The Best Final Fantasy?

[ClaRK! Kent]

Exactly what it does on the tin, I guess. Which is your pick for the best FF game/your favourite FF game, and more importantly why?

A slight ulterior motive (dun dun DUN!) in that I'm trying to decide which game to play for my summer FF project (basically, every summer I play a Final Fantasy game, as it's a decent enough project for an empty summer vacation) and I'm stuck choosing. But, you know, for discussion's sake as well.

My personal picks would be FF6 and FF8.

FF7 is everybody's obvious choice, generally, especially for the PSX generation, but if you go just one game back in the series and can disregard the 2D graphics (even 7's look dated now, so it shouldn't be too much of a thing to get over) FF6 is, IMO, the high-water mark of the entire series. It's fun, challenging, has a great storyline, and is able to combine the 'fantasy' elements of the earlier games in the series with the more modern stuff that came later, without going too far in either direction. The balance is struck exactly right in FF6. Plus, it has Setzer and Celes, and one of the cooler bad guys in Kefka.

As for FF8, it might just be because I have a thing about defending stuff that is generally hated, but I really find a lot of good in it. The draw system isn't great, but the idea of junctioning is freakin' awesome and the gameplay is really tip-top. It's fun and light-hearted in places, with nods to the older games in the series, whilst also taking the series in a new direction and getting away from a lot of the old 'staples' - you can get through the entire game without seeing a Chocobo or Moogle, for example. Whilst a lot of people hated that, I think it's a good opportunity for the games to grow up with their fanbase, and FF8 is probably one of the most grown-up and 'adult' games in terms of storyline and plot. It's much more personal in its nature, despite the usual epic battles, and the central love angle is beautifully-executed (much better than the Cloud/Aerith or Tidus/Yuna stuff) and really moving, even with repeated plays. It's awesome.

What are your picks?

((Also, in a blatant off-topic note, but something that's been bugging me for ages, does anybody have any idea on the release date for FF12? I know the Japanese have it, but have we even got a provisional date, or a 'should be in winter/spring' or whatever?))

[Summers]

Eight.

All the way.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Without a doubt FFX.

From the characters all the way to the story and graphics, I just loved this way more than any of the other FF's. Just found it to be outstanding in every single department. It just feels better than the rest to me.

[Buford Ripley]

I'm currently playing 7 and will be hopping onto 8 simultaneously.

So you go play 8.

[Xero Gravity]

All of them...I love each and every one equally.

But if I had to pick just one, it'd probably be FFVIII. I don't care what anyone says about the storyline being stupid, I think it's great. I adore the junctioning system, and being able to use it to complete the game at level 20. The music was on par with that of FFVII (my favourite musically) and really helped to give the game that much needed feel.

The only thing I didn't like about the game, was the the inevitable love interest dominating the game. It hasn't been so bad in other titles in the series, but in FFVIII it was crammed down out throats to the point where it felt like:

"Yay, after 4 discs we finally admit to loving each other...now lets go kill Ultimecia!"

But I can forget about that, thanks to FFVIII holding my joint favourite mini game in the Triple Triad card game.

[ClaRK! Kent]

Triple Triad = around 30 hours of a 150-hour save game, for me. It's quite possibly the best mini-game ever, with FFX's Blitzball coming in a close second.

Musically, FF8 is probably the best game out there. The soundtrack to that game works as an album in its own right, which is true of so few of the other FF games. Maybe FF7. FF4 should also get musical kudos, it really set the standard for the later games to try and beat.

[Riceman 4K]

FFVIII.

Best character development of any of the FF and Seifer is just a pimp.

[Heel Turn]

Final Fantasy VI. No Final Fantasy, before or after, came close to matching the storyline, characters, emotion, scope, artistic design, or musical score. It's unquestionably the pinnacle of the series, and in my mind, of RPGs in general.

[Your Mom]

8 is my favorite because I really got into the love story

[Heel Turn]

8 is my favorite because I really got into the love story

[Skummy]

FF7. FF6 is a very close second, for all the reasons HT stated, but I just feel that the FF7 storyline ran deeper, and I connected with it a lot more. And a computer game that got a movie sequel made of it nearly seven years after it came out? The fact that people were still talking about the storyline at that point proves how good it was, as does the fact that so many people who play it miss so much of the story. I like the fact that you have to read between the lines and go out of your way to uncover the full story, because if it were happening in real life, you wouldn't learn everything just by blindly pursuing your goal and not taking any detours, and because it gives you as the player a real sense of achievement. Not to mention that FF7 changed my life. There is no way I'd be anything like I am today without that game.

FF8 is terrible in my opinion, with the exception of the card game. The characters are almost all fundamentally unlikable and undeveloped (Best character development? Did we play the same game?), the storyline is too slow-building and just utter shite, full of plot holes and seems like half of it was made up as they went along (GFs = memory loss is the most cop-out explanation for a plot hole I've ever heard), the magic system is retarded and inane, the menu system is dull and irritating, the entire game is just fucking abysmal (as far as FFs go), save for a few fancy cutscenes. And everyone saying that the love story is brilliantly executed? Fuck that. It's worse than most Hollywood "romantic comedies", it's the most cookie-cutter "boy meets girl, boy and girl encounter adversity, boy conquers adversity, boy wins girl's heart" bullshit storyline. Cloud/Tifa/Aerith is far more interesting, if only because Cloud ends the game still undecided on where his affections lie, which is far more true to real life. Even if you get with one girl, you're still left wondering about the other. Not to mention that FF8's love story is focused on far too much. I'm sorry, but that's not what I want from a Final Fantasy game. Throwing a love story in there is great, I expect that, but it should never be the focal point, in my opinion. Final Fantasy should have an epic plot, with every little detail of the game being of relevance, and that shouldn't be undermined by something as ultimately insignificant as a love story. Not to mention that, if you're spending hours of your life playing Final Fantasy games, the last thing you want is to be reminded that you don't have a girlfriend >_>

FF9 is one of, if not the, most emminently playable, even though the story's lacking somewhat, so it gets a special mention. I see Final Fantasy 9 as the send-off to the "classic" Final Fantasies, while FFX was the beginning of a "new wave" of Final Fantasy games that I have no interest in whatsoever.

Edited June 27, 2006 by Skumfrog

[Clawson]

I'm gonna have to go with VII or IX. I don't know why everybody hates on IX, it's just a fucking great game(and I have a feeling Benji will back me up) and even has one of the best musical pieces in You're Not Alone. Come on people show IX the love it deserves.

[Liam]

I go with 7, although I'll admit to only playing the PSX/2 games. I've had the other games at one point or other, but never really got around to delving into them.

FF8 was good, but as Skummy said the magic system was really retarded. FF9 just had no characters to really hold my interest and I didn't overly like the graphics. Not horrendous, but not as good as the others. FFX I really digged, but it just doesn't match up to 7, even though Auron is one of my favourite FF characters.

[Guest homerjfry]

I always thought I was in the minority with loving FF8, because I really enjoyed the love story, and I beat the game about 10 times just to watch the ending. I can't remember the specifics of the main story, but I know it was a bit too complex. But thinking about it really, I think my order would be:

FF6-It was like playing A Link to the Past, once you thought the game was over, you had a new world to explore. All of the characters are great and the story is wonderful and Kefka my be the best villian ever (because he plays for laughs too).

FF8-For what I mentioned above.

FFX-As they said above, this game is beautiful, and the story is great. I loved the battle system and Syn was sweet as well as the Final Aeon. The Aoens were amazing too.

FF7-I think I was unjustly mean to this game bcause of people loving it so much, but after watching Advent Children recently, I thought back and had really fond memories. This was the epitome of an epic game that was just HUGE with a great story, and a sweet villian, and kick ass weapons. I never felt as good as when I was able to beat all of the Weapons (especially Ruby and Sapphire). Phenomenal game.

All the others are still really, really good but not on calibre with these.

[Xero Gravity]

I'm gonna have to go with VII or IX. I don't know why everybody hates on IX, it's just a fucking great game(and I have a feeling Benji will back me up) and even has one of the best musical pieces in You're Not Alone. Come on people show IX the love it deserves.

Edited June 27, 2006 by Xero Gravity

[zero]

Final Fantasy VI. No Final Fantasy, before or after, came close to matching the storyline, characters, emotion, scope, artistic design, or musical score. It's unquestionably the pinnacle of the series, and in my mind, of RPGs in general.

This man knows. Although I'd argue that Chrono Trigger was the pinnacle for RPGs. But yeah, FFVI, no question, is the best in the series. Nothing else even comes close. FFIX would be my distant second, that game was just a blast and was the only FF game since VI that I played all the way through.

[Numbahs]

7's my favorite....but I really, really liked X. I thought it would be underwhelming when I got it the day it came out. Five days later I was done and quite pleased. I think it helped that it was really cinematic.

[Kyle_]

FFVII is my favorite by far.

[triplexpac]

VI. It was the first RPG I ever got into, so it'll always be special because of that. I wish I owned the actual cartridge so bad...

[ClaRK! Kent]

Although I'd argue that Chrono Trigger was the pinnacle for RPGs.

Edited June 27, 2006 by Sephiroth Clone