Confession Time: I've never played a Final Fantasy game
- Thread starter Mr Rager
- Start date
I missed out when it originally dropped. Finally Played it on ps4 and the gameplay was cool enough, I wasn’t too into the main character. Surprisingly it was the limitations on what I could do and the visuals that ended up getting on my nerves the most. I’ve never been on of those “graphics whore” types, but modern games seemed to have spoiled the nostalgia of ps2 games; it even ruined some ps3 games for me. There are still some older games that I won’t ever stop loving but the mid-late ps2/Ps3 jrpg era doesn’t feel as enjoyable. I still love the snes/sega/ps1 jrpg’s though.
The PS4 version (and the international Zodiac Edition) is the definitive version. You chose the right one to play
The original was a slog and super long. I couldn't imagine playing the same game without FFx2/FFx4
I traveled for work at the time so I would carry my xbox360 with me and played in hotels. I even beat that big monster in the open world
How the hell did you finish 13?! You must have the patience of Mount Everest!
as much as I hated 13s story, about halfway through the game the battle system clicked for me n I found it exciting n smooth. the paradigm system is pretty fast n smooth, kept me on my toes. lookin back the gameplay was dope n kept you on your toes. prolly the only thing I can say the game did well besides the graphics.
How the hell did you finish 13?! You must have the patience of Mount Everest!
the Adamantoise?I traveled for work at the time so I would carry my xbox360 with me and played in hotels. I even beat that big monster in the open world
XannyWarbucks
Superstar
Well, I don't remember who said it, so I could quote them properly, but FF's are games that you had to grow up on. I don't think most people are going to get into them by playing the old ones on SNES and PSX, so VII RE and XV are probably the best points of entry, since ARPGs are the route the series is going towards anyway.
If you don't mind the graphical limitations though, I'll try to go through what I can. I've replayed all of them recently, in between free-time through working from home.
I-V are the hardest ones to get into due to the graphical limitations and how they play. Of those 5, I would say V is the best one to play, since the Job System lets you fukk around the most.
VI is the most-modern version of the early games, so it's a fine starting point. Relic system is ... hmm. Let's just say while you're restricted to class, Relic gives you the freedom to make what you can through it. It's not hard to use but the stat values of the games are a bit fukked. Story-wise, the first half is amazing, while the second lets you chose how you go about it. Terra is more of a plot device than MC, so the game gives you a lot of freedom to pick who you like, while still telling a decent story. The music is
I recommend this, if you want to see how SNES Turn-Based used to play.
VII is the most popular entry in the series. I can't understate how big of a deal this game was. It was the only reason a five-year old me got his PSX. At the time FMV's were something none of us could imagine. It gets shat on now because of clunky graphics, favoritism from devs, annoying fanboys and how shytty everything that derives from the series changed what the original was about, but I still think it's 100% worth playing. If you play any of the PSX ones, this should be the one. It's the most popular one for a reason. The story, the characters, the villain are iconic. The music is Uematsu at his best. Sidequests galore. Some people say it doesn't hold up due to Lego graphics, but if you look past all of that, you get one of the best video game experiences ever. It's not even my favorite, but I can't object against the statement, "Everyone should play FFVII, once in their lifetime" It's up there with OoT as a must-play forever. Ignore everything that comes after this game. Cloud isn't an emo/edge.
VIII and IX are niche titles. I enjoy both, but you probably shouldn't play either of them. I LOVE VIII, but I can't deny that the story is fukking stupid. The junction system is laughably easy-to-abuse, like Shaq in Nba Live 2003- who could post up, shoot from half court and get rebounds from the Foul line. But I fukking love that game. It's like that cousin that you know ain't shyt, but he's always a vibe. This is Uematsu continuing banging out another classic OST. Triple Triad is one of the best sidequests of all the FF's. You'll kill time just breaking that game. IX is... hard to explain. This is the one that people either really fukking love or really hate. It's a callback to the older ones, which I think makes it harder for newer players to get into. I can't like, I know I said I enjoy both, but I think the criticisms on this one stick out more than any one. The game is painstakingly slow to play. The plot is stronger than VIII (anything is) but it's not as fun as VIII. This is like the mid-00's Spurs of all the Final Fantasys: It's competent, does everything right without bringing in anything different or stepping out of its zone. I don't recommend you play either, just listen to the OSTs.
X is the next best one to play after VII. I think this is the easiest one to get into. This game is linear, but you forget that as you go through the game. Spira is such an amazing world and the characters help push you through why it's worth saving. Everyone is suffering, and every character has their own idea on how to stop Spira from suffering. It builds so much for a world we're simply walking from point A to point B. Anyone who complains about Tidus didn't really play the game. He starts off annoying but you get used to him quickly, and he comes off as completely likable by the end. The battling is fun. I can't explain it further, It's a different take on Turn-Based and you could switch to anyone. The movement is all streamlined and quick. If I didn't type enough as it is, I could break down the Sphere Grid and give it the respect it deserves, but lets just say it's one of the best and ambitious job systems in an RPG. This is as close as people will get to a WRPG's system. Music... Wandering Flame hits. I'll buy the OST just for Wandering Flame (unfortunately they fukked it up in the remake). BlitzBall... lets just say I have 1000 hours put on a sidequest since I started my file when I was ten. I highly recommend this game and think this is the objective best starting point. X2 is a different story, but after you play through a couple of FF's give it a try. It's the peak of the old ATB and Job Systems, which makes me wonder why they bothered switching.
XI MMO.
XII is overly ambitious, but it does tell the best political story. Now the biggest spite and criticisms is that the game is essentially deigned to be an offline MMO. So it follows similar systems. If you like grinding and low item drops, this is the one. Character-wise, only one of them stands out and that's Balthier.
XIII, three games so you'd assume it'd be one of the best. All I could say is, this is the equivalent of Kathleen Kennedy's Star Wars. It feels like the devs were (and later admitted) trying everything to make Lightning into the next Cloud. It failed. Lightning is unlikable, hell everyone in the game is unlikable, even the breh. The battle system is unintuitive, there are points where you could hold up and simply skip through fights. While X is linear, nobody could doubt that the world was beautiful and that everything about the game made the world seem much bigger than it actually was. This game feels restricted to corridors. There's nothing that we care about. We don't see the point in saving it. I think XIII-2 is a better approach with better characters, but it's not enough to save it. The less said about XIII-3, the better.
Sorry for the wall.
tl;dr- X, VII, VI, XII, XV and VII RE are decent points to start. You could go back to the others later. The last two are the latest ones and how the series is moving. If you like those, get into KH which is where they got the idea.
If you don't mind the graphical limitations though, I'll try to go through what I can. I've replayed all of them recently, in between free-time through working from home.
I-V are the hardest ones to get into due to the graphical limitations and how they play. Of those 5, I would say V is the best one to play, since the Job System lets you fukk around the most.
VI is the most-modern version of the early games, so it's a fine starting point. Relic system is ... hmm. Let's just say while you're restricted to class, Relic gives you the freedom to make what you can through it. It's not hard to use but the stat values of the games are a bit fukked. Story-wise, the first half is amazing, while the second lets you chose how you go about it. Terra is more of a plot device than MC, so the game gives you a lot of freedom to pick who you like, while still telling a decent story. The music is
I recommend this, if you want to see how SNES Turn-Based used to play.VII is the most popular entry in the series. I can't understate how big of a deal this game was. It was the only reason a five-year old me got his PSX. At the time FMV's were something none of us could imagine. It gets shat on now because of clunky graphics, favoritism from devs, annoying fanboys and how shytty everything that derives from the series changed what the original was about, but I still think it's 100% worth playing. If you play any of the PSX ones, this should be the one. It's the most popular one for a reason. The story, the characters, the villain are iconic. The music is Uematsu at his best. Sidequests galore. Some people say it doesn't hold up due to Lego graphics, but if you look past all of that, you get one of the best video game experiences ever. It's not even my favorite, but I can't object against the statement, "Everyone should play FFVII, once in their lifetime" It's up there with OoT as a must-play forever. Ignore everything that comes after this game. Cloud isn't an emo/edge.
VIII and IX are niche titles. I enjoy both, but you probably shouldn't play either of them. I LOVE VIII, but I can't deny that the story is fukking stupid. The junction system is laughably easy-to-abuse, like Shaq in Nba Live 2003- who could post up, shoot from half court and get rebounds from the Foul line. But I fukking love that game. It's like that cousin that you know ain't shyt, but he's always a vibe. This is Uematsu continuing banging out another classic OST. Triple Triad is one of the best sidequests of all the FF's. You'll kill time just breaking that game. IX is... hard to explain. This is the one that people either really fukking love or really hate. It's a callback to the older ones, which I think makes it harder for newer players to get into. I can't like, I know I said I enjoy both, but I think the criticisms on this one stick out more than any one. The game is painstakingly slow to play. The plot is stronger than VIII (anything is) but it's not as fun as VIII. This is like the mid-00's Spurs of all the Final Fantasys: It's competent, does everything right without bringing in anything different or stepping out of its zone. I don't recommend you play either, just listen to the OSTs.
X is the next best one to play after VII. I think this is the easiest one to get into. This game is linear, but you forget that as you go through the game. Spira is such an amazing world and the characters help push you through why it's worth saving. Everyone is suffering, and every character has their own idea on how to stop Spira from suffering. It builds so much for a world we're simply walking from point A to point B. Anyone who complains about Tidus didn't really play the game. He starts off annoying but you get used to him quickly, and he comes off as completely likable by the end. The battling is fun. I can't explain it further, It's a different take on Turn-Based and you could switch to anyone. The movement is all streamlined and quick. If I didn't type enough as it is, I could break down the Sphere Grid and give it the respect it deserves, but lets just say it's one of the best and ambitious job systems in an RPG. This is as close as people will get to a WRPG's system. Music...
Wandering Flame hits. I'll buy the OST just for Wandering Flame (unfortunately they fukked it up in the remake). BlitzBall... lets just say I have 1000 hours put on a sidequest since I started my file when I was ten. I highly recommend this game and think this is the objective best starting point. X2 is a different story, but after you play through a couple of FF's give it a try. It's the peak of the old ATB and Job Systems, which makes me wonder why they bothered switching.XI MMO.
XII is overly ambitious, but it does tell the best political story. Now the biggest spite and criticisms is that the game is essentially deigned to be an offline MMO. So it follows similar systems. If you like grinding and low item drops, this is the one. Character-wise, only one of them stands out and that's Balthier.
XIII, three games so you'd assume it'd be one of the best. All I could say is, this is the equivalent of Kathleen Kennedy's Star Wars. It feels like the devs were (and later admitted) trying everything to make Lightning into the next Cloud. It failed. Lightning is unlikable, hell everyone in the game is unlikable, even the breh. The battle system is unintuitive, there are points where you could hold up and simply skip through fights. While X is linear, nobody could doubt that the world was beautiful and that everything about the game made the world seem much bigger than it actually was. This game feels restricted to corridors. There's nothing that we care about. We don't see the point in saving it. I think XIII-2 is a better approach with better characters, but it's not enough to save it. The less said about XIII-3, the better.
Sorry for the wall.
tl;dr- X, VII, VI, XII, XV and VII RE are decent points to start. You could go back to the others later. The last two are the latest ones and how the series is moving. If you like those, get into KH which is where they got the idea.
I’d say start with 7 Remake and if you fukk with it then play X.
Anything after that is really up to what you liked or didn’t like about 7 Remake and X
Anything after that is really up to what you liked or didn’t like about 7 Remake and X
10 aged way better than stuff before it.
DJ Paul's Arm
Veteran
Start with Final Fantasy 3/6 whatever you want to call it.
I played on release and I tried again this year so I could move on to x-2. The hardware and software limitations affected the series from top to bottom, but the earlier installations did more with less. I’d rather play the better looking isometric game. I MIGHT be able to thug my way through X if it wasn’t for Titus.
I can still jump in and enjoy 6-8. I can put up with 9, the art direction still looks good.
Played one on Playstion 2 it didn't appeal to me and I've never touched one since
