Where is your favorite Final Fantasy game on this list?
Let’s take a look at the world of chocobos, moogles, and tonberries. It is very likely that this is the franchise that introduced you to the JRPG genre. It is also very likely that it was a Final Fantasy game that got you hooked on RPG’s in general. The reason for the series success revolves around Square Enix’s ability to write amazing story arcs, create compelling and believable characters, and introducing its players to new worlds. Here are the 10 best Final Fantasy games ranked from best to worst.
1. Final Fantasy VII
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Cloud getting ready to infiltrate Shinra
There is not much that can be said about this game that fans don’t already know. Final Fantasy VII was a groundbreaking game for the entire gaming industry in graphics, narrative, and in its combat system. The game told the story of the Ex-Soldier who bands together with a terrorist group in effort to save the planet from the evil Sephiroth.
The game is rich with emotional moments for the player as we watch the characters grow and struggle to meet their goals. The game was a landmark in that it was the first in the franchise to kill off a main character. Aeris’s death is by far one of the most famous video game character deaths of all time. Games like these don’t come around very often. Final Fantasy VII’s success is something that Square Enix has been trying to live up to ever since.
Our Rating - 5/5
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The very first fight in FF VII. Tender memories.
2. Final Fantasy VI
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The Final Fantasy artworks are always gorgeous.
The race between Final Fantasy VII and VI was very close! They were both huge games that had an enormous impact on the gaming community. Final Fantasy VI might not have had as great graphics as Final Fantasy VII had, but it had everything else.
The incredible storyline follows a small band of heroes as they fight against a God who destroyed most of the world. The setting is a strong mix of urban and fantasy which added depth and richness to the world. The game’s characters were excellently developed, and of course the game had Kefka, the greatest villain of all time.
Our Rating - 5/5
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These mech suits were a big part of the game.
3. Final Fantasy IX
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Airships were the best way to travel in most FF games.
The original installments of the franchise featured cartoony sprites as the main characters. Final Fantasy IX was an attempt to go back to those roots. The characters in this beloved installment look like adult children. The characters were small and cartoony, but that didn’t deter from the amazing game that it was. You started off controlling Zidane, a member of a travelling theater band, as you scheme to kidnap the princess. Who would've known that such a simple plot would've led to the foundation of a party that has to fight for the survival of their world Gaia.
The biggest theme in the game was self-discovery as almost all characters had to face a serious identiy crisis on their quest to stop Kuja from destroying the world. Zidane discovers that he is not from the world of Gaia; Vivi discovers that he was created in a lab; and Garnet has to choose between her royal duties and what her heart really wanted. All in all, this game had an amazing story and was an excellent continuation of the numbered series.
Our Rating - 4/5
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Zidane with his famous monkey tail.
4. Final Fantasy X
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Yuna frees the souls of the fallen and allows them to pass on.
This game set a landmark for full immersion into 3D graphics. It was the first game to be released on the Playstation 2 and featured a full 3D environment. The game also had voice acting, which wasn’t necessarily always a good thing, but it still marked a departure from the franchise’s previous games.
The world of Spira is under constant threat of the massive monster Sin. Tidus shows up as a stranger in Spira and journeys with the summoner Yuna to end the Monster’s reign of terror once and for all.
This game featured the best love story amongst Final Fantasy games to date. The ending was heartbreaking as we discovered a great secret about the identity of Tidus and his relationship with the world of Spira. The ending set up perfectly for a sequel which came out not too much later, but we don’t talk about that.
Our Rating - 4/5
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These creatures never seem to be reasonable sized.
5. Final Fantasy VIII
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Rinoa's hair blowing in the wind. How scenic.
This game follows a group of young SeeD soldiers on their journey to stop an evil sorceress. The world is very futuristic and the mesh between magic and technology enriches the setting. This game moved away from some more traditional features in the franchise. No longer did you equip magic before a battle, instead you would use a skill called “draw” to pull stacks of magic out of your foes. The game also introduced us to the very popular gun blade as a weapon used by the main character.
Our Rating - 4/5
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One of the bosses from FF VIII.
6. Final Fantasy Tactics
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The cult classic chess/FF fusion.
The Kingdom of Ivalice just came out of a 50 year long war with its neighbors, and is now threatened by another civil war for the throne. The world is torn apart by war and you must try and stabilize the nation and get a regent on the throne.
This game moved away completely from its predecessors and is a complete strategy based game. Think of this as playing chess with Final Fantasy pieces. The game still shared the amazing narrative and believable characters that permeates the entire franchise. As a result, the game has received very positive reviews and has become a cult classic.
Our Rating - 3/5
7. Final Fantasy III
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The job system in FF III made it a hit.
The original version that came out in 1990 was not released outside of Japan. It was not until the Nintendo DS remake was released in 2006 that the rest of the world gained access to this gem. The story is actually very basic. It follows four adventurers on their quest given to them by a powerful crystal to restore balance to the world. It is very classic Final Fantasy.
What really made this game shine though was the job system. Unlike most of the games in the numbered series, no character was locked into any role. There were tons of different jobs available including white mage, pirate, ninja, samurai, and knight. Your character could easily switch between them at a moment’s notice.
Our Rating - 4/5
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The notorious bomb is a famous enemy in the Final Fantasy series.
8. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
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The most Tragic game from the very start.
This heartbreaking sequel to the highly acclaimed Final Fantasy VII was fantastic. The game was released for the Playstation Portable and featured a much more action oriented style of gameplay than that of previous Final Fantasy games.
The story followed Zach Fair as he befriended Cloud, started a relationship with Aeris, and served as a Shinra 1st class SOLDIER under the command of Sephiroth. After Sephiroth turns evil Zach has to take an incapacitated Cloud and run from Shinra agents. Eventually he has to choose between his or Cloud’s life. We all know how the story goes, and if you have a soft heart you should stay away from this one.
Our Rating - 3/5
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New and action packed combat systems were incroporated in Crisis Core.
9. Final Fantasy V
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Again, beautiful artwork.
A group of heroes combine over a fallen meteor and is given a quest to keep the crystals from being exploited by an evil sorcerer. Final Fantasy V continued the tradition of crystals being a focal point in the narrative, and it also expanded on the job system that was used in Final Fantasy III. The final product was a deeply immersive narrative with very engaging gameplay. This game was added on to the Playstation Networks list of Greatest Hits due to its commercial success.
Our Rating - 3/5
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This is where the idea of Vivi from FF IX came from.
10. Final Fantasy XII
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Where did this game go wrong?
The fantasy cliché of the little farmer boy getting caught up in a “save the world plot” hits close to home when talking about Final Fantasy XII. The young and naïve protagonist never seems to have a clue about what is going on. He is a thief and tried to rob the royal palace. While there he runs into some Sky Pirates and a very important political leader. Together they end up on a quest to stop a massive war and the destruction of their country.
This game tried to do something very unique with its license point system, freedom of character customization, and open world mmo-style combat. This game certainly had a lot going for it. The story was well thought out and the game world was beautiful. It was also fun to be able to transverse the game without random encounters stopping you every 10 steps or so. However, the characters lacked in development and the license point system as pretty dumb. It did have Fran the bunny lady though, so that's a plus.
Our Rating - 2/5
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Bunnies... Why was there bunnies in this game.
This is our list of the best Final Fantasy games, write yours in the comments below.
