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What is the best Final Fantasy.
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M
Manji
Guest
Final Fantasy VII.
Not just my favourite FF, but my favourite game of all time. The first time I got sucked into the immense world it was a gaming experience like any other.
The characters are gritty and real. They're not on "MAGICAL QUEST TO SAVE THE WORLD", this is a journey of self-discovery and to destroy personal demons. Each character has their own motives and ideals of right and wrong, and sometimes they clash.
Set against the background of a tragic world that embodies true humanity: struggling to survive in a world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The locations are as diverse as the personal stories that everyone has to tell. You're actually fighting for something, and it's this world that is almost alive.
The story is relentless in its scope and pace. The true enemy changes focus as the story progresses, as you are inexorably pulled into this experience. There are moments of joy, fear, heart-rending sadness, emotional impacts that, coming from these characters you've grown to love and hate, actually mean something to you as a player.
The impact from playing this game was quite simply, awesome. It's a story of self-discovery and identity leading to a final showdown between good and evil.
That's why it's my favourite Final Fantasy.
Not just my favourite FF, but my favourite game of all time. The first time I got sucked into the immense world it was a gaming experience like any other.
The characters are gritty and real. They're not on "MAGICAL QUEST TO SAVE THE WORLD", this is a journey of self-discovery and to destroy personal demons. Each character has their own motives and ideals of right and wrong, and sometimes they clash.
Set against the background of a tragic world that embodies true humanity: struggling to survive in a world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The locations are as diverse as the personal stories that everyone has to tell. You're actually fighting for something, and it's this world that is almost alive.
The story is relentless in its scope and pace. The true enemy changes focus as the story progresses, as you are inexorably pulled into this experience. There are moments of joy, fear, heart-rending sadness, emotional impacts that, coming from these characters you've grown to love and hate, actually mean something to you as a player.
The impact from playing this game was quite simply, awesome. It's a story of self-discovery and identity leading to a final showdown between good and evil.
That's why it's my favourite Final Fantasy.
Opal Pikachu13
Well-Known Member
Mine are FFVII and FFX/X-2. FFX-2 being one of my best Final Fantasies that I have played. Sure you can only use the three girls, Yuna, Rikku and Paine, but you can customize their job classes almost similar to FF Tactics, but with a system called Dress Sphere. It has a really good storyline, and real fun missions, plus it was kinda easy to find most of the Dress Spheres (last time I played, I found Rikku's Ultimate Dress Sphere). I'm thinking about getting the upgraded International + Last Mission version on my import ps2 since it will have all of the characters from the first part of FFX, and you can put them on your team instead of sticking with the three girls, plus you can train monsters on this version as well. FFX, before the X-2 sequel, also had a good story, as well as a good battle system. Each character had different types of techniques plus with the Sphere Grid, you can customize you character's moves, FFVII was a classic, a really good classic in my book, with things like the Chocobo racing, the Motorcycle rush, and the famous Cloud and Sephiroth battle, it will always be another one of my favorite Final Fantasies, and the movie of it was awesome! Those are my top favorite Final Fantasies.
Chris
Old Coot
Technically, they ARE on a magical quest to save the world from a psycho man from the main character's past who's trying to become a God. ;\Manji said:
For me, it's FFIX. Not only was the story and music great and the characters were loveable, but it wasn't filled with clichés like the other PlayStation FFs were.
Final Fantasy VII
If it's gonna have a movie sequel, a game follow-up, and an anime and cell phone prequel, it should've been its own series. Seriously!
Back to the topic, Final Fantasy VII is the most memorable chapter of the series, with X in 2nd.
With overworld free-roam, multiple mini-games and optional quests, huge world, many varities of materia, original story and characters, great twists, and 50+ hours of gameplay, it is definitely your $15 worth, even though its a bit easy.
But these days, VII feels a bit like an appetizer for the PS2 FFs.
Final Fantasy X
The best true PS2 RPG (possibly) ever and the first Final Fantasy I've ever played and bought!
It may not have free roam or mulitple minigames like its differently dimensioned cousin, but it over two times longer, bigger and more alive environments, better audio, a new addicting strategy game-in-a-game called Blitzball, the ability to fuse material with weapons, a new turn-based, not ATB, battle system, lovable Summons and its new system, a new Overdrive system, which is like, but better, than Limit Break, a Sphere Grid system that replaces the level-gaining system, great puzzles and story, this, like VII, is totallly most unlike the rest of the series.
But traveling around some places
Final Fantasy X may not be as memorable as VII, but it's more addicting and possibly better!
If it's gonna have a movie sequel, a game follow-up, and an anime and cell phone prequel, it should've been its own series. Seriously!
Back to the topic, Final Fantasy VII is the most memorable chapter of the series, with X in 2nd.
With overworld free-roam, multiple mini-games and optional quests, huge world, many varities of materia, original story and characters, great twists, and 50+ hours of gameplay, it is definitely your $15 worth, even though its a bit easy.
But these days, VII feels a bit like an appetizer for the PS2 FFs.
Final Fantasy X
The best true PS2 RPG (possibly) ever and the first Final Fantasy I've ever played and bought!
It may not have free roam or mulitple minigames like its differently dimensioned cousin, but it over two times longer, bigger and more alive environments, better audio, a new addicting strategy game-in-a-game called Blitzball, the ability to fuse material with weapons, a new turn-based, not ATB, battle system, lovable Summons and its new system, a new Overdrive system, which is like, but better, than Limit Break, a Sphere Grid system that replaces the level-gaining system, great puzzles and story, this, like VII, is totallly most unlike the rest of the series.
But traveling around some places
Final Fantasy X may not be as memorable as VII, but it's more addicting and possibly better!
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Charizard_Fire_God
*tiwts widdw head*
I loved both 7 and 9... tch, FF7 definetly had tha loudest echoes throughout tha world and culture. ^.==.^
Mimori Kiryu
Well-Known Member
I LOVED FFX1 and FFX2. D: One of the main reasons that I can't wait for FFAC. <3 Vincent and Sephiroth helped my choice XD
Yamato-san
I own the 5th gen
Final Fantasy VI is my favorite, followed closely by IX. I took advantage of the fact that this is a multiple choice poll and voted for both.
Other than being my first FF game (discounting an FF1 rom I played at a friend's house for a few minutes), I really loved FFVI for the characters (the cast being quite large, yet very nicely developed), the music, and it had a nifty setting. The world so nicely combined magic and technology, not going overboard with the technology and losing its fantasy roots, like VII, X, and especially VIII did, and yet magic's still such a big deal since it's this force that's being sought by the technological empire. In fact, magic was probably playing a bigger role in the story than possibly any other FF game (in which magic is, more often than not, little more than a gameplay tool). Overall, both magic and technology managed to add some extremely nifty things to the world, like a submerging desert castle, a floating continent, etc. I can't say no to such nice-looking 2D graphics, neither.
I loved FFIX because the story and characters really managed to draw me in, leaving me to wonder not only what'll happen next, but also what everyone's motives were, what's the background behind characters like Vivi and Zidane, what's Freya's past with Zidane, etc. Hell, I was playing the game for a month or so straight after I got it. Reached the end of the third disc, but then my memory card erased itself -_-. It was also the only PS Final Fantasy that went back to the franchise's fantasy roots, which I like. All the references to past Final Fantasy games, when I caught them, were a treat as well, and FFIX's FMVs kicked serious ass (both graphics and drama-wise. I just love that scene near the beginning with Black Waltz 3 killing all the black mages and Vivi looking on).
Other than being my first FF game (discounting an FF1 rom I played at a friend's house for a few minutes), I really loved FFVI for the characters (the cast being quite large, yet very nicely developed), the music, and it had a nifty setting. The world so nicely combined magic and technology, not going overboard with the technology and losing its fantasy roots, like VII, X, and especially VIII did, and yet magic's still such a big deal since it's this force that's being sought by the technological empire. In fact, magic was probably playing a bigger role in the story than possibly any other FF game (in which magic is, more often than not, little more than a gameplay tool). Overall, both magic and technology managed to add some extremely nifty things to the world, like a submerging desert castle, a floating continent, etc. I can't say no to such nice-looking 2D graphics, neither.
I loved FFIX because the story and characters really managed to draw me in, leaving me to wonder not only what'll happen next, but also what everyone's motives were, what's the background behind characters like Vivi and Zidane, what's Freya's past with Zidane, etc. Hell, I was playing the game for a month or so straight after I got it. Reached the end of the third disc, but then my memory card erased itself -_-. It was also the only PS Final Fantasy that went back to the franchise's fantasy roots, which I like. All the references to past Final Fantasy games, when I caught them, were a treat as well, and FFIX's FMVs kicked serious ass (both graphics and drama-wise. I just love that scene near the beginning with Black Waltz 3 killing all the black mages and Vivi looking on).
I had the same problem with FFX. One time while I was saving my game (I was at the Calm Lands), the power went off during the middle of the process, erasing the file and messing up my PS2.
But a year later, I started playing it again and got even farther and now I'm [spoil]inside Sin, the last stage[/spoil].
Best FF? Well, the ones I've played:
FFI, FFII, FFIV, FFV, FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFX-2.
And after playing all of those, the best one is purely the first PAL, FFVII. Reasons?
Firstly, Cloud Strife. What differance does he make? A lot to me. he's not your average hero. At the start, he's only with the good characters as they're paying him. Says a lot really when the hero needs to be paid to be a hero. Then, as the game continues, he gradually becomes more and more wound up in it. BUT he never becomes the whole 'I'm going to save the planet!' hero. He says it himself, he's not in it to save the planet. he's there to settle the score with Sephiroth for destroying Nibelheim[spoil](Plus I think he wants to protect Tifa
Nibelshipper, right here,)[/spoil]. He says, from what I can remember, that he knows none of the heroes are there to save the planet, they're all in it for one reason, and they should know what that reason is. Cloud is just an average guy who's, by a bizarre twist of fate, has been made the one person who can save the world. he isn't destined to save or destroy it, he wasn't made to do either. He was just a boy, with a dream, who's life just kept getting worse.
Secondly, there are THREE Bahamuts. No other FF had more than one, and this has three. Bahamut, Neo Bahamut and BahamutZERO.
Thirdly, the characters in general. You've got:
1) A guy who's been dragged into saving the planet as he wants to get even witha psycho with a big sword.[spoil]And protect the one person he has left[/spoil]
2) A girl who's only reason left in life is to be with the person she loves.
3) A man who's lost everything except his daughter and is willing to do anything to protect her.
4) A creature who represents the last of his kind, and wants to protect his home like his father before him
5) A man who had everything taken from him, and is now seeking redemption for the sins of doing nothing to stop it.
6) A girl who is willing to do anything to keep the old ways of her home alive.
7) A spy turned good from meeting a group of people he couldn't understand
8) A man who has never given up on his dream despite having every possible problem thrown in his way
9) A girl who has great plans and untapped power, who is willing to give everything, including her future, for the future of everyone else.
If you can't love those characters you defy my logic. And if you can't guess who is who:
1) Cloud
2) Tifa
3) Barret
4) Nanaki(RedXIII)
5) Vincent
6) Yuffie
7) Cait Sith
8) Cid
9) Aeris
Next, the games plot. Most original thing ever IMO. The Weapons, Meteor, the Cetra, Sephiroth, they're all characters and story twists you'll never forget.
Also, Cloud's speeches. They rule. ESPECIALLY the ones after Mideel. The 'illusion' speech, the 'why are you here speech' and the 'why did you stay Tifa?' speech. Every single one leaves an impression on you.
Finally, it's graphics and character designs. Not much today, but the character designs are sheer amazing, and the graphics back when it was released were years ahead of it's time.
Overall this game was amazing. I have yet to complete it, and since it was the last of the big PS1 three(FFVII, FFVIII and FFIX) I played, at first I was sceptical. The moment I made it past Disc 1 though, my eyes were opened. The game is the best ever. FFIX is a close second, but FFVII will always be the best.
FFI, FFII, FFIV, FFV, FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFX-2.
And after playing all of those, the best one is purely the first PAL, FFVII. Reasons?
Firstly, Cloud Strife. What differance does he make? A lot to me. he's not your average hero. At the start, he's only with the good characters as they're paying him. Says a lot really when the hero needs to be paid to be a hero. Then, as the game continues, he gradually becomes more and more wound up in it. BUT he never becomes the whole 'I'm going to save the planet!' hero. He says it himself, he's not in it to save the planet. he's there to settle the score with Sephiroth for destroying Nibelheim[spoil](Plus I think he wants to protect Tifa
Nibelshipper, right here,)[/spoil]. He says, from what I can remember, that he knows none of the heroes are there to save the planet, they're all in it for one reason, and they should know what that reason is. Cloud is just an average guy who's, by a bizarre twist of fate, has been made the one person who can save the world. he isn't destined to save or destroy it, he wasn't made to do either. He was just a boy, with a dream, who's life just kept getting worse.Secondly, there are THREE Bahamuts. No other FF had more than one, and this has three. Bahamut, Neo Bahamut and BahamutZERO.
Thirdly, the characters in general. You've got:
1) A guy who's been dragged into saving the planet as he wants to get even witha psycho with a big sword.[spoil]And protect the one person he has left[/spoil]
2) A girl who's only reason left in life is to be with the person she loves.
3) A man who's lost everything except his daughter and is willing to do anything to protect her.
4) A creature who represents the last of his kind, and wants to protect his home like his father before him
5) A man who had everything taken from him, and is now seeking redemption for the sins of doing nothing to stop it.
6) A girl who is willing to do anything to keep the old ways of her home alive.
7) A spy turned good from meeting a group of people he couldn't understand
8) A man who has never given up on his dream despite having every possible problem thrown in his way
9) A girl who has great plans and untapped power, who is willing to give everything, including her future, for the future of everyone else.
If you can't love those characters you defy my logic. And if you can't guess who is who:
1) Cloud
2) Tifa
3) Barret
4) Nanaki(RedXIII)
5) Vincent
6) Yuffie
7) Cait Sith
8) Cid
9) Aeris
Next, the games plot. Most original thing ever IMO. The Weapons, Meteor, the Cetra, Sephiroth, they're all characters and story twists you'll never forget.
Also, Cloud's speeches. They rule. ESPECIALLY the ones after Mideel. The 'illusion' speech, the 'why are you here speech' and the 'why did you stay Tifa?' speech. Every single one leaves an impression on you.
Finally, it's graphics and character designs. Not much today, but the character designs are sheer amazing, and the graphics back when it was released were years ahead of it's time.
Overall this game was amazing. I have yet to complete it, and since it was the last of the big PS1 three(FFVII, FFVIII and FFIX) I played, at first I was sceptical. The moment I made it past Disc 1 though, my eyes were opened. The game is the best ever. FFIX is a close second, but FFVII will always be the best.
W
WinterSnowblind
Guest
Sorry to the fans, but I do need to say that without a doubt, Final Fantasy VII is the most overrated game of all time. The Japanese had the right idea, because it's not so popular over there, but on the western side, it was pretty much the first big, mainstream JRPG. And as far as I can tell, that's the only reason it holds any amount of popularity. Compared to other RPG's, it just really doesn't hold up on numerous aspects. It's biggest problem is that most of it is a straight rip of Final Fantasy VI, the plot is very similiar, the characters, etc. The biggest difference between the two is the fact VII is 3D. Is that why it's more liked?
People go on and on about what great characters VII had, but I don't see why. Cloud is a typically amnesiac hero, Aeris is a 2D "nice girl" that is completely unbelievable. Baret is the "I pity the foo!" type black man, Yuffie is the generic peppy little girl, Vincent a mysterious man with next to no story, or reason to be in the game.. Tifa is easily the best character in it, and even she becomes far too whiney towards the end. I'm sure anyone who's played VI will without a doubt say it's characters were better. Terra, Locke, Sabin, Shadow, Relm, Edgar, Setzer.. Those few alone wold have been enough.
And then of course we have Sephiroth, who's always hailed as being the greatest bad guy ever. Can anyone tell me what exactly he ever did that was evil? He acted pretty mean throughout the whole game, but as far as great evil acts go, I can't really think of any. Of course, he killed Aeris but that only brings us to another overrated aspect of the game. Aeris. She wasn't the first character to die in a game, and she wasn't even the first Final Fantasy character to die in a game. Her death bears next to no weight.
I know I've brought this up many times before, so I apologise to those who have to read through my rants again. But take something like the Soul Reaver series. Three games we're we play through Raziels life from him just being incredibly angry and wanting revenge, to finding out about his past, his heritage, and wanting to help the world, then finding out almot EVERYONE is trying to use him, we see him taking pity, finding out about his destiny, etc. And finally, at the end of the third game, sacrificing himself for a greater good. Aeris was a very flat character, never did much except be nice to everyone, and died for next to no reason an hour after meeting her. Whee.
I could go on like this for hours, but I'm sure you all get the point. I'm not saying FFVII is a bad game, far from it. It was great, and I really enjoyed it. But that doesn't stop it from being the most overrated game ever.
FFIV, VI, IX > VII
People go on and on about what great characters VII had, but I don't see why. Cloud is a typically amnesiac hero, Aeris is a 2D "nice girl" that is completely unbelievable. Baret is the "I pity the foo!" type black man, Yuffie is the generic peppy little girl, Vincent a mysterious man with next to no story, or reason to be in the game.. Tifa is easily the best character in it, and even she becomes far too whiney towards the end. I'm sure anyone who's played VI will without a doubt say it's characters were better. Terra, Locke, Sabin, Shadow, Relm, Edgar, Setzer.. Those few alone wold have been enough.
And then of course we have Sephiroth, who's always hailed as being the greatest bad guy ever. Can anyone tell me what exactly he ever did that was evil? He acted pretty mean throughout the whole game, but as far as great evil acts go, I can't really think of any. Of course, he killed Aeris but that only brings us to another overrated aspect of the game. Aeris. She wasn't the first character to die in a game, and she wasn't even the first Final Fantasy character to die in a game. Her death bears next to no weight.
I know I've brought this up many times before, so I apologise to those who have to read through my rants again. But take something like the Soul Reaver series. Three games we're we play through Raziels life from him just being incredibly angry and wanting revenge, to finding out about his past, his heritage, and wanting to help the world, then finding out almot EVERYONE is trying to use him, we see him taking pity, finding out about his destiny, etc. And finally, at the end of the third game, sacrificing himself for a greater good. Aeris was a very flat character, never did much except be nice to everyone, and died for next to no reason an hour after meeting her. Whee.
I could go on like this for hours, but I'm sure you all get the point. I'm not saying FFVII is a bad game, far from it. It was great, and I really enjoyed it. But that doesn't stop it from being the most overrated game ever.
FFIV, VI, IX > VII
On the subject of favorite Final Fantasy games, you got a technical tie between FFV and FFVI from me. Now please lemme explain:
I said that before, but I do agree that FFV storyline is quite lacking on some points, and character development is hard to find here (aside some exceptions, obviously). But mostly people don't play that for storyline anyway; they play it because of the class system. It's not the system debut (that would be the original FFIII) but in this game the classes just started to be more alike with what would appear later in Tactics. And playing with them is fun as heck, too. So, this kinda compensates the flawed storyline... at least for me.
And FFVI... well, I like it exactly for the opposite reasons: the storyline and memorable characters. And for bringing the futuristic realm into the FF world (but still with lots of magic). It's a pity I didn't managed to finish that yet, but I shall do. Because is a really worthwhile game. Oh, and it has a mad clown too, I forgot to mention.
BTW Kefka>>>> Sephiroth (hides from FFVII fanboys)
I said that before, but I do agree that FFV storyline is quite lacking on some points, and character development is hard to find here (aside some exceptions, obviously). But mostly people don't play that for storyline anyway; they play it because of the class system. It's not the system debut (that would be the original FFIII) but in this game the classes just started to be more alike with what would appear later in Tactics. And playing with them is fun as heck, too. So, this kinda compensates the flawed storyline... at least for me.
And FFVI... well, I like it exactly for the opposite reasons: the storyline and memorable characters. And for bringing the futuristic realm into the FF world (but still with lots of magic). It's a pity I didn't managed to finish that yet, but I shall do. Because is a really worthwhile game. Oh, and it has a mad clown too, I forgot to mention.
BTW Kefka>>>> Sephiroth (hides from FFVII fanboys)
Snowblind wins the Thread...
As for me... Final Fantasy IV. I love every character, the story, and the classic system to the cruddy over-customization trend. Not to mention it was a VERY hard game. Took me 3 tries to beat the final boss. And some of those Moon Bosses were CRAZY! I mean, Plague gave you ten seconds to beat it, which is a 31000 HP behemoth! Whyvern made Bahamut look easy. Bahamut was painful as hell with the VERY short lastability of Wall. I even had to lower the Battle Speed to beat it...
I also like all places and the plot. All characters were memorable. Dunno... just wonderful altogether. Too bad I didn't buy the GBA remake, but maybe later.
FFIV is my all-time favorite game. I love all of it. After it, Final Fantasy IX is my other favorite FF. I also like VI, but I'll have to wait for the GBA on, for the PSX port is the worst of the lot IMO... then would be V and finally VII. I despise everything else (Though I've never played the Nintendo ones. They must be worse than those, but likely better than FFVIII and the new ones...).
Oh well... that'd be it for me.
As for me... Final Fantasy IV. I love every character, the story, and the classic system to the cruddy over-customization trend. Not to mention it was a VERY hard game. Took me 3 tries to beat the final boss. And some of those Moon Bosses were CRAZY! I mean, Plague gave you ten seconds to beat it, which is a 31000 HP behemoth! Whyvern made Bahamut look easy. Bahamut was painful as hell with the VERY short lastability of Wall. I even had to lower the Battle Speed to beat it...
I also like all places and the plot. All characters were memorable. Dunno... just wonderful altogether. Too bad I didn't buy the GBA remake, but maybe later.
FFIV is my all-time favorite game. I love all of it. After it, Final Fantasy IX is my other favorite FF. I also like VI, but I'll have to wait for the GBA on, for the PSX port is the worst of the lot IMO... then would be V and finally VII. I despise everything else (Though I've never played the Nintendo ones. They must be worse than those, but likely better than FFVIII and the new ones...).
Oh well... that'd be it for me.
I also found Plague to be easy. Actually it was one of the simplest boss' I have ever fought. I actually think that all of the Lunar boss' where pretty easy. But(I'm talking about the GBA remake)I do think the Lunar Ruins bosses are pretty hard. But some of them are easy as hell.