Final Fantasy Suggestions

[Lust]

Ladies and gentlemen, everyone, gather 'round. I'm in somewhat of a personal dilemma. I have not played a FF game. But, I really want to. I'm starting to get into JRPGs. I haven't really looked around at forums and reviews for which ones I should play. But what I do see is that the majority says that 7, 8, & 9 are some of the best. Some say otherwise. Now I'm stuck.

Fine time for uncertainty to knock on my door.

If it helps, the one jrpg I have played is Lost Odyssey. Haven't beat it, but I will eventually.

Please, leave all fanboy bickering aside. Anyways, at least try to. I come to you as a gamer in need. Don't soil my invitation.

So, I ask of you 3 simple questions;

Can someone suggest on where I should start?
I own a PS3, so, should I play 7, 8, & 9?
Must I avoid FFXII & XIII?

 

[PopeJewish]

I would start with the earlier ones, like 4 or 6. Especially since you played through Lost Odyssey you should stick to the ones that were done by Sakaguchi. He had very limited involvement in 8 and X (was just the exec producer) but did the original concept and production of FF1-7 and 9. I think by X he was already looking to leave Squeenix.

Generally 6 or 7 are considered the pinnacle of the series, depending on who you ask (I think 6 is a much better game, personally, followed by 4, then 7)

 

[Sassafrass]

My choice would be X as that is very easy to pick up and play, the battles won't swamp you as they are turn based and it's got an interesting story and good levelling up system.

Also, maybe give 13 a rental.
That's pretty good and it is very hand holdy for the first few chapters. It's a little slow after it's explosive start but it does what it aims to do. Get you lost in its story and caring for the characters.
It also has great music that never seems out of place.

 

[xHipaboo420x]

XII or X are pretty good places to start; both are pretty simple to grasp and fairly straightforward overall.

After that just go where you want. If you want 2D thrills go early, if you want jagged polygons and [small](potentially)[/small] better stories and music go PS1-era.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Personally VI, VII and VIII are the only installments in the series I enjoy, and this is largely down to the narrative and aesthetics of the game itself. I would place VII at the height of this, and the experience is quite unlike anything else.
I'd say take your time and go through the series as you see fit. Basically you'll find that I - VI are in one catagory, VII - IX are in the second, X - XIII are in the third. I say this because these groups all have a similar 'feel', but are rather different from the other two groups.

 

[old account]

My Opinion is : Actual story and plot did not start until Final Fantasy 4. That's when you got really drawn into the characters and their actions. 4 had a good story, but if you want a good game, with great characters and an amazing story, for for Final Fantasy 6. It is by far the best.
Final Fantasy 9 holds the same style, so if you want something better graphic wise then 16 bit for for 9.
7 is overrated
8 has the WORST story I've EVER played
10 should not have had voice acting, then it would be good
11, lol online
12 ...
13 is just a science fiction game, no more fantasy

 

[Girl With One Eye]

X is great for beginners if you have a ps2, if not then get 9 or 7 from the psn

 

[Akihiko]

It honestly depends on what kind of games you enjoy.

In terms of getting into the series I'd honestly start with X, as it isn't too old, so the graphics won't put you off but it's still really good, my favourite Final Fantasy, infact. However if your PS3 isn't backwards compatible with PS2 games, then any of 7, 8 or 9 are good starters. Most people started with 7, and worked their way up as they came out, and I think that is as good a order as any, really.

XII and XIII are somewhat controversial, and it really does depend on what you like in a game. They're sort of polar opposites. On one hand you have XII which is a vast open world with plenty of sidequests, however there isn't as much detail due to it being so large, and can be a pain to traverse across many plains just to get to one point, also you can end up getting lost in where to go next. However, XIII, is linear, and there is very few diversions from the main path, meaning that one path is very detailed. Consequently you never get lost, or end up wandering randomly trying to find out where to go. Though, as you can imagine, some people might see that as boring just going in a straight line, with the occasional battle.

The story pacing in both games are a bit hit and miss, I found XIII slightly better for it though. XII's story focuses more on the country rather than the characters, and so although the story is good, the character development is lacking. XIII's story can be hard to understand in the first cutscenes, however it is slowly unraveled. It revolves more around the characters and their development, contrary to XII.

The older games have a better balance between the two, although the battle system in the older games are much slower paced, in comparison to XII and XIII, which are much faster. Whether that's for the better, that's for you to decide.

That is somewhat the best I can describe them without going into a boring amount of detail, so I hope that does help.

 

[wkrepelin]

I own a PS3, so, should I play 7, 8, & 9?
Must I avoid FFXII & XIII?

7,8,9 are all good and so is 12. 13 is a good game but it just doesn't compare well to the others.

If you can play PS2 games then I strongly recommend playing 10 (really good story). Otherwise any of the PSX titles are really good.

 

[Nothankyou]

I wouldn't avoid FFXIII, the battle system is pretty fun even though you start caring less and less as you progress. But still I don't regret buying it. Avoid FFXII, so much time spent, a story with characters you can't really get attached to, and a totally unsatisfying ending. I spent like 120 hours on that dammit.
Definitely play 7, 8, and 9. 8's system can be pretty hard to get into but it's still a great game.
Also play IV, which you can find on the DS. Great game

My personal favorite is 9

 

[Lust]

Hmmmm.............I see. Now, I must scrounge up some cash.

 

[klakkat]

6: Ok, but use an emulater
7: meh. Not bad, but not spectacular.
8: not played, but heard mixed reviews; probably worth checking out though.
9: Even watching this game played made my brain try to flee my skull
10: Probably the best one on the list; story is a bit wonky and voice acting is bad in places, but overall it is visually appealing, has good characters, and smooth flowing action.
10-2: Avoid.
12: Avoid.

Avoid FFXII, so much time spent, a story with characters you can't really get attached to, and a totally unsatisfying ending. I spent like 120 hours on that dammit.

You've got a lot more patience than I do... I put about 15 hours of coherent time in that game (around 60 total... reason I say "coherent time" is I was working late and used the game to unwind, and often fell asleep playing it, or was delirious). No end in sight when I quit playing, and I've never really been tempted to go back. Only about 2 characters had any reason at all to be in the story, the rest were useless as far as I could tell; combat was boring, what bits of the story made sense were over done with cliche.

 

[Thaius]

I would recommend starting with VI, VII, or X.

VI is on the Super Nintendo, and is a prime example of absolutely stunning storytelling, even with its dated technology. Tied as my favorite Final fantasy with the following:

VII was the first to go 3D, and the first that I played. One of the greatest fantasy stories ever told, paired with a brilliant magic system and one incredible soundtrack, have made this the favorite of many.

X is controversial, but the only real reason for this is that people whine about the main character. I thought he was fine, and the story was, in fact, deeply impacting on a personal level due to the fact that the game spends most of the story focusing on the characters rather than the metanarrative (though the metanarrative is an epic one).

As for XII, play it later. I do recommend you play it, but later. Its story was full of so much political intrigue and grand-scale war (both of which were admittedly well-done) that it completely forgot to even bother developing all but 3 characters. It completely lost emotional weight and personal impact, which makes it my least favorite of the series. It is still pretty good, but I would not recommend it as your first.

XIII was fantastic, but since it's not really reflective of the series as a whole, I do not recommend you start with it. It has a great story for the first 20 hours, when it focuses on the characters and their inter-relational drama, but the grand narrative ends up feeling a bit tacked on later in the game. It is a great game, but it made some changes to the series formula that are not reflective of what Final Fantasy really is. It's a great game, and I highly recommend it for later, but not as your first.

 

[wooty]

Each one is pretty unique in its own right really, story, characters, feel ect.

I started with FF1 maaaaaany many years ago, then 6,7,8,9,10,3,12,13 (still looking for the rest). I feel all have their own perks and failings, but it really doesnt matter where you start in my opinion.

I guess the position your in is pretty good as you get the choice where to start. If it was me though I would start with an slightly earlier or mid table titles, just to get the feel for the series and what to expect, 7 or 3 are fairly easy to pick up and definately set a tone. Later titles can be a bit trickier to master if youve never really played one before. Personally, the less said about 8's junctioning system the better

 

[CrashBang]

Must I avoid FFXII & XIII?

In my opinion YES. Oh for the love of Zeus, YES. In comparison to the older FF games, they are just embarrassing
6-10 are all great. You can find FF6 on PS1, but I think it's quite rare. I've got a copy and I love it. If you can't find it then get 7,8,9 or 10. They're all great, 9 being my personal favourite

 

[AgentBJ09]

Ladies and gentlemen, everyone, gather 'round. I'm in somewhat of a personal dilemma. I have not played a FF game. But, I really want to. I'm starting to get into JRPGs. I haven't really looked around at forums and reviews for which ones I should play. But what I do see is that the majority says that 7, 8, & 9 are some of the best. Some say otherwise. Now I'm stuck.

Fine time for uncertainty to knock on my door.

If it helps, the one jrpg I have played is Lost Odyssey. Haven't beat it, but I will eventually.

Please, leave all fanboy bickering aside. Anyways, at least try to. I come to you as a gamer in need. Don't soil my invitation.

So, I ask of you 3 simple questions;

Can someone suggest on where I should start?
I own a PS3, so, should I play 7, 8, & 9?
Must I avoid FFXII & XIII?

In my opinion, Final Fantasy XII is a good start. Despite all the arguments against it, it tells a better story with it's present themes than XIII.

For a PSX game, I'd say 9 is best. Don't let the weird characters scare you away, and don't buy a digital download of it. Copies are plentiful online.

Lastly, since I already answered No. 1, if you are looking for an RPG in a similar vein to Final Fantasy, try the Shadow Hearts games, especially Covenant.

 

[Matt_LRR]

VII, IX, X and XII are all quality post-PSX era titles.

VII marks the mainstraming of the series and is the jumping off point for most of the JRPGs to follow. This is the game that every other JRPG was compared to until the PS2 came along.

IX improvements in storytelling and game technology mixed with a more traditional setting and structure make this game easily the perfection of the series. With the exception of the absolute last boss, virtually every part of this game was spot on perfect.

X a reasonably good story, with great graphics for the time, and a really excellent battle and levelling system. Game is hampered b weak characterization and ATROCIOUS voice acting, but manages to stand tall despite it's faults.

XII marks a departure from the series roots, and from the typical narrative structure of the series, in that the character you play isn't really the "main" character of the story. Game drops the romance plots that bogged down 8 and 10, and turns it's eye to a story of political intrigue, war and domination. Game does a stellar job of creating believable, flawed characters, without venturing too far into the stereotypical. Draws a lot of cues from star wars.

-----------------

VIII was a clusterfuck of terrible storytelling, unlikable characters, and suspension of disbelief violating plot contrivances wrapped around a broken levelling system.

XIII railroads the players and characters down a hallway for 50 hours, and climaxes at the last second with a pants on head retarded failure of character logic. Gorgeous, and a neat battle system are held back by the utter failure of the development team to create a compelling game.

-m

 

[PissOffRoth]

From what I've seen of the latest, DO NOT START WITH IT. It looks... well... retarded, to be frank. But I enjoyed 7 profusely, so go for that.

 

[Lust]

I own a PS3, so, should I play 7, 8, & 9?
Must I avoid FFXII & XIII?

7,8,9 are all good and so is 12. 13 is a good game but it just doesn't compare well to the others.

If you can play PS2 games then I strongly recommend playing 10 (really good story). Otherwise any of the PSX titles are really good.

Alrighty then.

Must I avoid FFXII & XIII?

In my opinion YES. Oh for the love of Zeus, YES. In comparison to the older FF games, they are just embarrassing
6-10 are all great. You can find FF6 on PS1, but I think it's quite rare. I've got a copy and I love it. If you can't find it then get 7,8,9 or 10. They're all great, 9 being my personal favourite

Hmmmm....okay. Thanks.

Ladies and gentlemen, everyone, gather 'round. I'm in somewhat of a personal dilemma. I have not played a FF game. But, I really want to. I'm starting to get into JRPGs. I haven't really looked around at forums and reviews for which ones I should play. But what I do see is that the majority says that 7, 8, & 9 are some of the best. Some say otherwise. Now I'm stuck.

Fine time for uncertainty to knock on my door.

If it helps, the one jrpg I have played is Lost Odyssey. Haven't beat it, but I will eventually.

Please, leave all fanboy bickering aside. Anyways, at least try to. I come to you as a gamer in need. Don't soil my invitation.

So, I ask of you 3 simple questions;

Can someone suggest on where I should start?
I own a PS3, so, should I play 7, 8, & 9?
Must I avoid FFXII & XIII?

In my opinion, Final Fantasy XII is a good start. Despite all the arguments against it, it tells a better story with it's present themes than XIII.

For a PSX game, I'd say 9 is best. Don't let the weird characters scare you away, and don't buy a digital download of it. Copies are plentiful online.

Lastly, since I already answered No. 1, if you are looking for an RPG in a similar vein to Final Fantasy, try the Shadow Hearts games, especially Covenant.

Ooooo.......never heard of Shadow Hearts. Shows how much I need to catch up on. *slaps himself*. Damn.

VII, IX, X and XII are all quality post-PSX era titles.

VII marks the mainstraming of the series and is the jumping off point for most of the JRPGs to follow. This is the game that every other JRPG was compared to until the PS2 came along.

IX improvements in storytelling and game technology mixed with a more traditional setting and structure make this game easily the perfection of the series. With the exception of the absolute last boss, virtually every part of this game was spot on perfect.

X a reasonably good story, with great graphics for the time, and a really excellent battle and levelling system. Game is hampered b weak characterization and ATROCIOUS voice acting, but manages to stand tall despite it's faults.

XII marks a departure from the series roots, and from the typical narrative structure of the series, in that the character you play isn't really the "main" character of the story. Game drops the romance plots that bogged down 8 and 10, and turns it's eye to a story of political intrigue, war and domination. Game does a stellar job of creating believable, flawed characters, without venturing too far into the stereotypical. Draws a lot of cues from star wars.

-----------------

VIII was a clusterfuck of terrible storytelling, unlikable characters, and suspension of disbelief violating plot contrivances wrapped around a broken levelling system.

XIII railroads the players and characters down a hallway for 50 hours, and climaxes at the last second with a pants on head retarded failure of character logic. Gorgeous, and a neat battle system are held back by the utter failure of the development team to create a compelling game.

-m

More and more people are selling me on FF9. This is turning out better than I'd hoped for.

 

[Wayneguard]

In my opinion, IV is the quintessential final fantasy game. It is near perfect and is my favorite entry in the series. The series creator has said that he believes IX to be the definitive final fantasy game. Both of those are excellent. IX was for PS1 and IV is on GBA (originally SNES) and can be emulated if you don't have one. VI is also great but IV and IX really are what final fantasy is all about.