT: Oh yeah, if you like Final Fantasy IX, you might want to try the original Grandia (also available on PSN.) Not a Final Fantasy, I know, but it DOES deliver that glorious fantasy feel that you expect (but don't usually get these days) from FF games!

 

[Baralak]

Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X-2 are the two BEST FF GAMES EVER.

Seriously, get FFX-2.

Don't consider it a "sequel" to FFX, because everyone who dislikes it only seems to feel that way from comparing it to FFX, so don't fall into that trap. Love FFX-2 for its own merits, and as its own game.

My name is Kyosai7, and I approve this message. Seriously, X-2 has the 2nd best battle system to date, right under VII, IMHO.

 

[RJ 17]

Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X-2 are the two BEST FF GAMES EVER.

Seriously, get FFX-2.

Don't consider it a "sequel" to FFX, because everyone who dislikes it only seems to feel that way from comparing it to FFX, so don't fall into that trap. Love FFX-2 for its own merits, and as its own game.

(Edited as an additional thought I came back up to type in went into the above quote rather than at the end of this paragraph. ) Actually a lot of people didn't like FFX-2 because it was essentially Barbie Goes to FF Land...literally whith the whole dress-up theme. Personally I rented the game and took it back two hours later. YES! WE GET IT! THE ONLY THREE CHARACTERS IN THE GAME HAVE VAGINAS! YOU CAN STOP BEATING US OVER THE HEADS WITH THEM! In other words, it was just waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too girly for my tastes and the tastes of numerous others. Don't blame FFX for making FFX-2 look bad, FFX-2 can do just fine at making itself look bad. I mean seriously...Yuna goes from being a timid, innocent young summoner to being a frickin' pop-star singer wielding a god damn Desert Eagle. Yeah, no thanks.

The last FF game I played was XII. I sort of liked it, but got a little tired of the grinding.

I liked X's music and atmostphere, but hated it's characters, voice acting and story.

I loved VIII for a good 2/3rds of the game, and even with it's ridiculous and ungodly STUPID ending, I still loved it.

VII. 'Nuff said. This may sound cliché, but this is almost the perfect game held back by some of the design choices back in that generation, like the combat. I've been waiting for a worthy game like it ever since.

I played a bit of VI but I didn't play it enough to remember if I liked it or not.

These are all the FF-games I've played.

I don't know anything about the side games, like X-2 and Crystal Bearers or some sort, there are so many games which don't have a number, and I don't feel like skimming GameSpot's search bar.

I'm on the fence for XIII and XIII-2 and I would be willing to buy a new console for them, but I would like to hear your voices on what I might have missed. New games or older ones.

As for the question at hand, it kind of depends on the age of the person you ask. If you ask someone like myself in their mid/upper twenties, they will likely tell you that most of the current stuff is crap laced with stunning visuals that can't quite cover up all the crap, and that only the classics (1-6) are really worth playing. Younger players who didn't have a chance to grow up with the classics are apparently easily drawn in by questionable wardrobes and impossible hairdos.

1-6 were great, 7 was good but I don't nerdgasm every time I see Sephiroth, the original Tactics for the PS1 is one of my favorites. 8 was alright if a little emo-esque and way too easy with the junction system. 9 was just too cartoony and marked the official start of the downfall of the series. 10 had a decent story but the voice acting will make your ears bleed and it's impossible to lose to the final boss fight of the game unless you kill yourself...twice. As mentioned above, I rented 10-2 and took it back 2 hours later and I haven't played another FF game since.

So yeah, maybe I've grown cynical towards Square-Enix, but with every new FF that comes out I literally see nothing but a dog-turd with Bedazzle fake jewels pressed into it.

 

[everythingbeeps]

XII isn't only my favorite FF game of all time, it's arguably my favorite game of all time. Just so much to do and see, and it felt more like a FF game than X or X-2 or XIII did.

I've had an impossible time getting into FFXIII, but I'm about to make another attempt, because FXIII-2 sounds a lot better and I want to play that.

 

[Epona]

IX

Get IX.

Go out this minute and buy IX.

Seriously, Square re-released it on PSN a year or two ago. You can download IX and pay not very much monies for it at all.

...why are you reading this when you could be buying IX?

...have you bought IX yet? I really think you should. It's rather a good game.

Seriously though, stop reading this and go play Final Fantasy IX.

...played it yet? Good. Isn't it a wonderful game? Aren't you so glad that I suggested you go and buy Final Fantasy IX this instant?

Yes, get IX.

Be sure you come tell us how mind numbingly slow it is, after you wake up. Don't drool on your PSP.

 

[krazykidd]

Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X-2 are the two BEST FF GAMES EVER.

Seriously, get FFX-2.

Don't consider it a "sequel" to FFX, because everyone who dislikes it only seems to feel that way from comparing it to FFX, so don't fall into that trap. Love FFX-2 for its own merits, and as its own game.

My name is Kyosai7, and I approve this message. Seriously, X-2 has the 2nd best battle system to date, right under VII, IMHO.

Wait what? What merits does FFX-2 have other than the combat if i may ask? Seriously , if it isn't a sequel why does it have a 2 at the end , in the same world ,with the same characters , and continuing the story from where the original left off? We might not have the same definition of sequel :/

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

The Crystal spin offs are alright. FF X-2 has the best combat but shit story and unless you get it cheap give FF XII a miss. I know FF games are linear but this one sticks its fingers up your nose and drags you through the game.

 

[Xiroh86]

I have to say that FF8 is my favorite. I have the most experience with the PS1 era final fantasies but I can recommend any of them between I and X

XII, and XIII are pretty good, but Square kind of lost something when they stepped away from the turn-based battle system in XII.

As for X-2....yeah....someone mentioned to not take it seriously, but for me, nothing can save that game, unless you're looking for nothing more than fan service in the form of scantly clad girls.

 

[AbstractStream]

*twitch with OP saying VII was perfect*
Sorry, it's just a reflex at this point.

FFI-VI are classic so it's true. You can't go wrong.
FFVII ...yes. It IS worth playing I suppose.
FFVIII Yeah, give it a shot. I liked it.
FFIX doesn't rank in my favorites but it should be played at least once.
X is my favorite.
X-2 despite all the hate, I liked this one too. I liked the battle system. Doesn't change the fact that this game can be VERY corny at times.

XII was decent.
XIII was good in my opinion.
XIII-2 I'm currently in the middle of but I'm enjoying it...except for Snow. My first impression of him is that they threw his character growth out the window. I still have to see.

 

[go-10]

FF IV remake for the DS or iOS is a must and a great starting point for the series, you could play The After Years but its not really all that fun

FF VI for SNES, PSX, or GBA is really good and has overall the best villain in FF universe

FF VII for PSX, PSN is by far the best mixture of old meets new, characters and story are well presented and easy to understand unlike recent FF that require tedious walls of text to explain what a potion does. If you become a die hard like me you could play Before Crisis, Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, watch Advent Children, Case: Tifa, Case: Barret, Case: Denzel, and read Maiden of the Life Stream and enjoy them to hell and back, but really you need to be a freak to go that far

FF Tactics for PSX, PSN, iOS, or PSP(best version) has great characters, great story, and the best job system any game has had EVER

FF IX for PSX or PSN is a throw back to the days of FF VI but the characters never live up to the great story

FF X-2 for PS2 has by far the worst story of all but the battle system, leveling up, and dress sphere configuration is the best the series has ever had. This is when Square finally perfected battles and leveling up mechanics; then they went and abandoned it. Yuna and Rikku remain cool through out the game but Paine becomes annoying towards the end and just feels out of place through out the whole game. Still if you ignore the story or take it like you would the story of a fighting game then it might just become your favorite FF


after u play those 6 you can quit the series the altogether there's nothing else worth the while unless we get a spiritual successor to X-2 with music by Uematsu until then its all shit

 

[DoctorObviously]

*twitch with OP saying VII was perfect*
Sorry, it's just a reflex at this point.

I never said VII was perfect. I said it was ALMOST perfect.

 

[Weaver]

6 is probably my favorite. I think 7 is one of the most overrated games in the history of the industry. Also, I refuse to use Roman numerals.

 

[LilithSlave]

IX

Get IX.

Go out this minute and buy IX.

Seriously, Square re-released it on PSN a year or two ago. You can download IX and pay not very much monies for it at all.

...why are you reading this when you could be buying IX?

...have you bought IX yet? I really think you should. It's rather a good game.

Seriously though, stop reading this and go play Final Fantasy IX.

...played it yet? Good. Isn't it a wonderful game? Aren't you so glad that I suggested you go and buy Final Fantasy IX this instant?

This post is scientifically verified for correct and I recommend it.

In fact, pretty much everything classic Final Fantasy, I consider to be the glory years. Back when they were more fantasy and less sci-fi. I don't know quite how to explain it, but I don't think Square knows what they're doing when it comes to incorporating "futurist" elements into their games, for the most part. Because when I look upon their more fantasy games, like Final Fantasy Tactics, those games were not only good, but really, really good. As I look at the move to more sci-fi elements and tendencies, I see things getting too flashy for the sake of it. And just not having the same "magic".

So yes, I recommend games like IX, IV, VI, and Tactics.

 

[KrossBillNye]

IX

Get IX.

Go out this minute and buy IX.

Seriously, Square re-released it on PSN a year or two ago. You can download IX and pay not very much monies for it at all.

...why are you reading this when you could be buying IX?

...have you bought IX yet? I really think you should. It's rather a good game.

Seriously though, stop reading this and go play Final Fantasy IX.

...played it yet? Good. Isn't it a wonderful game? Aren't you so glad that I suggested you go and buy Final Fantasy IX this instant?

I think I love Jeffers just for this post.

But yes, IX is an amazing FF game. I would suggest all FFs aside from the Online ones and XIII to start off your experience with as I found them all aside from XIII to be a fun experience.

 

[Lunar Templar]

well since you asked ...

FF 4, 5, 6, and 9 are worth it

now matter what any one try's to tell you about 10-2, it sucks, avoid. only parts of it i could be pressed to recommend if for is combat, and the job system.

as for the Crystal Barers? >.> it didn't feel like a Final Fantasy to me, as for the FF tactics, mileage me very, it's really for the strategy game fans, and that's not me

 

[HHammond]

To be honest, they're all good as long as you go into it in the right mood. The only one I would say avoid at all costs is VIII and X.

I - fun but simple
II - ditto
III - Haven't played much but it's alright
IV - One of the better ones. Fantastic story and great gameplay
V - Haven't played this one
VI - Overrated in my opinion. VI is a bit of a clusterfuck with it's characters and the writing isn't stellar. The GBA translation is much better though. Still haven't finished it though.
VII - As you said, great story, great characters, great world. People say it's overrated but I still think it's great.
VIII - Eugh, stupid stupid stupid. Avoid at all costs.
IX - Great story and world and probably one of the best, even if the battle system isn't great.
X - Fun battle system but the stupid cutscenes, story, characters and complete lack of subtly when it comes to metaphors make it unbearable.
X-2 - while the cutscenes are still stupid and the writing is poor, the characters are slightly more bearable and the combat system is fun. But I haven't played much of it.
XI - Haven't played, but I hear it's not great.
XII - Haven't played much but it's really fun from what I have, no idea why I haven't played more.
XIII - IT'S VERY IMPORTANT YOU GO INTO THIS ONE WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET. The story is very complicated and difficult to follow, the characters start out annoying as hell and it is incredibly melodramatic but if you accept that this and the linearity (and that the game has some pacing issues at the start) you'll find a really fun game. Once you get to a certain point you'll find yourself quite endeared by the characters and enjoying the game. The backlash was very over the top and was very much based on a few peoples experience of the first few hours.
XIII-2 - playing now! So we'll see...