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VI
IV
IX
VII
XII
V
X
VIII
XIV
XIII
III
XI
I
II

dunpeal2064 wrote:Eh, why not.

VII
X
VI
IX
XIII
V
IV
VIII
XII
I
II

I figure there is no reason to exclude XII/XIII if X is included. If we were just doing traditional FF games, I would cut it off at IX personally.

I have not played III.

Out of that entire list, I have cleared and thoroughly enjoyed each entry... except II. I thought that game was miserable. I'm sure I'll try to tackle it again at some point.

I have a hard time choosing between VI and X, as I find them both to be excellent... in fact, I would say they are both technically better than VII.

The remake of III on the DS is very well done I highly recommend it.

FF V - maybe it's controversial to put this on top. The story isn't anything special but I think back on the job system with nothing but fondness.
FF VI - total classic, hard to argue with.
FF IV - Really took the series in the direction it's known for, (comparatively) well-defined characters and a focus on story
FF IX - my favorite of the 32-bit games; it feels like a great combination of everything that came before.
FF VII - overrated or not, it has solid gameplay, a decent story, and a lot of interesting weirdness in how the art style changes depending on what's going on (as in chibi or realistic)
FF X - I liked the sphere grid system, but didn't like that I had to use every character in every battle to make them level up equally (okay that might be a flaw in my play-style rather than the game). I hated most of the characters, but Tidus especially. The story was blah and took up so much of the game that it knocked it down a few pegs IMO.
FF III - I've only played the DS version. It didn't strike me as anything too special, but having a job system is kind of fun and it was decent enough.
FF I - it is what it is, an 8-bit RPG that IMO doesn't offer too much for modern players.
FF VIII - UGH, SQUALL LEONHART, I HATE THAT GUY. The battles took *forever* due to the weird magic-drawing system, the story felt like it was aimed EXCLUSIVELY to teenagers, and I just felt like it was a total mess.
FF II - This game is terrible. That's all that needs to be said.

I'm currently playing FF XI and X-2 and if I was to put them on this list, I'd say that XI would go between IX and VII and maybe X-2 right before it?

I've never actually beaten II, V and VI, but:

III - Primarily due to the DS remake
IX
(XI)
(XII)
(XIII)
I
II - I derive a strange kind of pleasure from the game for a few hours.
X - Ass story
IV - Ditto
V - Every time I've tried to play it, I just stop at the Shiva dungeon. (Or Ifrit? Both?)
VI
VIII - This could maybe be higher. I, III and IX are the only FFs of the first ten that I really care at all about.
VII

1. Final Fantasy IX
2. Final Fantasy I
3. Final Fantasy VI
4. Final Fantasy VII
5. Final Fantasy IV
...I really don't have much of an opinion on the other mainline games.

@Nemoide - you were right to put FFV near the top, even if its story is uninteresting. What do you spend most of the time in Final Fantasy games doing, after all?

dedalusdedalus wrote:Plus they felt like they emphasized style over substance--as if Square were trying to compensate for boring game mechanics with high production values.

They've been doing that with many games since FFVI.

I think I did this a year or two ago, but my opinion has changed. Not including some games I haven't played.

-Good end
-Dissidia Final Fantasy
-Final Fantasy V
-Final Fantasy Tactics
-Final Fantasy XIII-2
-Final Fantasy VI
-Final Fantasy XIII
-Final Fantasy VII
-Final Fantasy IV (PS1 version)
-Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
-Final Fantasy X-2
-Final Fantasy IX
-Final Fantasy XII
-Final Fantasy III
-Final Fantasy VIII
-Final Fantasy X
-Final Fantasy
-Final Fantasy II
-Bad end

I'd like to play Dissidia 012, Four Heroes of Light, Lightning Returns, Type-0, and a few others so I can add them to the list. Wonder if that Type-0 fan translation will ever be completed anyway.

You know what would be a lot more interesting? Ranking Final Fantasy soundtracks! I did not take music or storyline in account for my list, because I can listen to the OST anytime and no Final Fantasy story, with the exception of VI and maybe Crisis Core, is particularly good. And the cutscenes are on youtube. Each FF game has some pretty cool moments and there's usually one awesome character, like Vivi or Cecil.

I also didn't include the Saga series or Final Fantasy Adventure. If the Kingdom Hearts series were on the list, it would be on the very bottom.

pierrot wrote:I've never actually beaten II, V and VI, but:

III - Primarily due to the DS remake
IX
(XI)
(XII)
(XIII)
I
II - I derive a strange kind of pleasure from the game for a few hours.
X - Ass story
IV - Ditto
V - Every time I've tried to play it, I just stop at the Shiva dungeon. (Or Ifrit? Both?)
VI
VIII - This could maybe be higher. I, III and IX are the only FFs of the first ten that I really care at all about.
VII

Just happened upon this thread again. I actually have beaten all of these games now, so I kind of felt like reassessing this ranking, with the version(s) of the games that I've beaten:


III - (DS)
IX - (PS1)
V - (SFC)
XI - (PS2/PC)
XII - (PS2)
XIII - (PS3)
I - (PS1)
IV - (SNES/PSP)
X - (PS2)
II - (FC)
VIII - (PS1)
VI - (SFC)
VII - (PS1)

Pretty subtle differences. Not much has changed, but I guess after actually finishing II and VI, my opinions of those two ended up worse. V was really solid, when I actually put the time into it. The difference between X and IV is sort of a toss-up. Everything below that is just varying levels of, 'I don't care at all about this game.'

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on the Gamecube is better than all of these games, though.

I actually haven't beaten that many FF games, but I've played a bit of most of them. As such my incomplete ranking is probably as follows.

FF IV
FF
FF VI
FF II
FF IX
FF III
FF V
FF VII/VIII

pierrot wrote:Just happened upon this thread again. I actually have beaten all of these games now, so I kind of felt like reassessing this ranking, with the version(s) of the games that I've beaten:

I thought this was that more recent "Rate the series" thread we had, so I was so confused when I saw the first post of yours on here like, how has Pierrot not beaten V and VI, he certainly talks like he has O_o"

I guess me ranking the ones I've beaten/played a lot of:

VI
V
IX
III
VII
X
I
IV (SFC)

I'm not entirely sure on VII and IX's places on this list, as I played them many years ago at this point, and it was back when I was far less critical of games than I am now (or at least my critiques were far less nuanced).

As for my very low opinion of IV compared to most other people here, I've made no secret about my issues with its story on the Games Beaten thread, and the SFC version I'm most familiar with has some pretty dreadful lacking of quality of life issues on top of that that are walk-backs from even FF III.

X I also played quite a long time ago, but it's stronger in my memory for whatever reason. I really thought the setting/world were cool, but I really did not like the characters at all. I enjoyed the playing of the game quite a lot though.

PartridgeSenpai wrote:I thought this was that more recent "Rate the series" thread we had, so I was so confused when I saw the first post of yours on here like, how has Pierrot not beaten V and VI, he certainly talks like he has O_o"

Yeah, I thought that might happen. Sorry for the confusion.

PartridgeSenpai wrote:X I also played quite a long time ago, but it's stronger in my memory for whatever reason. I really thought the setting/world were cool, but I really did not like the characters at all. I enjoyed the playing of the game quite a lot though.

That's sort of where I'm at with it. It has some really cool things about it; I like the combat and leveling. It has a really interesting art style, that I remember being really struck by when it came out. I really don't like the story, though, and the regular overtones of 'we're so zany, wacky, wow! Wubwubwubwubwub!' I played damn near 100% of that game, though. Spent some absurd amounts of time getting Tidus' ultimate weapon. Missed Wakka's ultimate weapon, and nearly broke down. I dislike it most for the ending, though.