Final Fantasy Advice

[LinesInTheSand]

Hello Escapist, I finally thought I should get round to posting on these forums after being a casual observer all these years so please bare with me if I end up doing something wrong somehow.

Now to the issue at hand.

Final Fantasy. I have never owned a single game in the series and not played one for more than maybe twenty minutes about ten years ago. With the prices of the more recent games coming down I felt now might be a good idea to give it a go and buy one. My questions are, if I buy one of the newer games will I be completely lost in a story that has been building for over ten games now or is each game a separate story unrelated to any previous game? And is there a game you recommend in the series that I should start with either to make things easier to follow or because it is a particular high point in the series?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Snograt]

All the games are totally separate, with no continuous storyline (with the exception of a few sequels.)

There are recurring characters (Cid, for example) but they are recurring names, rather than the same person. There are recurring monsters (marlboros, cactaurs and tonberries spring to mind) and summons/eidolon like Bahamut, Sylph, Shiva and the rest. These are just recurring themes and are all that link the games together, so you can play the games in any order you like.

Er, think of synonyms for "recurring" and insert them to taste...

 

[Orange12345]

well each game is it's own story* sharing certain names and themes with the other games so you can really start where ever you want. if you have a PC 7 and 8 were released in steam a few months ago so you could start there, otherwise you could get 7-8-9 and 4-6(I think) on playstation store. As to which one to start with? well you really can't go wrong anywhere between 4 through 10 those are all largely considered the best of the series but if I had to make a single recommendation I would probably say 9 the story is pretty straight forward and has a great opening, the comabt system is also fairly basic.

*Aside from the direct numbered sequels I.E FF 10-2 and FF 13-2

 

[Redd the Sock]

Final Fantasies are self contained beyond some mild allusions, cameos and fan theories. If they do a sequel, they spell it out (Final Fantasy X-2, or FFXIII-2 and XIII-3). So start where you like.

What to recommend depends on your tastes. My favorite is FF6, but it can be a bit dated.

 

[Roxas1359]

The games aren't connected directly most of the time, so you can play them in any order you really choose. The exceptions to this is the FF XIII series, Final Fantasy X series, and the Final Fantasy VII series. Other than those three, all the other 10 are separate from one another. Some of them do take place in the same Universe, but they don't effect each others' plots.

For me I started out with X and liked it, then went back to playing all of the other numbered ones, and the newer ones. My favorite is Final Fantasy XII, with IX being second, X being 3rd, Tactics being fourth, and VI being 5th.

That said, if there is one thing I will say, avoid Final Fantasy II until you've played any other Final Fantasy. For those who have played all the numbered series usually II is considered the worst, if not then it's XIII that's considered the worse. II killed a lot of momentum I had for Final Fantasy, but luckily I played VI right after and my faith had been restored.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Jump in to any there is no continuous storyline to follow as Snograt correctly said unless you are going for X-2 or XIII - 2 and the like in which case there is a continuous storyline to follow although I dont think you would be completely lost in those either TBH.

As for the highpoint in the series thats going to be really contentious a lot of people have different ideas as to which is the best personally I would say VI and VII are probably the two highlights that get the most mention in a lot of circles however due to that people build up unreasonable expectations and lets not forget they are getting on in years now, lots on this site seem to favour IX but I found it middle of the road stuff.

I would say pick any you want I would strongly recommend not picking II though (the real II not the american II) as that game is busted its playable but if it was your first FF game I dont think you would be back for more. IV and up though would be all good although XII and XIII are also contentious and to a lesser extent X that said the upcoming X remaster would be a good place to start imo. Its beginner friendly but has a great battle system and actually looks quite nice still which cant be said about some older ones (dont know how much graphics means to you) there is little exploration though so if you need a world map to walk about on choose another one (except XIII).

 

[tce11]

As it has been said before you really can't go wrong with 4 through 10 (with maybe the exception of 5).

7 and 8 are my personal favourites, and while you can get them on Steam, I would advise against it, as there are a number of issues with the ports that you need to get mods to fix. They're both on PSN though, so you can get them that way if you have a PS3, or you could probably get the originals off ebay for decently cheap these days.

10 would also be a good place to start and if you're willing to wait for the HD rerelease it's looking pretty sharp.

If you're not bothered by 16-bit graphics 4 and 6 are also really good.

 

[scorptatious]

The only Final Fantasy advice you need is to play IX.

It's freaking amazing.

Go. Get it now!

 

[Kotaro]

For the most part, each numbered installment is a standalone story. There are thematic connections, as well as recurring monsters and the like. And while some had direct sequels (X-2 to X, for instance), there is no connection between, say, VI and VII.
Personally, I think they're all good, but the ones I'd recommend the most are as follows:
Final Fantasy VI ~ Of the NES/SNES ones, this one has aged the best and is still one of the series's highest points. I recommend the GBA port as it fixed most of the game-breaking glitches.
Final Fantasy IX ~ The last of the PS1 installments, it was made as a throwback to the earlier games after VII and VIII reinvented the franchise. It's probably tied with VI as my personal favorite.
Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2 ~ The stories in these games are kind of laughable, and many people hate the characters, but from a gameplay standpoint these two are at the top. They're very different from one another, but among RPGs as a whole, they are among the best of the best in terms of combat systems.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

I would say that VI, VII, IX and X are most likely the easiest ones to get into with no previous FF experience.

VI is a steampunk-like adventure which first came out on the SNES, so the graphics are sprite-based and strictly 2D. They are by no means bad, though. And the game does an excellent job of making genuinely likeable heroes and terrifying villains out of the little chunks of pixels they used for characters back then!

VII is by far the most successful of the series. It came out on the PS1, and featured cutting-edge polygon-based graphics which have been horribly dated for quite a while now. Story-wise, however, it is a riveting epic of the first order - well capable of being poignant one moment and funny the next. Give it a chance, and it WILL draw you in!

IX was the last FF to involve most of the original development crew, including regular composer Nobuo Uematsu. This game is intended as a celebration of the series so far, and includes enough references to earlier FF games to fill a Wiki. However, these are expertly and subtly handled and NEVER get in the way of the game's individuality - you can fully enjoy IX even with no prior knowledge of the series.

Which, incidentally, I think you should do. IX is my personal favourite game in the series, and I hereby whole-heartedly recommend it as your starting point!

Spoiler: Here, check it out!

Oh, but I should tell you about X too, shouldn't I. X is possibly the most divisive games of the series (a close race with VIII and XII) and, depending on who you ask, anything from the best thing since boobs to the gaming equivalent of ebola. Personally, I'm in the 'ebola' - camp, but the game IS easy enough to get into, and so I'm throwing in a few lines about it here.

X was the first FF to come out on the PS2, and also the first one since most of the crew retired (see IX entry.) It is set in a more modernistic world than most previous titles, and probably works best as an introduction to the more recent games (being, for one thing, the first FF game to get an actual sequel - in the form of the generally reviled 'Final Fantasy X-2'.)

However, if you feel more attracted to the modern games (XIII and onwards), you should probably start with XII. XII represents a long-awaited upgrade to the somewhat dated, turn-based mechanics of previous games - and consequently, an almost complete departure from the series as its fanbase knew it. I myself found it perfectly enjoyable in its own right, but it is probably the last FF game I'm going to play.

 

[linkblade91]

Personally, my favorite three main installments of Final Fantasy are VIII (8), X (10), and XIII (13).

That being said (and as said before), they're all unconnected to each other, so honestly...pick one and go for it:

--> If you like the game, great! Keep at it, see if you can't go 2/2
--> If you don't like the game, all well. Try another one with a different combat system, etc., and see if FF can't redeem itself to you.

I think Final Fantasy is a series that really requires you to play it for yourself; you can't let the fan-praise (or conversely, detracting opinions) get in the way of your own experience. If you want to stick to Playstation-era and beyond, here's what you do: put the numbers seven through thirteen (minus eleven) on a wall, and throw a dart. Play that game, like it or don't, rinse-and-repeat lol

Eventually, if you become like some/most? of us, it'll turn into Pokemon and you'll have to play 'em all anyway

[As an aside, I wish people wouldn't bash XIII so much; it's one of my favorites :/ Surely I can't be the only one...]

Edit: I apologize if you consider "just-go-for-it" a cop-out answer lol

Edit2: By the way, welcome to the forum!

 

[sextus the crazy]

VI is generally regarded as the best of the NES/SNES ones, if not in total. Having played all of the NES/SNES ones, I completely agree with this sentiment. It's got great characterization an interesting world and so forth. IV is good too, although maybe not as good as VI. V's story is worse than either, but has a deep and entertaining job system that is also used in the FF tactics series. NES ones aren't that great, even in remake form. Haven't played PS ones, but they seem to keep getting worse (the PS1 ones I've heard are pretty good)

 

[Flunk]

Final Fantasy X for the PS2 is a good start, it's preitty much the most recent one that was almost universally well regarded. I'd avoid starting with either MMO or FFXII but otherwise you start where you like.

 

[BeeGeenie]

Welcome to the FF fandom, and congrats on your first post

FF can be a harsh mistress. The games are all different, and appeal to people for different reasons. As linkblade91 suggests, you could easily just pick one at random, and if you like it great, if not, just try a another one until you find "your" Final Fantasy.

I'm a FF6 man, myself, although I also recommend 4, 7, and 9.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

Final Fantasy VII is considered one of the best games of all time, let alone the best of the FF series.

But then it became too mainstream, so naturally it's not "cool" to like any more. All the hipsters go for Final Fantasy VI, which is the most modern of the retro FFs.

I'd start with FF7; it was most people's gateway into the series.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I would recommend either FF 9 or 10 as a good entry point, if you are into sprite based games I would recommend 6 though that may be a bit grindy for an entrance to the series.

As others have said, the stories and characters are pretty much self contained though apparently some have lore connections(nothing plot related and nothing that would change how you view one title based on another so no worries there).

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

I'd probably go with 7, it's the least shit one of the popular entries. Personally i like 12 and Tactics the best. They both have way more interesting stories and characters than any of the other games and are in many ways far more well written. But people tend to get butthurt over the combat in 12 (it's still the best combat system the series has ever had, even though nobody understands it) and i guess the games main character is a complete twat (Vaan really only serves as a player proxy and has fuck all to do with the actual story of the game), but if you focus on the actual goings on in the game between the important characters and the world, it's a pretty good story all in all.

I know i'm probably the only person on this freaking forum to favor 12 over the rest of the series but hey, 12 needs some love too.

 

[Weaver]

I would honestly just play FF6 and none of the other ones.