Poll: Best Final Fantasy Game.

[The_Scrivener]

I included the FF games I thought would be most likely to be selected. And not to say that people can't have opinions, but anyone who would've chosen FF 1-3 is acting only on retro nostalgia or hasn't played FF in 20 years yet still keeps up with gaming culture enough to be on this forum. What percentage does this honestly exclude amirite? Also, anyone who would choose FFX-2 or one of the Enix era junkstorms is a loon or is twelve years old. (The story of XII...yeah, was it hiding in one of those cutscenes? Those boring ones that thought they could make the game universe seem bigger by introducing two dozen characters with no involvement or relationship to the protagonists? Oh okay, yeah, I must have missed it.)


Also, I could only give 8 options. DATA STORM!

 

[Tanis]

FF2 actually holds up pretty well.
It's got a unique battle system and a pretty messed up ending.

Here's my top FFs in no order:
FF4
FF6
FF8
FFT:WotL
FF10-2
FF12
FFTA2
FFL2

I'm not sure where to rate most of the handheld or Wii games because I don't recall ever actually beating them.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

FF6 is the best. Followed by FFX and then FFVII

 

[Maxtro]

The way these threads go, it always breaks down into what gen the person played their first FF game.

If they started with the SNES they will claim VI.
If they started with the PSX they will claim VII
If they started with the PS2 they will claim X.
If they started with the PS3 they will claim XII (the poor souls)

Edit: Typo! Meant XIII. I actually liked XII.

For me, the best one is VI. It's just an amazing game. But it was also my first FF game so I that does boost it up a bit more.

After that is VII. VII was a huge change for the series and it did many things well.

Those are the only two favorite FF games I have. When I try to think of more games, it becomes a greater JRPG list

Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Chrono Trigger
Xenogears
Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana 2 (fan translation)

 

[Exius Xavarus]

If they started with the PS3 they will claim XII (the poor souls)

Final Fantasy XII is a PlayStation 2 game. I'd give you the benefit of the doubt that you meant FF13, but that was also on Xbox 360.

My top three are Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII. No particular order.

I liked the older ones, too, but IX, X and XII are my absolute top 3.

 

[shrekfan246]

If they started with the PSX they will claim VII
If they started with the PS3 they will claim XII (the poor souls)

I think you mean XIII.

And I'm going to defy your logic and say IX, despite VII being the first one I ever played.

Also, OP, I liked XII for the world-building and unique combat it had. And saying the story is any more ridiculous than any other Final Fantasy game is giving them far too much credit.

 

[scorptatious]

For me, it's DEFINITELY IX.

I've played the game only two years ago. And I can safely say that is my most favorite JRPG of all time. Everything about the game just clicked for me. The story, the characters, the battle system, the setting, the art style, the music, whatever. The point is I freaking loved Final Fantasy IX.

Second favorite is probably VII, which I played right before IX. And despite how many people seem to criticize it, I actually liked it. Sure, graphics wise, it hasn't aged that well, and there are a few goof ups in the translation department, but overall, I found it to be a fun game.

 

[Slitzkin]

Final Fantasy IX was always my favourite. I remember back in my internet novice days lurking on various vidya game sites such as Gamespot and GameFAQS, FFIX was universally (save for the regulars on the game's GameFAQS forum) reviled as the one of the most disappointing of the main series and FFVII was universally heralded as the epitome of vidya games. Fast foward about a decade (I'm old, I know!) and it's esentially reversed. FFIX is the bee's knees and FFVII is overrated. But if everyone thinks FFVII is overrated, then who actually over rates it?

Even though it took about a decade Australia finally got Final Fantasy Tactics...The War of The Lions. And I must say, outside of the main series it's hands down the best game Square has ever created. Hot damn, that is perfect game. Everything about it is perfect, the story, characters, atmosphere, gameplay. Genius. Yes, even Ramza's crotch piece armour is genius.

 

[wintercoat]

I'm gonna say my top 5 are, in no particular order:

Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy II

My first Final Fantasy game was X, though I don't think I would call it my favorite. Though I owned both a NES and a SNES, I never played I-VI until their re-release on the various gameboy systems and the DS.

Oh, also, though it doesn't make my top five, X-2 was a fucking fun game. The combat was great, the outfit system was interesting, if a bit fan-service-y, Blitzball, at least in my opinion, was actually rather fun, vastly improved over it's shitty iteration in X, but yeah...the story was shit, and the retconning made me rage. Oh, and the references to FFVII made me smile.

 

[Arcadian Legend]

It's got to be IX. Being a Brit I started in the PS1 era, and while I loved VII, IX left me with such a great impression that I still feel to this day. A goddamn masterpiece.

 

[Abomination]

I was torn between 6(3) and 9.

I sided with 3 because I loved the sheer roster you could accumulate.

9 had the best character arcs in the series I have seen. I stopped playing after 10 though as I felt the series had become stale.

 

[Auron225]

My favorite would be FFX - given that it's also my favorite game of all time. Does my avatar surprise anyone?

Having said that, FFIX and FFVI are both absolutely fantastic, and VII, VIII and IV are really good as well.

I wasn't really impressed by XII at all and haven't played any of the Tactics games.

 

[KINGBeerZ]

IX, everything about it, the characters the story, the world is simply enchanting. And the music was so beautiful it was what inspired me to start learning piano.

 

[verdant monkai]

I live in a very anti FFX community with most of the love going to FFIX. I love X so much because it is rather inventive they went for a water world! as opposed to the others like fantasy (with air ships), or something a bit modern/sci fi. The music is also some of my favourite like to Zanarkand, and Sins boss fight music.

I also just think that turn based combat is a million time better than real time, how am I supposed to think when I also have to be careful not to waste my time to do something? whilst working an annoying menu scroll system? And no its not more fucking realistic its still dumb. Because how many fights have you seen where the fighters have to run back and fore hitting each other, and their both scrolling through menus?

Seriously no love for 7? It is really one of the best its my second favourite the third being 4.

 

[rob_simple]

It's good to see your poll isn't at all biased by your ignorant opinion.

Anyway, going by the Final Fantasy I've put most hours into/enjoyed the most I'm going with XII. The story was dumb but so are most all the Final Fantasy games, but the combat and progression system was a lot of fun, and the environments looked amazing.

 

[Sack of Cheese]

My favourite would be FFX, also the first FF I've finished. The music is amazing, the world is so enchanting, and the characters endearing.

I've also played 7 but it did not agree with me and deleted my saves 4 times (all of them are around 30-40 hrs in). I had some problems with FF8 too so I couldn't finish it.

And I thought FF13 was pretty good, I enjoyed it!

 

[loc978]

Damn whipper-snappers... I started with the first game in 1988...

But yeah, the series peaked at VI. The plots started losing cohesion in favor of pure spectacle in the PS1 era, and have only gone further in that direction since.

So I guess my rankings go
VI
IV
VII
V
I
IX
VIII
III
II
...the rest [http://gifninja.com/animatedgifs/255016/tidus-laugh.gif].

 

[Ryan Minns]

FFVI is my favourite. I keep getting told it's all nostalgia though despite only playing it long after finishing FFXII...

Edit: I should give an honourable mention to FFIX though, loved it to bits

 

[JayRPG]

Final Fantasy IX is my favourite... if that wasn't already evident

 

[Nihlus2]

Without a shadow of doubt I will have to go with Final Fantasy IX.

I have kept comming back to that game over the years... and it keeps just clicking in all the right places for me. The story is dynamic, ever changing and not entirely predictable - it also leaves you with a slightly uncertain feeling of where the adventure takes you next, leaving a lot to exploration and endeavor.
The characters are fairly well fleshed out, some of them having very good (some even slightly sad) character arcs, especially Vivi. That and the music is also fairly memorable, and last but by no means least, the protagonist is not the classic emo feeling down suffering type, or the overly gullible type.