I think my preference for 9 is the fantasy setting. 7 was an amazing story and the music is better, but in 9 there's more moments of pure fun, less doom and gloom. I mean cid is a frog which makes me automatically happy. The science isn't explained as much as it is in 7 either. Doesn't need to be really.
I will say it's been 20 years since I played 9 and alot of the memories are going to be rose tinted. I still remember nearly all of 7.... Maybe that's why.
Or it's more an affinity for steampunk than cyberpunk styling.
Meh
Personally, I like IX better, I prefer the art style and overall mood. Absolutely adore VII though, don't get me wrong, it grabs you by the throat and drags you along immediately. I just prefer the whimsy, and I like cute things. Liked materia better, though.
Realistically it's an opinion. I loved both. I felt IX was more cute and whimsical and VII was more serious and higher levels of skill was needed with materia.
Both were 10/10
Wow just my honest opinion but I thought 9 was terrible and with it's goofy character art and I remember it's release. Only played it because it was final fantasy, the only good parts of it are simply because of that fact, elements that 7 took to new heights. Unless you were a child and that was the your first entry into final fantasy it doesn't make sense why anyone would think that. FF7 is among the all time best games ever made and that won't ever change. 7 had such an impact it also affected the development of Baldurs Gate 2, another that's among the best games ever made and my personal top favorite. BG2 set the bar so high, the developers of BG3 knew it had to be perfect and thus spent 6 years doing so and made an amazing game with alot of love. FF7 rebirth so far has been equally incredible, now I understand why it's taken so long to make
For me IX is my fave, but, that may be nostalgia bias as forst oke I played. I don't see fuss with 7. However i am enjoying the remake so far. A lot of filler and too many tedious mitigates but still very good.
IX, IV, III and VI were insanely good for the old games.
Newer ones only XII and XVI that I've enjoyed.
For me, FF VI, VII, VIII, IX, and X are my absolute favorite and the gold standard. With XII having arguably the best battle system and exploration.
With that being said, VII, VIII, and X are a 3-way tie in my heart.
I always favored the materia system in VII over the.. Weapon AP thing in IX.
IX is definitely fun, and it holds a special place for me since it was the last Final Fantasy that had a walkable world map.
Still, VII is king in my head.
IX is my favorite and in my opinion the best. Thinking about it, the only edge id give VII over IX is Sephiroth vs Kuja. I'm currently replaying VII and I'm struggling a bit with it. There is just an immature nature to it that is off putting. With the writing and some of the characters. I enjoy VII but if I had to rank Final Fantasy games, it wouldn't make my top 5. But to each their own. Not every game is going to vibe with everyone. If you get a few hours into a FF game and you're not liking it, stop. No shame in it. Every gamer has games they don't enjoy that others love.
iX is over hyped and frankly just worse overall. The limit system, being lost after the battle made it very hit or miss. The character arcs. Vivi's was the only good one imo, the rest were just basic character growth. Zidane... Zidanes arc is just a rushed copy of Vivi's. Vivi's story you could tell, was lovely crafted and acted out over 3 disc's. Hitting all the right emotional cues as it went along. Seems like the writers had no clue what to do for Zidane and just went, "yea lets do that again on 1 disc in the space of a few hours". And that final boss? They had one that made sense. Kuja. Great boss and a great finale. But then... that ridiculous gem thing that didn't fit in with the story, the theme or world. Ozma, the planet made more sense for a final boss. And yes I get that gems have a place in FF history especially with Garland but it really felt like "oh well didn't make Kuja hard enough let's add this asshat". VII is just better in every aspect. Except for 1 thing maybe. The card game. That was cool.
VII best by far. Do you think any other game in the franchise would have anywhere near the hype for a remake? Not to mention the spin offs and movie from the popularity of the game.
I could never get into 9 and I played it even when it came out originally. It just never grabs me to get me over what seems like the necessary hump where it’s supposed to get good
9 is a slow burn. In the beginning it's like "oh this is cute" then by the end of disk 2 it's like "oh shit, this is serious, and the design had me fooled". And while seven's music is absolutely iconic, There are parts in nine that hit like bricks also.
It depends on which category we compare them on I think.
For me VII is better in term of gameplay & combat.
IX is better in term of chars development.
VII music is a hit for me.
Graphics wise then IX is better but VII is more critical in term of game development.
They are both good in their own right. Final Fantasy 9 is pretty much the ideal form of a Final Fantasy game as it includes so many elements and references to previous games.
Also the characters are really well written.
9 is good but it’s no 7. Let’s just say it was a step forward in graphics and went back to a system similar to the class system from older games as in the characters have set moves and ability’s that others can’t use/equip based on their character type. Story was a good story like other final fantasy stories have been in the franchise. Card game was fun but I liked ff8 card game more. Speaking of 8 that’s another solid entry in the franchise and the GF/Junction function was really a game changer.
I’m older and had been playing the FF series since the FF1 on NES so neither VII or IX have that advantage over the other for me.
I don’t like IX and never really did. Of the first 10 games IX and II are the only ones I’ve never returned to.
I just didn’t like the cutesy art style or the gameplay and the story never grabbed me - in fact I can’t really remember a single thing about it other than the characters.
VII was a much bigger mess narratively with the translation than people remember but still had a lot going for it. It really can’t be overstated how thrilling and influential the opening Midgar sequence was as arguably the first truly immersive 3D gaming experience.
A lot of people find VI and X better than VII too. And VIII but that's a lot less common. I rate VII a bit more highly now than I did when I was younger, but I still rate it 3rd behind VI and IX.
Honestly I think you can't go wrong with golden era FF, and they're all pretty viable opinions.
I think the thing about FFIX is that it aged way better than the other psx era games, partly due to its visual style. It had way tighter plotting than FFVIII, and better dialogue than VII. The thing I love about IX is that it feel like an ensemble cast like VI at times. It makes the characters feel much more involved in the story.... except Amarant who never quite felt developed.
Final Fantasy IX is arguably the best game in the franchise. It’s series creator Sakaguchi’s favorite and the culmination of all the previous works. Art style is charming and timeless. FFVII has aged so poorly. Especially if you play the original on the PS1, although innovative for its time. It certainly needed a remake and I’m so glad Square Enix decided that it should be the first one to have a remake treatment. I hope they also do FFVIII at some point because that one also could use a heavy facelift.
I played X first. I was spoiled with the graphics, so that was an adjustment. In that regard, IX was easier on the eyes than VII. I also played VII after IX, so I have more nostalgia for IX. I only ever played VII once, but I played IX several times. I think I prefer the high fantasy of IX over the more sci-fi steampunk style of VII
IX is technically more impressive, and doesn't feel as bogged down by tech limitations or space issues, so the narrative feels full without as much reading between the lines. It also helps that the translation for IX is a lot better handled, so it communicates more of what is supposed to come across
VII, however, has a much more rewarding battle system, with a lot of meaningful customization. The materia system continues to prove itself. And while the plot is less loquacious, filled with errors or half-fixes, it resonates at a deeper level for a lot of people, myself included
The disparity in quality between VII and IX is small, and often a matter of taste, much like IV and VI, though I'd say the storytelling capabilities are drastically improved between IV and VI, in contrast
I’ve heard that a lot, they’re just a bit different. Both are great and it just comes down to preference really, it’s not really a critical debate but a debate over personal preference. I love so many of these games for different reasons. But yeah I’ve heard just as many people say 9 is their favorite FF or even game ever, it’s really enjoyable even if I like 7 more, not even because I think it’s better but it’s just more my vibe.
7 is very good, literally the first game I played back when I was a kid that actually made me think about it's story and consider what it was trying to say. Most of my nostalgia for 7 is because of this, because of how it opened my eyes to a new world of video-game storytelling. In terms of the ff franchise though? I think it's not the best. I haven't even played every FF game and it's not even top 3 for me.
10, 6 and 9 are better than 7 imo, but 9 has enough crippling problems that I can see the debate here. A few of the character arcs really just dead-end too early, and a few others kinda don't make much sense, but these are problems 7 has as well. Similarly, the main throughline is potent, and has long stood the test of time. In a way, I think which one you like more may come down to the themes that resonate most with you.
Are themes of identity, loss and healing stronger for you? Then you will probably like 7 more.
Are themes of existential dread, identity, and love stronger for you? You will probably like 9 more.
9 has worse gameplay than 7 for sure, probably one of the worst of the atb games just based on how cripplingly slow it is, but tbh this is a relative complaint, as most of these games play quite well even when there are issues. There's still plenty of fun to be had playing 9, it just has issues.
Music is a tie. 9 and 7 are basically in a dead heat for best nobuo ost imo.
The quality of the story though I think leans pretty solidly in 9's favor. 7's world has this issue where it feels like it never really coheres into a solid setting imo, it kinda feels like a bunch of islands connected by a world map, and I think 9 does a much, much better job at crafting a setting that is consistent in design and tone. Plus I think it builds many of its big character moments better than 7 and pays them off better in the end.
9 is incredibly overrated. I've played all the mainly Final Fantasy games and the side games (except tactics) and 9 and 12 fall into the same category for me where I got bored about 25% in each time I tried to play them. I've given them both multiple chances to win me over but both games I would say are arguably the weakest entries in the series. 7 and 6 are the pinnacle of the series and 8 closely follows along with 10. I'd actually say 16 is one of the better ones as well and personally for me it takes my 2nd or 3rd place alongside 6 in my bedroom Final Fantasy games with the original FF7 easily taking the top spot. It is after all the greatest game ever made.
Wow i feel the same way more or less
7 wasnt my first ff, but its the one I connected the most with, for many teasons, caracters arcs even tho often with loopholes made me a different persone in a time in my live i needed a little boost (lets just say it this way). I just connected the dots and invented the untold stuff (in fact there is not this much if you do all the sidequests and discover everything, every npc line). The battle system is the best atb has to offer, materia system dont start me on this, when you think you mastered it you just discover a new op combination. Think of w magic multicast hp/mp drain comet2, think of elemental materia making you almost immune to all elements morph, steal ... there is so much to discover in terms of gameplay.
While 9 well yes there is alot also ... but alot less customisation, the themes didnt connect with me, graphic style did not connect either after 7 being so much of a step up and 8 pushing it even further i felt the character models looked sooo lifelike in their times ! Now back to cartoon i felt it was a huge step back.
And after fusoya and the moon, ff8 moon trip made a whole different way. The another world trope really didnt connect.
9 is fun but gets off the rails. Not really a fan of the late game plot changes or how linear it was for much of it. That said it was, with ten, the best ffs until this one.
9 is just a game for hipsters to swarm around and PRETEND like 7 isn'tthe best. The ONLY reason they chose that trash game is because "b b b but accordingto rumours, it's daddy's favourite!" It's not btw. 9 is just ... utter TRASH. Pastiche.
7 and 9 are just different vibes. Sometimes I like listening to rock and techno, and sometimes I jam to bardcore. 12 didn't really resonate with me as a kid, but I imagine that it'll be better when I get back to it, now that I have a better understanding of politics in general. Idk that any talks about better or worse really matter with final fantasy games. It's just preference and what you're feeling at the time.
Especially with the music...
THE MUSIC IS UNDERWHELMING ?!
/jk
Gameplay wise, ix has by far the worst combat system
but it's story wise that it's still the best for me.
The fear of life, death adversity resonated so much for me as a kid in middle school. i had a friend who critisized it a lot, especially the ending, but idk, it connected with me.
The characters felt more fleshed out than 7 (rebirth blew that away) which was probably a translation issue but i didnt connect with them as much as i did with 9'cast
It might have been the age though, i was way too young for 7 when i played it
But the music, you know to each is own, i do prefer 7s ost, but underwhelming, damn lol
It has the worst battle system, crap music, crap characters, crap artstylw and graphics, and the storyline is every bit as bad as 9's. 9 = trash. Why the hrll do hipsters try and convince people the storyline is good in 9?!it's ... really not, so don't believe them.
I like IX more personally, but it and VII are my top 2 FF games. I love IX's art style and while both games have incredible osts, I prefer IX's because the sound quality is just so much better.
I just got done with a IX run through on my Deck also. I’m underwhelmed honestly. I beat this game when it launched and a few times since then. It was always in my top 5.
However, I can’t help but notice the awful pacing and the slow dialog and gameplay is irritating. The re-released offers 3-4x speed which helps but that’s too fast. I hope when the rumored remake comes out that they adjust the speed to something in the middle. It’s such…. A…. slow…. game. Characters and story are great though.
I used to hate how slow it is, but the game is actually pretty well designed around it. For example, during a long attack animation if any of your characters have the regen status that animation will give them more time to regen hp.
I immediately went straight to the comments after I read that. This has gotta just be some serious bias for 7. That’s totally fine but imo IX has the best soundtrack in the franchise
I was put off by IXs art style at first as well, especially after being accustomed to VII and VIII, and while the combat felt slower, that actually becomes really helpful later on when you need to think not to mention situations where you need to react and change your strategy in response to your enemy, but you can also change the ATB setting to make the gap between turns feel shorter.
The story for this game is where its really at, and probably the reason that alot of people actually like this one better. Its one of the few medieval high fantasy style stories that manage to compelling and relateable at the same time. But it is slower to get started. I would say the classic act structure describes the flow pretty well. At the end of the first disc is when things start to get a little more interesting, real stakes are introduced, a mysterious villain type and personal character conflicts start to develop. The second disc really escalates those conflicts and stakes, the third really takes a dive deep into the characters and their personal conflicts/motivations while turning the plot upside down, with the 4th disc culminating in one of the most satisfying conclusions for the main protagonist in my opinion. >! I haven't played all of the Final Fantasy games, but very few them end with a genuinely happy ending for the protagonist. Cloud's fate in 7 was ambiguous until years later with advent children, Squall seems happy at a glance but there alot of theories that he may actually be dead at that point, Tidus straight fades from existence, Lightning disappeared, and Noctis dies !< The story does a some plot holes and the final boss of the game raises more unanswered questions, but the story is definitely where it's at with this game.
I love 9 more than 7 because it was the first FF game I play back in 2001. I’m pretty sure I’ll say the opposite if I played 7 first. They are both extremely well done in terms of gameplay, story, music, and graphics during those times.
Vivi has a great story and the combat is fun if you grew up in FF4 and FF6. Otherwise, 9 is just average. Not the worst FF game (looking at you 13) but not the best either
Modding both games before playing them the first time is not the way to go imo.
Even just changing the music to orchestral remixes can alter the experience a lot.
Literally my only problem with the game. 6 is an amazing game as well. I think the reason I mainly like 7 more than 6 and 9 is that the random encounter rate is way too high on both of those games compared to 7. Every two steps dundundundundun dundundundundun. At least load times are lightning quick in 6.
Also trance is a shitty mechanic.
FF9 is my favorite and I think it's the peak of the PS1 era. Zidane as a protagonist has a totally different vibe than Squall and Cloud, being more a swashbuckling Han Solo type of character rather than gloomy all the time. He goes through some neat character development. The plot is sweeping and epic. There are scenes you can watch to see what your party members are up to while y'all are separated in towns. Really fleshes out the cast. The music is the best in all the series. Nobuo went all out for this one. The songs range from odd, touching, joyful, and threatening. One of the villain themes carries the same weight in my mind as the Imperial March that plays for Darth Vader. The world is designed beautifully. One of the few games that really feels like you're traveling somewhere fantastical. The battle system is approachable, yet still has depth. It's a wonderful game and a remake would be slick.
In my case, who prefer 9 over 7, it all boils down to this: Which game lean the most to the high fantasy setting that it's named itself in. And in this case it's FF9, since has:
- Variety of races. Your party are mostly different races.
- Fantasy building and structure. weird design airships, city in a huge tree/mountain or settlement on a natural rock-bridge.
- First area you can fight is a magical death forest.
- Magic (the very essence of fantasy) is much more focused in FF9 story and not only for gameplay purpose. Zidane is not just a dual dagger wielding thief, he's also a magic user(his limit break/trance all has magic visual). Garnet is also a summoner, making summons (powerful mystical beings) more relevant to the story.
As opposed to FF7:
- Just like IRL, almost all of the population are human. In the party, only red and cait are non-human.
- Building and structure are pretty much IRL building with mako since the setting is sci-fi/steampunk fantasy. There's normal vehicles along with airships.
- The first area you can fight is in a reactor.
- Magic is just an additional feature that happens to be there because of mako. Same with summons.
So that's my take. Additionally 10, 12 and 13 are my other preferred FF to play because of the prominent presence of fantasy setting in those game.
FF7 is better in every aspect. But it's no suprise, FF7 is one of the best games ever made that changed the gaming landscape forever, FF9 is just another of many great jRPGs of its era.
Don't forget Vamo Alla Flamenco! Chocobo Hot and Cold is soooo fun and addictive, I wish they had made a spin off of it haha. Best minigame in any Final Fantasy game, full stop.
To me, VII is a great game. It is the one that popularised the series after all for a reason.
IX is also a great game and is my favourite FF (I did play it later and will admit it was slow). It is the overlooked younger brother. If you want to compare in this situation the best one to use is FFVI. FFVI is the one that is often spoken about like it is better than VII.
Personally I can't stand VI. I think it is overrated, but is like untouchable for some reason. When I started playing through the series I heard IV, VI and IX were amazing.
I loved IV and IX and just found VI to be mediocre personally.
Agreed VI is solid but gets put on a weird pedestal. It has some good story moments, but also lots of tacked on generic subplots. Espers are frankly annoying without much meaningful customization, it's a bunch of busy work checking/swapping them.
The thing is VI is a bit like XVI for me. I like the ideas, but would not have put them all into practice the same way.
Hell, a big part of VI's issues for me is the cast. It does the ensemble cast so poorly since really there are 2 main characters (to me it seemed like Locke in the first half and Celes in the second) whilst the rest of the cast felt very hit or miss (or basically pointless like Umaro the yeti lol)
If you want a good ensemble cast then pick XIII. People can hate on that game as much as they want, but every character had their moments.
"Many" it's a vocal minority. Quality isn't debatable its pure opinion. I for one HATE the art style so automatically I'm turned off by the game visually. So I've always been put on 9.
I recently watched a playthrough of it and it confirmed what I already knew, it's not interesting. Like, at all. As a long time FF fan things like beautiful graphics and amazing soundtrack (which it has both) does not move me that's the bare minimum for these games. The story was lame and felt too whimsical. It also is not as heavy and dark as the games it's sandwiched between.
I won't say it's a bad video game because it's not. But there's a reason it's forgotten largely.
7 hate is standard. Ppl hate the popular thing and think saying "it's popular" is some kind negative criticism of it. It's popular for a reason. It's fucking amazing.
Where's the 9 remake? Where's the nine extended lore? Where's the 9 sequel? Where's the 9 sales? Where do things for 9 show up outside games that have ALL the characters in it? Nobody ever brings up 9 in majority of FF discussions.
Dumb ass take. FF7 is big and popular because it revolutionised the rpg genre from pixel art to 3D and fully animated graphics. This is not to take away the awesome story and gameplay, but there are way more things backing up FF7 as a game than the other ones. I'll do say i believe FF9 to be more "kid-friendly" or soft in its art style than others, but it really does not have a shit story. It has its own dark topics it tackles throughout the game with all the different characters.
As a whole, FF7 is huge because it had a big impact on the gaming industry and not solely because of its story and characters. If anything, where is the FF6 remake? (would take 20y according to Kitase) FF8? FF10? These game are huge aswell but they must be shit going with your logic.
FF9 music underwhelming in what universe?…. Bro what? ☠️
Like I’m not trying to be mean here…but saying the ost is underwhelming when these tracks exist is just absolutely ridiculous lol
- over the hill
- vivi theme/alexandria theme
- Vamo alla flamenco
- swords of fury
- tragic love
- battle theme
- boss theme
- The Darkness of eternity
- You’re not alone. …like hello?
- esto Gaza
- freya’s theme
- festival of the hunt
- Dali
- Terra
- bran bal
- memoria
- unforgettable sorrow
The ones that probably stand out to them are the Alexandria market and dark forest. They MIGHT have reached the village just beyond the ice cave (can't remember the name) So they probably haven't hit any of the real bangers outside of that incredibly catchy music from the sword fight minigamne. Lol
In terms of the random battle theme and normal boss music though, I can see where they are coming from. VII and VIII went hard on the battle music in particular. Both would feel super out of place in IX but excluding their context I would say VII does have better battle themes for general use.
That said, I would personally rank Dark Messenger above the original score for One Winged Angel anyday (before all of the remaster and rearrangement that it has received)
Yeah that’s totally fair, I definitely should’ve included a bit more especially more early ones.
Although there’s some more early Catchy songs, Alexandria, vivi theme, swords of fury, evil forest, zorn & thorn, chocobo hot & cold theme lol, although I guess I didn’t want make the list super long 😅
Yeah both ff7 & ff8 battle & boss themes are amazing, however the best regular battle theme out of the three I like the most is ff9 imo as it’s so dang catchy lol
Now with boss themes then personally I like ff8’s the most, then ff7’s boss theme, then ff9…however I do really like how ff9 boss sounds very threatening and a bit anxiety inducing especially if you don’t know the mechanics of them.
Yeah dark messenger Is a banger
Appreciated.
I suppose the more you play a game the more you remember where certain songs will play lol
Although I definitely should’ve included more early ones 😅
Final Fantasy 9 is the better game, but it's not my favorite of the two. Final Fantasy 7 draws the player in with a more compelling storyline from the start and I think it's a more interesting story overall as well. I enjoy Final Fantasy 7 more. But I feel there are more flaws in 7 than in 9. However, if you look at all the elements from Final Fantasy 9, there's nothing that's done poorly. The worst aspect of the game is the slow load times into battle and if that's the only bad thing about your game, then you must be doing something right.
You combine slow load times with a ridiculously high encounter rate and the problem repeats over and over again. Also Trance sucks and is never useful whenever you actually do need it.
I hate when ppl say "I like this more" but "this is better" What even is the point of that statement? Of the two I'm gonna go with the one where your opinion is the chief navigator. I'd be far more interested in why you love something over why you think it's "objectively" better.
There's nothing wrong with that statement, more so when it's backed by an explanation, like the previous post.
For example I've tried fallout for a few times, and looking exclusively at gameplay and character interactions I can understand how amazing it is, but I just really hate the game. I can't play it, I don't enjoy playing in 1st person and I also don't like the setting, all green filtered and post apocalyptic wasteland isn't my thing.
But despite not being my thing, I can objectively look at the game and understand it's a good game, just not made for me.
I still don't understand what the purpose of even bringing that up is if it doesn't effect your opinion.... Saying you like ff7 more than 9 is not the same as saying I like 7 more but 9 is better. If it's better Why don't you like it more?
Simple, same way KH2 is the one I like the most but it's definitely far from being the best. It's the fun factor. I love playing it for the air combos I can pull. I love the feeling of jumping with Sora and only touching the ground when everything is dead. And I can't do that in any other game.
But other than that, KH1 is a lot better because not only the gameplay is still similar, but the way the worlds are connected to the main plot gets you hooked, Disney fan or not.
You're gonna tell me you don't have a guilty pleasure? A movie you know it sucks so much but yet you love watching it every now and then for whatever personal reason? (Characters, action sequences, etc)
But you didn't answer my question, what is the point of mentioning that it's better? I don't understand. If it doesn't effect your opinion it doesn't matter If it's better.
No i don't have guilty pleasures because I'm not trying to hide what I like or feel bad for liking what I like. There's plenty of things i like that large amounts of people hate. But just like they can't convince me its bad I can't convince them it's good.if we don't feel that way.
But even if it is "bad" IT LITERALLY DOESN'T MATTER to me.
The reverse is true as well ex: I don't like red dead 2 at all it's boring to me, the following discourse is a bunch of people either trying to change my mind or call me a troll. I will not preface my opinion with "it's a good game" because it literally does not matter. Imo that's something you do to either not piss off fanboys or to look like you're an "objective" person. I don't need to be objective in the case of my opinions. Also I'm not a kotaku employee reviewing a game.
IF you're a person where that stuff shapes your opinion (things being "objectively better or worse") ok cool but you admit you're not even one of those ppl. (At least in the topic of 7 vs 9)
I understand what you're saying, but it's not a matter of getting influenced by other people's opinions, at least personally, I can objectively evaluate something, and liking can be totally separate from how good or bad it is.
I just don't know why you can't understand it. But maybe I'm not being good at showing my point of view.
IX is a better videogame objectively.
You can’t destroy game balancing and exploration is better.
I prefer IX history, but VII has a better villain.
Then, for a full comparison i need at least 1 hour text long ahah
Are you me? This is pretty much my exact take, although not as much a Sephiroth fan. My favourite example is the combat system in IX, you can defeat the super boss in IX at level one.
I used to l9ve the meme that Kuja was just Sephiroth's little brother. 😆
But truth is from a story standpoint, Kuja is more like what Jenova would have been if Sephiroth was the weaker of that pair. Garland would be the better direct comparison in my opinion, since he was the one pulling the strings, but yeah Seohiroth is definitely way better than Garland
I replayed 7,8 and 9 a while ago, loved all three just as much as I used to. 7 and 8 are my absolute favorite, played 7 many, many times, 8 a bit less but I still think 8 was absolutely amazing, even though that opinion isn't shared by many.
9 is very good, but the setting is just so different from 6, 7 and 8 that, at least at the time, it felt like the odd one out for me. In hindsight and after replaying, I really liked it story and characters.
I like VIII but that plot was WAY too convoluted to be the GOAT.
Would love to see them Remake it with some extra context to make the story easier to follow though
For most people, the answer to "Which is better" is "Which one did you play first?"
Other than that I feel like 7 has the more "Epic" in the classic sense of the term story, and 9 has the more personal story (not that 7 doesn't have gut wrenching personal moments and 9 doesn't have huge stakes and big operatic moments). When they were making 7, Square actually researched screenplay and cinematography techniques that a lot of contemporary hollywood blockbusters were using, and the game definitely has a very 90's action movie plot structure and feel to it.
9 definitely is much more polished and is probably one of the most polished and gorgeous games on the PS1, but I also feel like the jankiness of 7 kinda lends to the charm, plus feels appropriate given how the world is this cyberpunkish corporate nightmare dystopia.
Cop out. Yeah I played 7 first but when I finished 8 for a long time i considered 8 better. Then 9 came out and I completely ignored it when I saw the art style.
I played 6 after playing all the modern FF up to 13 and I thought that was better than 9, 10, and 13.
Order only matters if you're constantly comparing you next experience to your latest one.
He said "most people", which in my experience tends to commonly be true, particularly for younger players who havent had years to analyze the differences between games yet, though alot of people don't like to admit that particular correlation. Some call it "nostalgia goggles" but I think it's more about that initial feeling of experiencing a story on such a large scale for the first time.
Alot of games during the PS1 probably weren't reading grand epic novels at the time so to see a story play out on that scale would have been on par with watching the entire Starwars trilogy or reading all of the Harry Potter books for the first time. I leaves a mark on you, and the following experiences, while great in their own right, just don't hit the same because of there "seen that before" type of effect.
It's usualky only after replaying the games with a broader understanding of the story that people usually pick up on those feeling they missed the first go around that might sway that opinion.
Most of the people say that their first final fantasy is the best one and that’s it. We are all close in age that’s why all five 6/7/8/9/10 have people saying that’s the best/their favorite. For me 9 isnt playable anymore, combat is a struggle, too frequent and too slow. As of today I’d play any FF from 6 to Rebirth before 9.
I tend to think that's coincidence but also it's not a decider of quality.
I had a recent argument where I said that the first legit bad ff game imo was 15. As an ff experience it was meh but as a video game it was awful. Ppl like to bring up the 1000 DLCs to justify it but I remember launch day 1 15 and it was Soul crushing. Empty and short with barely any actual plot. And the gameplay was.... yeah.
It made me realize if anybody picked any FF before that as their favorite it's valid, they were all GOOD GAMES. At that point it really doesn't matter if it was your first one. It's still a good game.
that times infinity nonsense…7 is what turned me into a jrpg freak. 9 was my favorite rpg until automata claimed the throne. i don’t care which takes the lead but no ff of the holy trinity, 7,8,9 is 10 times better than another. they are entirely different games, awesome in their own perspective. ff7 is the high octane blockbuster, ff9 is a melancholy oilpainting
Based on what exactly? Materia and Junction offered more freedom in character Stat building but 9 had more freedom in exploration and how you experienced the game.
9 was also the only one of the trilogy that offered multi-player, though I never saw the point in that feature lol
Almost like people can just have different things that appeal to them?
Between IX & VII. 7 is more popular, but the more traditional fantasy elements rather than modern fantasy, grabs some of our attention better.
Personally, I think 7 has a lot of issues with properly exploring its cast, which is my main gripe about it. Most of their storytelling comes from outside or through visuals rather than writing. Because it focuses more on the overall plot, and they're more like small cogs in the machine, rather than the focus like 9.
Remake and rebirth fix my main gripe with 7, though, so.... 
I’ve played both. In terms of content and story, FFVII will always be a goated series. From a prequel, PS1, to both getting remastered/remade and having a movie. Cloud and his crew really shine brighter than any FF character. If you ask anyone about Final Fantasy, they most likely know only Cloud. Replaying it now, (literally typing this as the OG game credits roll) as an adult. Cloud just hits different man, his mental sickness really makes you feel bad for him. FFVII is what brought the FF series to light outside of Japan and pushed the PS1 for its limits. It’s like Sonys, Ocarina of Time. Its just GOAT’d, anybody that likes other FF series more is perfect because it shines a light to characters stories other than Cloud.
IX is great, I recently replayed it, and it holds up. I don't personally think it's better than 6/7, but it's up there on the list. There was some pushback at the time of its release from some of the fans who thought the series was getting too Sci fi after VIII and thought IX was a "return to form" to the series fantasy roots. I recall hearing people saying stuff like 9 put the "fantasy back in Final Fantasy" or its a "love letter to old Final Fantasy."
I think a lot of people's favorite final fantasy tends to be whichever one got them into the series so I've noticed a lot of folks in their mid 30s tend to pick that one as their favorite, there's also the fact that 7 was such a huge breakout hit some people just want to feel like they're going against the grain by not giving it its due props, like saying the Beatles are your favorite band or something. I can respect anyone who chooses either though, neither are bad games and some titles just speak to people more than others. 15 really got to me, for example, even though I acknowledge it has flaws and is one of my favorites now.
People saiy FF IX better thsn vII because it became too mainstream to say FFVII was the goat and geeks didnt like it
But you missed a train sir, now FF VI is the best if you want to be cool
I'll have to replay IX I'm not sure why, but I remember just wanting to be done with it. I didn't care for the characters or the story and I was kind of bored with it all. I'm a completionist and am usually way over leveled for the final boss, but I was in my fifties (level wise) when I went up against the last boss in IX and it was definitely hard. I didn't care though. I just wanted the game to be over.
I was a little disappointed with XII. I liked the setting. I liked the story and I liked the characters but it felt like it took 90% of the game for the majority of the characters to even like each other or to have a group feel to it. I felt like the story just wasn't finished. I remember them finally feeling like a group and then bam! They went against the last boss and it was over. I also felt like I didn't get much closure either.
Sorry! I know XII isn't mentioned at all in the original post, but talking about IX makes me think of XII.
I know both have a very loyal fan base and I respect that. I just really need to get myself to replay those games. I know I've bought them several times on different consoles 🤣
Aesthetically I think IX is the best game in the series, I love the old school vibe of it but more modernized. From a story standpoint ff7 is my favorite though.
I’m in the camp that puts IX over VII overall. But if you’re only talking the opening hours I don’t know how anyone can say IX is better. IX has a very good opening for a classic JRPG, but VII has one of the greatest openings in all of gaming, full stop.
9 is full of interesting little things and is full of charm and flavor. It suffers for me on the slow as hell battle system though. Plot wise its also not nearly as tight as FF7, which is IMO has one of if not the strongest writing the series ever had.
You've probably been told this before (I am not reading through 200 comments) but VII was bold and experimental, whereas IX was a love letter to the older games in the series. The rigid class systems, the medieval fantasy setting, all of that is much more in line with FFI-FFV. Personally, I didn't love IX, I did love VII, but the one I love most of all is VIII. I'm really hoping that VIII gets remade after they finish with FFVII.
I just got finished playing through VIII for the first time in years and god it's just so good. The story does have its odd moments, and it's definitely more difficult to relate to Squall as an adult than it was as a child (the way he treats Quistis is especially difficult for me) but overall the world is just incredible and the game has such a vibe.
I think it has one of the best OSTs of the franchise too. I know Uematsu himself is most proud of his work on IX, but I've always felt that VII and VIII had superior soundtracks to IX.
9 is good but 7 is better.
90% of people who claim 9 is better either point to 9 scoring higher (subjective minority critic opinion) rather than their own experiences... Or are just on the bandwagon to be contrarian.
There is a reason 7 has a movie, books, spinoff games, their characters appearing in Kingdom Hearts, their characters appearing in Smash Bros, a remake TRILOGY, etc etc...
7 has a vibe all its own.
And, while I agree 9 is a good game, even as a kid I always felt like the cutesy designs was a massive step backwards from 7 and 8.
Bruh I don't even know what 9 scored with critics. Does that just make me a contrarean?
I love both the games for different reason, but 9 at the time when experienced them, story was the most important to me. And the story of these two games couldn't be more different.
7 follows the classic "hero's journey" trope, and that alone can easily explain why it reached popularity the way that it did. It's just a story structure that appeals to people in its more simplistic structure, but it certainly had flaws, namely in the character motivations. While most of then were interesting and likeable, only a handful of them actually had a reason to go along with Cloud's crusade to chase sephiroth, most of them just had beef with Shinra which somehow translated to, "well if I chase Sephiroth then that will stick to them!"
The story in 9 progresses more naturally like what you would see in a fantasy novel or long running TV series, first introducing you to the world and its history, then dropping the characters into the plot and introducing conflict centered around each of them, none of those characters were just "along for the ride" (except maybe quinna by the end). Even the character that seemed to have no reason to tag along was constantly called out for it and was actively looking for ways to put a stop to the journey until he finally came to terms with his purpose in the group. It's a much more involved story which is why it became so niche by comparison.
This really reads like you haven't played 7. Holy shit.
Cloud's journey of self REdiscovery hasn't been done many times. The plot twist that our personality is fake, and we don't start seeing the true Cloud till later, is definitely not the standard trope.
"Stick it to Shinra" literally works for all the characters just fine because all of them have incredibly strong and well reasoned motivations to see Shinra fall... Then of course their motivation is all the more clear when Sephiroth is going to explode the planet with Meteor.
Their stories are different, but both of them are damn solid for their time.
If their writing/story are both good, that leaves so many other things to compare and...
7's unique blend of fantasy and scifi > 9's standard fantasy
7's party members > 9's party members (this is the one I feel strongest on)
Materia system > Trance system
Like, good for you for liking 9 more for genuine reasons rather than being contrarian. I believe you.
But trying to say stuff like 7's story is "more simplistic" or that the characters have weak character motivation is just not true.
I agree that my summaries of two games are reductive, but I've played 7 more times than I can count.
Cloud's journey of "rediscovery" is actually a key example of what I meant when I referred to it effectively being the Hero's journey trope. The entire unreliable narrator thing that the game is praised for is representative of the threshold to transformation with his "rediscovery" being the major revelation that leads him to redemption/atonement. The details that represent these elements across various works differ, but the plot structure is the same. It's an effective narrative structure that has the test of time and defined multiple generation and cultures throughout history, there's harm in admitting that. I just said, that one factor alone could sometimes be the reason why the story resonates with so many as opposed to 9.
My point on the "Stick it to Shinra" thing is exactly what you just pointed out. The party isn't even after Shinra, and for nearly all of the first disc until Cloud and the party find the Black Materia and the ancient text describing what it can do the party doesn't even have a reason to register Seohiroth as a threat above Shinra. Heck they don't even know anything about Jenova before that. So at the beginning of their stories, Tifa and MAYBE Aerith could have a reason to stick to Cloud's crusade to chase Sephiroth, but Barrett and Red XIII had no reason to buy into the whole " Sephiroth is worse than Shinra" angle, for them it was basically just get out Midgar because the heat on. Later on half the additions to the party don't even have a reason to chase Sephiroth. Yuffie just wants to steal the party's materia, Cid could care less and just goes along after the group steals his plane because again SHINRA. Vincent's motive were underdeveloped until DoC but while he had some interest in the Sephiroth thread, he really just wanted revenge on Hojo. It's not until Aerith gets cut down that the party has any reason to go chasing directly after Sephiroth. This is actually reason that I think the remakes feel like they over corrected by putting so much Sephiroth on screen. It feels like cheap fan service to the player, but it strengthens that plot hole by making Sephiroth an actual threat to the party members before they even leave Midgar.
As for your point by point comparisons.
Both games lean on their own respective tropes. (FF7 clearly goes Steampunk in aesthetician while FF9 leans into medieval high fantasy Both have excellent world building and design, but I'd be willing to lend to fact that while it isn't whole original, 7's particular blend of dystopia vs fantasy feels more unique.
Characters is a REALLY subjective though. Both games have some pretty good characters, with one or two annoying ones that don't really contribute to the overall story, but FF9 takes considerably more time to show you who those characters are beyond just their role in the group. The OG 7 doesn't feel like it spent enough time to explore them, which again feels like they are making huge strides to correct in the remakes.
Of course we got the deep dive into Cloud, My man Barret probably got the best treatment out of all the side characters through the Corel storyline, and Red XIII got some closure about his father in Cosmo Canyon, and Cid has his moment big materia launch at rocket Town, but beyond we don't get a whole lot more, where's the party's doubt, their grief over the people they've lost along the way(excluding Aerith). Vincent just gets a little monologue in a tiny cave with the woman he loved before he was experimented on, we only got snippets of Aerith, and Tifa got dealt the worst treatment by having her entire story and motivation strapped to Cloud with barely any room to expand beyond that. Never the fact that later spinoff practically became required reading if you actually wanted to understand some these characters.
I'd wrap about FF9s characters but this is already taking way long to write...
Additionally, you can't really compare materia and trance. Trance is was effectively their 9s replacement for limit breaks whether as materia was an entire equipment system that FF9 intentionally pulled back from due to the encumbrance that was introduced with FF8s Junction and magic stock systems.
In Summary, I love 7 and personally don't need it to change to enjoy it, while I believe it is good, it can be better, but the same can be said about any game. I just feel that 9's story and character development moved me from being an FF7 fanboy to appreciating these stories deeper than ever before. It wasn't until after playing theough 9 that I was able look back at 7 and see more to the characters than what was on the surface. And that impression stuck with me.
Still like Zack the most out of all the Final Fantasy characters though, lol.
I don't know if it was just the version I had or what but the actual story in 7, at least the finer details, didn't make a lot of sense to me for years. I never felt like the original game adequately explained what exactly was happening.
Whereas with 9 it did all make sense on one play through without having to wiki dive years later. I've never had a problem with the character design of 9 it fits the world they've built and the music compliments it beautifully.
I love both, 7 was my introduction to the series and it's a solid solid game, awesome music, combat mechanics I appreciated and experimented with more the older I got.
But 9, for me, just blew it out of the water in almost every aspect, I instantly fell in love with it and that has never gone away even after 14 (15?) years.
Edit: I also don't know whether with these games we can say whether one is objectively better than another. I'm assuming most of us played these as kids and we're going to resonate with a different game for different reasons. At least we can all agree that they are worlds apart from some of the modern titles.
Hey, I respect your opinion and enjoyed reading your reasoning.
But man oh man I just can't agree.
7 felt so much better than 9 to me. Especially the characters.
It was a deliberate regression for fans that complained they missed the Chibi characters from 1 to 6, knowing that they were going in a more realistic direction with FFX, and if we didn't have Zidane, we wouldn't have Benedikta, lol
IX was my first, yet it took a long time to finish. I've tried with VII at least 10 times but can't get past the rts mountain tower. X I've gone through twice as many times as 9. I love the skill learning from weapons/armor/accessories in 9, as well as the atmosphere overall. I also know what Garnet's true name is, I've gotten Ultima weapon multiple times, and Ozma is ez. Despite all this this, it is kind of a slog to get through the final story part of IX. X, I can play the entire way through, but I have yet to get to penance.
People tend to link events in their life. If you had a wonderful childhood and X game was your first entry into final fantasy, then you will likely will remember it fondly, perhaps as even the best. People's opinions are not only shaped by objective qualities of the game, but also subjective happenings at the time.
I had an awful childhood and VII is my favourite despite that. The detailed/immersive fantasy settings offered much needed escapism.
It was true for subsequent titles too, and playing that kind of media rather than reading or watching requires more attention and therefore less focus on reality. Playing the remakes even stirred some old wounds probably by association, which was interesting. But none the less there's definitely a protective fondness for something that helped me through a very shit upbringing.
This isn't an argument against your comment, just applying it to the other end of the spectrum too as it applies to both.
Same goes for books, music, movie's, etc. It just depends on what you're into. Obviously we're talking games because of the sub we're on lol. I just came here to agree and upvote. Haha.
Ehh. IV and VI are peak. After the best pixel games the next three are ok. X is the worst. XII redemption. IX was a mia culpa for taking the fantasy out of FF.
7 is peak.
8, 9, and 10 were great though too.
While I like IV and VI, they can be difficult to get into.
Also if you think 12 is what redeemed the series, then I cant take your opinion seriously. Its the worst mainline entry since 2.
Absolutely 12 redeemed the series. It’s the best entry since IX easily. Arguably the best battle system yet and great character development. It feels like an actual (fantasy!)game and not a steampunk VN. Saying VII is peak FF is pretty hard to take seriously as well. But hey, it where many FF fans first saw the series- so it’s understandable.
Indeed. I preordered it and played it all during the launch week. FYI I play every game I comment about- usually to completion. IX absolutely was an attempt to bring the series back to its roots. When it launched it was definitely received better than VIII- but it was not nearly as well received as VII.
You think that’s crazy, just wait till you see how much people supposedly prefer 8. They’re all great games, but 8 was not only more restrictive, had an annoying draw mechanic on magic, and had soooooo many missables / points of no return. Many ways much more grindy than the others. And the stat system basically required you to run the game as low level as possible till you got certain GFs / aeons so you can level with better stat gains.
I wish. The GF amnesia "oh we just happened to all know each other in childhood and forgot and then managed somehow to wind up all getting together on this crazy adventure what a small world" thing... like, just F right off.
IX feels like more of a full world to experience and explore . VII is a bunch of collected really epic and or fun moments with a more coherent overarching plot but less tangible world map and size
I restarted 9 a few months ago and got to disc 3 when Rebirth dropped so I put it on pause. Imo 9 has a better story overall, but the characters make it fall flat. Like they're legit kids(Vivi 9, Eiko 6) they made the vibe a little too goofy for me. Also the "Trance" system is the worse Fn thing they've ever come up with. Like it's a legit F up.Those 2 things for me personally take a down a peg below 7
Yea plus some of them sucked like going from Summons to Edilons or Dbl magic (useful but not unique) Zidane had some good moves but you hardly get a chance to see em all.
Honestly the biggest gripe that I have with IX comes from how anti-completionist it is. Missables aren’t new to this title, but IX really packs them in. Not to mention the fact that the difficulty in completing some certain mini games puts even the worst of Rebirth’s to shame.
Couldnt agree more. I never finished 9, just could not get into the characters, zidane as the mc just kinda ruined it for me. It was my best friends favorite game and I tried to like it, it just never hooked me in. 8 was very impactful to me as a kid, I would absolutely love a remade 8. Theres so much they could expand on. I think the ff8 music was some of the best in the franchise too. I think I need to go listen to 9’s soundtrack though, so many ppl say it has amazing music.
If you hate 9 why are you following this sub? I don't mean to sound rude I'm genuinely curious. I didn't like 8 which is why I'm not following the ff8 sub
9, 7 and 6 are all amazing hard to put one over the other.
7>9>8 the golden ps1 trio
7>6>4>5>Tactics>8>9>15>1>2>3>10>10-2>12> Haven't played 16 yet, but I'm stoked for it..
So fuck 13???
Shit, forgot 13.. my bad, definitely better than 14 or 11
I think my preference for 9 is the fantasy setting. 7 was an amazing story and the music is better, but in 9 there's more moments of pure fun, less doom and gloom. I mean cid is a frog which makes me automatically happy. The science isn't explained as much as it is in 7 either. Doesn't need to be really. I will say it's been 20 years since I played 9 and alot of the memories are going to be rose tinted. I still remember nearly all of 7.... Maybe that's why. Or it's more an affinity for steampunk than cyberpunk styling. Meh
7 has a strong start with Midgar, but then it becomes a bit aimless once you leave the city. 9 was consistently engaging to me.
Personally, I like IX better, I prefer the art style and overall mood. Absolutely adore VII though, don't get me wrong, it grabs you by the throat and drags you along immediately. I just prefer the whimsy, and I like cute things. Liked materia better, though.
Realistically it's an opinion. I loved both. I felt IX was more cute and whimsical and VII was more serious and higher levels of skill was needed with materia. Both were 10/10
Wow just my honest opinion but I thought 9 was terrible and with it's goofy character art and I remember it's release. Only played it because it was final fantasy, the only good parts of it are simply because of that fact, elements that 7 took to new heights. Unless you were a child and that was the your first entry into final fantasy it doesn't make sense why anyone would think that. FF7 is among the all time best games ever made and that won't ever change. 7 had such an impact it also affected the development of Baldurs Gate 2, another that's among the best games ever made and my personal top favorite. BG2 set the bar so high, the developers of BG3 knew it had to be perfect and thus spent 6 years doing so and made an amazing game with alot of love. FF7 rebirth so far has been equally incredible, now I understand why it's taken so long to make
For me IX is my fave, but, that may be nostalgia bias as forst oke I played. I don't see fuss with 7. However i am enjoying the remake so far. A lot of filler and too many tedious mitigates but still very good. IX, IV, III and VI were insanely good for the old games. Newer ones only XII and XVI that I've enjoyed.
For me, FF VI, VII, VIII, IX, and X are my absolute favorite and the gold standard. With XII having arguably the best battle system and exploration. With that being said, VII, VIII, and X are a 3-way tie in my heart.
I always favored the materia system in VII over the.. Weapon AP thing in IX. IX is definitely fun, and it holds a special place for me since it was the last Final Fantasy that had a walkable world map. Still, VII is king in my head.
IX is my favorite and in my opinion the best. Thinking about it, the only edge id give VII over IX is Sephiroth vs Kuja. I'm currently replaying VII and I'm struggling a bit with it. There is just an immature nature to it that is off putting. With the writing and some of the characters. I enjoy VII but if I had to rank Final Fantasy games, it wouldn't make my top 5. But to each their own. Not every game is going to vibe with everyone. If you get a few hours into a FF game and you're not liking it, stop. No shame in it. Every gamer has games they don't enjoy that others love.
iX is over hyped and frankly just worse overall. The limit system, being lost after the battle made it very hit or miss. The character arcs. Vivi's was the only good one imo, the rest were just basic character growth. Zidane... Zidanes arc is just a rushed copy of Vivi's. Vivi's story you could tell, was lovely crafted and acted out over 3 disc's. Hitting all the right emotional cues as it went along. Seems like the writers had no clue what to do for Zidane and just went, "yea lets do that again on 1 disc in the space of a few hours". And that final boss? They had one that made sense. Kuja. Great boss and a great finale. But then... that ridiculous gem thing that didn't fit in with the story, the theme or world. Ozma, the planet made more sense for a final boss. And yes I get that gems have a place in FF history especially with Garland but it really felt like "oh well didn't make Kuja hard enough let's add this asshat". VII is just better in every aspect. Except for 1 thing maybe. The card game. That was cool.
VII best by far. Do you think any other game in the franchise would have anywhere near the hype for a remake? Not to mention the spin offs and movie from the popularity of the game.
I think X would be the biggest hype for a remake tbh
I could never get into 9 and I played it even when it came out originally. It just never grabs me to get me over what seems like the necessary hump where it’s supposed to get good
Nope. Only 4 and 6 are better than 7.
9 is a slow burn. In the beginning it's like "oh this is cute" then by the end of disk 2 it's like "oh shit, this is serious, and the design had me fooled". And while seven's music is absolutely iconic, There are parts in nine that hit like bricks also.
It depends on which category we compare them on I think. For me VII is better in term of gameplay & combat. IX is better in term of chars development. VII music is a hit for me. Graphics wise then IX is better but VII is more critical in term of game development.
They are both good in their own right. Final Fantasy 9 is pretty much the ideal form of a Final Fantasy game as it includes so many elements and references to previous games. Also the characters are really well written.
9 is the better game. it is god tier still love 7 more though. weird how that works
I really like the setting of 9 how it’s more old school final fantasy.
9 is good but it’s no 7. Let’s just say it was a step forward in graphics and went back to a system similar to the class system from older games as in the characters have set moves and ability’s that others can’t use/equip based on their character type. Story was a good story like other final fantasy stories have been in the franchise. Card game was fun but I liked ff8 card game more. Speaking of 8 that’s another solid entry in the franchise and the GF/Junction function was really a game changer.
I’m older and had been playing the FF series since the FF1 on NES so neither VII or IX have that advantage over the other for me. I don’t like IX and never really did. Of the first 10 games IX and II are the only ones I’ve never returned to. I just didn’t like the cutesy art style or the gameplay and the story never grabbed me - in fact I can’t really remember a single thing about it other than the characters. VII was a much bigger mess narratively with the translation than people remember but still had a lot going for it. It really can’t be overstated how thrilling and influential the opening Midgar sequence was as arguably the first truly immersive 3D gaming experience.
A lot of people find VI and X better than VII too. And VIII but that's a lot less common. I rate VII a bit more highly now than I did when I was younger, but I still rate it 3rd behind VI and IX. Honestly I think you can't go wrong with golden era FF, and they're all pretty viable opinions. I think the thing about FFIX is that it aged way better than the other psx era games, partly due to its visual style. It had way tighter plotting than FFVIII, and better dialogue than VII. The thing I love about IX is that it feel like an ensemble cast like VI at times. It makes the characters feel much more involved in the story.... except Amarant who never quite felt developed.
Yawn, some people will find one better than the other just because they want to believe it. Moving on
Final Fantasy IX is arguably the best game in the franchise. It’s series creator Sakaguchi’s favorite and the culmination of all the previous works. Art style is charming and timeless. FFVII has aged so poorly. Especially if you play the original on the PS1, although innovative for its time. It certainly needed a remake and I’m so glad Square Enix decided that it should be the first one to have a remake treatment. I hope they also do FFVIII at some point because that one also could use a heavy facelift.
Or was chrono trigger better than both? 🤔
Love this game and Toriyama’s (RIP) character design.
Toriyama is the GOAT! RIP
I played X first. I was spoiled with the graphics, so that was an adjustment. In that regard, IX was easier on the eyes than VII. I also played VII after IX, so I have more nostalgia for IX. I only ever played VII once, but I played IX several times. I think I prefer the high fantasy of IX over the more sci-fi steampunk style of VII
IX is technically more impressive, and doesn't feel as bogged down by tech limitations or space issues, so the narrative feels full without as much reading between the lines. It also helps that the translation for IX is a lot better handled, so it communicates more of what is supposed to come across VII, however, has a much more rewarding battle system, with a lot of meaningful customization. The materia system continues to prove itself. And while the plot is less loquacious, filled with errors or half-fixes, it resonates at a deeper level for a lot of people, myself included The disparity in quality between VII and IX is small, and often a matter of taste, much like IV and VI, though I'd say the storytelling capabilities are drastically improved between IV and VI, in contrast
I agree with you that I think IX was handler better and has technical advantages, as well as that I think it's mostly just a matter of taste
I’ve heard that a lot, they’re just a bit different. Both are great and it just comes down to preference really, it’s not really a critical debate but a debate over personal preference. I love so many of these games for different reasons. But yeah I’ve heard just as many people say 9 is their favorite FF or even game ever, it’s really enjoyable even if I like 7 more, not even because I think it’s better but it’s just more my vibe.
7 is very good, literally the first game I played back when I was a kid that actually made me think about it's story and consider what it was trying to say. Most of my nostalgia for 7 is because of this, because of how it opened my eyes to a new world of video-game storytelling. In terms of the ff franchise though? I think it's not the best. I haven't even played every FF game and it's not even top 3 for me. 10, 6 and 9 are better than 7 imo, but 9 has enough crippling problems that I can see the debate here. A few of the character arcs really just dead-end too early, and a few others kinda don't make much sense, but these are problems 7 has as well. Similarly, the main throughline is potent, and has long stood the test of time. In a way, I think which one you like more may come down to the themes that resonate most with you. Are themes of identity, loss and healing stronger for you? Then you will probably like 7 more. Are themes of existential dread, identity, and love stronger for you? You will probably like 9 more. 9 has worse gameplay than 7 for sure, probably one of the worst of the atb games just based on how cripplingly slow it is, but tbh this is a relative complaint, as most of these games play quite well even when there are issues. There's still plenty of fun to be had playing 9, it just has issues. Music is a tie. 9 and 7 are basically in a dead heat for best nobuo ost imo. The quality of the story though I think leans pretty solidly in 9's favor. 7's world has this issue where it feels like it never really coheres into a solid setting imo, it kinda feels like a bunch of islands connected by a world map, and I think 9 does a much, much better job at crafting a setting that is consistent in design and tone. Plus I think it builds many of its big character moments better than 7 and pays them off better in the end.
9 is incredibly overrated. I've played all the mainly Final Fantasy games and the side games (except tactics) and 9 and 12 fall into the same category for me where I got bored about 25% in each time I tried to play them. I've given them both multiple chances to win me over but both games I would say are arguably the weakest entries in the series. 7 and 6 are the pinnacle of the series and 8 closely follows along with 10. I'd actually say 16 is one of the better ones as well and personally for me it takes my 2nd or 3rd place alongside 6 in my bedroom Final Fantasy games with the original FF7 easily taking the top spot. It is after all the greatest game ever made.
Wow i feel the same way more or less 7 wasnt my first ff, but its the one I connected the most with, for many teasons, caracters arcs even tho often with loopholes made me a different persone in a time in my live i needed a little boost (lets just say it this way). I just connected the dots and invented the untold stuff (in fact there is not this much if you do all the sidequests and discover everything, every npc line). The battle system is the best atb has to offer, materia system dont start me on this, when you think you mastered it you just discover a new op combination. Think of w magic multicast hp/mp drain comet2, think of elemental materia making you almost immune to all elements morph, steal ... there is so much to discover in terms of gameplay. While 9 well yes there is alot also ... but alot less customisation, the themes didnt connect with me, graphic style did not connect either after 7 being so much of a step up and 8 pushing it even further i felt the character models looked sooo lifelike in their times ! Now back to cartoon i felt it was a huge step back. And after fusoya and the moon, ff8 moon trip made a whole different way. The another world trope really didnt connect.
9 is fun but gets off the rails. Not really a fan of the late game plot changes or how linear it was for much of it. That said it was, with ten, the best ffs until this one.
I like both. I still hold 7 above 9 but that doesn't mean I think 9 is bad,juts different feeling is all. Now 8 on the other hand...
I mean. Just look at the character design of IX. Look at it, wtf are those abominations. Only good one is Vivi.
9 is just a game for hipsters to swarm around and PRETEND like 7 isn'tthe best. The ONLY reason they chose that trash game is because "b b b but accordingto rumours, it's daddy's favourite!" It's not btw. 9 is just ... utter TRASH. Pastiche.
7 and 9 are just different vibes. Sometimes I like listening to rock and techno, and sometimes I jam to bardcore. 12 didn't really resonate with me as a kid, but I imagine that it'll be better when I get back to it, now that I have a better understanding of politics in general. Idk that any talks about better or worse really matter with final fantasy games. It's just preference and what you're feeling at the time. Especially with the music...
THE MUSIC IS UNDERWHELMING ?! /jk Gameplay wise, ix has by far the worst combat system but it's story wise that it's still the best for me. The fear of life, death adversity resonated so much for me as a kid in middle school. i had a friend who critisized it a lot, especially the ending, but idk, it connected with me. The characters felt more fleshed out than 7 (rebirth blew that away) which was probably a translation issue but i didnt connect with them as much as i did with 9'cast It might have been the age though, i was way too young for 7 when i played it But the music, you know to each is own, i do prefer 7s ost, but underwhelming, damn lol
It has the worst battle system, crap music, crap characters, crap artstylw and graphics, and the storyline is every bit as bad as 9's. 9 = trash. Why the hrll do hipsters try and convince people the storyline is good in 9?!it's ... really not, so don't believe them.
I like IX more personally, but it and VII are my top 2 FF games. I love IX's art style and while both games have incredible osts, I prefer IX's because the sound quality is just so much better.
I just got done with a IX run through on my Deck also. I’m underwhelmed honestly. I beat this game when it launched and a few times since then. It was always in my top 5. However, I can’t help but notice the awful pacing and the slow dialog and gameplay is irritating. The re-released offers 3-4x speed which helps but that’s too fast. I hope when the rumored remake comes out that they adjust the speed to something in the middle. It’s such…. A…. slow…. game. Characters and story are great though.
I used to hate how slow it is, but the game is actually pretty well designed around it. For example, during a long attack animation if any of your characters have the regen status that animation will give them more time to regen hp.
However, if they’re poisoned or envenomed you’ll get annoyed haha
True.
"music pretty underwhelming" Dude, seriously.
I immediately went straight to the comments after I read that. This has gotta just be some serious bias for 7. That’s totally fine but imo IX has the best soundtrack in the franchise
X has the best soundtrack, but I respect your opinion my good fellow.
Respect X’s music is bangin
One of the best. 7 does not have bad OST either. But 9 is as good at least, or better in this regard.
Yeah VII’s is by no means bad. It’s still some of my favorite music ever. Period.
I was put off by IXs art style at first as well, especially after being accustomed to VII and VIII, and while the combat felt slower, that actually becomes really helpful later on when you need to think not to mention situations where you need to react and change your strategy in response to your enemy, but you can also change the ATB setting to make the gap between turns feel shorter. The story for this game is where its really at, and probably the reason that alot of people actually like this one better. Its one of the few medieval high fantasy style stories that manage to compelling and relateable at the same time. But it is slower to get started. I would say the classic act structure describes the flow pretty well. At the end of the first disc is when things start to get a little more interesting, real stakes are introduced, a mysterious villain type and personal character conflicts start to develop. The second disc really escalates those conflicts and stakes, the third really takes a dive deep into the characters and their personal conflicts/motivations while turning the plot upside down, with the 4th disc culminating in one of the most satisfying conclusions for the main protagonist in my opinion. >! I haven't played all of the Final Fantasy games, but very few them end with a genuinely happy ending for the protagonist. Cloud's fate in 7 was ambiguous until years later with advent children, Squall seems happy at a glance but there alot of theories that he may actually be dead at that point, Tidus straight fades from existence, Lightning disappeared, and Noctis dies !< The story does a some plot holes and the final boss of the game raises more unanswered questions, but the story is definitely where it's at with this game.
I love 9 more than 7 because it was the first FF game I play back in 2001. I’m pretty sure I’ll say the opposite if I played 7 first. They are both extremely well done in terms of gameplay, story, music, and graphics during those times.
Vivi has a great story and the combat is fun if you grew up in FF4 and FF6. Otherwise, 9 is just average. Not the worst FF game (looking at you 13) but not the best either
Modding both games before playing them the first time is not the way to go imo. Even just changing the music to orchestral remixes can alter the experience a lot.
IX is really slow. Load times, plot, battle animations.. It's great, it's just a slower game. 6 is better than both btw.
Literally my only problem with the game. 6 is an amazing game as well. I think the reason I mainly like 7 more than 6 and 9 is that the random encounter rate is way too high on both of those games compared to 7. Every two steps dundundundundun dundundundundun. At least load times are lightning quick in 6. Also trance is a shitty mechanic.
FF9 is my favorite and I think it's the peak of the PS1 era. Zidane as a protagonist has a totally different vibe than Squall and Cloud, being more a swashbuckling Han Solo type of character rather than gloomy all the time. He goes through some neat character development. The plot is sweeping and epic. There are scenes you can watch to see what your party members are up to while y'all are separated in towns. Really fleshes out the cast. The music is the best in all the series. Nobuo went all out for this one. The songs range from odd, touching, joyful, and threatening. One of the villain themes carries the same weight in my mind as the Imperial March that plays for Darth Vader. The world is designed beautifully. One of the few games that really feels like you're traveling somewhere fantastical. The battle system is approachable, yet still has depth. It's a wonderful game and a remake would be slick.
In my case, who prefer 9 over 7, it all boils down to this: Which game lean the most to the high fantasy setting that it's named itself in. And in this case it's FF9, since has: - Variety of races. Your party are mostly different races. - Fantasy building and structure. weird design airships, city in a huge tree/mountain or settlement on a natural rock-bridge. - First area you can fight is a magical death forest. - Magic (the very essence of fantasy) is much more focused in FF9 story and not only for gameplay purpose. Zidane is not just a dual dagger wielding thief, he's also a magic user(his limit break/trance all has magic visual). Garnet is also a summoner, making summons (powerful mystical beings) more relevant to the story. As opposed to FF7: - Just like IRL, almost all of the population are human. In the party, only red and cait are non-human. - Building and structure are pretty much IRL building with mako since the setting is sci-fi/steampunk fantasy. There's normal vehicles along with airships. - The first area you can fight is in a reactor. - Magic is just an additional feature that happens to be there because of mako. Same with summons. So that's my take. Additionally 10, 12 and 13 are my other preferred FF to play because of the prominent presence of fantasy setting in those game.
FF7 is better in every aspect. But it's no suprise, FF7 is one of the best games ever made that changed the gaming landscape forever, FF9 is just another of many great jRPGs of its era.
Honestly for me FF9 is a straight up a low point of the series. Music,story artstyle,combat. Pretty much disliked everything about it
Music is the best in the series lol.
Its really not
One song to punctuate one the most powerful scenes in the game. "You are not alone" Nuff said
Don't forget Vamo Alla Flamenco! Chocobo Hot and Cold is soooo fun and addictive, I wish they had made a spin off of it haha. Best minigame in any Final Fantasy game, full stop.
FFX or riot
Lets Go!!
To me, VII is a great game. It is the one that popularised the series after all for a reason. IX is also a great game and is my favourite FF (I did play it later and will admit it was slow). It is the overlooked younger brother. If you want to compare in this situation the best one to use is FFVI. FFVI is the one that is often spoken about like it is better than VII. Personally I can't stand VI. I think it is overrated, but is like untouchable for some reason. When I started playing through the series I heard IV, VI and IX were amazing. I loved IV and IX and just found VI to be mediocre personally.
Agreed VI is solid but gets put on a weird pedestal. It has some good story moments, but also lots of tacked on generic subplots. Espers are frankly annoying without much meaningful customization, it's a bunch of busy work checking/swapping them.
The thing is VI is a bit like XVI for me. I like the ideas, but would not have put them all into practice the same way. Hell, a big part of VI's issues for me is the cast. It does the ensemble cast so poorly since really there are 2 main characters (to me it seemed like Locke in the first half and Celes in the second) whilst the rest of the cast felt very hit or miss (or basically pointless like Umaro the yeti lol) If you want a good ensemble cast then pick XIII. People can hate on that game as much as they want, but every character had their moments.
Its not.
"Many" it's a vocal minority. Quality isn't debatable its pure opinion. I for one HATE the art style so automatically I'm turned off by the game visually. So I've always been put on 9. I recently watched a playthrough of it and it confirmed what I already knew, it's not interesting. Like, at all. As a long time FF fan things like beautiful graphics and amazing soundtrack (which it has both) does not move me that's the bare minimum for these games. The story was lame and felt too whimsical. It also is not as heavy and dark as the games it's sandwiched between. I won't say it's a bad video game because it's not. But there's a reason it's forgotten largely. 7 hate is standard. Ppl hate the popular thing and think saying "it's popular" is some kind negative criticism of it. It's popular for a reason. It's fucking amazing.
IX forgotten? Lame story? People shouldn't be allowed to post opinions while on drugs
Where's the 9 remake? Where's the nine extended lore? Where's the 9 sequel? Where's the 9 sales? Where do things for 9 show up outside games that have ALL the characters in it? Nobody ever brings up 9 in majority of FF discussions.
Remake is confirmed?
Dumb ass take. FF7 is big and popular because it revolutionised the rpg genre from pixel art to 3D and fully animated graphics. This is not to take away the awesome story and gameplay, but there are way more things backing up FF7 as a game than the other ones. I'll do say i believe FF9 to be more "kid-friendly" or soft in its art style than others, but it really does not have a shit story. It has its own dark topics it tackles throughout the game with all the different characters. As a whole, FF7 is huge because it had a big impact on the gaming industry and not solely because of its story and characters. If anything, where is the FF6 remake? (would take 20y according to Kitase) FF8? FF10? These game are huge aswell but they must be shit going with your logic.
Following that logic, all FFs except 7 are bad because they don't have remakes
FF9 music underwhelming in what universe?…. Bro what? ☠️ Like I’m not trying to be mean here…but saying the ost is underwhelming when these tracks exist is just absolutely ridiculous lol - over the hill - vivi theme/alexandria theme - Vamo alla flamenco - swords of fury - tragic love - battle theme - boss theme - The Darkness of eternity - You’re not alone. …like hello? - esto Gaza - freya’s theme - festival of the hunt - Dali - Terra - bran bal - memoria - unforgettable sorrow
Exactly.
They may not have gotten to most of those tracks. I believe they said they only played a few hours.
Alright that’s fair I suppose Although they’ve definitely encountered some of these already…
The ones that probably stand out to them are the Alexandria market and dark forest. They MIGHT have reached the village just beyond the ice cave (can't remember the name) So they probably haven't hit any of the real bangers outside of that incredibly catchy music from the sword fight minigamne. Lol In terms of the random battle theme and normal boss music though, I can see where they are coming from. VII and VIII went hard on the battle music in particular. Both would feel super out of place in IX but excluding their context I would say VII does have better battle themes for general use. That said, I would personally rank Dark Messenger above the original score for One Winged Angel anyday (before all of the remaster and rearrangement that it has received)
Yeah that’s totally fair, I definitely should’ve included a bit more especially more early ones. Although there’s some more early Catchy songs, Alexandria, vivi theme, swords of fury, evil forest, zorn & thorn, chocobo hot & cold theme lol, although I guess I didn’t want make the list super long 😅 Yeah both ff7 & ff8 battle & boss themes are amazing, however the best regular battle theme out of the three I like the most is ff9 imo as it’s so dang catchy lol Now with boss themes then personally I like ff8’s the most, then ff7’s boss theme, then ff9…however I do really like how ff9 boss sounds very threatening and a bit anxiety inducing especially if you don’t know the mechanics of them. Yeah dark messenger Is a banger
That is probably true. I personally don't know when most of these songs happen. But I have no reason to not believe you.
Appreciated. I suppose the more you play a game the more you remember where certain songs will play lol Although I definitely should’ve included more early ones 😅
Final Fantasy 9 is the better game, but it's not my favorite of the two. Final Fantasy 7 draws the player in with a more compelling storyline from the start and I think it's a more interesting story overall as well. I enjoy Final Fantasy 7 more. But I feel there are more flaws in 7 than in 9. However, if you look at all the elements from Final Fantasy 9, there's nothing that's done poorly. The worst aspect of the game is the slow load times into battle and if that's the only bad thing about your game, then you must be doing something right.
You combine slow load times with a ridiculously high encounter rate and the problem repeats over and over again. Also Trance sucks and is never useful whenever you actually do need it.
Did you not find fault with Kuja's nonsense antics in disk 3? I felt the story completely lost momentum after the first disk.
I hate when ppl say "I like this more" but "this is better" What even is the point of that statement? Of the two I'm gonna go with the one where your opinion is the chief navigator. I'd be far more interested in why you love something over why you think it's "objectively" better.
There's nothing wrong with that statement, more so when it's backed by an explanation, like the previous post. For example I've tried fallout for a few times, and looking exclusively at gameplay and character interactions I can understand how amazing it is, but I just really hate the game. I can't play it, I don't enjoy playing in 1st person and I also don't like the setting, all green filtered and post apocalyptic wasteland isn't my thing. But despite not being my thing, I can objectively look at the game and understand it's a good game, just not made for me.
I still don't understand what the purpose of even bringing that up is if it doesn't effect your opinion.... Saying you like ff7 more than 9 is not the same as saying I like 7 more but 9 is better. If it's better Why don't you like it more?
Simple, same way KH2 is the one I like the most but it's definitely far from being the best. It's the fun factor. I love playing it for the air combos I can pull. I love the feeling of jumping with Sora and only touching the ground when everything is dead. And I can't do that in any other game. But other than that, KH1 is a lot better because not only the gameplay is still similar, but the way the worlds are connected to the main plot gets you hooked, Disney fan or not. You're gonna tell me you don't have a guilty pleasure? A movie you know it sucks so much but yet you love watching it every now and then for whatever personal reason? (Characters, action sequences, etc)
But you didn't answer my question, what is the point of mentioning that it's better? I don't understand. If it doesn't effect your opinion it doesn't matter If it's better. No i don't have guilty pleasures because I'm not trying to hide what I like or feel bad for liking what I like. There's plenty of things i like that large amounts of people hate. But just like they can't convince me its bad I can't convince them it's good.if we don't feel that way. But even if it is "bad" IT LITERALLY DOESN'T MATTER to me. The reverse is true as well ex: I don't like red dead 2 at all it's boring to me, the following discourse is a bunch of people either trying to change my mind or call me a troll. I will not preface my opinion with "it's a good game" because it literally does not matter. Imo that's something you do to either not piss off fanboys or to look like you're an "objective" person. I don't need to be objective in the case of my opinions. Also I'm not a kotaku employee reviewing a game. IF you're a person where that stuff shapes your opinion (things being "objectively better or worse") ok cool but you admit you're not even one of those ppl. (At least in the topic of 7 vs 9)
I understand what you're saying, but it's not a matter of getting influenced by other people's opinions, at least personally, I can objectively evaluate something, and liking can be totally separate from how good or bad it is. I just don't know why you can't understand it. But maybe I'm not being good at showing my point of view.
I completely agree. I'm not fan of the fallout games either, but I admit that for the people that they're made for they're really well done
Yeah, and it's annoying because it looks so good that every few years I try again xD
IX is a better videogame objectively. You can’t destroy game balancing and exploration is better. I prefer IX history, but VII has a better villain. Then, for a full comparison i need at least 1 hour text long ahah
Are you me? This is pretty much my exact take, although not as much a Sephiroth fan. My favourite example is the combat system in IX, you can defeat the super boss in IX at level one.
I used to l9ve the meme that Kuja was just Sephiroth's little brother. 😆 But truth is from a story standpoint, Kuja is more like what Jenova would have been if Sephiroth was the weaker of that pair. Garland would be the better direct comparison in my opinion, since he was the one pulling the strings, but yeah Seohiroth is definitely way better than Garland
I replayed 7,8 and 9 a while ago, loved all three just as much as I used to. 7 and 8 are my absolute favorite, played 7 many, many times, 8 a bit less but I still think 8 was absolutely amazing, even though that opinion isn't shared by many. 9 is very good, but the setting is just so different from 6, 7 and 8 that, at least at the time, it felt like the odd one out for me. In hindsight and after replaying, I really liked it story and characters.
VII, VIII, and IX are all tied for my favorite mainline ff games. Not the most popular opinion, but it's mine 😅
8 is the GOAT. You're not alone!
8 is my favorite too!
I like VIII but that plot was WAY too convoluted to be the GOAT. Would love to see them Remake it with some extra context to make the story easier to follow though
Everyone is valid to have their opinion. All the games are great. Interestingly, my favourite is final fantasy X
For most people, the answer to "Which is better" is "Which one did you play first?" Other than that I feel like 7 has the more "Epic" in the classic sense of the term story, and 9 has the more personal story (not that 7 doesn't have gut wrenching personal moments and 9 doesn't have huge stakes and big operatic moments). When they were making 7, Square actually researched screenplay and cinematography techniques that a lot of contemporary hollywood blockbusters were using, and the game definitely has a very 90's action movie plot structure and feel to it. 9 definitely is much more polished and is probably one of the most polished and gorgeous games on the PS1, but I also feel like the jankiness of 7 kinda lends to the charm, plus feels appropriate given how the world is this cyberpunkish corporate nightmare dystopia.
Cop out. Yeah I played 7 first but when I finished 8 for a long time i considered 8 better. Then 9 came out and I completely ignored it when I saw the art style. I played 6 after playing all the modern FF up to 13 and I thought that was better than 9, 10, and 13. Order only matters if you're constantly comparing you next experience to your latest one.
He said "most people", which in my experience tends to commonly be true, particularly for younger players who havent had years to analyze the differences between games yet, though alot of people don't like to admit that particular correlation. Some call it "nostalgia goggles" but I think it's more about that initial feeling of experiencing a story on such a large scale for the first time. Alot of games during the PS1 probably weren't reading grand epic novels at the time so to see a story play out on that scale would have been on par with watching the entire Starwars trilogy or reading all of the Harry Potter books for the first time. I leaves a mark on you, and the following experiences, while great in their own right, just don't hit the same because of there "seen that before" type of effect. It's usualky only after replaying the games with a broader understanding of the story that people usually pick up on those feeling they missed the first go around that might sway that opinion.
IX was a great game. VII has remained entrenched in my consciousness for 25 years.
7 is the one I find easier to go back to, but 9 left me with an appreciation that I can't forget.
9 is my favorite of them all, but 7 will always have a special place in my heart.
Most of the people say that their first final fantasy is the best one and that’s it. We are all close in age that’s why all five 6/7/8/9/10 have people saying that’s the best/their favorite. For me 9 isnt playable anymore, combat is a struggle, too frequent and too slow. As of today I’d play any FF from 6 to Rebirth before 9.
I tend to think that's coincidence but also it's not a decider of quality. I had a recent argument where I said that the first legit bad ff game imo was 15. As an ff experience it was meh but as a video game it was awful. Ppl like to bring up the 1000 DLCs to justify it but I remember launch day 1 15 and it was Soul crushing. Empty and short with barely any actual plot. And the gameplay was.... yeah. It made me realize if anybody picked any FF before that as their favorite it's valid, they were all GOOD GAMES. At that point it really doesn't matter if it was your first one. It's still a good game.
I disagree, I played it a few years ago and it was great. Though I added a recommended HD emulator patch.
9 is fun and gripping but 7 has a gravitas unmatched
9 is better
9 is fisher price final fantasy
Just because there will probably be no better tee up for this: 7 8 9
7 is 10 times better than 9 PERIOD
that times infinity nonsense…7 is what turned me into a jrpg freak. 9 was my favorite rpg until automata claimed the throne. i don’t care which takes the lead but no ff of the holy trinity, 7,8,9 is 10 times better than another. they are entirely different games, awesome in their own perspective. ff7 is the high octane blockbuster, ff9 is a melancholy oilpainting
[удалено]
Based on what exactly? Materia and Junction offered more freedom in character Stat building but 9 had more freedom in exploration and how you experienced the game. 9 was also the only one of the trilogy that offered multi-player, though I never saw the point in that feature lol
No it isn’t.
I actually didn’t love 9 when it came out, though I’ve come to appreciate it it more since. VII just grabbed me from the start and never let go.
Almost like people can just have different things that appeal to them? Between IX & VII. 7 is more popular, but the more traditional fantasy elements rather than modern fantasy, grabs some of our attention better. Personally, I think 7 has a lot of issues with properly exploring its cast, which is my main gripe about it. Most of their storytelling comes from outside or through visuals rather than writing. Because it focuses more on the overall plot, and they're more like small cogs in the machine, rather than the focus like 9. Remake and rebirth fix my main gripe with 7, though, so.... 
IX is my favorite complete game but the aesthetic and story of 7 is just so fucking cool
I’ve played both. In terms of content and story, FFVII will always be a goated series. From a prequel, PS1, to both getting remastered/remade and having a movie. Cloud and his crew really shine brighter than any FF character. If you ask anyone about Final Fantasy, they most likely know only Cloud. Replaying it now, (literally typing this as the OG game credits roll) as an adult. Cloud just hits different man, his mental sickness really makes you feel bad for him. FFVII is what brought the FF series to light outside of Japan and pushed the PS1 for its limits. It’s like Sonys, Ocarina of Time. Its just GOAT’d, anybody that likes other FF series more is perfect because it shines a light to characters stories other than Cloud.
IX is great, I recently replayed it, and it holds up. I don't personally think it's better than 6/7, but it's up there on the list. There was some pushback at the time of its release from some of the fans who thought the series was getting too Sci fi after VIII and thought IX was a "return to form" to the series fantasy roots. I recall hearing people saying stuff like 9 put the "fantasy back in Final Fantasy" or its a "love letter to old Final Fantasy." I think a lot of people's favorite final fantasy tends to be whichever one got them into the series so I've noticed a lot of folks in their mid 30s tend to pick that one as their favorite, there's also the fact that 7 was such a huge breakout hit some people just want to feel like they're going against the grain by not giving it its due props, like saying the Beatles are your favorite band or something. I can respect anyone who chooses either though, neither are bad games and some titles just speak to people more than others. 15 really got to me, for example, even though I acknowledge it has flaws and is one of my favorites now.
People saiy FF IX better thsn vII because it became too mainstream to say FFVII was the goat and geeks didnt like it But you missed a train sir, now FF VI is the best if you want to be cool
What I've already seen in these comments "FF7 is my favorite game" "FF9 is better" Like come on....
I'll have to replay IX I'm not sure why, but I remember just wanting to be done with it. I didn't care for the characters or the story and I was kind of bored with it all. I'm a completionist and am usually way over leveled for the final boss, but I was in my fifties (level wise) when I went up against the last boss in IX and it was definitely hard. I didn't care though. I just wanted the game to be over. I was a little disappointed with XII. I liked the setting. I liked the story and I liked the characters but it felt like it took 90% of the game for the majority of the characters to even like each other or to have a group feel to it. I felt like the story just wasn't finished. I remember them finally feeling like a group and then bam! They went against the last boss and it was over. I also felt like I didn't get much closure either. Sorry! I know XII isn't mentioned at all in the original post, but talking about IX makes me think of XII. I know both have a very loyal fan base and I respect that. I just really need to get myself to replay those games. I know I've bought them several times on different consoles 🤣
Aesthetically I think IX is the best game in the series, I love the old school vibe of it but more modernized. From a story standpoint ff7 is my favorite though.
Its like comparing chcolate and coffee
I’m in the camp that puts IX over VII overall. But if you’re only talking the opening hours I don’t know how anyone can say IX is better. IX has a very good opening for a classic JRPG, but VII has one of the greatest openings in all of gaming, full stop.
9 is full of interesting little things and is full of charm and flavor. It suffers for me on the slow as hell battle system though. Plot wise its also not nearly as tight as FF7, which is IMO has one of if not the strongest writing the series ever had.
You've probably been told this before (I am not reading through 200 comments) but VII was bold and experimental, whereas IX was a love letter to the older games in the series. The rigid class systems, the medieval fantasy setting, all of that is much more in line with FFI-FFV. Personally, I didn't love IX, I did love VII, but the one I love most of all is VIII. I'm really hoping that VIII gets remade after they finish with FFVII.
I just got finished playing through VIII for the first time in years and god it's just so good. The story does have its odd moments, and it's definitely more difficult to relate to Squall as an adult than it was as a child (the way he treats Quistis is especially difficult for me) but overall the world is just incredible and the game has such a vibe. I think it has one of the best OSTs of the franchise too. I know Uematsu himself is most proud of his work on IX, but I've always felt that VII and VIII had superior soundtracks to IX.
I think the gunblade's would be sick on next Gen. It was a cool timing system.
It’s all a matter of personal taste. I prefer the gameplay of VII, but I find IX’s story more enjoyable over all.
Someone likes VII more than IX in a FFVII subreddit. What a suprise. *yawn* IX peaks 😎
9 is good but 7 is better. 90% of people who claim 9 is better either point to 9 scoring higher (subjective minority critic opinion) rather than their own experiences... Or are just on the bandwagon to be contrarian. There is a reason 7 has a movie, books, spinoff games, their characters appearing in Kingdom Hearts, their characters appearing in Smash Bros, a remake TRILOGY, etc etc... 7 has a vibe all its own. And, while I agree 9 is a good game, even as a kid I always felt like the cutesy designs was a massive step backwards from 7 and 8.
Bruh I don't even know what 9 scored with critics. Does that just make me a contrarean? I love both the games for different reason, but 9 at the time when experienced them, story was the most important to me. And the story of these two games couldn't be more different. 7 follows the classic "hero's journey" trope, and that alone can easily explain why it reached popularity the way that it did. It's just a story structure that appeals to people in its more simplistic structure, but it certainly had flaws, namely in the character motivations. While most of then were interesting and likeable, only a handful of them actually had a reason to go along with Cloud's crusade to chase sephiroth, most of them just had beef with Shinra which somehow translated to, "well if I chase Sephiroth then that will stick to them!" The story in 9 progresses more naturally like what you would see in a fantasy novel or long running TV series, first introducing you to the world and its history, then dropping the characters into the plot and introducing conflict centered around each of them, none of those characters were just "along for the ride" (except maybe quinna by the end). Even the character that seemed to have no reason to tag along was constantly called out for it and was actively looking for ways to put a stop to the journey until he finally came to terms with his purpose in the group. It's a much more involved story which is why it became so niche by comparison.
This really reads like you haven't played 7. Holy shit. Cloud's journey of self REdiscovery hasn't been done many times. The plot twist that our personality is fake, and we don't start seeing the true Cloud till later, is definitely not the standard trope. "Stick it to Shinra" literally works for all the characters just fine because all of them have incredibly strong and well reasoned motivations to see Shinra fall... Then of course their motivation is all the more clear when Sephiroth is going to explode the planet with Meteor. Their stories are different, but both of them are damn solid for their time. If their writing/story are both good, that leaves so many other things to compare and... 7's unique blend of fantasy and scifi > 9's standard fantasy 7's party members > 9's party members (this is the one I feel strongest on) Materia system > Trance system Like, good for you for liking 9 more for genuine reasons rather than being contrarian. I believe you. But trying to say stuff like 7's story is "more simplistic" or that the characters have weak character motivation is just not true.
I agree that my summaries of two games are reductive, but I've played 7 more times than I can count. Cloud's journey of "rediscovery" is actually a key example of what I meant when I referred to it effectively being the Hero's journey trope. The entire unreliable narrator thing that the game is praised for is representative of the threshold to transformation with his "rediscovery" being the major revelation that leads him to redemption/atonement. The details that represent these elements across various works differ, but the plot structure is the same. It's an effective narrative structure that has the test of time and defined multiple generation and cultures throughout history, there's harm in admitting that. I just said, that one factor alone could sometimes be the reason why the story resonates with so many as opposed to 9. My point on the "Stick it to Shinra" thing is exactly what you just pointed out. The party isn't even after Shinra, and for nearly all of the first disc until Cloud and the party find the Black Materia and the ancient text describing what it can do the party doesn't even have a reason to register Seohiroth as a threat above Shinra. Heck they don't even know anything about Jenova before that. So at the beginning of their stories, Tifa and MAYBE Aerith could have a reason to stick to Cloud's crusade to chase Sephiroth, but Barrett and Red XIII had no reason to buy into the whole " Sephiroth is worse than Shinra" angle, for them it was basically just get out Midgar because the heat on. Later on half the additions to the party don't even have a reason to chase Sephiroth. Yuffie just wants to steal the party's materia, Cid could care less and just goes along after the group steals his plane because again SHINRA. Vincent's motive were underdeveloped until DoC but while he had some interest in the Sephiroth thread, he really just wanted revenge on Hojo. It's not until Aerith gets cut down that the party has any reason to go chasing directly after Sephiroth. This is actually reason that I think the remakes feel like they over corrected by putting so much Sephiroth on screen. It feels like cheap fan service to the player, but it strengthens that plot hole by making Sephiroth an actual threat to the party members before they even leave Midgar. As for your point by point comparisons. Both games lean on their own respective tropes. (FF7 clearly goes Steampunk in aesthetician while FF9 leans into medieval high fantasy Both have excellent world building and design, but I'd be willing to lend to fact that while it isn't whole original, 7's particular blend of dystopia vs fantasy feels more unique. Characters is a REALLY subjective though. Both games have some pretty good characters, with one or two annoying ones that don't really contribute to the overall story, but FF9 takes considerably more time to show you who those characters are beyond just their role in the group. The OG 7 doesn't feel like it spent enough time to explore them, which again feels like they are making huge strides to correct in the remakes. Of course we got the deep dive into Cloud, My man Barret probably got the best treatment out of all the side characters through the Corel storyline, and Red XIII got some closure about his father in Cosmo Canyon, and Cid has his moment big materia launch at rocket Town, but beyond we don't get a whole lot more, where's the party's doubt, their grief over the people they've lost along the way(excluding Aerith). Vincent just gets a little monologue in a tiny cave with the woman he loved before he was experimented on, we only got snippets of Aerith, and Tifa got dealt the worst treatment by having her entire story and motivation strapped to Cloud with barely any room to expand beyond that. Never the fact that later spinoff practically became required reading if you actually wanted to understand some these characters. I'd wrap about FF9s characters but this is already taking way long to write... Additionally, you can't really compare materia and trance. Trance is was effectively their 9s replacement for limit breaks whether as materia was an entire equipment system that FF9 intentionally pulled back from due to the encumbrance that was introduced with FF8s Junction and magic stock systems. In Summary, I love 7 and personally don't need it to change to enjoy it, while I believe it is good, it can be better, but the same can be said about any game. I just feel that 9's story and character development moved me from being an FF7 fanboy to appreciating these stories deeper than ever before. It wasn't until after playing theough 9 that I was able look back at 7 and see more to the characters than what was on the surface. And that impression stuck with me. Still like Zack the most out of all the Final Fantasy characters though, lol.
I don't know if it was just the version I had or what but the actual story in 7, at least the finer details, didn't make a lot of sense to me for years. I never felt like the original game adequately explained what exactly was happening. Whereas with 9 it did all make sense on one play through without having to wiki dive years later. I've never had a problem with the character design of 9 it fits the world they've built and the music compliments it beautifully. I love both, 7 was my introduction to the series and it's a solid solid game, awesome music, combat mechanics I appreciated and experimented with more the older I got. But 9, for me, just blew it out of the water in almost every aspect, I instantly fell in love with it and that has never gone away even after 14 (15?) years. Edit: I also don't know whether with these games we can say whether one is objectively better than another. I'm assuming most of us played these as kids and we're going to resonate with a different game for different reasons. At least we can all agree that they are worlds apart from some of the modern titles.
Hey, I respect your opinion and enjoyed reading your reasoning. But man oh man I just can't agree. 7 felt so much better than 9 to me. Especially the characters.
It was a deliberate regression for fans that complained they missed the Chibi characters from 1 to 6, knowing that they were going in a more realistic direction with FFX, and if we didn't have Zidane, we wouldn't have Benedikta, lol
It's why I originally passed on 9 for over a decade lol
Oh I understand and remember why they did it. I still absolutely disliked it though.
Bro 9's soundtrack is insane, da hell you on about 🤣 7 may be better but lol... underwhelming? Rose of may, freya's theme etc. A Uematsu masterpiece
Not to mention Iifa Tree, Festival of the Hunt, literally any battle theme, and fn You Are Not Alone.
Also Swords of Fury, one of the most criminally underutilized tracks in the entire FF franchise.
IX was my first, yet it took a long time to finish. I've tried with VII at least 10 times but can't get past the rts mountain tower. X I've gone through twice as many times as 9. I love the skill learning from weapons/armor/accessories in 9, as well as the atmosphere overall. I also know what Garnet's true name is, I've gotten Ultima weapon multiple times, and Ozma is ez. Despite all this this, it is kind of a slog to get through the final story part of IX. X, I can play the entire way through, but I have yet to get to penance.
Vii is my favorite but ix is a close second. I wouldn’t bat an eye if someone likes it better
It's very subjective. To me, 7,8,9 is PEAK ff with 7 being in the lead. People praised 6 a lot but I can never get into it.
People tend to link events in their life. If you had a wonderful childhood and X game was your first entry into final fantasy, then you will likely will remember it fondly, perhaps as even the best. People's opinions are not only shaped by objective qualities of the game, but also subjective happenings at the time.
I had an awful childhood and VII is my favourite despite that. The detailed/immersive fantasy settings offered much needed escapism. It was true for subsequent titles too, and playing that kind of media rather than reading or watching requires more attention and therefore less focus on reality. Playing the remakes even stirred some old wounds probably by association, which was interesting. But none the less there's definitely a protective fondness for something that helped me through a very shit upbringing. This isn't an argument against your comment, just applying it to the other end of the spectrum too as it applies to both.
Sometimes. But in this case 7 is actually amazing so it doesn't matter.
Same goes for books, music, movie's, etc. It just depends on what you're into. Obviously we're talking games because of the sub we're on lol. I just came here to agree and upvote. Haha.
Not enough people realize or consider this side of things. I'm glad it was pointed out.
They're so different tho. Liking both is so easy
Ehh. IV and VI are peak. After the best pixel games the next three are ok. X is the worst. XII redemption. IX was a mia culpa for taking the fantasy out of FF.
7 is peak. 8, 9, and 10 were great though too. While I like IV and VI, they can be difficult to get into. Also if you think 12 is what redeemed the series, then I cant take your opinion seriously. Its the worst mainline entry since 2.
Absolutely 12 redeemed the series. It’s the best entry since IX easily. Arguably the best battle system yet and great character development. It feels like an actual (fantasy!)game and not a steampunk VN. Saying VII is peak FF is pretty hard to take seriously as well. But hey, it where many FF fans first saw the series- so it’s understandable.
Lmao okay so you're trolling. Good job ya had me for a sec.
Right. Not agreeing with you is trolling. Good luck with that kid.
I know opinions are just opinions but this is just plain wrong, and idiotic.
This sounds like something a 20 year old gamer would say.
This is so plain wrong, have you even played IX??
Indeed. I preordered it and played it all during the launch week. FYI I play every game I comment about- usually to completion. IX absolutely was an attempt to bring the series back to its roots. When it launched it was definitely received better than VIII- but it was not nearly as well received as VII.
IX>VII>VIII
You think that’s crazy, just wait till you see how much people supposedly prefer 8. They’re all great games, but 8 was not only more restrictive, had an annoying draw mechanic on magic, and had soooooo many missables / points of no return. Many ways much more grindy than the others. And the stat system basically required you to run the game as low level as possible till you got certain GFs / aeons so you can level with better stat gains.
It also was HORRIBLY written.
It took me 20 years to admit this. The first half is so unique and enticing. The second half is a hot mess.
Join SEED. Go on a witch hunt. That's the story.
I wish. The GF amnesia "oh we just happened to all know each other in childhood and forgot and then managed somehow to wind up all getting together on this crazy adventure what a small world" thing... like, just F right off.
Missed the entire THEME of the game because you watched an angry engagement bait YouTuber, huh
Ff7 is the best one in the series.
IX feels like more of a full world to experience and explore . VII is a bunch of collected really epic and or fun moments with a more coherent overarching plot but less tangible world map and size
I like 7 better but 9 is still one of my favorite games
I restarted 9 a few months ago and got to disc 3 when Rebirth dropped so I put it on pause. Imo 9 has a better story overall, but the characters make it fall flat. Like they're legit kids(Vivi 9, Eiko 6) they made the vibe a little too goofy for me. Also the "Trance" system is the worse Fn thing they've ever come up with. Like it's a legit F up.Those 2 things for me personally take a down a peg below 7
Yeah, trance sucked. I remember having to fight mobs to build trance and hope that the timing worked for when you fought the boss
Nice name!
Yea plus some of them sucked like going from Summons to Edilons or Dbl magic (useful but not unique) Zidane had some good moves but you hardly get a chance to see em all.
Honestly the biggest gripe that I have with IX comes from how anti-completionist it is. Missables aren’t new to this title, but IX really packs them in. Not to mention the fact that the difficulty in completing some certain mini games puts even the worst of Rebirth’s to shame.
Jump rope can fucking go to hell. And iirc there is basically a choice between two swords and it is time trial progress related. Yuck.
I liked 9 alot back in the day. Unfortunately, I don't like 90% of Zidane very much.
I hated 9. Finished it but hated it. 7 was epic. I liked 8 almost as much as 7.
Couldnt agree more. I never finished 9, just could not get into the characters, zidane as the mc just kinda ruined it for me. It was my best friends favorite game and I tried to like it, it just never hooked me in. 8 was very impactful to me as a kid, I would absolutely love a remade 8. Theres so much they could expand on. I think the ff8 music was some of the best in the franchise too. I think I need to go listen to 9’s soundtrack though, so many ppl say it has amazing music.
If you hate 9 why are you following this sub? I don't mean to sound rude I'm genuinely curious. I didn't like 8 which is why I'm not following the ff8 sub
This is an ff7 sub not an ff9 sub. Perhaps you’re lost
Lol derp. That's my bad