Gamespot Just Ranked the Final Fantasy Games
- Thread starter Pyro
- Start date
- Square Enix
FFXI is ancient, perhaps nobody currently working at Gamespot played it. As for XIV, not everyone has time for an MMO.
Interesting list. I respect but don't completely agree with FF9 being so low. The fact that the gameplay felt like a regression from the other PSX titles in terms of limit breaks, loading screens and battle speed seems to get ignored in a lot of discourse about it by people playing on emulators who fast forward the game. The setting and particularly the cities are super memorable though and it has a sufficiently fun characters and plot. Though the latter maybe dips a bit at the last disc.
Big fan of the PS2 games so seeing FFX and FFXII so high is nice, though I probably prefer the former.
Remake above FF7 is a surprising choice but I admit that the spectacle and characterisation of the main cast in Remake is phenomenal, the soundtrack is GOAT and the battle system deep. Alot of to like aside from the slow walking and padding.
Big fan of the PS2 games so seeing FFX and FFXII so high is nice, though I probably prefer the former.
Remake above FF7 is a surprising choice but I admit that the spectacle and characterisation of the main cast in Remake is phenomenal, the soundtrack is GOAT and the battle system deep. Alot of to like aside from the slow walking and padding.
I really like the battle system in 12 but I know it's divisive so surprised it's that high, but opinions and all that. I like the battle system in 13 a lot too so would personally place that higher.
Wish I could get on with the ATB system better, it's really held me back from being able to play the SNES titles. One day I'll play 7-10 too. Ha, I've barely played any of them (completed 1-3, 12,13 and played a bit of 4-6, 15).
Wish I could get on with the ATB system better, it's really held me back from being able to play the SNES titles. One day I'll play 7-10 too. Ha, I've barely played any of them (completed 1-3, 12,13 and played a bit of 4-6, 15).
I always think these lists are fun, even if I disagree. It's all subjective at the end of the day and gives a fun opening to talking about the series as a whole. Wrote out my own ranking, because why not. Work is slow today.
1: VI - total agreement here. It has its flaws, but I find the cast charming and the story compelling. The art direction, sprite work and music all hold up amazingly well to me. Shout out to Relm, one of the only child characters in a JRPG I actually like. I love the conceit of her being an artist and wish we saw more characters like her. The villains may be pretty one dimensional, but I kind of like that about them. They aren't overly convoluted or over/under explained. Kefka just loves being evil and I love that for him! I always have a great time coming back to this game.
2: IX - and immediately we diverge. I love 9. I think it has some of the best, most cohesive storytelling in a final fantasy game. People (rightfully) talk about what a gem Vivi is, but I think Garnet is easily one of my favourite characters in the series as well. Her wrestling with responsibility, growing up, family betrayal, falling in love is all handled really well. She's naive but not arrogant. Kind but not a pushover. Makes mistakes, but does her best to learn from them. She has strong growth throughout the story and I just love how the writers use her and Vivi to grapple with loss of innocence and the impact of time. The game definitely has flaws in the combat and some of the side characters, which pulls this game down from being number one, but I think the strength of its storytelling is just leagues ahead of most of the series. I also love the art direction, especially when it comes to the city designs. It really stands out amidst the hundreds of games I've played over the years and adds a whimsy that juxtaposes (for me) well with its darker elements.
3: VII - One of the first games I ever played. Not much to really say that hasn't been said a million times. I also really love the storytelling in this game, warts in the translation and all. The character designs and personalities are engaging and well realized, the music is top tier, and I love most of the side activities. I do knock it down a bit because the pacing has issues and some of the story aspects are hidden behind side stuff that really shouldn't be. I think my favourite stuff about the story can't be talked about without spoilers, but I think where it succeeds is much more compelling than what I think the remakes are going for. Hope to be proven wrong!
4: X - I just think it's a good ass story. The romance is actually believable, both Tidus and Yuna grow a lot as characters and I LOVE the ending. It's ridiculous at times, but all the story elements feel reasonably well realized and cohesive to me looking back on the game. I think the way it examines sports and religion is genuinely thoughtful and makes it feel unique compared to similar games. It also has some of my favourite art direction of the series. I love the locales and temples you visit. Also my second favourite summon designs next to eight. Loses points on being so linear and the side activities being actual nightmare fuel. Fuuuuuuuuck that chocobo obstacle course. Never again will I do the lightning strikes.
5: V - The most mechanically fun early final fantasy. Straightforward but engaging, love the costume designs for the jobs. Also: Faris (and the rest of the party, but mostly Faris) rules. Give me more Faris Square, you cowards!
6: VIII - I really struggled with placing this one. Controversially, perhaps, I love the gameplay mechanics. Mixing and matching spells and GF's is fun to me and the game is so easy to break that it's super replayable.The side stuff (outside chocobo forests) is great and makes the world feel worth exploring. The cast is a mixed bag, but I think Rinoa and Squall actually feel like fairly believable teenagers who develop and grow and Selphie loves trains and explosions, so yknow. There's some good to be had. It is maybe the most ridiculous story of any Final Fantasy, which I kind of love it for. But... half the cast is just deeply underdeveloped, the pacing is all over the place, and drawing magic was such a pain in the ass before they introduced 3X speed in the re-releases. So that all kind of keeps it from the top of the heap for me. To end on a high note, because I am constantly yo-yoing when I discuss this game: it has my absolute favourite soundtrack in the series and my second favourite art style next to ten. The GF designs also get special shoutout. I would kill to get doomtrain in another single player Final Fantasy.
7: VII Remake - I also struggled with where to put this. Some of the decisions they've made really don't sit well with me story wise. I won't get too into them here, because it would take forever and be largely spoilers. But the characters are really nicely realized and I LOVE the new combat system. I put it on the lower end of what I consider good because I think I still need time to decide how much the stuff I dislike impacts my feeling of the game as a whole. Soundtrack is also largely excellent, though I kind of miss how grimy feeling some of the tracks felt in the original, due to the worse audio quality on the PS1. Yes, I realize that's a weird take.
8: XII: Zodiac Edition - I love playing this game mechanically, but I could not care less about the story. It is so boring and weirdly paced, especially if you're actually doing a lot of the exploration and hunts. The characters are okay, but kind of bland. The main party also have some of the worst designs in the whole series. I hate all of them except maybe Penelo's, who I'm indifferent to. Still, there's a lot I like in the themes they were reaching for, the locales are a delight to explore and gambits are actually kind of fun to mess around with once you get used to them. This edition is also really aided by the job system, which adds depth and replayability. In contrast to later Final Fantasies, I think the Hunt system is the best it has ever been and I actually liked thinking about how to approach them. Felt like there was real depth and some good world building stories to be uncovered by engaging with them.
9: IV - Sorry FFIV lovers. I want to like this game more than I actually do. It's fine, nothing stands out to me as truly terrible or truly amazing. I like the cast, but I don't feel much attachment to them. The story and world aren't overly compelling to me. There's a couple good standout moments, but overall this is probably my least revisited of the ones I played as a kid.
10: XIV - oh boy. Okay XIV lovers, I'm sorry. I tried. I played maybe sixty hours of this game and it is just not for me. My favourite thing about it was unlocking triple triad (admittedly, I did have a ridiculous amount of fun playing triple triad). All the dungeons and story were boring to me, I didn't care for the sidequests or job quests I engaged in, and it all just sort of blurred together into a mostly bad time. It didn't help that when the dungeons finally began to get more complex, rather than braindead easy, I couldn't tell other players that I had never done them before without slowing everything to a grinding halt as I tried to type with the PS4 controller. I did have some fun with the game, and I believe people close to me who say they love where the story goes. But if I'm sixty hours in and can't remember a single character's name, I don't know why I care to see where they end up in another hundred hours of gameplay. I fully realize this seems to be a me issue, and would concede this probably belongs higher than here quality wise.
11: XVI - I do not like this game. I will refrain from digging into it since I know it's been a big hot debate topic as of late. Cid is cool though.
12: XV - I REALLY do not like this game. Do like the road trip vibes though.
13: XIII - This game almost made me stop playing Final Fantasy. I can't think of anything I like about it.
14-17: III, XI, I, II - the four I've spent little to no time with, in the order I would consider checking them out based on cultural osmosis. Do think the bits of XI's soundtrack I've heard slap.
1: VI - total agreement here. It has its flaws, but I find the cast charming and the story compelling. The art direction, sprite work and music all hold up amazingly well to me. Shout out to Relm, one of the only child characters in a JRPG I actually like. I love the conceit of her being an artist and wish we saw more characters like her. The villains may be pretty one dimensional, but I kind of like that about them. They aren't overly convoluted or over/under explained. Kefka just loves being evil and I love that for him! I always have a great time coming back to this game.
2: IX - and immediately we diverge. I love 9. I think it has some of the best, most cohesive storytelling in a final fantasy game. People (rightfully) talk about what a gem Vivi is, but I think Garnet is easily one of my favourite characters in the series as well. Her wrestling with responsibility, growing up, family betrayal, falling in love is all handled really well. She's naive but not arrogant. Kind but not a pushover. Makes mistakes, but does her best to learn from them. She has strong growth throughout the story and I just love how the writers use her and Vivi to grapple with loss of innocence and the impact of time. The game definitely has flaws in the combat and some of the side characters, which pulls this game down from being number one, but I think the strength of its storytelling is just leagues ahead of most of the series. I also love the art direction, especially when it comes to the city designs. It really stands out amidst the hundreds of games I've played over the years and adds a whimsy that juxtaposes (for me) well with its darker elements.
3: VII - One of the first games I ever played. Not much to really say that hasn't been said a million times. I also really love the storytelling in this game, warts in the translation and all. The character designs and personalities are engaging and well realized, the music is top tier, and I love most of the side activities. I do knock it down a bit because the pacing has issues and some of the story aspects are hidden behind side stuff that really shouldn't be. I think my favourite stuff about the story can't be talked about without spoilers, but I think where it succeeds is much more compelling than what I think the remakes are going for. Hope to be proven wrong!
4: X - I just think it's a good ass story. The romance is actually believable, both Tidus and Yuna grow a lot as characters and I LOVE the ending. It's ridiculous at times, but all the story elements feel reasonably well realized and cohesive to me looking back on the game. I think the way it examines sports and religion is genuinely thoughtful and makes it feel unique compared to similar games. It also has some of my favourite art direction of the series. I love the locales and temples you visit. Also my second favourite summon designs next to eight. Loses points on being so linear and the side activities being actual nightmare fuel. Fuuuuuuuuck that chocobo obstacle course. Never again will I do the lightning strikes.
5: V - The most mechanically fun early final fantasy. Straightforward but engaging, love the costume designs for the jobs. Also: Faris (and the rest of the party, but mostly Faris) rules. Give me more Faris Square, you cowards!
6: VIII - I really struggled with placing this one. Controversially, perhaps, I love the gameplay mechanics. Mixing and matching spells and GF's is fun to me and the game is so easy to break that it's super replayable.The side stuff (outside chocobo forests) is great and makes the world feel worth exploring. The cast is a mixed bag, but I think Rinoa and Squall actually feel like fairly believable teenagers who develop and grow and Selphie loves trains and explosions, so yknow. There's some good to be had. It is maybe the most ridiculous story of any Final Fantasy, which I kind of love it for. But... half the cast is just deeply underdeveloped, the pacing is all over the place, and drawing magic was such a pain in the ass before they introduced 3X speed in the re-releases. So that all kind of keeps it from the top of the heap for me. To end on a high note, because I am constantly yo-yoing when I discuss this game: it has my absolute favourite soundtrack in the series and my second favourite art style next to ten. The GF designs also get special shoutout. I would kill to get doomtrain in another single player Final Fantasy.
7: VII Remake - I also struggled with where to put this. Some of the decisions they've made really don't sit well with me story wise. I won't get too into them here, because it would take forever and be largely spoilers. But the characters are really nicely realized and I LOVE the new combat system. I put it on the lower end of what I consider good because I think I still need time to decide how much the stuff I dislike impacts my feeling of the game as a whole. Soundtrack is also largely excellent, though I kind of miss how grimy feeling some of the tracks felt in the original, due to the worse audio quality on the PS1. Yes, I realize that's a weird take.
8: XII: Zodiac Edition - I love playing this game mechanically, but I could not care less about the story. It is so boring and weirdly paced, especially if you're actually doing a lot of the exploration and hunts. The characters are okay, but kind of bland. The main party also have some of the worst designs in the whole series. I hate all of them except maybe Penelo's, who I'm indifferent to. Still, there's a lot I like in the themes they were reaching for, the locales are a delight to explore and gambits are actually kind of fun to mess around with once you get used to them. This edition is also really aided by the job system, which adds depth and replayability. In contrast to later Final Fantasies, I think the Hunt system is the best it has ever been and I actually liked thinking about how to approach them. Felt like there was real depth and some good world building stories to be uncovered by engaging with them.
9: IV - Sorry FFIV lovers. I want to like this game more than I actually do. It's fine, nothing stands out to me as truly terrible or truly amazing. I like the cast, but I don't feel much attachment to them. The story and world aren't overly compelling to me. There's a couple good standout moments, but overall this is probably my least revisited of the ones I played as a kid.
10: XIV - oh boy. Okay XIV lovers, I'm sorry. I tried. I played maybe sixty hours of this game and it is just not for me. My favourite thing about it was unlocking triple triad (admittedly, I did have a ridiculous amount of fun playing triple triad). All the dungeons and story were boring to me, I didn't care for the sidequests or job quests I engaged in, and it all just sort of blurred together into a mostly bad time. It didn't help that when the dungeons finally began to get more complex, rather than braindead easy, I couldn't tell other players that I had never done them before without slowing everything to a grinding halt as I tried to type with the PS4 controller. I did have some fun with the game, and I believe people close to me who say they love where the story goes. But if I'm sixty hours in and can't remember a single character's name, I don't know why I care to see where they end up in another hundred hours of gameplay. I fully realize this seems to be a me issue, and would concede this probably belongs higher than here quality wise.
11: XVI - I do not like this game. I will refrain from digging into it since I know it's been a big hot debate topic as of late. Cid is cool though.
12: XV - I REALLY do not like this game. Do like the road trip vibes though.
13: XIII - This game almost made me stop playing Final Fantasy. I can't think of anything I like about it.
14-17: III, XI, I, II - the four I've spent little to no time with, in the order I would consider checking them out based on cultural osmosis. Do think the bits of XI's soundtrack I've heard slap.
Agree with some, disagree with others.
Would definitely put VIII and XV on higher positions.
Didn't enjoy much of FFXII back when it launched, maybe I should give Zodiac a chance. I just didn't empathize with the overall world, which is also one of my issues with FFXIV.
Would put FF7 Remake below original FFVII. If it came out complete, maybe it would be different, but even so, as a game I think that the original is better than the remake (not talking about the graphics of course)
Would definitely put VIII and XV on higher positions.
Didn't enjoy much of FFXII back when it launched, maybe I should give Zodiac a chance. I just didn't empathize with the overall world, which is also one of my issues with FFXIV.
Would put FF7 Remake below original FFVII. If it came out complete, maybe it would be different, but even so, as a game I think that the original is better than the remake (not talking about the graphics of course)
You thought 9 was ultra slow, but not 12? 💀 I thought the pacing was like molasses compared to FFs of old.
Everyone thought FF9 battles were slow. Too much time(loading) to enter the battle, then utra slow ATB bar(even with haste), loading again prior to any executed move(especially spells). Add the zero strategy/customization and you have a very boring gameplay. The only FF I never played again.
I never comment in these ranked threads cos I hate people just spouting stupid replies like "garbage list" just because their choices are low
But DAMN, this IS a garbage list
But DAMN, this IS a garbage list
I've only played like three of these, but I feel good about FFXII being high on there. The story takes a massive nosedive like 2/3rds in, but otherwise I quite liked the experience.
I could not deal with FFX's design choices and still find it difficult to see the appeal. It really feels like a transitional game. The only reason I finished it was out of a sense of cultural importance.
I could not deal with FFX's design choices and still find it difficult to see the appeal. It really feels like a transitional game. The only reason I finished it was out of a sense of cultural importance.
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I'll never understand the appeal of XII.
XV was disappointing sure, but it's not nearly on the level of XIII.
XVI is... oh, I'd better not comment on that or people will think I have a "hate-boner" for it.
XV was disappointing sure, but it's not nearly on the level of XIII.
XVI is... oh, I'd better not comment on that or people will think I have a "hate-boner" for it.
That list is such a cheap clickbait attempt by Gamespot to create lots of engangement – and it worked, because these kinda lists always work. And I'm sure they're fully aware of it. I mean, everyone has their own preference anyway, but they didn't even bother to list XI and XIV. And don't give me that "But they're MMOs" nonsense. That's a weakass argument. They're both mainline titles. And you can play both of them perfectly play solo just for the story alone, especially these days with all the additions to make this possible (AI companions in dungeons etc.)
As for me: Each entry is special. Some are better than others, yes. But I'm glad they all exist.
As for me: Each entry is special. Some are better than others, yes. But I'm glad they all exist.
Personally I think IX is the best.
Uematsu was really cooking.
The characters were fun.
And the themes of the story are meaningful and stick with you.
View: https://youtu.be/JIQ7aj0sTCU?si=Iz2fgmIpSLKGdqbg
I think XVI is a terrible game.
But I realise the series is something else today than it was in the 90s.
I'm like a Morrowind fan complaining about Oblivion and Skyrim.
There's a new audience, what I consider bad, others consider good.
I'm not going to play the next elder scrolls because I didn't like the fallouts and likewise after being disappointed with XV and XVI, I'm off FF.
Uematsu was really cooking.
The characters were fun.
And the themes of the story are meaningful and stick with you.
View: https://youtu.be/JIQ7aj0sTCU?si=Iz2fgmIpSLKGdqbg
I think XVI is a terrible game.
But I realise the series is something else today than it was in the 90s.
I'm like a Morrowind fan complaining about Oblivion and Skyrim.
There's a new audience, what I consider bad, others consider good.
I'm not going to play the next elder scrolls because I didn't like the fallouts and likewise after being disappointed with XV and XVI, I'm off FF.
I've seen some questionable FF rankings but this one is just something else.
I'd like to know who did this so I can discard any of their future opinion.
I'd like to know who did this so I can discard any of their future opinion.
Why is VII Remake included but not XIII-2, After Years and other sequels?
Also Tactics and XIV are missing so this list is a dud for me.
Also Tactics and XIV are missing so this list is a dud for me.
