Final Fantasy X

Historically inaccurate games, big ass news from the 2011 Tokyo Game Show, and Gears of War 3 thoroughly reviewified...

If there’s one thing nerds love to do, it’s argue about our favorite things and which one is better. SNES or Genesis? Batman or Superman? Mike or Joel? Amongst the myriad of geeky topics than can spur internet flamewars, there’s a particularly contentious one: which Final Fantasy game is the best?

Anyone who has attempted to engage in such a debate has discovered something: your favorite FF game is somebody else’s least favorite FF game – and oftentimes for the very same exact reasons that you love it. With that in mind, we’ve set out to settle the debate once and for all. We’ve taken a long, hard look at all the mainline, numbered FF games – no spinoffs, no direct sequels ala X-2 – and have decided to end all arguments once and for all by describing why each and every one is simultaneously both the best and the worst Final Fantasy game ever. In the face of such irrefutable evidence, all arguments are certain to cease now and forevermore… right?

"It was all a dream" is almost lazier writing than actually falling asleep on your keyboard.  It's the ultimate admission that the writer had no idea how to end his own story, or to put it another way, he was outwitted by his own one-dimensional characters.   It's also been used in more "Wizard of Oz" sitcom episodes than Toto, and has therefore measurably does more damage to scripts than an open flame.

TV isn't the only offender though – some surprisingly large videogame series have pulled the dream card too...

Sony seems to be on something of an HD remake kick lately. This week finally brought us long-awaited confirmation that the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection will head our way sometime next year; with last year’s God of War Collection and the upcoming Sly Collection, that brings to three the number of classic PS2 series Sony’s retrofitting with 1080p visuals and Trophies, before re-releasing as budget-priced PS3 games.

This is a trend we can really get behind; as much as we love our old PS2 games, we can barely stand to look at them anymore. Give them a makeover so they don’t look crap on our new TVs, though, and we’re all over them. With that in mind, here are a few other series from the last generation we’d love to see resurrected for the modern age of HD consoles...

There are few videogame franchises that have as rabid a fanbase as Final Fantasy. Stretching all the way back to the series’ NES debut, the intense love FF fans have shown the series has made its title increasingly oxymoronic over the years. But you know what? We’re not here to love your favorite game. No, we're here to hate.

Sometimes really great and really shit things go together like an unhappy married couple who've stuck it out for 40 years. Lollipops and tooth-terrorising drills at the dentist, six pints of lager and a ruinous hangover and, occasionally, rubbish characters and great games. And it's testament to the following titles' awesomeness that they somehow stayed afloat in spite of their hateful captains.

Over ten million people own a copy of FFVII. Released in 1997, Square’s iconic RPG is still regarded with reverence by RPG die hards and casual players alike. FFVII sold 2.3 million copies in its first three days on sale in Japan alone. To put this in perspective, Metal Gear Solid 4 sold 77,000 copies in its first week, growing to 5 million copies worldwide.

In Final Fantasy’s decades-long history, the franchise has always been at the cutting edge of graphics, music and storytelling in games. Integral to each game’s success is the summon system, by which players call upon a powerful supernatural ally to aid them in battle. Though characters and locations vary from game to game, many summons return regularly, forming a crucial continuity between old and new titles.

During the past three days we’ve declared the greatest Final Fantasy game of all, hand-picked the franchise’s best LINK TO HERO heroes and jeered at its mightiest LINK TO VILLAINS villains. Today, we’re digging a bit deeper into the series and acknowledging the nearly unsung greatness of their rich, moving soundtracks.

The RPG holds a special place in gamers’ hearts, and with good reason; epic, sweeping stories filled with interesting characters draw the player in and get combined with magic-filled battles against towering monsters and villainous cads.