Top 10 Final Fantasy Games
Ever since I played the first Final Fantasy on my NES back when I was just a wee lad, I’ve been an RPG fanatic. Thankfully, the series that pulle me in went on to become one of the definitive franchises in video games. Here, I take a look at the best of what the series has to offer us.
10. Eight: Obviously everyone was crazy about Final Fantasy after VII hit the PlayStation back in 1997, but Square showed us the term technical excellence when it released FFVIII just a couple years later. Turns out we just thought we knew beautiful, because VIII was simply gorgeous. Who can forget that opening cutscene? While it may not be as fondly remembered as some of its brethren, VIII absolutely deserves a spot not only on this list, but on the tomes of all RPG lore. While that is truly a testament to Final Fantasy’s popularity and appeal, it also speaks to how good of a game FFVIII is.. Now, about that draw system…
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9. One: The one that started it all. Having recently completed a run through of this on my GBA, the beautiful details of this game are still planted firmly in my brain. While story and character development, future hallmarks of the franchise, were basically non-existent, FF set the basis for the most enduring RPG series ever…that has to be worth something, right? Creating your party at the outset was one of the highlights of my early gaming career, and after all these years I am still rolling with the Warrior, Black Belt, White Mage and Black Mage. Some things never change.
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8. Nine: I know a lot of people have polarizing thoughts about FFIX, but I firmly stick by my decision. If I was basing this purely off my preference alone, in fact, IX would be a lot higher on the list. I loved it. I’ll admit that I wasn’t as initially drawn in to IX as I was other titles, but once I started to dig into it, I couldn’t put it down. The cast of characters may not have had the greatest emotional impact, but awesome party members like Vivi and Steiner are truly unforgettable additions to the Final Fantasy mythos. And remember the screen-hunting Chocobo minigames? C’mon, that was one of the best long-form sidequests in series history.
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7. Twelve: FFXII wasn’t one of my personal favorite Final Fantasy games, but you can’t really deny the technical achievements of the game, or the fact that it was simply a hell of a lot of fun. I think I was so caught off guard by it because it was so radically different from the other titles in the series. In retrospect, however, it was really just a harbinger of what was to come. Concepts like the gambit and license systems were obviously expanded upon in FFXIII, and little touches like character proportion and no random encounters seem to herald the future of the series, rather than try to imitate the past.
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6. Thirteen: I’ll group XIII and XIII-2 kind of together here, because while they do sport some differences, the similarities are enough to warrant a single mention. While obviously there are complaints from many of the series fan base about the story of FFXIII (I am one of those complaining by the way), I have always felt that that unfortunate shortcoming has made us perhaps overlook some of the positive aspects of the game. The characters, with some obvious exceptions (cough Hope cough) were fairly well-written, the Crystarium leveling system was incredibly addictive, and the combat was top-notch. Sure Hope and Vanille were grating, but I enjoyed the gamer after it was all said and done, and that counts for something.
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5. Ten: Okay, okay. I’ll get this disclaimer out of the way from the beginning: Everything I say in this paragraph will act like the laughing scene never existed. Whew, now that that’s out of the way, wasn’t FFX a great game? Such a diverse cast of characters, such an interesting combat system, and, oh that sphere grid. It was alright. But I’ll always consider X as having one of the best FF storylines around, and one of the best love stories in a game ever. The story of Tidus and Yuna’s meeting, falling for each other, and eventual heart-breaking finale was more than enough of a catalyst for me to push through to the end, and of course I had Auron to help me out. Oh, and something about Sin too…
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4. Tactics: I know, I know. Some may argue that Tactics isn’t really a Final Fantasy game, that, if anything, it is just a Tactics Ogre game with chocobos. Those people are wrong. Everything that makes Final Fantasy games great in my opinion are here: characters you care about, a deep and involved leveling system, and a fantastic story. The tale of the Civil War of Ivalice is outstanding; far and away one of the best tales told in a video game to date, even if it was a bit confusing in its execution. Regardless, Ramza’s tale belongs in the upper echelon of Final Fantasy lore.
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3. Four: I know Cloud and Lightning get a lot of love, but has there ever been a more interesting protagonist in a Final Fantasy game than Cecil? The tale of the dark knight trying to redeem himself in the face of all the atrocious deeds he has done in his military career, man that is some heavy stuff. Add in Rydia’s story, Kain’s betrayal, and of course that spoony bard and you have a recipe for a beautifully realized tale. The added combat options from having a five-man party were pretty cool as well, but the real icing on the cake is Cecil’s transformation to a Paladin. That was the stuff of legends.
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2. Seven: You knew it was coming. Who doesn’t love FFVII? The crazy awesome graphics (for the time anyway), the ridiculously awesome story of Cloud and his attempt to both save the world and figure out who he is, and of course the heart-wrenching moment at the end of the first disc that will stay with me until the day I die. Final Fantasy VII truly had it all, and has earned its rightful place in the annals of not only Final Fantasy history, but in the pantheon of video games themselves. Plus, I totally have a thing for Tifa.
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1. Six: Final Fantasy VI is not only the best Final Fantasy ever in my eyes, it might possibly be the greatest game ever created. There are so many aspects of this game that are just perfect, I literally don’t know where to begin. Maybe with the music, whose use of leitmotif captures the essence of the game in a way that I can never remember hearing anywhere else. Or maybe with the crew of characters you obtain, who I believe are the greatest collection of personalities in an RPG bar none. What about the Esper system, the opera scene, the destruction of the world, the death of General Leo, trying to save Cid as Ceres and then tracking down your scattered party, seriously, I don’t know which one of these is the best, so I’ll just take the sum of their parts. Final Fantasy VI is the definitive way to experience the greatest RPG series ever.
