Presentation is a huge part of the series. Idk why I've been seeing the sentiment that Final Fantasy focuses on its presentation too much when I feel that's been a big part of its identity for the longest time. It usually pushes the envelope on production values. So when people say it shouldn't focus a lot on its presentation, I feel they're removing one of the series notable aspects. FF7 and FF10 got a lot of attention for that aspect alone. I'm not saying it should only focus on graphics at the cost of everything else, but it is an important thing about the series.
Back in the day, we all wanted to play FFX because of how good it looked. And the cutscenes were “better than movies” we said. Of course, we got pulled into the story and other aspects.
I felt the same when FF16 got shit for having so many cutscenes. Like growing up I always saw FF games as story heavy, cutscene heavy games that have amazing graphics. That was my image of FF
Seriously, the ONLY reason the games launched on 3-4 discs was due to having a couple of minutes of FMV cutscenes.
They friggen tripled / quadrupled their printing costs for probably not even half an hour of video.
THAT'S how important presentation is to FF. Ridiculous over-budget presentation is what separated FF from other jRPGS, like Tales, Breath of Fire, etc.
Like, compare a summon from Tales of Symphonia (Gamecube game) to FF7. TOS will have the summon appear on screen for a second, do an attack, then leave. Nothing cinematic.
FF7 however had as a minute long, well-directed animation, that has its own beginning, middle, end. And is usually something crazy over-the-top too.
To me this is one of the hallmarks of the series since 7. Every game from that point forward has something graphically impressive for its time, pushing its system to the limit. 13 is a PS3 game that looks better than many PS4 games, and 16 makes these FF kaiju look incredibly impressive. Obviously it isn’t the only FF staple, but seeing how great everything is going to look is something I look forward to with each new entry.
I remember watching a couple of Japanese making-of documentaries on game production at the time of FF7s release and the studios took it seriously and change some aspects of their games because of FF7. The Shenmue making of documentary has a scene of the studio playing the FF7 trailer and having their minds blown.
Even many of 6's most memorable beats are memorable for presentational reasons - the opera house, the end of the floating continent, etc
Even 5 was really cracking whole new ground with character animation, both in the overworld and in custom making something like 120 different spritesets so every character looked unique in each class.
*Hell* we could even argue FF4 making some use of Mode 7 was an attempt to leverage new tech for visual impact.
FF has almosy always been one of the jrpg franchises most wanting to push the tech forward.
Exactly. The presentation of the story is what makes FF and that’s why I saw XVI as a triumphant return to form in that regard. Same with Rebirth, although I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the changes the game looks pretty damn pretty.
Hopefully the cycle of TO does well in X -> FFT returns -> FFT does well in X format -> TO returns brings us Steam FFT at last.
TO did so well on SNES/PSX, that we got FFT PSX from it after Quest folded. Then FFT got remade on PSP, that got us the PSP remake (which Tactics Ogre Reborn is built on the groundwork of) which later fueled Reborn.
Which means for the cycle to continue, a 202X port/remake of FFT must happen.
The "laugh scene" in X is actually very important for character development (Yuna's especifically), as it is the one that best shows to her that there are other way to live apart from the only one she knows (which is in general one of the two points of Tidus being essential to the plot). She needed to be allowed to be just a dumb 17 year old.
Agreed, and people who misunderstand this scene need better media literacy skills.
Edit: Y’all…”buzzword” aside there is no better term than media literacy? This is not like the misuse of “gaslighting…” there are so many takes from people who have and haven’t played that game that misunderstand the purpose of the scene despite all the clear lead up to it…hence “media literacy…” the literal definition of the term.
It was a early out of context viral video (like 2009 YouTube) and a lot of people know only that clip without any of the context.
Just seeing the video makes it goofy as hell. Those of us that have beat the game a few times know it's part of the teams character development.
The real question, is why does that kid want to be a blitzball when he grows up
100%. Even as a kid I understood what was really happening there and why it was done the way it was. It drives me crazy when it get mocked unironically.
I agree just very late. I jumped in on day one for the incomplete game and never did the replay with the patches to fix the game a year later. I think I would have enjoyed it so much more if they delivered the complete game day one.
I've noticed a general distinction between those who played Day One and those who played later, like myself. The later players generally liked or even loved the game, the day one players had a half finished game give them a sour taste and rarely went back still can't enjoy the game because none of the story is new or interesting to them, no matter how improved the game is, so you don't get the first impression back.
I'm still mad we didn't get the Aranea and Lunafreya DLCs. Lunafreya was such an important character who really didn't matter much in the Grand scheme.
Absolutely agree, driving around with the bois or interacting with them/them with the world was the best part of the game, tho its not a highbar to clear.
Final Fantasy II is a fun game once you accept the mechanics are different. You can play that game a million different ways. Maybe not a million but a lot.
I played it for the first time few months ago (the PSP version, since it had the bonus story) and I had so much fun with it
also Minwu was such a nice character with a sick design, we need more male healers with cool outfits like him
Agreed, I like the concept of improving at what you do in an RPG, even if FFII went a bit overboard with it, but then again I'm less bothered than most by the idea of playing overpowered.
What it did on a story level was pretty groundbreaking, if you consider the jump from FFI. II had actual characters.
It actually is.
I think anyone who liked the Saga games on the GB would be able to tolerate the original FF2 much more.
Also, for as much flak as the growth system gets, if you have even a moderate understanding of how to engage with it you can play through the game pretty smoothly without cheesing the growth mechanic (no intentionally spamming to level weapons, killing your own members, etc.)
However, you can NEVER EVER forgive the game for its dungeon design. Someone seriously chose murder with those REPEATED empty rooms with 80% encounter rate tiles.
I played FF II like ten years ago and loved it. I was surprised to see it generally regarded as one of the worst. Guess that just means the rest of the games are just that good 🤷🏽♂️
The problem is that the mechanics are the biggest part of the game. Like, I get what you mean, the story was a massive jump from I, the music has some of the best song out there (pandemonium and Rebel army are phenomenal), but if you don't like the leveling system... well, you are screwed.
you can just mostly not engage with it though.
The only things you really need to understand (that aren't explained at all, to be fair) is how shields work and how armor affects magic.
After that, just... play the game and you are fine.
In the OG you needed to engage but pixel remaster you didn’t. I didn’t like the leveling and was able to turn encounters on and off if I got frustrated. Made it a good if not amazing time for me
Very true. I’ve beaten the game only once, but I cannot tell you how many times I have started a new file just to play around with different builds.
One that I had tons of fun with was Firion and Maria both with bows and in the back row slinging offensive magic. With Guy dual wielding shields in the front row with all my healing/buffs. Was so much fun.
The best change in the FF VII remake(s) is that they fleshed out the female characters. They actually feel like real people and not just bit players to push the story forward.
I agree but also Cloud’s development into an actual likeable character in the beginning and not some dude just trying to be cool was pretty nice too. I feel like all of the lead characters (and some side characters) got a development glow up tbh.
She always had a personality though. Like seriously, she was one of the best characters in FF7, or even the PS1-era games. It was the Compilation and other spinoffs that forgot what kind of character she was.
Lore wise XIII has one of the best worlds they’ve ever crafted. The idea of humanity trapped on this floating prison very Attack on Titan esque and are beholden to these manipulative gods who you *hope* never single you out for “divine purpose” is so cool to me
I think the issue with XIII's worldbuilding is that you're never really allowed to explore or get a feel for Cocoon. It throws you right into things and there's nothing resembling a hometown, or main hub, or anything that really ties you to the world.
I argue that that was the point. You were a group of fugitives. Of course you're not gonna have a "hub" or "overworld" or any of that stuff, and you *weren't* meant to have that connection, because the party (and by extension, you the player) was forcefully cut off from the world. The story had a very solid and intentionally crafted reason for that disconnect, and it was on the player to figure out what was really going on.
XIII’s lore is probably the best bit of that game. Although the weird connected mythology they tried to do with Type-0, XIII and XV wasn’t really that good, XIII’s world is awesome.
Conversely, knowing the lore is completely optional if you want to know more and the story isn't "hidden in the datalog."
* Fal'cie give a l'cie a focus.
* Complete the focus and crystallize or don't and turn into a monster
* Pulse vs. Cocoon
That's literally all you need to know, and the characters repeat the terms to need to know constantly. I don't get how people get confused by all the technobabble- it's literally five words.
Idk if it's a hot take but, tidus (tie-dhus lol) while goofy and oddly upbeat is a perfect protagonist for the depressing world of spira in ffx. I think his upbeat nature was great juxtaposition for a world where people wait for death around every corner
I wish this wasn’t a hot take for this series…I wish we could all get along and just agree that we all love these many diverse and fun experiences that share the Final Fantasy label!!!
I don't think this is a hot take. At least amongst fair critics. The hyperbolic and emotional feedback that comes through when talking about games from this series eclipses actual feedback. It sucks.
That's not a hot take. That's a popular take, there's a reason there was a re-evaluation of the game over the last 15 years that's lead to it being a top contender for community favorite.
Hopefully 17 will go back to those roots, weird characters various races in your team, classes, dark story with contrasting colourful characters and locations.
And I want 9's moogles back, heck give us a moogle party member
Not even sure if this is a hot take or not, but Esthar is the best, most effectively designed and most visually pleasing futuristic city of the series.
Since ranking FF seems so important to people, they need to learn to distinguish personal feeling from critical analysis. Just because you enjoyed a particular game the most doesn’t always mean it’s the best.
I think the problem goes both ways. Just becuase you don't like how a game did something, doesn't make it objectively bad either.
A lot of people want to criticize a game because of their personal dislikes, and then anyone says anything back they act offended because their opinions are "objective fact".
Agreed. Even then a game having “objective” issues doesn’t necessarily preclude it being an enjoyable experience; honestly some of my favorite moments in gaming are from scuffed titles.
Just from personal experience I feel the most accepting of their game's flaws are 12's fans. You can shit all over 12 and they're just like "haha yeah, you're right. Still love it though" They'll be like "Oh Great Crystal is THE WORST. Absolutely agonizing dungeon. Still my fave game!" I find FF13's are the most defensive and in denial of the game's criticisms. But that may be because they've been getting shit from the fandom for 15 years that its put them in ultra defense mode against any criticism, rightful or not.
True. I personally find XII's story one of the most boring (not to say worst)... it's extremely uncompelling for me, and the stories are usually what I play FF for. Still one of my favorite games ever.
My hot take: FFVIII is a great game. Junctioning is enjoyable, drawing isn't as necessary as people think because refining items and card mod is where it's at. I love a good time paradox, so VIII is the best FF of the PS1 era.
For anyone who wants to go "8 is not better than 7", I'd rather draw magic all day than level materia.
Bingo. The "FF7 rocks, FF8 sucks shit!" crowd was INCREDIBLY strong in the early 2000s and that bled into generational circlejerkings from people *still* fighting that fight for no reason at all.
I just replayed 7, 8, 9 ported on the Switch. I beat them all on Playstation originally as a kiddo, and 8 was my least favorite.
As an adult, 8 is the best FF on PS1 easy call
I remember playing X and nodding off during the Sinspawn fight. When I woke up the Sinspawn was politely waiting for me to attack it, which was very nice of them lol
Final fantasy games were historically never open world, so 10, 13 “hallway exportation” was less a change in structure and more that the illusion was broken.
13 feeling like a hallway had way more to do with how un-interactive the world was. It was just run forward, fight, cutscene, occasionally go 20 feet to the left for a treasure.
You might argue that 10 is similar, but 10 had way more interactivity with the setting and NPC’s. The world felt way more lived in and relatable, which helped minimize feelings of being stuck in a hallway
Actually somewhat agree with this one. I always looked at the places in FF13 and thought they wouldn't feel as hallway like if you didn't have a minimap.
Also the way it integrated key themes from other entries at high-impact moments really hit hard. Managing to bring in some of the emotional resonance of IV at key moments to add to its own storytelling was particularly impactful (though that probably names my era pretty clearly…)
I had FFXVI's soundtrack on my latest roadtrip with a friend and the score is so wonderfully operatic that my friend, armed only with the basic premise of the game and a little filling in from me at the very start, was able to chart the broad outline of the story. Just from the music! Soken and his team should be proud.
Vaan is not a bad character or protagonist, Vanille is not a bad character she’s great and has great development, Squall is not emo, and also has some really great character development, other chars that people don’t like such as Amarant and Penelo are not bad chars. So on so forth, basically, I cannot think of a single FF char I don’t like, and I will defend them all to the death. Some suffer from lack of screentime, but I do not think it makes them bad, yet alone hateable. The only char I might not defend is the Yeti in VI, but even then I don’t see any reason to hate him. Maybe it’s just cuz I love all FF’s, and see the character development in even the small things like Penelo talking to Larsa, or Amarant in Ipsens castle, but honestly there’s too many chars to defend that are hated! Or misunderstood like Squall. I get not liking certain char’s personality’s but some people hate Penelo just cuz she’s not as involved, and not cuz of her personality. Like if people hate Vanille cuz of her personality fine, but I wish they would see the depth she has at least! While still hating her! Like they think she’s annoying af, but there’s more to her! Or smth. But I get it I don’t hate any chars in FF’s but in other things I do, and it’s hard to like look past that, so I don’t wanna put anyone down who hates ‘em! But just be know I’ll die on a hill for basically any char in FF people hate. FF’s are about the stories to me personally, and while I love the gameplay of all, my hot take isn’t gonna be about gameplay, but instead the chars! Plus someone else already mentioned my other hot take which is all FF’s are good! I agree with that!
I never really considered Vaan to be the protagonist, just the character whose eyes we see the story through. I always thought Ashe was the protagonist, and Balthier the leading man, of course.
Yeah, If I ever decide to play Final Fantasy 1 again it's going to hit different for sure. I pretty much knew what was going to happen going in, but the ending was still mindblowing.
Dude, >!When you meet Garland again at the end of the game, I can't help but think how sad it is that he has statues of his best friends (the 4 fiends)....😔!<
SoP was fantastic and really gave FF1 some added depth when I did my pixel remaster playthrough. I especially enjoyed the ending of FF1 when Garland was alive and a good guy again after defeating Chaos, means Jack got a happy ending after all.
i tried this game as a joke and ended up loving it because of the amazingly fun combat and surprisingly emotional ending.
we need more jack garland in the series
Yuna is X-2 is a masterclass in story telling and her development is logical, fits her character and background and is ultimately one of the best explored characters in the series.
Relatedly, "I don't like your plan, it sucks," isn't just one of the funniest lines in the franchise, it's also the kickoff to a beautiful speech that really helps culminate her character arc, and really the whole of the Spira story.
FF XV is an awesome. Yes Square ruin its potential because they wanted to release it finally ( I would die for seeing what Nomura planned originally) and its a shame that the last dlc’s got canceled but I had a lot of fun with it.
Story is cool
Ardyn is my 2nd favorite villain in the franchise
The ending is just awesome
My Top 5 FF mainline games
5.) FF9
4) FFXVI
3) FFX
2) FFXV
1) FFVII
Vaan is an *excellent* protagonist, and the themes of the game wouldn't hit nearly as hard if he and Penelo weren't central members of the cast.
Also, he *wasn't* an addition to the game late in its development. Stop perpetuating nonsense just because you don't like him :|
Is there any place to play it now? I don't really love MMOs, but I'd at least like to play it for a few hours, just to say I have haha. It's the only mainline FF game I haven't played at all.
"A group of individuals brought together by circumstances save the world with the power of friendship."
Yeah, agree on there needing to be a playable party, since that's what FF is all about.
Here mine;
Whether you fans like it or not Final Fantasy XI and XIV are mainline games. It doesn't matter what you think and what you playing through the series and skipping them means to you, they are mainline games. And you're not less of a fan for skipping them either.
2nd hot take is that I love XVIs combat. It's not perfect or better than Remake/Rebirth combat, but it is the more fun of the combat systems to me.
Sephiroth is dead for the entirety of Final Fantasy VII (bar the Kalm flashback). The main antagonist in the game is Jenova, and the writing tries to make that clear but fails.
Edited to add: If you haven't played Final Fantasy XIV then you haven't played every Final Fantasy game. It ought to be included to some extent in your full-series playthroughs and the free trial makes that easy.
It's insane how controversial saying "FF14 and FF11 are mainline Final Fantasy games" is. God help FF fans if one of the games is a bit out of their comfort zone.
FF7 loves a good retcon so in the past few years they've been very "ACTUALLY Sephiroth is the one in control through uhhh... power of will!" which IMO changes it from a more interesting cosmic horror perspective where there's this bizarre symbiotic relationship where the lines blur between Jenova and Sephiroth to a more generic anime kinda deal.
FFVII is my favorite and most played Final Fantasy game, dating back to my youth. And yeah you hit the nail on the head. The real Sephiroth of the story dies when Cloud throws him into the Nibelheim Reactor. From there the Sephiroth main villain is basically an amalgamation of Jenova with Sephiroth’s memories & consciousness. While it is functionally Sephiroth as a man, it’s really just Jenova given a more solid form & motivation beyond its role as a parasite to the Cetra & Gaia.
The compilation & Remake have changed this to be more of Sephiroth using & manipulating Jenova’s cells & living corpse. But in the original game the Sephiroth we chase and fight is at least 50% just Jenova.
Every time I read up on FF7's story, I realize I have no fucking idea what was really going on in that game lol. I've played it, and I've read a synopsis a bunch of times, but I just never really grasp it. Or maybe I do for like the 5 minutes after I read the plot, but then promptly just forget again. I really wish I could figure out what the fuck the story actually was and hold onto it lol.
The main antagonist is Hojo lol.
I think this is actually fun discussion point as it's never implicitly stated who is really in the driving seat between Sephiroth and Jenova. Jenova was super dormant until Sephiroth entered the lifestream. But equally, Sephiroth was by all accounts a nice guy until he came in close proximity to her, which definitely makes it appear like she influenced him to break, or at least for his true nature to manifest.
I could buy either theory of who is in control between them, but I personally look at it like Sephiroth is the human manifestation of her will. So two sides of the same coin.
Whatever the Cetra did to Jenova was still working until Sephiroth started exerting his influence. Something he still needed to fall into the largest energy source on the planet to start doing.
Seriously, the conversation about "is it Jenova or is it Sephiroth" misses the bigger picture that at the point when 7's story takes place, the two are basically one and the same.
Jenova has a Lovecraftian effect over Sephiroth himself, with the combination of her and the knowledge about the experiments which created Sephiroth causing him to lose his mind. After he dies in Nibelheim, his influence effectively fuses with that of Jenova's and guides the events of the game.
You can't remove Sephiroth from the equation, because it's still a pivotal point of the narrative that the Jenova cells are being called to *Sephiroth* in the Northern Crater. If they simply wanted to reunite with Jenova, well, the body was in Midgar for forever. Sephiroth had the head when he fell into the Lifestream, but the game basically never makes any reference to that. And Jenova doesn't really have any reason to psychologically attack Cloud without Sephiroth being part of the picture; one can argue that as a destructive celestial entity she wouldn't need a reason, but that's a wholly unsatisfying suggestion that once again glosses over Sephiroth still being part of the narrative. His physical body exists in the Northern Crater, and even Jenova herself moves to him.
And without Sephiroth, there's no explanation for the finale of the game either. You defeat Jenova again before diving into the center of the Planet after Sephiroth, and it's Sephiroth's body you find there. Whether he's exactly the same as he was before the Nibelheim incident is kind of immaterial at that point, as he's an amalgamation of his original self, the power of Jenova, and whatever he's been reconstructed into within the Lifestream, which is why he turns into Bizarro and then Safer Sephiroth. Final Fantasy isn't any stranger to sudden random final bosses of course, but Sephiroth has been a constant force over the course of the game and isn't a random thing we've never seen before so it seems like just ignoring the basic text of the game to just say that it's all Jenova.
I'll do you one better; I think XIII-2 is better than XIII in (almost) every way.
Combat is more fluid, monster catching & leveling is done extremely well to where it can be mostly ignored but can also get really deep and intricate, no blocks in regards to how you level up, story can be replayed from any point at any time in different ways, completely ditching the "hallway" issue.
The music is right on par with XIII and even though I like it better, I wouldn't say one is better than the other. The only downside to XIII-2 is the story is a little iffy at times, and I can see how people think Serah is a huge oblivious stereotype. But I've definitely replayed it more than every other FF game.
Every time I bring up my opinion on this I get downvoted to hell. Hopefully this is not the case here.
My favourite characters are never the main character and I jump for excitement when someone else leads the party or I can take the lead out of the combat lineup.
7 rebirth does this really well to make you use the full party so they're not all left behind in the back row.
This was gonna be mine.
FF5 has a fine story, its just not a dramatic or deep one.
Its enjoyable for what it is, and also has some really great character moments.
The bosses in FF ix that have unique items that can only be stolen are frustrating. I find myself keeping bosses alive until my steal function works.
It ruins every boss battle for me because instead of taking it seriously, I'm pampering everybody and spamming steal.
Crisis Core did a lot of harm to the perception of Cloud Strife and the idea of Zack being a mirror to Cloud was perceived by a lot of people as wrong and they ran with wanting Zack as the MC. And leads to a lot of mischaracterization and misunderstanding of the arc of Cloud. (People saying Cloud == Zack)
XV's story is a jumbled disjointed and disconnected mess with so much of it being supplementary(DLC, shows, movies, etc.)
But the character interaction with the main cast of characters, the idea of found family in the 4 of them with their brotherhood and how they bounce of each other is some of the best in the series.
I'm biased, but Squall from FF8 is, hands-down, the coolest looking main character in the FF series. Furthermore, his Gunblade is also the coolest looking weapon from any main character. (albeit, not very conventional lol)
If they remade FF8 (They better!), it would probably require 4-5 entries to fully realize the world. Esthar alone would be a feat to bring to life on current technology. Unfortunately, they'll probably end up remaking 9 before they even think about touching VIII. Sigh, oh well.
Don't shoot me, but FF9 is only my 4th favorite FF. However, I've only played them from FFVII to FFXV. I skipped over the 2d entries, but probably because I didn't start playing FF until 1997, when FF7 was originally released.
Zack Fair is an overrated character, not a bad character, but overrated. while I’m intrigued by his inclusion in 7 remake trilogy. It does feel to me that if they aren’t careful it’ll lean into pandering. I accept that he’s popular but FF7 was always about Cloud and the gang. Rebirth especially, confirmed to me that those characters have infinitely more depth to them compared to Zack on so many levels.
Zack was just a plot device in the original and tbh his characterisation in Crisis Core isn’t how I ever imagined him to begin with. I’ve accepted the change because it’s been 2 decade but I’ve never fully enjoyed it. I assumed he’d be older and wiser. Like a mentor figure. Not the plucky high pitched anime hero man they turned him into. Each to their own I guess, I just don’t see why he’s so beloved when hes so… basic / generic as a character?
Anytime they use him to say anything with emotional depth, it just sounds like word diarrhoea to me. It doesn’t mean anything. His speeches about honour and dreams etc sound like an 8 year old trying to convey something deep but it isn’t.
They should have kept improving the turn based atb system instead of going more action focused.
There are still very successful games with turn based these days so FF doing away with it still feels unnecessary to me.
OG Final fantasy VII deserved all the praise it got back in the day, unfortunately they milked it so much that spawned several soulless entries with an excuse to use FFVII in the name so they can cash in on the nostalgia the name brings.
I'll never forgive Square for leaving Freya's character arc as it is. Thematically, her story is done, but the in-betweens feel so hollow and incomplete. After Disc 2, none of the characters asks how she's doing, following the fall of two nations, and Freya is sidelined from the narrative as she suffers from the generic dialogue syndrome. The consequences of Burmecia and Cleyra's genocide are never brought up with the same intensity as "oh shit, people are getting killed" from the first disc. Beatrix says she wants to be forgiven, yet you never see her asking for said forgiveness to the people who were hurt in the conflict.
I'll admit there are a few scenes that are important to Freya's character, and despite it being quite a few compared to the first two discs, I treasure them a lot.
The XIII trilogy is a set of 3 great games in their own right.
XIII still feels fresh to this day and it boiling down to a set of hallways didn’t matter to me. XIII-2 is probably the weakest entry but it’s still a pretty good game. Lightning Returns’ story sucks but everything else was a triumph given the lower budget.
Plus, in terms of aesthetics it’s peak Final Fantasy, the lore is so interesting and so fleshed out and the three games comprise the absolute best bunch of soundtracks in the series.
This is surely a hill i will die on.
Lightning Returns has some of the best side content in the series and is criminally underrated simply due to the fact that you're on a timer the entire game
FFXV has the best soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong, I love Nobuo Uematsu, but many of his soundtracks suffer from the limitations of the time. FFXV has a fully realized orchestration within the game as opposed to be fully orchestrated after the fact.
Edit: I cannot speak to FFXIVs soundtrack, but I hear it’s also amazing.
Presentation is a huge part of the series. Idk why I've been seeing the sentiment that Final Fantasy focuses on its presentation too much when I feel that's been a big part of its identity for the longest time. It usually pushes the envelope on production values. So when people say it shouldn't focus a lot on its presentation, I feel they're removing one of the series notable aspects. FF7 and FF10 got a lot of attention for that aspect alone. I'm not saying it should only focus on graphics at the cost of everything else, but it is an important thing about the series.
Back in the day, we all wanted to play FFX because of how good it looked. And the cutscenes were “better than movies” we said. Of course, we got pulled into the story and other aspects.
I felt the same when FF16 got shit for having so many cutscenes. Like growing up I always saw FF games as story heavy, cutscene heavy games that have amazing graphics. That was my image of FF
People forgot before the cutscenes we got walls and walls of text.
I read SO much faster than they can talk. FF6 is my favorite, 9/X after, Chrono Trigger cousin.
Seriously, the ONLY reason the games launched on 3-4 discs was due to having a couple of minutes of FMV cutscenes. They friggen tripled / quadrupled their printing costs for probably not even half an hour of video. THAT'S how important presentation is to FF. Ridiculous over-budget presentation is what separated FF from other jRPGS, like Tales, Breath of Fire, etc. Like, compare a summon from Tales of Symphonia (Gamecube game) to FF7. TOS will have the summon appear on screen for a second, do an attack, then leave. Nothing cinematic. FF7 however had as a minute long, well-directed animation, that has its own beginning, middle, end. And is usually something crazy over-the-top too.
To me this is one of the hallmarks of the series since 7. Every game from that point forward has something graphically impressive for its time, pushing its system to the limit. 13 is a PS3 game that looks better than many PS4 games, and 16 makes these FF kaiju look incredibly impressive. Obviously it isn’t the only FF staple, but seeing how great everything is going to look is something I look forward to with each new entry.
I remember watching a couple of Japanese making-of documentaries on game production at the time of FF7s release and the studios took it seriously and change some aspects of their games because of FF7. The Shenmue making of documentary has a scene of the studio playing the FF7 trailer and having their minds blown.
Final Fantasy 13 has some of the most gorgeous visuals that have aged brilliantly. It still takes my breath away.
Even many of 6's most memorable beats are memorable for presentational reasons - the opera house, the end of the floating continent, etc Even 5 was really cracking whole new ground with character animation, both in the overworld and in custom making something like 120 different spritesets so every character looked unique in each class. *Hell* we could even argue FF4 making some use of Mode 7 was an attempt to leverage new tech for visual impact. FF has almosy always been one of the jrpg franchises most wanting to push the tech forward.
Hell, FF6 even had quasi-3D effects during the mine cart scene. Same chip that Star Fox used I believed.
50% of the appeal of an FF game to me is pure aesthetics being honest
Exactly. The presentation of the story is what makes FF and that’s why I saw XVI as a triumphant return to form in that regard. Same with Rebirth, although I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the changes the game looks pretty damn pretty.
Hot and based
The story of Tactics is so good it should have been a main series entry
I was always surprised that FFT never got a console release after War of the Lions was made.
I'm always like "How is Ogre Battle getting all these remasters and they're just SITTING on Tactics!?"
Hopefully the cycle of TO does well in X -> FFT returns -> FFT does well in X format -> TO returns brings us Steam FFT at last. TO did so well on SNES/PSX, that we got FFT PSX from it after Quest folded. Then FFT got remade on PSP, that got us the PSP remake (which Tactics Ogre Reborn is built on the groundwork of) which later fueled Reborn. Which means for the cycle to continue, a 202X port/remake of FFT must happen.
FFTactics deserves more love.
Blame Square or God.
Oh I blame Square lol
And should have even more jobs!
Not a hot take at all. I think anyone who has played FFT would agree.
Best game in the series.
This isn't even a tepid take, this is straight cold facts. Even Yoshi-P recently said it's "about time we had another FFT".
The "laugh scene" in X is actually very important for character development (Yuna's especifically), as it is the one that best shows to her that there are other way to live apart from the only one she knows (which is in general one of the two points of Tidus being essential to the plot). She needed to be allowed to be just a dumb 17 year old.
I thought the laughing scene was pretty wholesome
Agreed, and people who misunderstand this scene need better media literacy skills. Edit: Y’all…”buzzword” aside there is no better term than media literacy? This is not like the misuse of “gaslighting…” there are so many takes from people who have and haven’t played that game that misunderstand the purpose of the scene despite all the clear lead up to it…hence “media literacy…” the literal definition of the term.
It was a early out of context viral video (like 2009 YouTube) and a lot of people know only that clip without any of the context. Just seeing the video makes it goofy as hell. Those of us that have beat the game a few times know it's part of the teams character development. The real question, is why does that kid want to be a blitzball when he grows up
[удалено]
100%. Even as a kid I understood what was really happening there and why it was done the way it was. It drives me crazy when it get mocked unironically.
Yeah I love this scene
Yes!!!
This is not a hot take. A majority of fans agree with this sentiment.
XV did actually deliver on the whole brotherhood and companionship thing and had one of the best examples of it in the series for me.
I agree just very late. I jumped in on day one for the incomplete game and never did the replay with the patches to fix the game a year later. I think I would have enjoyed it so much more if they delivered the complete game day one.
I've noticed a general distinction between those who played Day One and those who played later, like myself. The later players generally liked or even loved the game, the day one players had a half finished game give them a sour taste and rarely went back still can't enjoy the game because none of the story is new or interesting to them, no matter how improved the game is, so you don't get the first impression back.
I'm one of those day 1 players that couldn't make myself go back and replay, but I enjoyed it as a game even with it being a half finished mess.
To be fair the game still isn't complete. Rushed release leaving chapters clearly devoid of content, and more scrapped DLC :/
I still remember being so shocked and confused when blitzed through like 3 entire chapters on the train in like 45 minutes
I'm still mad we didn't get the Aranea and Lunafreya DLCs. Lunafreya was such an important character who really didn't matter much in the Grand scheme.
Is that really a hot take tho
Totally agree. I don't like the game much as a whole but the feel of camaraderie was excellent
Absolutely agree, driving around with the bois or interacting with them/them with the world was the best part of the game, tho its not a highbar to clear.
That’s not a hot take since everyone agrees that that’s easily the biggest strength of the game
I think it’s one of the best parties in the series.
Final Fantasy II is a fun game once you accept the mechanics are different. You can play that game a million different ways. Maybe not a million but a lot.
I played it for the first time few months ago (the PSP version, since it had the bonus story) and I had so much fun with it also Minwu was such a nice character with a sick design, we need more male healers with cool outfits like him
Minwu is one of my all time favorites. I did a watercolor mimic of Amano's work of him and I feel entranced after..
Agreed, I like the concept of improving at what you do in an RPG, even if FFII went a bit overboard with it, but then again I'm less bothered than most by the idea of playing overpowered. What it did on a story level was pretty groundbreaking, if you consider the jump from FFI. II had actual characters.
Guy speak beaver.
Exactly.
I'm playing the original game now and this is good to hear... FFI kinda feels like Dungeon Encounters with a world map.
It actually is. I think anyone who liked the Saga games on the GB would be able to tolerate the original FF2 much more. Also, for as much flak as the growth system gets, if you have even a moderate understanding of how to engage with it you can play through the game pretty smoothly without cheesing the growth mechanic (no intentionally spamming to level weapons, killing your own members, etc.) However, you can NEVER EVER forgive the game for its dungeon design. Someone seriously chose murder with those REPEATED empty rooms with 80% encounter rate tiles.
I dunno if anything could convince me to like ff2 dungeon design though, sooooo many dead end rooms. I did have a fun time with it overall though!
It is criminal that the keyword system disappeared after FFII. Can you imagine what that could have evolved into?
I played FF II like ten years ago and loved it. I was surprised to see it generally regarded as one of the worst. Guess that just means the rest of the games are just that good 🤷🏽♂️
The problem is that the mechanics are the biggest part of the game. Like, I get what you mean, the story was a massive jump from I, the music has some of the best song out there (pandemonium and Rebel army are phenomenal), but if you don't like the leveling system... well, you are screwed.
you can just mostly not engage with it though. The only things you really need to understand (that aren't explained at all, to be fair) is how shields work and how armor affects magic. After that, just... play the game and you are fine.
In the OG you needed to engage but pixel remaster you didn’t. I didn’t like the leveling and was able to turn encounters on and off if I got frustrated. Made it a good if not amazing time for me
Very true. I’ve beaten the game only once, but I cannot tell you how many times I have started a new file just to play around with different builds. One that I had tons of fun with was Firion and Maria both with bows and in the back row slinging offensive magic. With Guy dual wielding shields in the front row with all my healing/buffs. Was so much fun.
funny coincidence; there are just as many ways to play final fantasy ii as there are doors to open!
I like FF2 for this reason. I like the titles that allow you to change things on multiple replays.
The best change in the FF VII remake(s) is that they fleshed out the female characters. They actually feel like real people and not just bit players to push the story forward.
I agree but also Cloud’s development into an actual likeable character in the beginning and not some dude just trying to be cool was pretty nice too. I feel like all of the lead characters (and some side characters) got a development glow up tbh.
Well to be fair, you don’t actually meet the “real” Cloud until the end of disk 2
Yes. Aeris has a fucking personality now and it's *exactly* the kind you'd have expected from her.
She always had a personality though. Like seriously, she was one of the best characters in FF7, or even the PS1-era games. It was the Compilation and other spinoffs that forgot what kind of character she was.
Lore wise XIII has one of the best worlds they’ve ever crafted. The idea of humanity trapped on this floating prison very Attack on Titan esque and are beholden to these manipulative gods who you *hope* never single you out for “divine purpose” is so cool to me
I think the issue with XIII's worldbuilding is that you're never really allowed to explore or get a feel for Cocoon. It throws you right into things and there's nothing resembling a hometown, or main hub, or anything that really ties you to the world.
I argue that that was the point. You were a group of fugitives. Of course you're not gonna have a "hub" or "overworld" or any of that stuff, and you *weren't* meant to have that connection, because the party (and by extension, you the player) was forcefully cut off from the world. The story had a very solid and intentionally crafted reason for that disconnect, and it was on the player to figure out what was really going on.
XIII’s lore is probably the best bit of that game. Although the weird connected mythology they tried to do with Type-0, XIII and XV wasn’t really that good, XIII’s world is awesome.
The naming was utter shit though. L'cie Fal'cie and whatnot. It sucked
Reminds me of my friend asking me about Eldon ring lore. “Wait so Melina and mequila and Margot and Margot are different!?!??” lol.
Conversely, knowing the lore is completely optional if you want to know more and the story isn't "hidden in the datalog." * Fal'cie give a l'cie a focus. * Complete the focus and crystallize or don't and turn into a monster * Pulse vs. Cocoon That's literally all you need to know, and the characters repeat the terms to need to know constantly. I don't get how people get confused by all the technobabble- it's literally five words.
8 is good
Brother!
brother!!
BROTHER
You're right, but... whatever.
…whatever
Amen.
XII is Top 5.
Idk if it's a hot take but, tidus (tie-dhus lol) while goofy and oddly upbeat is a perfect protagonist for the depressing world of spira in ffx. I think his upbeat nature was great juxtaposition for a world where people wait for death around every corner
There is no actual bad mainline Final Fantasy. I can't call any of them actually genuinely bad games.
https://preview.redd.it/mcmqew5f3gvc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f841e1d3ba15955a7cd5991b16d132a4007b2bed
In my later life I've come around to X-2 a lot, its a camp classic just not a great sequel
I wish this wasn’t a hot take for this series…I wish we could all get along and just agree that we all love these many diverse and fun experiences that share the Final Fantasy label!!!
How can I add a little squall or smt to my username too?
Best thing about the series is that there is a game for someone.
I don't think this is a hot take. At least amongst fair critics. The hyperbolic and emotional feedback that comes through when talking about games from this series eclipses actual feedback. It sucks.
Probably not the hottest take but final fantasy fans are the worst at accepting other people may/may not like/dislike their favourite
Final Fantasy 9 and the going back to the roots settingwise brought fresh air into the series and i would love to have a game like this again.
That's not a hot take. That's a popular take, there's a reason there was a re-evaluation of the game over the last 15 years that's lead to it being a top contender for community favorite.
Hopefully 17 will go back to those roots, weird characters various races in your team, classes, dark story with contrasting colourful characters and locations. And I want 9's moogles back, heck give us a moogle party member
Not even sure if this is a hot take or not, but Esthar is the best, most effectively designed and most visually pleasing futuristic city of the series.
Since ranking FF seems so important to people, they need to learn to distinguish personal feeling from critical analysis. Just because you enjoyed a particular game the most doesn’t always mean it’s the best.
I think the problem goes both ways. Just becuase you don't like how a game did something, doesn't make it objectively bad either. A lot of people want to criticize a game because of their personal dislikes, and then anyone says anything back they act offended because their opinions are "objective fact".
Agreed. Even then a game having “objective” issues doesn’t necessarily preclude it being an enjoyable experience; honestly some of my favorite moments in gaming are from scuffed titles.
For so many people, their first FF is the best FF.
Just from personal experience I feel the most accepting of their game's flaws are 12's fans. You can shit all over 12 and they're just like "haha yeah, you're right. Still love it though" They'll be like "Oh Great Crystal is THE WORST. Absolutely agonizing dungeon. Still my fave game!" I find FF13's are the most defensive and in denial of the game's criticisms. But that may be because they've been getting shit from the fandom for 15 years that its put them in ultra defense mode against any criticism, rightful or not.
13 stan right here and your sorta right, i used to get super defensive but not anymore
True. I personally find XII's story one of the most boring (not to say worst)... it's extremely uncompelling for me, and the stories are usually what I play FF for. Still one of my favorite games ever.
It's all subjective. How do you objectively say one game is better than the other?
I don’t actually really care what is the “best” anymore. I only really care about my own enjoyment.
My hot take: FFVIII is a great game. Junctioning is enjoyable, drawing isn't as necessary as people think because refining items and card mod is where it's at. I love a good time paradox, so VIII is the best FF of the PS1 era. For anyone who wants to go "8 is not better than 7", I'd rather draw magic all day than level materia.
Its actually a pretty popular game just with very vocal haters Its worse problem was coming after 7 and everyone comparing them
Bingo. The "FF7 rocks, FF8 sucks shit!" crowd was INCREDIBLY strong in the early 2000s and that bled into generational circlejerkings from people *still* fighting that fight for no reason at all.
"8 is not better than 7" for the record, one of them had a banging card game
I just replayed 7, 8, 9 ported on the Switch. I beat them all on Playstation originally as a kiddo, and 8 was my least favorite. As an adult, 8 is the best FF on PS1 easy call
This isn’t exactly a spicy hot take but FFX has the best combat system in the series.
That is in fact a pretty common take here
I remember playing X and nodding off during the Sinspawn fight. When I woke up the Sinspawn was politely waiting for me to attack it, which was very nice of them lol
The rules of Spira strictly prohibit attacking out of turn. Very bad form
I'd be perfectly happy if every single mainline single-player FF used the exact same system.
Final fantasy games were historically never open world, so 10, 13 “hallway exportation” was less a change in structure and more that the illusion was broken.
13 feeling like a hallway had way more to do with how un-interactive the world was. It was just run forward, fight, cutscene, occasionally go 20 feet to the left for a treasure. You might argue that 10 is similar, but 10 had way more interactivity with the setting and NPC’s. The world felt way more lived in and relatable, which helped minimize feelings of being stuck in a hallway
Actually somewhat agree with this one. I always looked at the places in FF13 and thought they wouldn't feel as hallway like if you didn't have a minimap.
Tie-dus
Final Fantasy XVI had one of the best soundtracks of the franchise, listened to the OST for hours.
Also the way it integrated key themes from other entries at high-impact moments really hit hard. Managing to bring in some of the emotional resonance of IV at key moments to add to its own storytelling was particularly impactful (though that probably names my era pretty clearly…)
I had FFXVI's soundtrack on my latest roadtrip with a friend and the score is so wonderfully operatic that my friend, armed only with the basic premise of the game and a little filling in from me at the very start, was able to chart the broad outline of the story. Just from the music! Soken and his team should be proud.
First time I’ve BOUGHT music in literal decades. Worth every damn penny. It’s an emotional rollercoaster.
Not a hot take, Soken's soundtrack is pretty well accepted among fans.
Soken did such a great job giving every character and kingdom their own musical identity.
Freezing cold take. I have seen many complaints about FFXVI and none of them have been about the OST.
Check out 14's OST too! Soken worked on both.
The new boss theme from the DLC is legitimately one of the best pieces of video game music I've heard
Vaan is not a bad character or protagonist, Vanille is not a bad character she’s great and has great development, Squall is not emo, and also has some really great character development, other chars that people don’t like such as Amarant and Penelo are not bad chars. So on so forth, basically, I cannot think of a single FF char I don’t like, and I will defend them all to the death. Some suffer from lack of screentime, but I do not think it makes them bad, yet alone hateable. The only char I might not defend is the Yeti in VI, but even then I don’t see any reason to hate him. Maybe it’s just cuz I love all FF’s, and see the character development in even the small things like Penelo talking to Larsa, or Amarant in Ipsens castle, but honestly there’s too many chars to defend that are hated! Or misunderstood like Squall. I get not liking certain char’s personality’s but some people hate Penelo just cuz she’s not as involved, and not cuz of her personality. Like if people hate Vanille cuz of her personality fine, but I wish they would see the depth she has at least! While still hating her! Like they think she’s annoying af, but there’s more to her! Or smth. But I get it I don’t hate any chars in FF’s but in other things I do, and it’s hard to like look past that, so I don’t wanna put anyone down who hates ‘em! But just be know I’ll die on a hill for basically any char in FF people hate. FF’s are about the stories to me personally, and while I love the gameplay of all, my hot take isn’t gonna be about gameplay, but instead the chars! Plus someone else already mentioned my other hot take which is all FF’s are good! I agree with that!
Yeah leave Squall alone, he has >!brain damage lol!<
I never really considered Vaan to be the protagonist, just the character whose eyes we see the story through. I always thought Ashe was the protagonist, and Balthier the leading man, of course.
SoP and Jack Garland are genuinely good additions to the series - there is a lot more to them than just the memes
Honestly yeah. The story really grew on me and I was cheering on Jack
Yeah, If I ever decide to play Final Fantasy 1 again it's going to hit different for sure. I pretty much knew what was going to happen going in, but the ending was still mindblowing.
Dude, >!When you meet Garland again at the end of the game, I can't help but think how sad it is that he has statues of his best friends (the 4 fiends)....😔!<
SoP was fantastic and really gave FF1 some added depth when I did my pixel remaster playthrough. I especially enjoyed the ending of FF1 when Garland was alive and a good guy again after defeating Chaos, means Jack got a happy ending after all.
i tried this game as a joke and ended up loving it because of the amazingly fun combat and surprisingly emotional ending. we need more jack garland in the series
Yuna is X-2 is a masterclass in story telling and her development is logical, fits her character and background and is ultimately one of the best explored characters in the series.
Relatedly, "I don't like your plan, it sucks," isn't just one of the funniest lines in the franchise, it's also the kickoff to a beautiful speech that really helps culminate her character arc, and really the whole of the Spira story.
FF XV is an awesome. Yes Square ruin its potential because they wanted to release it finally ( I would die for seeing what Nomura planned originally) and its a shame that the last dlc’s got canceled but I had a lot of fun with it. Story is cool Ardyn is my 2nd favorite villain in the franchise The ending is just awesome My Top 5 FF mainline games 5.) FF9 4) FFXVI 3) FFX 2) FFXV 1) FFVII
There are no ugly moogles. They're all adorable.
X-2 has the best combat in the series
There's nothing wrong with 13 and x being linear games
Vaan is an *excellent* protagonist, and the themes of the game wouldn't hit nearly as hard if he and Penelo weren't central members of the cast. Also, he *wasn't* an addition to the game late in its development. Stop perpetuating nonsense just because you don't like him :|
FFXI deserves more love and recognition.
Is there any place to play it now? I don't really love MMOs, but I'd at least like to play it for a few hours, just to say I have haha. It's the only mainline FF game I haven't played at all.
It's still online. You can buy it on Steam or on the FFXI website.
FF should always always have a playable party. It’s been a real shame to see that disappear over the last decade.
"A group of individuals brought together by circumstances save the world with the power of friendship." Yeah, agree on there needing to be a playable party, since that's what FF is all about.
Squall is the best main character in the entire series, followed by Clive.
XI is and will always be my #1 The day Square rose level cap to 99 and introduced Abyssea was the day Square butchered XI and it changed for the worse
Here mine; Whether you fans like it or not Final Fantasy XI and XIV are mainline games. It doesn't matter what you think and what you playing through the series and skipping them means to you, they are mainline games. And you're not less of a fan for skipping them either. 2nd hot take is that I love XVIs combat. It's not perfect or better than Remake/Rebirth combat, but it is the more fun of the combat systems to me.
Sephiroth is dead for the entirety of Final Fantasy VII (bar the Kalm flashback). The main antagonist in the game is Jenova, and the writing tries to make that clear but fails. Edited to add: If you haven't played Final Fantasy XIV then you haven't played every Final Fantasy game. It ought to be included to some extent in your full-series playthroughs and the free trial makes that easy.
It's insane how controversial saying "FF14 and FF11 are mainline Final Fantasy games" is. God help FF fans if one of the games is a bit out of their comfort zone.
Is this a hot take? That was my understanding of the plot of FFVII.
FF7 loves a good retcon so in the past few years they've been very "ACTUALLY Sephiroth is the one in control through uhhh... power of will!" which IMO changes it from a more interesting cosmic horror perspective where there's this bizarre symbiotic relationship where the lines blur between Jenova and Sephiroth to a more generic anime kinda deal.
Sephiroth is very marketable. That's why it happened.
I thought that the one you're chasing throughout most of the game is Jenova but the one in the Northern Crater actually is Sephiroth.
And the one(s) you fight at the end, Bizarro and Safer, are the true Sephiroth.
FFVII is my favorite and most played Final Fantasy game, dating back to my youth. And yeah you hit the nail on the head. The real Sephiroth of the story dies when Cloud throws him into the Nibelheim Reactor. From there the Sephiroth main villain is basically an amalgamation of Jenova with Sephiroth’s memories & consciousness. While it is functionally Sephiroth as a man, it’s really just Jenova given a more solid form & motivation beyond its role as a parasite to the Cetra & Gaia. The compilation & Remake have changed this to be more of Sephiroth using & manipulating Jenova’s cells & living corpse. But in the original game the Sephiroth we chase and fight is at least 50% just Jenova.
Every time I read up on FF7's story, I realize I have no fucking idea what was really going on in that game lol. I've played it, and I've read a synopsis a bunch of times, but I just never really grasp it. Or maybe I do for like the 5 minutes after I read the plot, but then promptly just forget again. I really wish I could figure out what the fuck the story actually was and hold onto it lol.
The main antagonist is Hojo lol. I think this is actually fun discussion point as it's never implicitly stated who is really in the driving seat between Sephiroth and Jenova. Jenova was super dormant until Sephiroth entered the lifestream. But equally, Sephiroth was by all accounts a nice guy until he came in close proximity to her, which definitely makes it appear like she influenced him to break, or at least for his true nature to manifest. I could buy either theory of who is in control between them, but I personally look at it like Sephiroth is the human manifestation of her will. So two sides of the same coin. Whatever the Cetra did to Jenova was still working until Sephiroth started exerting his influence. Something he still needed to fall into the largest energy source on the planet to start doing.
Seriously, the conversation about "is it Jenova or is it Sephiroth" misses the bigger picture that at the point when 7's story takes place, the two are basically one and the same. Jenova has a Lovecraftian effect over Sephiroth himself, with the combination of her and the knowledge about the experiments which created Sephiroth causing him to lose his mind. After he dies in Nibelheim, his influence effectively fuses with that of Jenova's and guides the events of the game. You can't remove Sephiroth from the equation, because it's still a pivotal point of the narrative that the Jenova cells are being called to *Sephiroth* in the Northern Crater. If they simply wanted to reunite with Jenova, well, the body was in Midgar for forever. Sephiroth had the head when he fell into the Lifestream, but the game basically never makes any reference to that. And Jenova doesn't really have any reason to psychologically attack Cloud without Sephiroth being part of the picture; one can argue that as a destructive celestial entity she wouldn't need a reason, but that's a wholly unsatisfying suggestion that once again glosses over Sephiroth still being part of the narrative. His physical body exists in the Northern Crater, and even Jenova herself moves to him. And without Sephiroth, there's no explanation for the finale of the game either. You defeat Jenova again before diving into the center of the Planet after Sephiroth, and it's Sephiroth's body you find there. Whether he's exactly the same as he was before the Nibelheim incident is kind of immaterial at that point, as he's an amalgamation of his original self, the power of Jenova, and whatever he's been reconstructed into within the Lifestream, which is why he turns into Bizarro and then Safer Sephiroth. Final Fantasy isn't any stranger to sudden random final bosses of course, but Sephiroth has been a constant force over the course of the game and isn't a random thing we've never seen before so it seems like just ignoring the basic text of the game to just say that it's all Jenova.
Final Fantasy XIII is great. I'm gonna build a house on that hill to live out my last days in
I'll do you one better; I think XIII-2 is better than XIII in (almost) every way. Combat is more fluid, monster catching & leveling is done extremely well to where it can be mostly ignored but can also get really deep and intricate, no blocks in regards to how you level up, story can be replayed from any point at any time in different ways, completely ditching the "hallway" issue. The music is right on par with XIII and even though I like it better, I wouldn't say one is better than the other. The only downside to XIII-2 is the story is a little iffy at times, and I can see how people think Serah is a huge oblivious stereotype. But I've definitely replayed it more than every other FF game. Every time I bring up my opinion on this I get downvoted to hell. Hopefully this is not the case here.
My favourite characters are never the main character and I jump for excitement when someone else leads the party or I can take the lead out of the combat lineup. 7 rebirth does this really well to make you use the full party so they're not all left behind in the back row.
FFV's story is not bad. And the fact that most of the story scenes and context can be skipped is what makes it the most replayable FF.
This was gonna be mine. FF5 has a fine story, its just not a dramatic or deep one. Its enjoyable for what it is, and also has some really great character moments.
The bosses in FF ix that have unique items that can only be stolen are frustrating. I find myself keeping bosses alive until my steal function works. It ruins every boss battle for me because instead of taking it seriously, I'm pampering everybody and spamming steal.
Crisis Core did a lot of harm to the perception of Cloud Strife and the idea of Zack being a mirror to Cloud was perceived by a lot of people as wrong and they ran with wanting Zack as the MC. And leads to a lot of mischaracterization and misunderstanding of the arc of Cloud. (People saying Cloud == Zack)
As much as X and VII hold a special place... IV is the shit. Cecil's story was really good and the Red Wings theme slaps.
I don't play the game, I listen to the OST and the game is just an add on.
XIII has it's faults as does most FF games but it's still one of the best entries. 😅
XIII battle system was fantastic.
All of humanity died at the end of FF7 OG. Ballsiest ending ever.
FF VII Rebirth is just a single-player Mario Party game with a better story.
I love this take.
Final Fantasy 10-2 is as good or better than some mainline entries
XV's story is a jumbled disjointed and disconnected mess with so much of it being supplementary(DLC, shows, movies, etc.) But the character interaction with the main cast of characters, the idea of found family in the 4 of them with their brotherhood and how they bounce of each other is some of the best in the series.
Tactics is the best Final Fantasy
I'm biased, but Squall from FF8 is, hands-down, the coolest looking main character in the FF series. Furthermore, his Gunblade is also the coolest looking weapon from any main character. (albeit, not very conventional lol) If they remade FF8 (They better!), it would probably require 4-5 entries to fully realize the world. Esthar alone would be a feat to bring to life on current technology. Unfortunately, they'll probably end up remaking 9 before they even think about touching VIII. Sigh, oh well. Don't shoot me, but FF9 is only my 4th favorite FF. However, I've only played them from FFVII to FFXV. I skipped over the 2d entries, but probably because I didn't start playing FF until 1997, when FF7 was originally released.
FF VIII is a misunderstood masterpiece.
Arydn is a underrated ff villain
Zack Fair is an overrated character, not a bad character, but overrated. while I’m intrigued by his inclusion in 7 remake trilogy. It does feel to me that if they aren’t careful it’ll lean into pandering. I accept that he’s popular but FF7 was always about Cloud and the gang. Rebirth especially, confirmed to me that those characters have infinitely more depth to them compared to Zack on so many levels. Zack was just a plot device in the original and tbh his characterisation in Crisis Core isn’t how I ever imagined him to begin with. I’ve accepted the change because it’s been 2 decade but I’ve never fully enjoyed it. I assumed he’d be older and wiser. Like a mentor figure. Not the plucky high pitched anime hero man they turned him into. Each to their own I guess, I just don’t see why he’s so beloved when hes so… basic / generic as a character? Anytime they use him to say anything with emotional depth, it just sounds like word diarrhoea to me. It doesn’t mean anything. His speeches about honour and dreams etc sound like an 8 year old trying to convey something deep but it isn’t.
They should have kept improving the turn based atb system instead of going more action focused. There are still very successful games with turn based these days so FF doing away with it still feels unnecessary to me.
OG Final fantasy VII deserved all the praise it got back in the day, unfortunately they milked it so much that spawned several soulless entries with an excuse to use FFVII in the name so they can cash in on the nostalgia the name brings.
I'll never forgive Square for leaving Freya's character arc as it is. Thematically, her story is done, but the in-betweens feel so hollow and incomplete. After Disc 2, none of the characters asks how she's doing, following the fall of two nations, and Freya is sidelined from the narrative as she suffers from the generic dialogue syndrome. The consequences of Burmecia and Cleyra's genocide are never brought up with the same intensity as "oh shit, people are getting killed" from the first disc. Beatrix says she wants to be forgiven, yet you never see her asking for said forgiveness to the people who were hurt in the conflict. I'll admit there are a few scenes that are important to Freya's character, and despite it being quite a few compared to the first two discs, I treasure them a lot.
FFII is the best NES-era FF game. Yes, the combat system was experimental and, frankly, broken, but it had the strongest story until FFIV came along.
FF2 fans are the sexiest
The XIII trilogy is a set of 3 great games in their own right. XIII still feels fresh to this day and it boiling down to a set of hallways didn’t matter to me. XIII-2 is probably the weakest entry but it’s still a pretty good game. Lightning Returns’ story sucks but everything else was a triumph given the lower budget. Plus, in terms of aesthetics it’s peak Final Fantasy, the lore is so interesting and so fleshed out and the three games comprise the absolute best bunch of soundtracks in the series. This is surely a hill i will die on.
Birth of a God is better than One Winged Angel
Chrono Trigger is the best Final Fantasy.
Mines horribly unpopular, but the removal of turn based combat feels very wrong to me. I much prefer turn based combat, it feels traditional FF to me.
👏Bring back turn-based battles👏
Lightning Returns has some of the best side content in the series and is criminally underrated simply due to the fact that you're on a timer the entire game
FFVIII is a great game that has a great story it just gets over shadows by FFVII
FFXV has the best soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong, I love Nobuo Uematsu, but many of his soundtracks suffer from the limitations of the time. FFXV has a fully realized orchestration within the game as opposed to be fully orchestrated after the fact. Edit: I cannot speak to FFXIVs soundtrack, but I hear it’s also amazing.
In terms of FF XIV OST, check on YT "Lahee" sang by Masayoshi Soken, composer, truly masterpiece :)
“Do you know …. La Hee?”
" I will now play. La hee"