Lurker > TomNook7

Night in the Woods

im pretty late to this one, but its great adventure game about millennial dread. love the art style, music, and writing + characters. a definite win for kickstarter games. shame about the creator

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

game was so badass

just a bunch of manly samurai men fighting it out and talking through their problems in the most earnest way possible

and theres a little farming mini game to make you money so you can upgrade your swords

it helps a lot if you know the edo periods history with sakamoto ryoma and the shinsengumi before you go in btw

anyway 8.6/10

Just go play a better game imo

So yeah. Just like the final act of any good FF game, this is the part where everything becomes nonsense, and we all collectively suspend our disbelief:

#1. Final Fantasy VII

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/1/1/AAK53VAAEhxf.jpg

I mentioned earlier that FF6 is basically a perfect game, and it's aged better than FF7, and therefor is probably the best game in the series.

But this is my list, and FF7 is my Citizen Kane rosebud. This is what happens when Anton Ego eats ratatouille. The OG FF7 is my comfort food. It was my first JRPG, and to this day Im still playing old skool JRPGs trying to chase that high.

Even so much as just hearing the music instantly takes me back to that point in time. I actually make it a point not to listen to this games soundtrack too often, ya know - just to savor it.

But heres the thing - Ill be the first to admit FF7 isnt a 10 anymore. Back then, sure. But by todays standards? Maybe like a low 9, high 8? It leaned heavily on Rule of Cool, but what's cool changes over a few decades and isnt timeless. Dialogue was notably bad in some areas, even for the time, but only worse now with better standards. Characters, combat, pacing, worldbuilding and most of the story are still pretty solid with various minor issues here and there.

The materia system is amazing, and its cool you can turn off random encounters in the remaster, which I didnt know until just now. But also Im gonna come at chocobo breeding: shit was tedious and esoteric, which could be fine if it didn't lock out the best transport in the game that's required to access most cool late-game quests. So yeah, I think 8.9 is fair by modern standards. (We can't let it be exactly on par with FF8 now can we?)

But for my personal list, FF7 sits at the top. There's a reason why its so iconic, and why it got a gazillion spinoffs (they should really just call the remake FF7 Spinoff. Also I will never not be salty about this. If you like FF7R, then I'm sorry, and you deserve to be happy. Go live your life!)

So yeah, thanks for sitting through this list just to get to such a predictable outcome. Like yeah okay, FF6 and 7 are the best in the series, what else is new? Thanks grandpa.

The Final Ranking
#1. FF7 - 10
#2. FF6 - 10
#3. FFT - 10
#4. FFX - 9.5
#5. FF4 - 9.4
#6. FF9 - 9.3
#7. FF5 - 9.0
#8. FF14 HW - 9.0
#9. FF8 - 8.8
#10. FFX-2 - 8.5
#11. FF12 - 8.4
#12. FF14 ARR - 8.4
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF1 - 8.3
#15. FF7R - 8.2
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 5.0
#19. FF13 - 3.0

So yeah, this was actually pretty cathartic for me, getting all this into words. I haven't been enthusiastic about this series in a long time, but ya know, I might finally feel something again. I might actually be excited for FF16 now, who knows. Im always gonna miss the old skool menu-based combat, but I hear the Devil May Cry guy is working on 16, so well see. Just gonna try to stay optimistic and open minded.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/1/2/AAK53VAAEhxg.jpg

So far this year I've played through Heavensward, FFX-2, FF1 on NES, and FF5 Pixel Remaster, and every single one of those gave me a new perspective on the series in their own way. Like damn, this truly is a series grounded in history and appreciation for what came before. I wanted to play through FF3 as well, but I don't think Ill have time with Tears of the Kingdom happening right now and all.

Ill definitely return to this ranking someday, but for now, we can let this topic purge, and thanks for sticking around till it was done. I genuinely appreciated you guyss insights throughout this entire journey. And when I do eventually return to this series, you all will be the first to know.

TomNook posted...

Any username with a 7 stands for Final Fantasy 7.

Can you just fight me in Smash for your account now please

who says FF7 is #1?

colliding posted...

Nice to see FFXII: Radiant Wings got first place though!

#2. Final Fantasy VI

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/3/8/AAK53VAAEhfK.png

FF6 is a masterclass of 16 bit gaming. It's amazing that those machines could make something that looks and plays this good. FF6 is up there with Chrono Trigger, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Earthbound, Super Mario World, etc. Games that look and play just as good as some of the best modern day indie games. These games aged like fine wine.

I said this earlier in the topic when talking about FF7R: FF6 is fully realized as is. It was never hindered by aging technology, and can stand on it's own without a remake. FF7 is stuck on Ps1 where it's showing it's age, and considering FF7R is more of a spinoff than a remake, it's probably only gonna get worse for FF7 as times goes on. That said... let's face it - FF6 is probably the best game in the series.

A whopping 14 party members, one of the best villains in gaming history, an entire opera scene sung entirely in 16 bit, and oh yeah - you can straight up fucking break this game

So yeah, I'm the odd man out who actually likes Gau. He was my main protagonist, and man, learning enemy moves on the Veldt was insane. I believe the one that really broke the game was called Nightshade? They can confuse the enemy and make them attack themselves. Well guess what - it works on most bosses. If I recall correctly, it even worked on the final boss.

It's been a long time, so it's hard for me to remember exactly - but I believe I also had Celes and Terra having some crazy setup that let them cast Ultima like four times a turn for free. And of course fourth slot went to Edgar who would chainsaw anything left standing.

Man I forgot about the chainsaw and hockey mask until just now. This game had everything. Ya know what, I'm just gonna start listing stuff: Sabin using Street Fighter inputs to suplex a ghost train, Cyan's town getting it's water supply poisoned, Shadow and Interceptor, ULTROS, the villain wins and the entire world gets destroyed, an Esper system that lets you customize your dudes... the list is endless.

So yeah, if this game ain't a 10, then I don't know what is.

The ranking so far
#2. FF6 - 10
#3. FFT - 10
#4. FFX - 9.5
#5. FF4 - 9.4
#6. FF9 - 9.3
#7. FF5 - 9.0
#8. FF14 HW - 9.0
#9. FF8 - 8.8
#10. FFX-2 - 8.5
#11. FF12 - 8.4
#12. FF14 ARR - 8.4
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF1 - 8.3
#15. FF7R - 8.2
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 5.0
#19. FF13 - 3.0

I definitely wouldnt call FFX easy lol. Some of those mobs/bosses can curb stomp you if you arent paying attention

I think a game can still have a lot of strategic depth without giving in to 100% player freedom. Like, I love the massive amount of characters in FF6, but sometimes its nice to have FF4 place limitations on my party, and for me to have to figure out how to work through those limitations. I dont really think theres a right or wrong answer on this, and really it all comes down to preference

MZero posted...

One of my favorites is sending Yuna down Wakka/Auron's path to get tons of Strength, which gives the Aeon's tons of Strength in turn. Bahamut starts with Break Damage Limit and a move that hits all enemies, so you can one shot most battles

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/2/3/AAK53VAAEhT_.jpg

To add to the sphere grid convo - even if you could move characters from one grid to the next early on, is there even any incentive to do it? Like why turn Tidus into a black mage when now all of a sudden you cant hit wolves? Youd just be losing a valuable tool for the sake of having two black mages.

trdl23 posted...

A certified Matsuno Masterpiece.

I really need to try Tactics Ogre at some point instead of just watching a LP.

Ive had that game in my collection for so long but still never played it

one day

#3. Final Fantasy Tactics

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/5/4/AAK53VAAEhMq.jpg

The first turn-based strategy game I ever played, and what an absolute banger to have as my first.

Every single battle in this game thrusts you into a crazy situation, and its all on you to sink or swim. Sure you could grind levels, but thats only gonna take you so far. The only way to win in this game is pure, old fashioned strategy.

I love how the art style is so cute, yet the world itself is so dark and harrowing. Seeing these little 2D sprites be horrible to each other and maim one another in the name of God is true dark fantasy. I've always considered FFT to be the Game of Thrones of video games.

And oh my god, this is my favorite epic war music ever. Back Fire, Trisection, Battle on the Bridge, Decisive Battle. I use this games music in my DND campaign, and it always hits hard.

And who could forget the Calculator? Its one of the craziest classes ever conceived in an RPG, and I have pulled off absolute fucking miracles with those bad boys.

To this day, I still dont think Ive found a strategy RPG that I like better than this game. Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Jeanne dArc came close, but they still werent quite there.

10 out of 10 forever.

The ranking so far
#3. FFT - 10
#4. FF10 - 9.5
#5. FF4 - 9.4
#6. FF9 - 9.3
#7. FF5 - 9.0
#8. FF14 HW - 9.0
#9. FF8 - 8.8
#10. FFX-2 - 8.5
#11. FF12 - 8.5
#12. FF14 ARR - 8.4
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF1 - 8.3
#15. FF7 R - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 5.0
#19. FF13 - 3.0

pjbasis posted...

I mean it's still really good first time through but the sphere grid doesn't let you do anything with it until basically post game and that's not my favorite kind of content to now be able to experiment with setups.

Yup, that's exactly how I feel. At the same time though, the way FFX's turn-based combat is designed, every party member is treated as their own unique tool, so it makes sense why there'd be no FF5-level of customization. It would just make switching party members and watching the turn order redundant. You can't really take away that linearity without fundamentally changing FFX, so really it comes down to personal preference I guess.

EDIT: Also wanted to point out experimenting with setups was a super satisfying reward for completing the sphere grid, but yeah, unfortunately by then it's too little too late

And linearity is fine as long as the player doesn't notice. FFX peppers in just enough extra content along the way to keep the player occupied within it's hallways. It's an old Dungeons and Dragons trick - the dungeon master almost always railroads the players, but as long as they don't feel like they're being railroaded, everyone's happy.

colliding posted...

The influence FFIV had on me as a sixth grader can't be understated. If I hadn't gotten into this game/series then, I'd probably be a fully functional member of society currently.

Lmao, me but FF7

#4. Final Fantasy X

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/8/AAK53VAAEgu4.jpg

When FFX first came out, it completely rocked my world. This was the new standard for JRPGS - the graphics were incredible, almost every line of dialogue was fully voice acted, the game transitioned out of cut scenes and into battles so smoothly... I just remember thinking like, "Wow. I can't believe games look like this now."

And even replaying it now, it's aged pretty well. It's still that incredible journey we all fell in love with over twenty years ago. It was isekai before isekai was cool. All the characters are loveable, especially Yuna, who's so endearing you can't help but admire her resolve every step of the way. And people either love or hate Tidus, but I think it was cool the player was able to slowly learn about Spira and experience the world through his eyes.

The battle system, while it lacks the intensity of ATB, more than makes up for it with depth and strategy. Switching out party members was not only technically impressive back then - it was a core part of every encounter's design, and I really think that made for some of the best combat in the series, or really even JRPGs as a whole. I didn't even mind the random encounters.

And I love Blitzball, idgaf. I got so deep into it back in the day, and my team was BEAST.

Unfortunately, there's three big flaws that standout with this game - the Sphere Grid is busy work, all the Cloister of Trials sucked, and the game is overly linear (though certainly not to the degree of FF13 - you don't even really notice it until you stop to think about it.)

That said, FFX is the epitome of "near perfect game" to me, and I'll always be grateful I got to experience that once in a lifetime leap from Gen 5 to Gen 6.

9.5/10

The ranking so far
#4. FF10 - 9.5
#5. FF4 - 9.4
#6. FF9 - 9.3
#7. FF5 - 9.0
#8. FF14 HW - 9.0
#9. FF8 - 8.8
#10. FFX-2 - 8.5
#11. FF12 - 8.5
#12. FF14 ARR - 8.4
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF1 - 8.3
#15. FF7 R - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 5.0
#19. FF13 - 3.0

So yeah, every game from here on is 10/10.

We're in the Top 5 now son

Not only are these my top 5 FF games, but just some of my favorite games of all time in general. Final Fantasy used to be THE standard for JRPGs, and these five games really showcase that. You definitely already know which ones they are, but I'm going to be the millionth person on the internet to talk about them anyway

#5 - Final Fantasy IV

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/9/8/AAK53VAAEgjK.png

While FF1-3 were still in their old skool Dragon Warrior phase, FF4 was the one that really kicked everything into high gear. The first game to introduce the ATB system, with an epic story and huge list of characters, with five party members at a time, and beautiful 16 bit graphics and sound.

They were just firing on all cylinders in 1991. That opening with the Red Wings is one of my favorite openings in any game, and my second favorite in the series. Destroying Rydia's village and then Cecil choosing to adopt her is something that's stuck with me for life. I just love Cecil's entire redemption arc - him becoming a Paladin is one my all time favorite moments in the series. And I really like how in battle, Dark Knight made him hurt himself to become better at hurting others, but Paladin would give him the power to heal others.

I like how the game curates the party for the player, so you're constantly left trying to figure out how to make specific lineups to work. I like how fast and addicting the combat can be, and how hard the battle music hits. I love Kain, and how cool Dragoons are, and even though he was mind controlled, my head canon still says he's just a bad dude who's made some bad choices.

There's really not a lot to hate about FF4. It's a bit archaic by today's standards, but the Pixel Remaster fixes those rough edges, like no more random encounters and EXP boost, thank god. I always stood by the PSP version, but once you get spoiled by no random encounters, you can't go back. And I was never really a fan of the DS remake. I just can't stand to look at those chibi character models. Bleck.

My mind is sitting on a 9.4 right now... which seems low for all this praise, and while I know FF4 and FF1 were revolutionary, there's also a handful of Dragon Warrior, Ys, and Phantasy Star games that are comparable from around the same period. But that's okay, because the best was yet to come.

The ranking so far
#5. FF4 - 9.4
#6. FF9 - 9.3
#7. FF5 - 9.0
#8. FF14 HW - 9.0
#9. FF8 - 8.8
#10. FFX-2 - 8.5
#11. FF12 - 8.5
#12. FF14 ARR - 8.4
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF1 - 8.3
#15. FF7 R - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 5.0
#19. FF13 - 3.0

Not_an_Owl posted...

Every battle just takes forever, what with the opening animation and camera moves, then every animation taking a billion years to start up and complete. Compare to FF7, where everything feels snappy and quick, and even the animations that are a little drawn out mostly feel that way for effect and so the attack has more visual impact.

This is very true honestly. And sure you can mod it or whatever (I did), but that doesnt change how botched the official remaster is. And until these issues are fixed (also please just upscale the damn pre-rendered backgrounds), FF9 remains out of my top 5 unfortunately.

Disagree about the AP system though. Of course its gonna suck if youre a completionist, but its more than adequate for the average player. And I actually like forcing the player to choose between learning an ability vs equipping better gear. It can make for some interesting risk vs reward situations

Whats with all the Amarant hate? While everybody else is going through an existential crisis, hes the quintessential badass bounty hunter whos embraced how shitty the world is, and only cares about himself. But even he cant resist Zidanes relentless optimism. Actually in the second half of the game, Amarants dungeon where he challenges the party was actually the rare standout in my mind.

I think the four main characters are all so fully realized, the other four fall a little flat in comparison, but even those guys are a standout in the grand scope of the series. I wouldnt change a thing about FF9s cast personally

trdl23 posted...

Beatrix though... man, Beatrix awoke some things in 11-year-old me. I still think lady knights are hot. There's a lot of great writing with her, too. Steiner's one lucky dog.

oh shit youre right. I also love lady knights, and beatrix really was the first

trdl23 posted...

It's less "Kuja can be redeemed" and more "I'm the only person related to Kuja, his life was shit, I should at least let him die with some dignity." The entire game is about death and mortality behind the cheery attitudes of its main cast.

Ah, I like that a lot actually. That makes a lot of sense for Zidane's character too. I actually really love Zidane as a protagonist. He's optimistic and cheerful, with just a hint of dashing rogue, and that was such a breath of fresh air at the time compared to Cloud and Squall lol

trdl23 posted...

Also how can you not talk about Vivi and how he is the most precious boy under he sun - and encapsulates all of the themes of the story perfectly

It's unfortunate you have 4 incredible core party members and then the back half goes from "The writers forgot I existed" (Freya) to "Worst party member in a game outside of 13" (Eiko).

Yup, when I was a kid, I thought Freya was the best, but replaying it as an adult... yeah it's Vivi. He's one of the best FF characters of all time honestly. Eiko's not that bad though lol. I actually found a lot of her scenes at Madain Sari with the mogs to be really funny and charming. I really liked her cooking scene, and it's made even better that it gives Quina a cool moment. "When cooking for others, you must always make extra." Such words of wisdom have stuck with me for life

And shout out to all the minor characters like Blank and Beatrix too. The main four are obviously the strongest, but even all the minor ones hit.

Alright guyz, now that I've given FF5 time to digest, I feel like I've got a whole new perspective on the series, so I moved some stuff around:

UPDATED RANKING

7.FF5 - 8.6 --> 9.0 (anything less than a 9 seems criminal)
8.FF14 HW - 9.0(it was hard to choose this or ff5 - HW has the story while ff5 has the gameplay - but i always gotta go with gameplay)
9.FF8 - 8.7 --> 8.8 (ff5's customization makes me appreciate the junction system more, and the remaster's draw speed moves it up)
10.FFX-2 - 8.5 (im happy this is top 10 now)
11.FF12 - 8.5
12.FF14 ARR - 8.5 --> 8.4 (combat didnt really get good until HW; "the floor is lava" isnt exactly engaging combat)
13.FF11 - 8.4
14.FF1 - 8.3
15.FF7 R - 8.4 -> 8.3 (i just really dont like the combat in this game. putting it below ff1 is the ultimate salt LOL)
16.FF15 - 8.0
17.DoC FF7 - 6.0
18.FF2 - 3.5 --> 5.0 (okay, it wasnt THAT bad)
19.FF13 - 3.0

And finally,

#6. Final Fantasy IX

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/0/8/AAK53VAAEgVQ.jpg

I think this was the first time I was ever Day 1 for a game. Before I had just kinda accidentally happened upon FF7, FF8, and FFT, but by the time FF9 was coming out... I was ready. I was like "mom, the new Final Fantasy game is coming out. We HAVE to go to Toys R Us TODAY and get it for $50. There's no choice."

So yeah, I played through this when I was a kid, and I played through the remaster not long ago with my wife (we played it on Steam because unfortunately they did a crap job upscaling the pre-rendered backgrounds, but thankfully there's a mod that lets you do it)

But man what an awesome experience this was back in 2000. I just remember thinking how visually amazing everything looked right off the bat. The graphics were some of the best on Ps1, and the new cutesy aesthetic elevated it even further.

I honestly believe the first half of this game is 10/10. The characters are all instantly loveable and believable right out the gate. Garnet taking control of the airship, and taking her destiny into her own hands - just perfection. It's just got this incredibly strong, character-driven plot.

But then it just kinda becomes a grindy dungeon slog in the second half? By the time we find out Zidane is a clone, my brain just checks out. My theory is because Ps2 and FFX were coming out, Square forced the team to wrap that shit up and go. Even Kuja got rushed imo - after the fight, Zidane is like "you guys go ahead, I'm gonna go save Kuja and try to talk to him." Which implies Kuja can be redeemed, which is really interesting, but they don't actually show it, and nothing ever comes from it? Unless there's some secret ending I don't know about.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/1/0/AAK53VAAEgVS.jpg

But yeah, after the hard left turn Square took with FF8, it really seemed like they wanted FF9 to be a return to form. And that's not a bad thing. FF9's really, really good at being a traditional Final Fantasy game. It didn't try to push the genre forward, but it didn't need to. And it's combat and ability systems may not have been the deepest in the series, but they always felt satisfying and rewarding.

9.3

#6. FF9 - 9.3
#7. FF5 - 9.0
#8. FF14 HW - 9.0
#9. FF8 - 8.8
#10. FFX-2 - 8.5
#11. FF12 - 8.5
#12. FF14 ARR - 8.4
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF1 - 8.3
#15. FF7 R - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 5.0
#19. FF13 - 3.0

Im scared this topics gonna purge while i play tears of the kingdom

Hell yeah

I wanna do FF3 next, but with TOTK waiting for me back home im probably gonna be taking a hiatus from ff for a while lol

im gonna at least start dissidia 012 on the plane ride home tho

Aight i beat ff5

Dual cast Bahamut, 4 mimes, and a chemist mixing items that raised all my characters levels to 99

I just shit all over exdeath lmao

Or at least i wouldve, but mimes cant equip ribbons (awesome game balance honestly), so those status effects were really getting me. Instant KO + stone = brutal. I had to sacrifice bartz and faris spellblades for item just to keep everyone going.

Honestly it was a pretty lit final battle, and ff5 has like some of the best combat and progression systems in the entire series. Pretty damn impressive for a game from 1992. Its just a shame about the story and world building

Playing ff5 and x-2 has really given me a new perspective on the core gameplay of this series. 8.6 is definitely too low for ff5 now that i think about it, and honestly i have a bit more respect for ff5, ff8, ffx-2, and ff12, and maybe a little less respect for ff14, ff15, and ff7r. I just have this newfound craving for player freedom, customization, and strategy that i just dont get from the more recent entries

And now im kinda wary of ff16 with its action based combat. Its like yeah i trust yoshi p, but not so much modern day square lol. But well see

anyway yeah ff5 is at least 9/10. So good.

Help I have no clue where to go

I got the four tablets and the twelve weapons, and now what?

Guides online show a cut scene thats supposed to happen with exdeaths minions - didnt happen

And they show the airship can now enter the black holes on the world map - doesnt happen

they say you can advance somewhere through the desert? Which desert?

i got bahamut and phoenix

what do

Oh but of course some random enemy used berserk on my entire party, but theyre all mimes, and mimic replaced attack for all of them, so now all i can do is watch helplessly as my party just endlessly mimics each other mimicing

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/4/8/AAK53VAAEdus.jpg

this is just the best gameplay in the entire series

So let me get this straight:

spellblade flare + dual wield + rapid fire + mimic x3 = 32 flares?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/4/7/AAK53VAAEdur.jpg

So Gogo from ff6, the Brothers from ff8, and Krile from ff14 all first appeared in ff5

amazing

also i love chemist

Bump. Id do another write-up but i just hate doing it from my phone ya know?

Bump from tokyo

redrocket posted...

Its pretty wild what a difference 0.4/10 can make.

Yeah dude! I consider 5/10 as average, so thats a huge statistical jump
on this scale. But I probably might drop ARR to 8.5 the more i think about it

#7. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/9/1/AAK53VAAEcnf.jpg

It only took 100 hours of slogging through ARR, but finally - HW was what made me a believer in FF14.

It was an improvement on ARR in every way. The combat got more challenging and less mindless, the story got better, the music got better.

Like sure, ARR was pretty great for it's time, but it never felt truly "Final Fantasy." The characters were kind of just a bunch of weird strangers that I couldn't get attached to, and they just fell flat when compared to other characters in the series.

But then near the beginning of HW, when you're going on a journey with a ragtag group of friends - Alphinaud, Ysayle, and Estinien - and they have little moments where they bond over a campfire, or bicker over politics - it finally felt like Final Fantasy.

And it finally became a 9/10 for me when we were all defending Ishgard from Nidhogg, and the fight was just EPIC, and every character was bringing their A-game, and the music was just going full blast.

There's also some DONT HIGHLIGHT THIS IF YOU AINT PLAYED FF14: great character deaths, including the death of my fav FF14 character, Haurchefant ;-; and I never thought we'd get a Dragoon who could top Kane or Freya... but Estinien might be it. I just think it's so metal he dyes his armor in the blood of dragons. Also this is probably my favorite depiction of Shiva in the entire series. Like... she sleeps with dragons? It's all just so metal.

I also got heavily into Triple Triad around this time, which bleeds into a ton of side content, and somehow I ended up going on adventures with sky pirates and shit. That's the great thing about FF14 - there's so much player freedom, you never know where your adventures are gonna take you. In that regard, I truly believe Eorzea is the most fully realized FF world, topping even Spira from FFX.

So yeah, honestly, I haven't played many MMOs, but FF14 is definitely my favorite. And shout out to the community. Everybody I've met has been so incredibly helpful and pleasant to talk to. And that's just... generally unheard of when it comes to gamer communities.

So yeah, we're in 9/10 territory now baby.

The ranking so far
#7. FF14 HW - 9.0
#8. FF8 - 8.7
#9. FF5 - 8.6
#10. FF14 ARR - 8.6
#11. FFX-2 - 8.5
#12. FF12 - 8.5
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF7R - 8.4
#15. FF1 - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 3.5
#19. FF13 - 3.0

skullbone posted...

There's an option for 3X battle speed which really helps, yeah. Could draw 99 of something on all 3 party members in a few minutes.

Awesome. My wife wants to play through the remaster with me one day so maybe ill adjust my score then

Also, im bringing ff5, crisis core, and dissidia on the plane with me to japan

Is the original dissidia even worth playing, or should i go straight to 012? What even are these games lol. Apparently theres a 16 hour long campaign? I thought they were just fighting games

MZero posted...

wanna hang out?

lol what city are you in? Ill be in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto

Sorry guyz, I've been too busy to post lately because I'm going to Japan soon, and I've been spending all my time planning my trip. I'm going to be gone for two weeks, but I'll try my best to bump this topic. Please help me keep it bumped in case I forget.

#8. Final Fantasy VIII

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/3/9/AAK53VAAEcbv.png

It's weird because this game exists in two separate places in my mind - me playing it as a kid which is just pure nostalgic joy, and then me revisiting it as an adult and coming to recognize it's many flaws.

FF8 is unlike any other game in the series. This game was inevitably going to rake in huge amounts of cash after the success of FF7, and Square could've just played it safe and did something familiar. But instead they took a hard left, and I kinda respect that. It's kinda like Metal Gear Solid 2 in that way.

And I honestly think it paid off for the most part. The Junction system is either a convoluted clusterfuck, or possibly the most ingenious progression system in the entire series, depending on your perspective. I personally tend to lean towards the latter. Have you guys seen the videos of people breaking the game in the first couple hours? It's like you go get Quistis' Card, Refine it to some crazy item, go get Diablos' Time Magic Refine, get a gazillion Triples, and now all of a sudden your characters can do like 5000 damage per physical attack, or Renzokuken can do like 40,000.

And I'm just fucking aghast at the fact that the game let's you do that so early on. The game totally gives the player enough tools and freedom early on to go crazy, and it's up to them to put the pieces together. But then again, good luck navigating those obtuse tutorials and never-ending sea of acronyms. When I was a kid, I just ignored most of that stuff and played it like a regular RPG and did fine lol (which I actually find to be a testament to it's design - you can play as casually or hardcore as you want.)

Really the achilles heel in all this is how long it takes to Draw Magic. If they could just speed that up, it'd improve this entire package exponentially. Maybe they did in the Remaster? I haven't played it yet.

But yeah. The characters and story? Either you're here for it or you aren't. Me personally, I just embrace the madness. Hotdogs and trains, man. Quistis is probably my all time favorite FF waifu, and I always loved every scene Laguna was in. And Triple Triad? Still my all time favorite FF mini game.

The pre-rendered backgrounds were absolutely breathtaking, and the music equally so. This was definitely Square at their A-game - I don't think any of FF8's flaws can be attributed to cutting corners or lack of talent. They were at the height of their success, and they just wanted to go crazy and see if they could completely redefine what it meant to be an "RPG". Maybe it paid off, and maybe it didn't. It's definitely the black sheep of the series in that way.

Me personally? 8.7 seems about right. Not quite a 9, but I respect the hustle nonetheless.

The ranking so far
#8. FF8 - 8.7
#9. FF5 - 8.6
#10. FF14 ARR - 8.6
#11. FFX-2 - 8.5
#12. FF12 - 8.5
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF7R - 8.4
#15. FF1 - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 3.5
#19. FF13 - 3.0

BetrayedTangy posted...

Big agree on this, the difficulty balances out with the flexibility of the Job System incredibly well.

Also we all forgot about the real best death: Syldra

I know right. That last little dragon roar ;-;

Sorry guys, we were way too drunk last night to play Crystal Chronicles. It's going on the backburner for now.

#9. Final Fantasy V

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/6/6/AAK53VAAEbom.png

I'm currently right in the middle of revisiting this game, so I reserve the right to change it's score and ranking.

In fact, don't hate me if I change any of the games on the ranking, as I'm still trying to get a feel for the overall series. Like I don't know how I feel about ARR being in the top ten, but not X-2. But then again, both those games are kind of a mess in their own way, and ARR is definitely an overall better crafted experience than X-2. I'd have to think about it.

ANYWAY, FF5 - I originally played this on Ps1, but I definitely didn't fully appreciate it back then. The job system is so awesome, and man there's so many jobs. The best part of this game is just experimenting and figuring out how to break it. We already talked about Ninja / Ranger / Mystic Knight, but man, even stuff like the Blue Mage is cool. Let's just Lv 5 Death a boss fight, why not? And right now I'm working on figuring out Chemist, and I'm really starting to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

And is it just me, or is this game kinda tough? And I actually love it for that. Like some of these bosses like Atomos and the Crystal Guardians just WRECKED me. Even random mobs will sometimes just beat the shit out of me. Haste and Slow are a MUST in this game. You gotta pay attention at all times. It's just great.

People hate on the story, and yeah, it's pretty much silly nonsense. It's basically a Saturday morning cartoon. But where FF5 lacks in story, it more than makes up with it's personality and charm. I just love how expressive these little pseudo 8 bit sprites are, and the game can be genuinely pretty funny or emotional at times.

Faris is an all time favorite, but I really gotta hand it to Gilgamesh. The joke battle with Gilgamesh is one of the greatest moments in FF history.

8.6 for now; we'll see where it goes.

The ranking so far
#9. FF5 - 8.6
#10. FF14 ARR - 8.6
#11. FFX-2 - 8.5
#12. FF12 - 8.5
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF7R - 8.4
#15. FF1 - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 3.5
#19. FF13 - 3.0

So like in ff5 when i have two jobs maxed out, am i just good for the rest of the game? I have lenna maxed as white mage / summoner, and krile maxed as black mage / time mage. Do you eventually get extra slots for abilities or what? If so, whats another good class to train them up in?

Aight I'm just gonna go ahead and add Realm Reborn and Heavensward to the ranking. I haven't played the others yet (just wanted to put that out there before anyone gets their hopes up about Shadowbringers being on the ranking. But definitely look forward to me playing more FF14 in the future. But for now-)

#10. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/3/9/AAK53VAAEbdP.jpg

This game is so novel now that everyone's accustomed to the later expansions. But I think it's important to remember ARR was originally a Ps3 game from 2013. And not only did ARR miraculously fix FF14 1.0, but it's also crazy how well it works on console. The HUD customization is so great.

And even looking back at vanilla ARR without all today's improvements, people were still impressed with its visuals, combat, music, and overall mmo design. Shit, it was one of my first games when I got my Ps4 in 2014. And as someone who played FF11 in 2002, I thought ARR was pretty exceptional.

The story is well written, but poorly paced, so it can definitely feel like a giant wordy slog to get through at times. And the characters are generally underwhelming, but the worldbuilding and lore are top notch. Its definitely the most fully realized FF world. And it all culminates into a truly amazing cliff hanger by the end.

Back in 2013, the general audience seemed to give ARR around a 9, but the hardcore mmo people gave it around an 8.5, saying while it could hold its own against WoW and Guild Wars 2, it's late game experience was pretty lacking.

So for it's time, 8.6 for ARR seems right.

The ranking so far
#10. FF14 ARR - 8.6
#11. FFX-2 - 8.5
#12. FF12 - 8.5
#13. FF11 - 8.4
#14. FF7R - 8.4
#15. FF1 - 8.3
#16. FF15 - 8.0
#17. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#18. FF2 - 3.5
#19. FF13 - 3.0

And if you're like me, and you're not into MMOs (my wife had to force me to get into FF14), but you're curious about FF14 - I'd say just be patient and open minded and take your time with it. At first I was daunted by the hundreds of hours it would take to get through all this, but now that I'm in - it's actually kind of exciting that there's hundreds of hours more for me to play.

I remember hating it back then, but i also hated ffx-2, so whatd i know? Cant wait to give it a second chance tonight. Crazy that its been 20 years

Made it past my old point of no return in ff5

I always vaguely remembered a talking turtle

and now i finally found the talking turtle

My FF craze continues:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/7/6/AAK53VAAEbRU.jpg

I sold Dirge and picked up this bad boy. Got 4 GC to GBA cables too. Told my friends to bring their GBAs over and we're gonna play Saturday night

pjbasis posted...

I think it's just different because he was experimenting. I would probably say that's a "low tier" FFX song but I still vibe with it.

This. That song is more about player introspection and taking in the moment. They were going for an overall more cinematic experience with FFX, and it worked.

#9. Final Fantasy X-2

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/6/8/AAK53VAAEbOE.png

I just played through this a couple weeks ago for the first time in twenty years. I originally picked it up in 2003 when I was 13 years old, and I HATED it lol.

But now as a 33 year old, I'm like... damn this gameplay actually kinda slaps.

Theres actually a lot to like about FFX-2. They experimented with the usual formula and it actually worked - the world is opened up right at the beginning, and the story is mostly non linear, and the player can experience as much or as little as they want. And on top of all that, the choices the player makes can actually affect the story.

And the combat is just crazy good. Like, possibly the highest culmination of traditional FF combat. I like how FFX pushed shit forward by letting you switch party members mid-battle, but FFX-2 takes it a step further by removing the middle man and just straight up letting you job change mid-battle. I was constantly coming up with out of the box/broken combinations.

For example, one time my whole party got confused and used every single Ether and Elixir I had. So I trained everyone up in Black Mage to learn MP Absorb. Then any time I needed MP, I would just switch to Black Mage and back. MP became a thing of the past.

And the combat is active time, and stronger moves take longer to cast, so if a character goes down, you can start charging Curaga, and then use a Phoenix Down after which will come out faster than Curaga, and have someone back up and to 100% in no time.

Also Sphere Break is pretty great. Just putting that out there.

And people complain about how annoying the girls were, but really, it made sense that Yuna became more confident and adventurous, considering Tidus brought her out of her shell in the first game. It's nice when character arcs actually push characters forward for a sequel (unlike Cloud in Advent Children, where he somehow went backwards.)

And Paine just rolls her eyes when the other girls are acting silly. And who could complain about Rikku? It's Rikku. It's Tara Strong at her best.

And sure, the story has hiccups, and a lot of the side content and mini games are pretty dumb, and the dungeons are a bunch of nonsense, but overall really solid game on its own. And that perfect ending... just really hit me in the feels, especially seeing it for the first time 20+ years after playing FFX.

8.5

Ancient people of Spira: "lets create a machina with enough firepower to destroy the entire world and have it be controlled by piano notes"

The ranking so far
#9. FFX-2 - 8.5
#10. FF12 - 8.5
#11. FF11 - 8.4
#12. FF7R - 8.4
#13. FF1 - 8.3
#14. FF15 - 8.0
#15. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#16. FF2 - 3.5
#17. FF13 - 3.0

10. Final Fantasy XII

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/0/7/AAK53VAAEbDv.png

I didn't really like this game when it first came out, but over the years I've warmed up to it. I guess I was disappointed because I originally went in expecting a top tier story - but little did I know where the game truly shined was it's combat and customization.

I feel like there's a handful of FF games that are misunderstood because they have better gameplay than story. FF5, FFX-2, and FF12. If you like FF, but don't care about story, then these are the games for you. And I think that's perfectly valid, and honestly these three games always seem a little underappreciated in that regard.

That said, I never finished this game on Ps2, but I do want to revisit it on Switch (I hear they sped up the combat, which that alone is a huge improvement). So look forward to that playthrough in this topic at some point.

But for now, I'm comfortable with FF12 being 8.5 territory.

The ranking so far
#10. FF12 - 8.5
#11. FF11 - 8.4
#12. FF7R - 8.4
#13. FF1 - 8.3
#14. FF15 - 8.0
#15. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#16. FF2 - 3.5
#17. FF13 - 3.0

Bruh. Rangers rapid fire + ninjas dual wield = 8 fucking attacks

FF5 is so good

Nier

I mean, youre talking to the guy who just gave NES FF1 a 8.3/10 in 2023.

lol btw, these ratings are based are how they were at the time.

#11. Final Fantasy XI

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/2/4/AAK53VAAEa0Y.png
-now with pictures!-

I was such a hardcore FF fan by 2002, I just had to pick up the giant FF11 bundle that came with a Ps2 hard drive with an ethernet port (which is still on my Ps2 to this day). Yup, I played this for like 6 months when it first came out, and haven't played it since, so this ranking is based on that.

I understand that FF11 has improved significantly in the last 20 years, and honestly, I'm considering going back and giving it another try. It's super impressive that this game is still going. And I hear the main story is pretty good too.

But back in 2002, I just remember this game being SO. HARD. FF14 has spoiled us lol.

Like, every encounter was life or death, because if you mess up and die even once, it's Level Down. And it took FOREVER to level back up.

And finding a party took forever too. 20+ minutes of just sitting around in the Valkurm Dunes hoping a White Mage pops up.

But when you finally got a good party, and everyone was playing to their full potential... nothing else like it. I remember we had to kite some of the stronger enemies back and forth. Just little tricks like that. It was great. I was in a cool linkshell. I got good at fishing and was selling stuff at the auction house.

Good times.

8.4/10 for now. It'll probably go higher when I eventually go back and revisit it.

The ranking so far
#11. FF11 - 8.4
#12. FF7R - 8.4
#13. FF1 - 8.3
#14. FF15 - 8.0
#15. DoC FF7 - 6.0
#16. FF2 - 3.5
#17. FF13 - 3.0

colliding posted...

story-wise, yes, it holds up (assuming you're down with working designs, which is a big ask for some)

in terms of gameplay, the battle system is an example of why turn-based combat gets a bad rap

lol whats wrong with working designs? Those translations were way ahead of their time. I play a lot of old skool jrpgs, and i cant tell you how refreshing it was finally seeing an actual good translation with so much personality and charm

And i thought the combat was fine. It was originally a sega cd game from 1992 after all

Yup. Once i got to the boat song i knew i was in for something special

colliding posted...

I cannot imagine anyone playing this game or Eternal Blue Complete in 2023 for the first time and having fun.

a cel-shaded remake by level 5 or arc system is a dream game

i played SSSC for the first time a few years ago and had a blast, but im also a crazy person so