After seeing a bit aggro regarding Jeff and Brads view on FFVII and re-releases it sparked a little curiosity. I know have dipped in out of previous FInal Fantasises but never really be taken aback by them. But, I do not know a series non-Nintendo that sparks such passion and nostalgia from people.

I know which are the most famous, best critically reviewed and most fondly remembered; but what would be people say was the best Final Fantasy is context of current times? If you could play one of these for the first time again which would it be?

I went with Final Fantasy IV, but you really should have offered Final Fantasy Tactics as an option. :)

Final Fantasy X.

X was my favourite.

4 - 10 are all really good, but 7 is my favourite. 7 being my favourite doesn't diminish the greatness of the other 6 though, unlike what Jeff and Brad were saying about it ruining the franchise.

I voted VI. Why? Because Kefka.

I do not know a series non-Nintendo that sparks such passion and nostalgia from people.

Metal Gear Solid? Crash Bandicoot? Halo? Goldeneye? Half-Life? Diablo? Quake? Spyro the Dragon?

Anyway, I picked FF6; however, keep in mind that I've only played VI, VII, and XII.

X. It was the one I played the most in my jr high years.

I've only completed the first three Final Fantasy games, and of the three I liked the first one the most.

For me it's between VI and IX, but I went with VI in the end.

@IBurningStar said:

I voted VI. Why? Because Kefka.

Yes. Also this:

XII is probably my favorite main-series Final Fantasy game. I-III are pretty archaic at this point, IV-VI are great but are quite similar in many ways to Chrono Trigger which I like a lot more, and I don't particularly care for VII, VIII and X, mostly because of the character design and over-abundance of slow, overwrought cutscenes and battle animations. IX is a weird outlier that's more a 2D throwback than anything else and XIII is just plain weird.

None of them are as good as Final Fantasy Tactics or Vagrant Story though, if you ask me.

10 is the only one I've finished. It was pretty great as well.
 
I did play through 3 of the 4 discs of FF8 as well, but I was borrowing it from a friend and he wanted it back before I could finish it.

X easily. It is not only my favourite Final Fantasy game but it's also my favourite game of all time (plus it includes my favourite song of all time - Besaid Island).

However, I should point out I played the PAL version which included the Advanced Sphere Grid and the Dark Aeons/Penance secret bosses - which, specifically with the advanced sphere grid option, seriously improves the replayability of the game and allows much more diverse choice in how to level your characters. Yet, even if I played it on the standard sphere grid and didn't even encounter the dark aeons (a kind of playthrough I have done before) then purely on the story, the amount of sidequests and most importantly with what I believe is the best combat system in the Final Fantasy series, then it still towers ahead of the others (and would still be my favourite game of all time).

Seriously love this game.

Wait, who voted FFXIII?

Don't make me have to jump into this computer. >_>

I was going to vote for X or XIII, but after watching the Theatrhythm QL I'm going to go back and play IV and VI. Then I'll make a more informed choice... Or by that time I'll have forgotten about this thread.

@TruthTellah said:

Wait, who voted FFXIII?

Don't make me have to jump into this computer. >_>

More importantly... who the hell voted XIII-2?

EDIT: Also, I'd just like to point out that there is no such thing as FF XII-2, unless you count Revenant Wings. Although that's more of a spin-off than a main-series sequel.

@TruthTellah said:

Wait, who voted FFXIII?

Don't make me have to jump into this computer. >_>

Each to their own - as much as people hate the game, it still has some seriously fantastic parts to it, especially the battle system which could easily be argued to be the closest the series has ever gotton to truely balancing status ailments and buffs as well as being one of the few battle systems which requires strategy and actually gives a challende (by stopping the player simply overlevelling and brute forcing all of the bosses).

However if I had gone for one of those then I would easily vote for XIII-2 over XIII since it keeps the battle system but brings what is in my opinion a better story and pacing (as well as having one of my favourite levels/areas in any of the Final Fantasy games in "The Undying World").

Which reminds me... why is XIII-2 there but not X-2? And as far as I can tell XII-2 doesn't exist (unless the DS game Revenant Wings counts as XII-2). X-2 is a fantastic game to me and is definitely in my top 3.

Wow people actually voted for XIII and XIII-2? Man...

Also, no tactics! Booo!

Here come all the weeaboos to vote for X.

I voted FFVIII since it's my favorite, and one that I've had no trouble going back to every year or so and enjoying immensely. Having played it originally in my teenage days, the story didn't bug me as much then, though now that I've "grown up," I can see why people like to poke fun at it. Though let's be honest, many, many JRPG stories are quite silly when you think of them.

I still think the junction and drawing system in 8 is one of the best, and the music is absolutely fantastic from that game.

9 is my favorite. Has some of the best characters i have seen in a video game

i feel like jeff and brad are two of the least qualified people to be judging jrpg's. i say that with as little animosity and as much love as possible.

That 6 is losing I guess I should chalk up to younger kids not playing it because it's 16 bit. They're missing out. That game is ... I will try to get my children to play it. If Mario is the Beatles, FF6 is David Bowie.

I've actually only finished XIII and XIII-2 so I wouldn't say I have the rights to really vote on this.

Probably... X > VIII > VII > VI and beyond that I'm not fussed, although I have played most of them at some point. VII up til X were some good ass games, despite what some old "vidier games was better in mah days" people would have you believe.

By coincidence, I'm listening to the soundtrack to VIII on piano as I write this, good background music to work to.

@algertman said:

Here come all the weeaboos to vote for X.

Apparently your right. X was "okay" at best, it was no where near the best in the series. At least IX isn't leading the polls. Maybe it is just me but Vegeta doesn't make a strong main villain. Especially when we all know he likes pink shirts.

@Dixavd said:

X-2 is a fantastic game to me and is definitely in my top 3.

I don't even know how to respond. You have a right to your view but if I had to order FF games from low # being good to high being bad let's just say X2 would be getting rated REALLY high.

No Tactics or Mystic Quest (either one) or any of the other spin-offs? Eh, I'd have said VI either way.

@algertman said:

Here come all the weeaboos to vote for X.

Apparently your right. X was "okay" at best, it was no where near the best in the series. At least IX isn't leading the polls. Maybe it is just me but Vegeta doesn't make a strong main villain. Especially when we all know he likes pink shirts.

I voted for VI. I like IV up to XII though.

6 or 7. I don't think 7 is as bad as people make it out to be, and at the same time I don't know if 6 is that much better. Saying that as someone who only really played both of them within the last year.

So basically my vote goes to Chrono Trigger.

VII Is my most favourite amongst the FF's that I played (mainly VII, VIII, X, a little X-2 before stopping and XII) from a gameplay perspective and nostalgia. X is a weird one for me as it has great gameplay that I enjoyed, yet a horrible story and a good portion of terrible characters (Tidus is such an annoying brat seriously). VIII is the same way too for me.

It's a throw up between 7 and 10 for me. "Yeah mainstream!". Probably going for 7 since I liked breaking it so much, all the glitches and the materia system was infinite replayability for me.

7 and 10 are the ones I actually managed to play through recently, and still enjoy. I really love 6 and 9 but they just don't hold up as well for me. Aside from the first few playthrough years ago, I just can't get through them today. Kefka for life though <3.

I barely touched 1-5 and I really disliked 8. 12 and 13 where kind of fun at best, horrendously boring at worst. Still I enjoyed them enough to not regret buying them.

I voted for 3 because I really liked the job system and the gameplay in general. I also liked 10 and 12 to some extent.

@CL60 said:

@Karkarov

@algertman said:

Here come all the weeaboos to vote for X.

Apparently your right. X was "okay" at best, it was no where near the best in the series. At least IX isn't leading the polls. Maybe it is just me but Vegeta doesn't make a strong main villain. Especially when we all know he likes pink shirts.

Yo guys, opinions. I've played every FF game and X is still my favorite.

Well for all I will rag on Wakka and Lulu and say this game was "okay" at best it would still probably be in my top 5 FF games if I went through the effort of making a list. It almost restored my previous near fanboi level of faith in square.... but then they released X-2 and any good work it had done was shattered irrevocably.

I really loved IX. The main plot was relatively simple, the characters were a lot of fun and the world and style of everything was just really amazing, with a touch of the old school. It did fall apart a bit after the end of the second disc, but it's still probably my favourite Final Fantasy game. I've hated all the games that follow the VII influence. VIII, X, XII and XIII just weren't particularly good games, nor did they have good characters or tell good stories, in my opinion.

I voted for X bescaue it is the best FF game, also it was the first FF game I played so there is that. Dumb main character aside FFX was a really game.

IX and XII hold the most fond memories for me

Voted for IX. I have very fond memories of it. VI is also a great game but my memories of it aren't as coloured by childhood nostalgia.

Kefka ftw!

Voted for IX. Because Vivi, that's why.

How did you include FF XIII-2 and not X-2? If you're gonna do a once and for all Final Fantasy poll, get all the choices right! Also, I chose FFVI because yes.

Final Fantasy VIII is by far one of my favorites. Honestly though XIII and XIII-2 are both up there for me. Adore the world and characters in the XIII universe.

XIII. Maybe XIII-2. Come at me bro.

I would've said Tactics, but VI otherwise.

There's a lot of choices, for different reasons, with obviously no right answer. For example, FFXIII or XIII-2 if I were going purely on gameplay merits. FFVIII for characters, VI for overall narrative. X and XIII close for setting.

In terms of overall package, for me, FFVIII. Especially since I consider characters the most important aspect of any RPG. But I loved every FF except maybe IX so it's a narrow margin.

@InfiniteGeass said:

XIII. Maybe XIII-2. Come at me bro.

Who do dress up as when you go to anime conventions? Or do you pick a Naruto character?

Glad I'm not the only one who voted for V.

I think I'm one of those few people who really enjoyed 8; probably because I never played the Nintendo-era Final Fantasies. 7 made no sense and 9 had terrible load times and a boring set of characters, IMO. 10 was too weaboo for me to handle anymore and I haven't played a Final Fantasy game since unless you count Crystal Chronicles or Kingdom Hearts.