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Jonathan27

Jonathan27

I figured I would create an off-shoot of the General Video Games Discussion thread, considering Final Fantasy spans 14 major entries and a ridiculous number of spin-offs.

Final Fantasy has established itself as the flagship RPG series, and has consequently built a strong and vast fanbase. While Square Enix has come under fire as of late due to the quality of recent entries, the back catalog stands head and shoulders above standard video games as true masterclass works.

I've recently taken on the task of playing all of them, so I can call myself a true fan. I'm currently going back through VI for completionist purposes, but am looking toward IV as the next entry to tackle. What's the general consensus as to a favorite in the series aside from the obvious choice?
 
KamikazeHeart

KamikazeHeart

I'd say VI is generally the most praised one, after VII that is.

Never quite got into VI for some reason though. It felt a bit... ambitious? I never quite connected with the characters as much as a game of that size almost requires you to. Celes was amazing, but it was almost like Square didn't really know how to handle such a big cast.
 
citoig

citoig

I'd have said IX was the next favourite, really? It's certainly the best reviewed one (more so than VII even, actually!). I am very fond of VI, though. Obviously the step up between it and VII is one the likes of which has never been seen outside of the Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto series, but as a game in it's own merit, it kicks the ass of even 99% games released nowadays.


I would also like to go on a rant about how XIII was actually a really good game at some point, but I fear now isn't the time for that.
 
Mikl C

Mikl C

This used to be a perfect series, but then they got progressively worse to the point where I don't even care any more. 13 was just unforgivably shit.
 
Jonathan27

Jonathan27

I didn't realize you were a Final Fantasy fan citoig! Consider bonding time officially on.

IX was the first one I played, so I have a major soft spot for it. I need to make sure it's not just nostalgia that puts it at number two on my list. I consider X the best. Did anyone else just completely fall apart at the ending? Oh my goodness, I don't think it's dramatic to say it literally left its mark on my entire life.

I agree about VI, Kamikaze. I loved that there were so many characters and they weren't just cutouts, but I enjoyed VII having fewer characters and doing more with them. Terra, Celes and Cyan were ace though.
 
R

Resi12

Ahhh, I used to fucking love video games growing up but Final Fantasy is the only one that stuck. Well maybe Resident Evil and Pokemon but Final Fantasy for sure.

IX is my favourite. The music, the characters the story, the locations, the clips... All perfection, I hated when people made it out to be shit. The ending still makes my heart all warm, sappy I know but alas...

[video=youtube;sHBGwxaA3Cs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHBGwxaA3Cs[/video]

The only shit thing was that horrible walkthrough I bought after beating it that made you go online to find out things you paid to see in the first place! The Alexander FMV summon is also one of my favourite clips in Final Fantasy history. Along with VIII and X. All glorious, I loved VII too but never as much as everyone else it seems. The older ones, I played them but they never made any lasting memories, I think it was VI (or is it III?) with Terra was my favourite.

XII and XIII... They are too over produced and complicated/intricate, trying to memorise all the names of the groups/locations in 12 was beyond irritating and it didn't help they were impossibly pronounced. "Galtean Peninsula of Ordalia", who was thinking that shit up? I think I still don't even get what 12 was about.
 
J

jamesterrancewest

First one I played was 6 (3 for SNES) in the early/mid 90s. Just completed 4 on the Game Boy Advance. Great games.
 
Mikl C

Mikl C

7 has the best story I think. I love the materia and mythos of the whole thing. x-2 is actually my favourite battle system. And one of my favourite games. *unpopular*
 
citoig

citoig

FF X-2 was actually a fine game, it just was never going to succeed as a "Final Fantasy" game. It would have worked a lot better (and probably be a lot more fondly remembered) if it was a completely unrelated game. Which wouldn't have been impossible, to be fair. It did bring Koda Kumi into my life though, so I'll always be grateful to it.

As for IX, literally the only flaw I can think of in the whole game is that you can only get Excaliber II in less than 12 hours or more than 256000 hours. Really frustrating.

Jonathan27 said:
I didn't realize you were a Final Fantasy fan citoig! Consider bonding time officially on.
Click to expand...

You mean you've missed my serialized thesis on Final Fantasy VIII in the main thread??

... Consider yourself lucky.
 
Jonathan27

Jonathan27

Final Fantasy X-2 had a fantastic battle system, but the game was ruined by the completionist in me that wanted 100% and the perfect ending. Personally, I don't like too much freedom; I get sidetracked, frustrated and overwhelmed all at once. X had the perfect amount of linearity for me. I love, love, loved the music of X-2, though! Those pop smashes were just everything!

Somehow despite knowing most of VII's plot, there were still parts that surprised me, which is certainly commendable on its part. I think it's about as overrated as IX is underrated, which is a good margin. I was actually quite surprised by how limited the sidequests were, though. After spending endless hours attempting to attain the ultimate weapons in X, I was a bit underwhelmed by VII's extra content.

The series has so many fantastic leading women, I'm realizing. Celes, Tifa, Rinoa, Eiko (more of a side character, but whatevs), Yuna...there's so many amazing ones.

citoig, I did in fact miss that! Good or bad? I played VIII all the way until the final dungeon, and then for some reason I just...stopped.
 
RUNAWAY

RUNAWAY

Staff member
he/him
Yeah, can we just talk about the music for a second? XIII-2's music was the most AMAHZINGGGGGGGGG thing I've ever heard. Is it wrong when the music is better than the game? Well...at least better than the first game. XIII-2 was AWESOME.
 
Mikl C

Mikl C

7 had loads of sidequests! Chocobo breeding/racing, weapons, hidden summons/materia, Battle rounds in the Gold Saucer.
 
Rmx

Rmx

He/Him/His
My first Final Fantasy game was X, and it will always be my favourite. I know this is so bad and makes me a complete douche, but I find it very hard to enjoy the older Final Fantasy's. I've tried almost all of them but didn't finish any. I got quite far on VII though, perhaps I should pick that up again.

But X and X-2 are just amazing. Those games are literally my teen years, considering when you combine play times I've played them for like 600 hours. I blame X-2 for most of that. But I sure as hell got that 100%!! So satisfying!
 
RJF

RJF

X was the last Final Fantasy game to properly get it. A rich, complex, rewarding storyline that didn't just cycle through the usual clichés, a well fleshed out cast, a good battle system and of course the bittersweet ending which made it one of the best endings of the franchise. Everything that's followed has just been sheer fuckery. The battle system in XII was one of the worst of the entire series, along with faceless characters and a tedious overworld, and XIII feels more like a platform game despite it's better storyline and characters.

IX gets lost in between the blockbusters of VIII and X, but it's one of the best games. The storyline alone blows many of the other games far out the water, and it seems to hold onto its themes far better throughout (Life, death, free will, circumstances of birth mean fuck all, etc.). I wonder how it would have turned out if it had been put out on the PS2 like originally planned.

VII is, of course, one of the best games ever made.

1. VII
2. IX
3. X
4. VIII
5. XIII
6. XII
 
R

Resi12

XII was really desperate wasn't it? I didn't mind the characters but they felt and even looked sort of like X rip off's. Vaan - Tidus, Ashe - Yuna, Basche - Auron, Fran - Lulu and Penelo - Rikku.

I actually hated most characters in XIII, especially Hope and my God... Vanille. HER VOICE.
 
Rmx

Rmx

He/Him/His
I haven't even finished XII and XIII. I'm right before the final boss in XIII but for some reason I just can't be arsed.
 
Mikl C

Mikl C

I wouldn't bother. I can't even remember the storyline of 12 or 13. I'm not actually sure 12 had one, I remember 2 of the main characters having absolutely nothing to do with any part of the plot.
 
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