The Top 7... Best Final Fantasy games

Ok, I have played all of the Final Fantasy games except the PSP and Game Boy ect... I am a master of game taste :p The best Final Fantasy games hands down are FFX and FF8. Both of the games make me feel as if I wish I was in that fantasy world. Great characters, bosses, story, interface. And the sphere grid is the best leveling system by far. FF7 is over-rated just because of Cloud and Sephiroth, they are great characters but they can't carry the entire game to "the best." The worst FF game is definitely FFX-2. And any game after FFX is garbage.

I completely disagree, FFXII was a far better game than FFX and FF8 and this was released after FFX-2 also.The fact that most FF players don't like XII is because they gave up through the game and did not get to a stage where the game developes into a wonderful variety of landscapes and challenges for character development which prolongs the game play dramatically and makes the game more enjoyable than any other FF game by a huge margin.Unlike other FF games there was actually a level of difficulty in XII which required more than one brain cell to defeat the advanced monsters.Little kids easily complete the other games in the franchise but would not be able to finish completely XII because of the standard of difficulty which only the more experienced gamers overcome.The free roaming capabilities is also far ahead other early JRPG games.

I was surprised by how much I liked XII. I think VI, IV, and IX are better, but after that, XII is right in the discussion. I also found the battle system very refreshing; it didn't turn me off nearly to the degree that it has others!

my best favorite 2D Final Fantasy games are: 1st: Final Fantasy VI (Advance) 2nd: Final Fantasy IV (The Complete Collection) 3rd: Final Fantasy V (Advance) my worst favorite 2D Final Fantasy games are: 1st: Final Fantasy II (Original NES, not the PS1 or PSP version) 2nd: Final Fantasy III (Original NES, not the DS version) 3rd: Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings my best favorite 3D Final Fantasy games are: 1st: Final Fantasy VII (2012 PC Version) 2nd: Final Fantasy VIII (PS1) 3rd: Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission my worst favorite 3D Final Fantasy games are: 1st: Final Fantasy XIV 2nd: Final Fantasy XII 3rd: Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360 version)

8 was my favorite and i think 8 was the best

I see this opinion from time to time, but I'd love to know why. What about VIII was better than the others for you? It had its moments and was a fine game on its own, with some unique distinctions (I got way more enamoured by the card game than I ever thought possible), but I'd love to see what merits place it at the top of one's FF chart. :)

It should be said that Final Fantasy games are things that have to be played in their infancy in order to feel the full impact of the game and the technology it's presented on. We all know that FF games VII and higher are much different than VI and lower and we all know that a lot of people had never touched a FF game before VII and that's fine, but you can't jump into the series several sequels in, play the sequels that follow, and THEN go back and play the older ones just to experience them. The impact will be dramatically lessened and you'll likely walk away a little disappointed and wondering what the hype was about. In other words, unless you've played mosts or all of the FF games around the time that they first hit the market then you're opinion carries little to no weight because it's the initial emotional impact of that first (and usually second) playthrough coupled with the fact of how our perception of a game is vastly affected by the technology of it's time that ultimately defines a person's view of any FF entry. I'm sure this will piss off alot of the FF VII bandwagon jumpers but oh well.

You shouldn't assume so much. I grew up on FFVII, VIII, IX, and later X. I didn't start playing the later ones until I was older, and I think IV and VI are every bit as good as the rest of them. Not all of us young'ns need fancy graphics to be impressed. ;]

That is a flawed concept. I didn't heavily get into Final Fantasy games until XII. I always watched them, but never played them or even experienced them. I then played XIII, right after XII. I then went back and played Final Fantasy X, VIII, and IX. Final Fantasy X is by far one of my favorite Final Fantasies and VIII is a close second. I played those games during the later part of 2000's, so your concept is false. Anyone who has admiration for a great storyline and a great concept can play in any age. My little brother loves when I play Final Fantasy X and he was raised in the age of Call of Duty, so go figure.

I think this certainly IS the case with many people, however it all depends on one's mindset when approaching the game. If you're constantly thinking about how poor the graphics are, and how you could be playing another FF, then it's impossible to get emotionally attached since that suspension of disbelief isn't happening. However, there are those that are able to take older games on their merits, even when weened on 32-bit plus gaming, and fully accept the world. Those are the gamers that are rewarded for heeding their "forefather" classics. I completely understand your point of view, and even agree with you, with the exception being that everyone cannot fall under this one label. A great many, perhaps, but certainly not everyone. :)

here's my top 10 list not hating just my opinion 1.IV For me this fits what I think a fantasy game should be, no futuristic stuff except for the occasional robot here and there which is okay I am a fan of magic and swords, and in my opinion this game has the best soundtrack of all. Troian Beauty, Melody of the Lute, Theme of Love, I could go on and on about the songs from this game that still stick in my head from this game years later. This is one of my favorite games of all time. 2.IX This game took most of what I loved from FF4 and updated it with a new cast of love-able characters and a great story to boot, the only thing holding this back from being my favorite is that it recycled a lot of material from the previous games(granted what it recycled was some the best the series had to offer). The music in this game was also great but aside from Rose of May there are few songs that stuck with me. 3.VI My opinion on this game is very odd, I do love this game but it was just missing something for me. It had an amazing story, epic music, awesome characters, and unarguably the best villain and pretty much everything that should make it the best.For me however it was just missing that something special that FF4 and FF9 had, and I cannot explain why. 4.X I loved most of what this game had to offer. It has a very original story, a decent soundtrack and a good leveling system. What held this game back for me was the ending and Tidus being the most annoying character in Final Fantasy history. That being said I still had an amazing time playing it. 5.VII One of the better games in the series but still missing a lot. Most of the characters are bland and lack personality Cid being the exception to that rule and Barret was decent as well. Cloud just wined the whole time and Tifa was just there for eye candy, Aerith if she had stayed around longer might have turned out to be a good character but never reached her potential due to her limited time in the game. The story was great but recycled alot from FF6. Sephiroth is what gives this game its shine though people may call him a long haired mommas boy but he is anything but. He is the second greatest villain in the series and makes this game what it is. The music in this game was also decent. 6.XIII A game that recieves far to little credit because it does not hold up to its predecessors it lacks any awesome music, its story is decent at best, and none of its characters are really that great. However in my opinion it has the best leveling and combat system in the entire series , and it stands out when compared to other modern rpgs. 7.V Good game but has very little story, has a good job system, and decent music, no great characters, and a decent at best villain. It did keep me interested throughout the entire game though, and Gilgamesh was amazing. 8.VIII This game made me want to pull my hair out, finding magic was a scavenger hunt, and I did not like any of the characters. Getting through this game was a chore, the only redeeming factor this game has is that Ultimecia is one of the better villains in the series and the story was decent. 9.I A classic the only reason it is rated so low is because it lacked characters with personality, and the story was very limited. For its time however it was top notch and is worth a play to anyone who has a chance. 10.II The only thing keeping this game on this list is that I finished it whereas i hated 3 and 12 so much that by halfway through them I gave up. That and I actually enjoyed the leveling system very much. Plus the Emperor is one of the most evil villains in the series and I wanted to kick his A$*.

Okay, GAYMESRADAR! You invited me to the comments section, and encouraged me to share my opinion about this FARTicle ... then I'mma do so. I just registered with this site (looks like a nice site :D) JUST so that I could post this comment. So what do I think? I think ........ That this is nearly spot-on perfect, and I couldn't agree more with it, or be happier with it (except if you moved FF9 up some, and moved FF5 down some); and I haven't been more pleased with a "Top" list, or video game article since...... I can remember. Not only did you pick my favorite Final Fantasies, and the ones I would have included, but you put the top 4 in the places I would put them in, and you perfectly condensed the gist of what I would say about them in a 5000+ character commentary - EXACTLY - in no more than two 30-character paragraphs. WELL FUCKING DONE. You said it exactly as I would have said it in the appropriate amount of time in a man's day he should spend reading about such a subject. No, I have no complaints, or suggestions, to make here - I am not here to declare my opinion to be inarguable, literal fact (lol'd at several of the comments here that did that. It's always funny to me) - only have I glowing praise and admiration to give to you this day; and you effing deserve it, mang.

I'm only listing 7 and up, because i'm actually preparing to replay THE ENTIRE SERIES up through 12, and honestly i don't remember enough about the first 6. 1. IX - For some reason the atmosphere, soundtrack, characters... It all sucked me in. It was a break from the previous :why so serious: undertone. 2. X - This game just rocks. The Japanese voice acting makes it that much better, and the "new" expert grid sphere gave a a refreshing spin on the game. The battle system won me over heavily. 3. VIII - It almost felt resident evil in style, but the involvment in the combat system, the plot... it all felt more "real" to me. 4. VII - Who doesn't have this on their "all time favorites" list? This game engrossed a world. From materia, to the struggles of the cast... I'm STILL hoping they port this to a next gen and keep everything in tact. 5. XII - While i hated it at first, it grew on me. The story and characeters are amazing. The gameplay i felt with this one is where Final Fantasy began to die. FF has always been turn based. That, to me, is what made FF FF. That, coupled with the immense story and character development. 6. X-2 - This game was something else. I LOVE X, but X-2 was like something that if they made Resident Evil X-2, and added cute pink ponies all the zombies became boy band members. Even still, the game is fun and addicting (i actually still havn't finished it...) On a side note, I did not much care for XIII. The overall combat system was atrocious to me. The summoning system is just horrid. And the linear pathing felt so repetitive. I still havn't ended this game, nor do I plan to. XII almost killed FF for me, XIII succeeded where XII failed. In closing, unless Square pumps out turn based combat again, my joys with FF will be fond memories and replaying classic RPGs when RPGs were at the peak of their awesomeness.

Thank you! XII and XIII really killed FF for me too. I miss turned based combat.

Yeah, sorry. You guys are just wrong. Given the fatal flaws in FF6, there's just no way I can award it anything higher than fourth place. Here are my eternal placings, notwithstanding some future version of Final Fantasy that surplants them all: Final Fantasy IV Final Fantasy X Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VI I'm sorry, but you guys have to acknowledge the HUGE flaw with the physical evasion problem in Final Fantasy VI. You can't just award "The Best RPG of All-Time" to a video game where "blind" people are able to land physical attacks because the friggin engineers didn't bother to correct the "physical evasion" bug because the game was rushed to market for financial reasons. Sorry, that simply does not cut it. Pick another game. Like FF4. You guys don't deserve to do reviews like this.

Yeah sorry, nerd. Your reasoning why FF6 doesn't deserve the top spot is soley based on a glitch? As I remember correctly, FF7 sported a similar stat-glitch that incorrectly evaluated one of the stats, and made it useless. That is so laughably ridiculous that it can't even be taken seriously enough to give it a deserving rebuttle. You fail. Let me explain to you, and everyone else who detracts from the choice for the top spot, again, why FF6 deserved it, if it wasn't simple enough (and it was pretty fucking simple o_o) for you the first time... FF6 is the most solid game in the series. If you take everything that makes FF awesome, it gets outstanding scores all around. Yes, there are aspects of the game which are better accomplished in the two other most popular FF's (i.e. - FF4 is better at character exposition, and FF7 is better at game design), but everything about FF6 is outstanding, and it's memorable for having played it at the right time. I'm not going to go into all of those things that make FF6 great here, but RPG's are foremost played for story and characters, and it does that best, In My Important Opinion. The story isn't just intricate, and engaging, but it has a cohesive meaning to it as a whole, with mature themes throughout. That is the way a story should be written. A great story isn't a series of incidents like in a comicbook series. This is a thing that FFVII and so many other manga/anime/bad-Japanese-writers get wrong: mistaking LAYERED and CONVOLUTED, for DEEP and COMPLEX. And here's where it gets a little more subjective, and harder to wave with proper evidence: the other main point of an RPG. The characters. How are the characters the best? Can't say. Just like he article says, the series is full of memorable characters we like, but there's a certain something going for the FF6 cast. They seemed to me like the coolest, the most interesting, and best complimented the story. Idk how else to put it. Yeah, I really like the casts of FF9 (really), FF4 (love), FF10, and FF7 - but the FF6 cast... those are my people. Besides all that, it has the 'nostalgia factor' (mentioned in the summary for FF7) that gives the fanboys boners for their games. The game just seems special to me, although it isn't the first RPG I ever played. My introduction to the genre was "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars," and that game still has a special place in my heart even in this dark, twisted, and late years of my life so far away from that other life and person. SMRPG is my Chrono Trigger, or my FF7, and on the point of nostalgia, I cannot disagree. I relate. It's for that reason I can empathize with the FF7 fanboys, although I also kind of hate them, too. I can really see why they love the game even though - yes - I think it's "sad" the game is the most popular. I cannot deny the obvious fine points of FF7 beyond the rosy-tinted glasses of nostalgia, nor the great contributions it made to RPG, and gaming, but fuck if I will still always resent the game, and its fans. It did a lot of good and bad. As for FF4 folks... I can't say anything. FF4 is my second-favorite FF, and I have love for that game, too; so if you choose that as your favorite, then kudos to you for your taste. I happen to prefer FF6, myself. And it seems to go around a lot in the circles I move in, that 'FF9 is the best FF,' whenever anyone is asked. Uematsu says his favorite score is FF9; Sakaguchi said his favorite was FF9; and all around in respected places, people tell me their favorite is FF9. So, I wouldn't underestimate FF9. Also, the article said it was the least best-selling game??? That's completely contradictory to what I heard about it. I heard it was the best-selling Final Fantasy.

I just signed up so that I could to tell you how beautifully written and well articulated your comments are. Not just because I agree with you (that always helps, though, right?), but because you're modest and can take the nostalgia goggles off. Good show.

You guys mixed up #1 and #2. FF6 does not deserve the crown of all-time best for number of reasons: for one, that stupid "evade" bug that rendered useless blindness and all evasive attributes on weapons and armor, substituting magic evasion for physical evasion--a clear sign that the game was rushed to market. Of course, they DID fix the bug in later versions of the game, but by that time FF7 had been released. As far as the original SNES version, the evade bug was a MAJOR problem that seriously detracted from the quality of the game itself. Also, FF6's plot really fizzles out after the end of the world...the World of Ruin is essentially a treasure/character-gathering quest with little substance to propel the story (or the player) forward. Finally, let's not forget that the unblockable, ultra-powerful 'Ultima' spell that makes all other forms of attack incidental. In short, Final Fantasy IV is the best Final Fantasy game of all time, with X and VI neck-and-neck for second place. FF7 was not the best, but it was probably the most revolutionary, at least in terms of impact on popular culture.

Yeah, once again, I correct myself. Here, for finality's sake, are the top four final fantasy games of all-time, in order of quality: 1) Final Fantasy 4 2) Final Fantasy X 3) Final Fantasy 7 4) Final Fantasy 6 Everything else is just Dragon Fodder.

oookay fisrt off, EVERYONE's going to have a different opinion because all of the games are different enough to appeal to a certain person's tastes, AND im sure many people love the first FF game they've ever played because its got that nostalgic feeling. and im not going to rank these with all the others because i've never played most of them. these are just the one's i've played. That aside, i've only played (in order) FFVIII, VII, X and IV. i personally am at a tie between VIII and X because (as i said before) 8 had a nostalgic feeling that brings me back. i had only ever played it on a demo disk but i played it MANY times. ive only just this week started playing the real game and it's AMAZING. X is also nostalgic ecause its the first FF game i've ever really played in depth and it actually got me into the franchise. i liked the franchise but wasn't a FAN yet if you know what i mean. (played blitzball and watched my friend play it for hours because i didnt buy it until like 2 years ago). IV i got for the DS because i wanted a good adventure game and i heard it was amazing and im still not too far in it but god it IS a good game. cant wait to beat it! VII also has an old school feeling. i remember borrowing it from one of my dad's friend's kids and it was an awesome experience even though i only got past like the first 3 guys then never played it since the 90's. as i said ive never played most of the other ones and i cant wait to but these are just the one's ive played and i love them all in a separate kind of way. i really wanna play VII more, VI, and IX.

Except for 2 & 3, I played 1 thru 10 as they became available but I dont see the point in arranging them on a ‘best’ list. Instead ill just share my personal favorite, which is not on the list: Tactics I’ve long given up searching for another game that could come close to this one. Yes, I know there are plenty of other great games out there and I think there are plenty of recent games (my gamer days have been over for a decade) that most likely surpass Tactics overall. The reason I admire tactics most is simply because of the impact it had on me which, I assume, is where our disposition toward one game or another is made. The story itself was fascinating and it made the game feel less like a game and more like an experience. But like I said, it was a while ago and no other game has whet my appetite. The good news, though, is that I found something even better for when im in the mood for a great f@*!ing story: History. So long all.

Yes on Tactics. yes. God I have logged almost as many ours on tactics as I have on FFIV(II in my Snes days) and FFVI(III in my Snes days) There is something about Tactics. God I love that game.