I have never played a Final Fantasy game ever, is it worth it to start now? Or too late??

SlimeGooGoo said:
Not biased at all

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But yes, FF12 is a good game, just not a great Final Fantasy.
Everything after that is just plain horrible, both gameplay and story/character wise.
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What final fantasy game is she from again? My bias is for a game never released.
 
All of them are different with some common themes. If you think the mechanics interest you and you like saving the world then go ahead and give it a shot.
 
UPDATE: I just started FF4 and I am already hooked, the vintage feeling of the gameplay coupled with the dramatic story of Cecil the dark knight and his partner Dragoon Kain seems interesting already, thanks everyone on this thread for helping me out ;)
 
Yea, most of them don't have anything to do with the others so it's irrelevant if you've never played one before.

I recommend FF6, FF7 Remake, and FFXIII. Your best bet is FF7 Remake for current and FF6 for something older.
 
cortadew said:
UPDATE: I just started FF4 and I am already hooked, the vintage feeling of the gameplay coupled with the dramatic story of Cecil the dark knight and his partner Dragoon Kain seems interesting already, thanks everyone on this thread for helping me out ;)
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At that rate you might as well just go in order. Work your way up to 9 and 10. Which many regard as the points before the series goes significantly down hill.
 
As a late FF payer who started with 15 and played the remake …enjoy it for the characters not the lore. The more you try to learn about the lore the less sense it makes.
 
Suggest starting at FF6, especially if you like/don't mind pixelart.

Moving on from that, FF tactics and then 7, 9, 10 are the natural progression IMO.
 
@OP.

Since people are throwing recommendations. I will recommend you pick up the PC version of Final Fantasy IX.

Final Fantasy IX is probably the best FF game of the PS1 era. Incredibly charming characters, an amazing world, an engaging narrative.

And most importantly, it has an incredible fan mod that makes all the backgrounds look clean as fuck with AI upscaling.

It's just a super charming, fun and memorable game.
 
adamsapple said:
@OP.

Since people are throwing recommendations. I will recommend you pick up the PC version of Final Fantasy IX.

Final Fantasy IX is probably the best FF game of the PS1 era. Incredibly charming characters, an amazing world, an engaging narrative.

And most importantly, it has an incredible fan mod that makes all the backgrounds look clean as fuck with AI upscaling.

It's just a super charming, fun and memorable game.
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I will try 4 and 6 and the move on to the PSX classics
 
I just started over at the OG Final Fantasy. Great experience even after all these years. I'm currently playing Final Fantasy II and it's also been a highly enjoyable experience.
 
Just a heads up for the FF players in this thread, I recommend at least considering playing Stranger of Paradise.

I'm having a great time with the game.
 
Arthimura said:
Just a heads up for the FF players in this thread, I recommend at least considering playing Stranger of Paradise.

I'm having a great time with the game.
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Still waiting for them to patch the PC version, or at least DLSS. I tried it for about three levels and, while I was loving every aspect of the game, the bad performance was turning me off.
 
FFV is amazing but insanely underrated because it never came to the states back in the day

I think its the perfect starting point (IMO....FFIV was like a failed experiment FFV got it right)
 
V, VI, IX, XII (Zodiac Age version), Tactics are the top tier ones in my opinion. Although I can honestly say I have enjoyed them all for different reasons.

XIII deserves special mention for having the best battle system and soundtrack of the series, while also having the worst characters and writing (and tons of that horrid anime grunting and sighing).
 
Rykan said:
So the great thing about Final Fantasy is that the series is widely available and easily accessible because the games are not linked (Besides obvious sequels like X - 2 or spin offs). This means that the games have multiple good entry points and no prior knowledge of any of the other games is required.

Now I do recommend the following:
Skip the NES and SNES games for now, this includes the pixel remasters. These games just "feel" very old and haven't necessarily aged all that well. Out of the SNES games, Only VI is really worth playing. If you do enjoy the series, by all means go back to them but they're not the best entry point.

Now for which one you should start with, I recommend the following: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X HD.

These games have some of the best world building in the series, have traditional FF gameplay and are widely available. Games released after X are much more experimental and different. They are worth playing, but if you're looking for traditional Final Fantasy, then the above 3 games are your best bet.
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No.

The PS1 games are more dated IMO. Slow loading times (and bad translation where FF7 is concerned).

Definitely play 4-6. (V advance 1.2 if you can find it, or remaster if you don't mind missing the extra content.)
 
TintoConCasera said:
Still waiting for them to patch the PC version, or at least DLSS. I tried it for about three levels and, while I was loving every aspect of the game, the bad performance was turning me off.
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It's a shame that a game technically so simple has bad performance on PC.

I'm playing on PS5, I choosed performance mode, can't complain.

I'm also loving every aspect of it, going to main mission 11 now. Gameplay just clicked with me, some edgy aspects from the characters are part of the story and even what is a bit over the top I find funny. It's not a game that take itself seriously all the time, so the player also shouldn't.
 
cartman414 said:
No.

The PS1 games are more dated IMO. Slow loading times (and bad translation where FF7 is concerned).

Definitely play 4-6. (V advance 1.2 if you can find it, or remaster if you don't mind missing the extra content.)
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The Snes games feel way more dated to me. Yeah it has faster loading but it also has a terrible encounter rate. Every Final Fantasy PS1 has amazing and detailed world design due to pre rendered backgrounds. The Snes games all have similar or identical looking towns,caves and mountains. The PS1 games just have way more personality to them.
 
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Amiga said:
Just start with the FF7 remake. everything else would be dated for newcomers.
FF Stranger of Paradise is also great minus the below average graphics.
FF15 is so-so.
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I guess FFX to XIII are perfectly playable nowadays. If you have an Xbox, FFXIII looks really good.
 
Rykan said:
The Snes games feel way more dated to me. Yeah it has faster loading but it also has a terrible encounter rate. Every Final Fantasy PS1 has amazing and detailed world design due to pre rendered backgrounds. The Snes games all have similar or identical looking towns,caves and mountains. The PS1 games just have way more personality to them.
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The only PS1 one I can go back to is IX, and even that one suffers from slowdown.

Besides, gameplay trumps personality.
 
It is never too late, just avoid ff15, 13 (and spin off) and especially 7 remake and you are good to go.
 
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Im so glad you made this thread because i was going to do the same, i hope someone can help me but xbox have pretty good deals on final fantasy, im no stranger to jrpgs (my favs being xenoblade chronicles series and dragon quest series) which is the best final fantasy to get into? Ive played FF15 demo ages ago, dont know if id enjoy it since it seemed like press x to slash and nothing else, final fantasy x is on deal and something called type 0? Not sure what that is, theres also final fantasy 12 as well

One more question as well is there loads of grinding in these games as well or is it totally optional?
 
Despiralman69 said:
Im so glad you made this thread because i was going to do the same, i hope someone can help me but xbox have pretty good deals on final fantasy, im no stranger to jrpgs (my favs being xenoblade chronicles series and dragon quest series) which is the best final fantasy to get into? Ive played FF15 demo ages ago, dont know if id enjoy it since it seemed like press x to slash and nothing else, final fantasy x is on deal and something called type 0? Not sure what that is, theres also final fantasy 12 as well

One more question as well is there loads of grinding in these games as well or is it totally optional?
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XII Zodiac Age is pretty great, probably my favorite of the post-PS1 FF games. It's the closest thing they've made to "FF for grown ups", a big departure from the shounen melodrama of the other games. I personally loved the battle system, you program your characters behavior and they act on their own (although you can manually intervene at any time).

Most consider X to be a classic although IMO it's very overrated. I hated the characters, voice acting, and all the dopey exaggerated animations. Music and environments were cool at least.

Type O is an enhanced port of a PSP spinoff game. I could never get into it. Opinions are mixed but most people consider it pretty awful.

XV is bizarre, it's basically cobbled together from the pieces of a previously canceled game (Versus XIII). You can tell that tons of content had been cut. You have to watch a full length film (Kingsglaive) just to know what the hell is going on. I still enjoyed it for what it was but it's a big disappointment considering FF's legacy
 
Here are some Rules:
  • Each FFgame has unique systems, world, story, and some times, artstyle. There is no reason to get Buyers Remorse just because of the number in the end, unless the game clearly indicates that it's a sequel to one of the instalments. (Ex. FF10-2)
  • The early FFgames up to 3 had, for our standards, very simple stories, with just FF1 withholding some insane twist until the very end.
  • FF1-6 have very similar graphics and art, since they've came out on simpler consoles. From the PS1 era and onwards they started experimenting with the art style, going from anime, to semi-realistic, to cartoony, to semi-realistic, to starwars, and after that they've been stucked on the generic semi-realistic ever since.
  • From the PS1 era, they've also started to lean away from the generic medieval fantasy setting.
  • The golden age of the Franchise is from FF6 to FF10. That's mostly the PS1 era. Ever since then, they go from questionable, to straight up bad instalments, with most of them feeling unfinished, convoluted and/or clearly lacking focus.

Here is a few keypoints to choose your game.
  • FF1: Very simple! You pre-choose your characters with no personality. Some decent twist at the end, but otherwise you play it for the legacy. Look for the latest editions to have less bugs.
  • FF2: More story. Many failed ideas, like increasing stats with use and saving hints in dialogues. Predecesor to the Saga games. Mostly very exploitable and very grindy. Look for the latest editions to have less exploits and bugs.
  • FF3: Decent, though it lacks in story. Introduces the Job system that is very adictive. Very few ports for some reason. The only real bug-free options are the 3D remake and the pixer remaster.
  • FF4: To much Story. Very cheesy. Introduction of fixed classes, though the party is mostly choosen by the story. Best edition with the most Content is the PSP remaster.
  • FF5: Often forgoten. Return of the Job system, though this time the characters have personality and a passable story. Very few ports, though the best option is the pixel remaster.
  • FF6: It gets good from here. Many good twists, the characters have unique powers and most are so fleshed out that you can't figure out a main character. Best edition is the eather the Patched PC version or the Pixer remaster.
  • FF7: This game is legendary for good reasons. The early 3D graphics aged a bit poorly. The story is insane. The world is like nothing before. The artstyle is anime. Best edition is a Patched PC version with texture and balance mods.
  • FF8: The black sheep of the PS1 era. While it should had been better than FF7 on a technical level, it wasn't. The story is needlessly convoluted. The system has some very bizzare choices and takes time to figure out. Leveling is stupid, as everything scales with you. Very exploitable. It has an addicting card mini game. The best edition is the recent PC version with Texture and the Ragnarock mod.
  • FF9: A return to the Classics. This game is designed as if a Nintendo era instalment was made today (then). With the exeption of a few boring parts and a one time forced bad card mini-game, this game is fantastic and feels very complete. Best version is the PC version with the Moguri mod.
  • FF10: The jump to the talkies. The first to have VA and it shows... a lot! It's very unfinished, but it's patched together compitently enough to not notice it unless you look for it. Some later added superbosses are badly placed, blocking some much needed backtracking to get combat key items. Best edition is the most recent remaster on any platform. The sequel has the job system, but it was cheesy as fuck and was designed to sell strategy guides.
  • FF11: The first online. I couldn't play online on my console back then... And It's to late to jump in now. It's early MMO and it shows.
  • FF12: Things go downhill. There was an obvious conflict of ideas here. The system is bureaucratic and the story about politics. The main character was tossed there at the final hour and is pointless. The Zodiac Age remaster fixes some aspects, and thus is the best edition.
  • FF13: This shit was bad. The game is linear as fuck. The NPCs might as well be part of the scenery, as nothing beyond enemies and save points interacts with you. The story requires an in-game and off-game enciclopedia to figure out. The battles demand you play them on auto, unless you ate very "meta". The sequels tried to fix things, but it was to little, to late. It's Shame as the production values are through the roof.
  • FF14: The online disaster. This MMO was a trainwreck, and when they realised their IP is damaged. It was remade into something very decent, though by that time, I had jumped on to other better MMOs.
  • FF15: This one is a patchwork of a failed project. All edgy ideas where chopped off. The world feels (and is) incomplete. To follow the story you have to go through Seperate Movies, Episodes, Apps, Games and DLCs. All seperatelly sold. The attempts to fix it has been discountinued. If you buy anything other than a bundle that has all that junk in one place, I'll call you crazy.
  • FF7 Remake: This one deserves a seperate entry, as it restored some of my faith. It's really well made, though it adds a lot of filler, to an otherwise small portion of the original, and at the end it makes a decleration that it won't continue the same path.
IMO if you can Stomach Retro games, start with FF6 and FF7.
If you're not sure and want something newer. Go for FF9 and FF10.
If you only want recent AAA games. Go with FF7 remake.
 
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DonkeyPunchJr said:
XII Zodiac Age is pretty great, probably my favorite of the post-PS1 FF games. It's the closest thing they've made to "FF for grown ups", a big departure from the shounen melodrama of the other games. I personally loved the battle system, you program your characters behavior and they act on their own (although you can manually intervene at any time).

Most consider X to be a classic although IMO it's very overrated. I hated the characters, voice acting, and all the dopey exaggerated animations. Music and environments were cool at least.

Type O is an enhanced port of a PSP spinoff game. I could never get into it. Opinions are mixed but most people consider it pretty awful.

XV is bizarre, it's basically cobbled together from the pieces of a previously canceled game (Versus XIII). You can tell that tons of content had been cut. You have to watch a full length film (Kingsglaive) just to know what the hell is going on. I still enjoyed it for what it was but it's a big disappointment considering FF's legacy
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Is there alot of grinding in these games? I know main campaigns are pretty long but i dont want to grind my ass off to do some parts of the campaign
 
Despiralman69 said:
Is there alot of grinding in these games? I know main campaigns are pretty long but i dont want to grind my ass off to do some parts of the campaign
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Nah none of them are really grindy. Like most JRPGs you will fight lots of un-challenging encounters against the same enemies but IMO not to a punishing degree or anything. I never felt like I needed to grind in order to progress.
 
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It's never too late to try Final Fantasy or install Gentoo.
 
If you don't mind playing retro games then it's never too late. Start FFVI and go forth...spare yourself 13 and remember 11 and 14 are mmos. Literal months of good gaming right there.
 
22:22 said:
At some point i want to play 3, 4, 5 and six
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Respect.

Check out the remake of FF3 on Steam. Its a port of the PSP and DS version. Such a underrated masterpiece and I'm shocked that shit was never ported over to PS3, PS4 etc
 
Despiralman69 said:
One more question as well is there loads of grinding in these games as well or is it totally optional?
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For the most welcoming ones (VI-X), entirely optional. So long as you make the effort to explore thoroughly and don't attempt to rush things, your levels will always be suitable for the challenges you face. They aren't difficult games. Appropriate strategy however will be on you to figure out. The further back you go though, things get a lot more punishing. I and II are brutal and do benefit from grinding.

And since you asked, I still say that VII and X are perfect first time FF games. They both have very straightforward and beginner-friendly systems and can be beaten with fairly simple strategies, while offering enough depth to make things go more smoothly should you wish. The stories and characters are also some of the most well-loved in the series.
 
I am 37 years old and have never played any FF game. The franchise never catched me. FF7 Remake is still untouched on my PS5 SSD.

Confused Will Smith GIF by Red Table Talk
 
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Moses85 said:
I am 37 years old and have never played and FF game. The franchise never catched me. FF7 Remake is still untouched on my PS5 SSD.

Confused Will Smith GIF by Red Table Talk
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But why... especially given the PS5 version plays so well at 60 FPS. Was an utter joy to platinum, get your ass on dude.
 
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IX is charming. 10/10
VII is dark. 10/10
VIII is funny 10/10
X is a tearjerker 10/10

XII is messy 6/10
XIII just sucks assssss. 2.5/10
XIV is actually really good! (I'm not so far in the story but its fun!) 9/10
XV is a mess wow... 5/10

VII Remake .. He's got balls this .. Tetsuya Nomura 9/10

Thats it. These are all the ones worth playing
Snes is a little old for me
VI is a good game but the difficulty spike is just not for me. 7/10
 
Graciaus said:
4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, and 14 are the good ones. For spin offs Tactics is the GOAT for strategy games.

Start with 4. If you don't like it try 6. If you don't like it try 7. If you don't like that don't bother with the series.
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Throwing some major shade at Final Fantasy VIII I see. That's also a great game.

wgn america knife GIF by Outsiders
 
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OP, what time zone are you in? If you're in Pacific or Mountain time, I'd say you can just make the cut to play a Final Fantasy.

Otherwise it's going to be too close to supper.
 
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