Best Final Fantasy poll !!

I've been playing through the fan translation of FF5 and uh, yeah, it can be a bit boring at times? Maybe i'm just a little tired of JRPGs after playing them a bunch this year but the battles just feel repetitive, even if you mix it up with the job system. Also the story is meh and the characters are all flat.

In contrast, iv might be a bit easy (I played the hardtype version and it was still easy!) but it has great characters, a good story, an interesting setting and an incredible soundtrack. all v has going for it is that it's challening.

like the boss theme in iv is just a straight adrenaline rush

5 has fans because some people are crazy for job systems but in general there's a reason why it was the one out of 4-6 to get passed over for global release the first time around

yeah, it's definitely not as refined as IV or VI in the storytelling/thrillpower department. it certain has its own virtues though

This is another one of those ilx polls that is just “how old are you” in a different guise isn’t it

Gilgamesh's appearances makes FFV worthwhile

been playing them starting from 4 (up to 7 now) and 5 is really just miles above the rest in gameplay. job system is consistently rewarding and thorough and the game's commitment to special statuses makes it sim-like, the whole thing is just a pile of on/off switches that all interact with each other in fun ways. later FF games always treat statuses and ailments and things of that nature like superfluous genre obligations, 5 is built around them.

FFV's job system is fun to play around with but the game still gets boring in the second half. I played through it twice and started getting bored in the forest fire section both times. I tried a "four job fiesta" run and it was so boring that I quit halfway through.

Fans of FFV should check out Dragon Quest V, released a few months earlier in 1992, maybe the first jrpg based around recruiting monsters i.e. the pokemon formula.

the first megami tensei game came out in 1987! but yes DQ5 was what popularized it and led more directly to pokemon

Gilgamesh's appearances makes FFV worthwhile

― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Saturday, December 26, 2020 4:00 PM (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

oh yeah the battle of the big bridge fight in FFV is obviously amazing

I need to play FF6 again so I can face the final boss rush properly — The last time I was over-leveled and cheesed my way through it by equipping everyone with Flame Shields and spamming Merton. I wish they'd release it on the Switch (not the hideous-looking mobile version)

lol i forgot about "Merton"

Now that I think about it, FFV would simply be so much better if it was possible to dash at any time. anyways i just entered "the void" where exdeath should be chilling and any enemy i see obliterates me immediately with meteo. i appreciate a challenge, but damn, getting through this feels like trying to plow through a 1000 page novel that you're only moderately enjoying

PS1 and GBA versions have a run button and it stacks with the thief's ability. In PC emulators you can just fast forward.

i still have only ever actually finished VI. lately i’ve been experimenting with believing XII is the best, but it’s kind of a spiteful opinion.

This is a podcast where the Final Fantasy games are explained to a non-gamer. I had forgotten how abstracted the early ones would be to a newcomer.

http://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/shabcast-41-holly-explains-final-fantasy-vii-to-jack-part-1/
http://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/shabcast-412-holly-explains-final-fantasy-vii-to-jack-part-2/

Funny you mention that 2k11nostagia; pretty sure that's where I gave up on the game, if that's the final final dungeon. But I probably also did a crap build in all honesty

ff12 is the best ff game of the 21st century by a significant margin

would agree with ff12 being best this century, but ff14 is really good in terms of story & characters. would love a traditional ff game set in the ff14 world (seems like ff16 will be very similar to this so kinda hyped for it)
considering a run through the early games, never played ff2 and only a bit of ff3 on the DS before.

wait, 14? The MMO?

ff14 is pretty fun, i put ~30 hours into it when it relaunched and had a good time. the MMO life is not for me but if it were that's the one i'd play (after OG EQ and ultima online).

yeh the MMO, I burnt out of the gameplay after a while but the writing is easily the best in a ff game imo

you've piqued my curiosity, but for my own good I stay away from MMOs

ff12 had great combat but the story, characters, and settings were almost impressively bland

yeah for me 12 fandom is a giving-in to "look just give me mechanics that don't waste my time quite so aggressively and i'll stop asking to be moved." the vestiges of FFT's universe that actually remain can be fun tho if you are a huge nerd, which like, odds seem good

i was playing ffVII remake at my friends house before the latest lockdown started. thinking about playing ffX on PS3 with my gf and ffVI on my ipad to substitute

I've defeated neo-exdeath. i take back everything critical i've said about this game, it absolutely rules. love how the final battle is so intense that it feels like the game could collapse at any moment

hey now
https://ff6wc.com/

I haven't played an FF since 9 (though I did put decent hours into 7 Remake before giving up on the complexity of the combat system), but curious if anyone is playing 16? I'm not sure DMC-style button mashing combat is for me either but the discourse is what I'm here for.

Played the demo. Kinda played like a breezy God of War combat system with some seriously extended and overwrought cut scenes. Really gorgeous graphics though - feels like a PS5 exclusive for sure. Demo was entertaining enough, but I'll probably hold off. Game seems to be okay but not earth shattering with TOTL graphics. I ended up getting the cart of the FFI-VI pixel remasters and will likely bust through some of those instead if I get the itch.

Playing ffxiii right now. Such a pretty game, still holds up very well visually. I like the story movements. I heard someone say it best when they said this game is best as 1-2hr session thing, not a whole day binge. I am okay with the battle system as things move head in difficulty. Also very ahead of its time as a “plays itself” game in the vein of vampire survivors etc. perfect thing to play on the steam deck while baseball/something else is on the tv in the background.

ff16 is fun, of course i'd prefer an old fashioned Active Time Battle system or whatever but the DMC-lite character action stuff is fine. they were smart enough to load it up with TONS of minibosses and cinematic moments so it rarely feels like you are just tromping from trash mob to trash mob a la xenoblade.

looking forward to 16 when i can play it

would be interesting to redo this poll someday, i think V has increased in stature a lot over time now that its far removed from being The Weird one That Didnt Get Released Outside Japan

16 is unashamedly shallow, I'm enjoying how relatively undemanding it is tbh

The combat seems to be designed to make you think you're incredible at dodging without actually being that hard. Voice acting is really excellent, Finchy from the Office among others putting on fine work

XP of the first six V is my second fav! Thought it was a "lost classic" type back in the early 00's when I was able to play it on the PS2.

5 was the peak in terms of the core gameplay imo. Really enjoyed the remaster of 3 as well. 6 obviously towers above in most aspects.

I just realized that 7-9 are the only mainline games I played -- loved 8, enjoyed 7, but did not like the 9's story (mainly disliked the breeziness of the story or Zidane). Are the pixel remasters for the older ones worth checking out in my case?

everyone who plays RPGs should play FF6 at least once

and the pixel remaster is good

Unbelievable they’re like the only games NOT on sale on steam right now. Was expecting to buy that bundle today but can’t stomach the $100 asking price

Are the pixel remasters for the older ones worth checking out in my case?

Absolutely! These are all the FF games made for the NES and SNES, so sprite 2D graphics for the most part. The NES games are updated to SNES like graphics which is nice. The remasters also have nice quality of life improvements like "easy modes" where you can say, get 4x XP per battle or turn encounters off while roaming the map!

The plot and story of the games get more and more involved leading up to VI with that game probably having one of the most immersive for a 2D RPG game. Kefka in VI is easily my favorite FF villain and that includes VII and beyond. Still holds up and you can see how VI specifically has influenced a ton of modern indie RPGs too (Eastward is one that comes to mind).

Pro-tip I learned from Reddit before it began to eat shit, but they only sell the cartridge of the pixel remasters for the Switch in SE Asia, but you can play this cart in the US just fine - runs great on mine. Seems to be for sale still here (though price is now $80 yikes - I paid $70):
https://www.play-asia.com/final-fantasy-i-vi-pixel-remaster-collection-multi-language/13/70g0qp

So I got some extra time in my hands lately, finally bought the pixel remasters and have been breezing through them. Finished the three NES games (1>2=3) and now maybe a third of the way through IV and wow what a jump in quality. There's like, an actual story! You kinda get the best of 3's job system with the characters who rotate in and out (I'm aware V is apparently where the job system really hits its stride?). These remasters are vry vry vry pretty too. Also, a modern mp system finally! Love the DnD roots of the spell slots, but I feel like I'm finally playing a Final Fantasy game as I know it entering from the ps1 era with mp, story focus atb. Loving how every game innovates, every one I've played so far has been classic.

Looking forward to V, VI, VIII, IX, X-2, XIII-2, XIII-3, and finishing XIV, XV and XVI...... lol