Final Fantasy thread

[Kupokun]

Do I even need to say anything? 
my love for final fantasy is above fanboy level. 
especially moogles! <3 ^~^

[Archiver]

I'm just going to list all the stuff I liked about each game while trying not to list anything bad about them.

 

FF1 - It's your generic JRPG game. Nothing really pops out from the game that makes me say 'wow'. The best thing about it though was that it had a lot of replay value. Choosing you party composition really changes the difficulty of the game. One of the few Final Fantasy games that made me want to replay it immediately after finishing it.

 

FF2 - Again, another generic FF game. Nothing really pops up in my head when you say 'Final Fantasy 2'. Maybe except the different way it handled grinding. It now has Proficiency, and oh boy, a lot of people hated that. I'm one of the few people that actually liked grinding, I liked looking at a completely filled proficiency bar. But near the end it got boring. Compare it to FF1 where a job has a specific role, in FF2 anyone can fill that role. Unfortunately the game didn't really do it properly, the whole proficiency thing. It wasn't really balanced.

 

FF3 - It's pretty much just a remake of FF1. Even the whole 'four warriors of light' thing is straight from FF1. Another Final Fantasy game that had replay value because you can choose your jobs near the beginning. It also added the Job system. I liked it a lot, I'm a sucker for any game with a job system.

 

FF4 - Maybe I wasn't really invested in the story for the first three but this was the one of the first Final Fantasy story that I was really invested in. I'm not going to say this had the best story because it didn't. I'm saying the story for FF4 was a lot more fleshed out than FF1-3. Also the first Final Fantasy game with ATB. I actually like the ATB gameplay unlike others. FF4 is a first for a lot of things. DO NOT PLAY THE NORTH AMERICAN LOCALIZATION. It was dumbed down significantly and I did not found out about it years later. I did manage to play the original and intended version eventually.

 

FF5 - ATB, job system, good enough story. All in all it's like combining FF1, FF3 and FF4. It polished existing mechanics, like new abilities for jobs, and added a ton more customization. And you know me, I like those things. It's my drug. Also was probably the first Final Fantasy that actually killed your characters. If you win the boss fight with fainted party members, they die and you get a bad ending. Everyone sure likes talking about Aerith dying but no one talks about this. It's a shame really since it felt more shocking than Aerith. It happened at the literal end of the game, you've had a LONG time to be emotionally invested in these characters. Also replaying the boss fight adds a whole new tension to it. Fucking. Amazing. It's the most overlooked Final Fantasy game and that saddens me.

 

FF6 - Oh boy, when I think FF6 I think of Kefka. My favorite Final Fantasy villain. Amazing story. Amazing characters. Sure it didn't have the job customization I love but the character arcs makes up for it. When I think of FF6 I think of the story and its characters. Seeing Cyan watch his wife and child in the Phantom Train broke my heart.

 

FF7 - I'm going to be honest, I think FF7 is overhyped. The first 3D Final Fantasy to be made and I believe is the reason for it being held in high regard. And I can't blame them. The switch from 2D to 3D graphics-wise was astounding. Just watching the opening cutscene made me remember what I felt when I first played it as a kid. It also had the Limit Break system which made the combat more engaging. Combine it with the 3D environment and camera movement makes combat more exciting. It also introduced the most iconic characters in the whole franchise.

 

FF8 - I hear a lot of people hating this game. Their main complaint is that Squall is a whiny baby and that the story sucked. I don't agree. Squall is probably my favorite character in the whole franchise. He wasn't a destined hero, he wasn't born with special powers nor was he a genetically engineered super soldier and I love it. He was just a normal student and a regular soldier. An antisocial person, sure, but you see him grow to love and care for his friends throughout the story. He didn't have a moral obligation to save the world nor did he really care. He just wanted to protect his friends and saving the world was just a bonus. Best character development ever.

 

FF9 - I don't know where to start. The story, the soundtrack, the visuals, the music, the character designs, everything is just great. The character development of the main character, while not as good as FF8, is still pretty good. Remember when I said FF4 was a first for a lot of things? Well FF9 is a last of a lot of things. The last single digit Final Fantasy, the last game for the PS1, even people that worked on FF1-8 this will be their last game to develop. This game will always have a special place in my heart.

 

FF10 - First PS2 game which means, just like FF7, drastically improved visuals. Voice acting which is a first. First game to not have an overworld and a linear story which resulted in very hallway-like maps. That's not a bad thing however since the story is one of the best. A healthy cast of side characters which resulted in some pretty cool character relationships and dialogue. Also one of, if not, the BEST soundtrack in any Final Fantasy game.

 

FF12 - I didn't like FF12. The story was okay and the side characters were eh. What I did like was the main character. Just like Squall he wasn't anyone important. It was more of a story about the people around you rather than the story focusing on you. I liked that.

 

This is my list.
8 = 6 > 9 > 10 > 7 > 5 = 4 > 3 = 1 >12 > 2

tl;dr
8 - Best character development. Great story, great music.
6 - Best character relationships/arcs. Great story, good music.
9 - Great story, great music, great character design.
10 - Best music, great story, great cast.
7 - Great combat, great music, great story, good visuals.
5 - Good innovation, okay story.
4 - Best innovation.
3 - Replayability.
1 - Replayability.
12 - Good main character
2 - Proficiency.

 

I'm not going to play FF13+. I believe it lost its charm after FF9. The new action centric games is just not for me.

Also fun fact, FF7 was probably the most advertised game in the franchise and the remake is no different.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Archiver

[londark]

Vaan wasn't the main character of the XII. He was meant to represent the player, a normal kid getting caught up in something bigger than him, that stuck around till the end of the journey. Vaan was supposed to be the one whoose point of view we would use to see the story and the world of the grown ups. 

Ashe was the main character, the one that a real and solid goal in the story, followed by Basch and his persona redemption. Those are the 2 that kept the story moving, mostly Ashe, who was there at the beginning, and at the end of the game. Bathier also had some importance and goals in all of this, mostly a clean up of his past and from his father; he said in the end that he is the protagonist of the story to Vaan, and while he actually isn't, what he said to Vaan is important because it removes the protagonist role from Vaan himself, and pointing out that even if you aren't the main character, the main focus of the story or adventure, there is something that only you can do, and your contribute is no less usefull than the others. 

 

Fran and Penelo on the other hand are really there just as sidekick for their respective male counterparts. I think Fran had just a little moment on the Viera village and no more. The only think you'll remember Penelo for is getting kidnapped on the mine or whatever. 

 

I think FF XII was a lot underrated because it's the story of a group of men, fighitng other men. There are no otherwordly enemies trying to destroy the world. no witchies trying to distort time, no soldiers genetically tempered with alien genoma. Just normal humans ( considering them normal in a world where you get out of the city and get attacked by Dinos) fighting for normal and wordly things. 

 

Also, while i agree that XIII and sequels are really bad FF games, and that i don't consider XV a canon Final Fantasy, there are at least 3 other spin off that deserve to be mentioned.

 

FF Tactics, either version for PSP or PS1. It's just a masterpiece. War of the Lions would have been the best game for PSP was it not for Tactics Ogre LUCT. 

FF Crisis Core, different king of game from all the others, has probably the best story of all, and the final battle, is just perfect. They were able to mix toghether battle and story all in one making you feeling how drammatic the moment was.

FF Agito or Type 0. It's a pretty cool game, but really hard. It honestly left the Final Fantasy style and went on a more modern one. but still the last good Final Fantasy that was released (Fuck Brave Exvius)