Final Fantasy- Which one?

[purenightshade]

FF - fun, but I kept having to go in and out of the dungeons becasue of the limited number of items you could carry. I wasn't too fond of the generic characters, but hey. It was the first one after all.

FF II - I made it all teh way to the end, but because I screwed ups omewhere along the line I can't bet the final boss, which is kinda annoying. The storyline has a lot of good points.

FF IV - This is the one I haven't really played much of.

FF V - I'm working my way through this one right now. So far it's really good, but the translation from the Japanese to English...gah! I'm so tired of the 'pirate lingo'.

FF VI - I have it but haven't started playing it. It comes highly recommended though.

FF VII - Oh my gosh I love this game! I think this is probably the best one as far as storyline and character development go. And it has sephiroth. How can that be a bad thing?

FF VIII - Ugh. A large part of my problem wtih this game stems from trying to play it in the original Japanese. Yes, I lived in Japan, yes, I have a Japanese PS2 (which sadly no longer works). I borrowed a copy of it in Enlgish from my brother. It sucks way less when the battle system makes sense. None of the internet tutorials were any good.

FF IX - i loved this game until I hit disk 3 and did something wrong and couldn't fix it. I didn't want to restart it at that point and I haven't palyed it since. Granted, the station that palys it is broken now so I can't until I find an Enlgish copy.

FF X - I can't stress just how much I hate Bliz Ball. I abso0lutely adore the combat system though., Being able to switch characters in the middle of a fight? How cool is that!? The Enlgish voice acting is terrible, but the Japanese is just fabulous. Also, cool soundtrack. All of the character tracks and such are just awesome as well as the backgroun music.

FF X-2 - I dunno. I liked this game, but the limited characters kinda sucked. The dress spheres are a good idea, but I hate the 'special' ones where you have to go through every sphere on your grid before you get access to them. Once you do, they're really cool, but only useful if you use them often, which I don't. Again, NA voice acting is terrible. Yuna really annoyed me. The Japanese is very good. Also, another very good set of OSTs and character singles.

I refuse to play FF XI because I despise on-line games. Any game that requires that I continuall pay money to play is not worth it. i've also seen my friends wate their lives away playing it. No way.

[Ian SCD Officer]

SPOILER ALERT

Yeah, I hated the dress spheres too. What was the point in all that? The special ones were horrible. I preferred the Sphere Grid setup in FFX; that was awesome.

I haven't played the early FF games, but I think Final Fantasy 10 is the best so far. FFX-2 wasn't so bad, but it was a let-down; it could've been much better.

I wasn't too fond of Tidus (annoying voice) but he was okay I suppose. Wakka was a cool character, but Seymour was a pain. An awful villain.

FFXII looks awesome. Roll on 12. I can't wait to play it, it looks superior to FFX in every way.

[tyler]

FF7 ALL THE WAY MAN!!!!!

[kaneda]

Originally Posted by Aliena

FFVIII -... there were a lot of intricacies that many people (usually ones who dislike this game) have glossed over.

Like....?

I recently played this again, and couldnt finish it. I know everything in life is subjective blah blah blah, but could you give me an example of something I might have missed

[Green]

I just thought it was annoying.

[radioactivemouse]

6 is my all time fave...with so many characters and such a deep storyline.

I haven't seen an FF game that goes into the depth 6 did.

[sidewinder]

FF 7 everytime for story line but FF8 for the battle system. and FF10 for the graphics and spoken word dialog

[devilsgrin]

whilst i have only played vii, viii and x, i can't split viii and x as my favourites. vii seemed just a little strange to me... really can't put my finger on why, but as i played it at a young age, perhaps the depth was lost on me.

There is perhaps only a couple of issues i have with both viii and x - with viii it was the need to travel around levelling up so you could stand a chance against bosses... Must say i loved all the characters - except perhaps Rinoa (i don't like damsels in distress). I even liked Squall... I hope others figured out who his parents were as well... Also, i love the guardian movies, Bahamut and especially Shiva - the whole languid, graceful way she unleashes that massive ice blast is just flawless. much better than the X Shiva's scene. (though when she snaps her fingers at the end, is pretty cool...hmmm...pun intended i guess)

X - i really enjoyed the graphical beauty of this game. the only problem i had was how, even more than VIII, levelling was essential and the random monsters were often more powerful than the bosses you were levelling to fight.... those bloody cactuar things got me so many times. Tidus was perfect! He was far and away my favourite character, along with Lulu... she left my party as rarely as possible - likely due to the massive damage she could inflict. The sphere grid was exceptional, allowing you to progress your character in any way you liked.
Seymour made a great, sadistic, aristocratic villain. Wakka was perhaps the character i liked the least. So dumb! lovable and loyal, but D-U-M-B!
Blitzball was fun once you worked out strategies and your players actually had decent experience.
Just a question, has anyone ever won that first tournament where you first introduced to blitzball...wakka's retirement game? I tried a dozen times and wasn't able to win...

[Thadlerian]

Now I've played through FF VII and VIII (from now on 7 and 8) on PC, and I've reached sort of a conclusion.
Step by step:

Setting:
FF7 disappointed me with its rather low level of steampunk. There was Midgar, Junon and Highwind, but otherwise the world was low-tech. FF8 was much cooler in that sense; Balamb Garden, trains, those freaky busses and cars (creeped the hell out of me), the raid on Dollet, Fisherman's Horizon, the missiles, and, most of all, Ragnarok

Storyline and characters:
7 all the way! 7 had a good storyline, with the Midgar part in the beginning as an amazing intro. The FF8 characters were uninteresting at best, how much did we really find out about their pasts? The 7 characters seemes simply so much deeper than those of it's successor. 8 had Rinoa, a most exceptionally annoying character. How many times did you have to rescue her from this or that? 4? 5?

Graphics:
Tie. The graphics of 8 were technically better, but they felt more consistent in the earlier game. The colors in 8 felt generally ugly; it wasn't a nice world, it all felt too arid and sterile. The colors in 7 were lush and friendly; it was a more asthetically pleasing game. The cutscenes of 8 were the best, though.

Music:
Duh! The FF7 soundtrack is completely superior to the uninspiring FF8. The latter has some good tunes (Silence And Motion, Balamb Garden), but FF7 has a superior selection; most the Themes (Tifa, Barret, Cid, Aerith, Red XIII), Anxious Heart, the main theme and the chochobo tunes. Listening to it right now.

Gameplay:
FF7 here too. Drawing magic from monsters was incredibly tedious, especially since Squall was usually the only one who could get 9 in one draw. The fighting system of FF8 was bad as well; it was all GF summoning, no use fighting, nothing did any damage, except for Renzokuken. And the GF cutscenes were all so incredibly long. And the Junction system... don't get me started.

Yeah, I like Final Fantasy VII far better than VIII. At times, the latter was so silly it made me angry. Like that last time you fight Seifer. You knock him down, he's beaten. But then he rises again (isn't he dead now?), and runs away with an unresisting Rinoa (hey, she just beat him!), while Squall and Zell idly watch them disappear. It's just too moronically implausible. I think there were similar scenes in FFVII, but not remotely as stupid.

[Threddy]

FF VIII is definitely my favourite but unfortunately, my first disk got scratched and I lost the memory card with it on so I can't play it anymore. Sob

[Threddy]

Originally Posted by purenightshade

FF X - I can't stress just how much I hate Bliz Ball. I abso0lutely adore the combat system though.

I actually really liked blitz ball, i thought it was a really great thing to have, although I couldn't work out how to bring in players but it said you could.

[Frozeninja]

For me my favourites had to be FF7 followed (quite closely) by FF9.

FF9 for me had the best charater detail, but FF7 was just plain awesome in every regard.

[Osprey]

Best - Final Fantasy VII - Greatest story, great system, great characters and cool music.
Second - Final Fantasy VI - Cool story, great system, memorable characters.
Third - Final Fantasy X - Cool story, different system, great characters and great music.

Worst - Final Fantasy X2 - Just everything about this game really got on my nerves.

[D4rk 3vil L()rd]

FFVII >> Best story imho + Gave the wporl sephiroth - and all spin off's made in films etc that are linked to Square/Enix blatently take a lot of the story methods etc from 7.

7 FTW imho

[nightsavior]

They're all good though honestly the only ones I beat and played through again were FF 4 and FF 6. I saw my friend Jason beat FF 9 which was cool.

Run down more in depth.

FF 1 : It was a great rpg especially for an old gen system but there was no real character development. Graphically impressive for its time it blew Dragon Warrior out of the water. Still had stiff competition from the Ultima franchise though. Creating your own party was neat as was the transition of your classes when you went from teenagers to adults.

FF 2 (FF4 in Japan): An endearing cast of characters coupled with a superb story line drew me into it instantly. Cecil's transition from dark Knight to saintly paladin was awesome. Imagine playing as Anakin sky walker only in reverse. (You go from being mostly evil to a true hero not the other way around.) I had a weird crush on the summoness Rydia once she became an adult. For being a 16 bit sprite she looked damn good. Yes, I have a green hair fetish.

FF 3 (FF 6 in Japan) Square went all out. Once again an engrossing addictive story line coupled with another great cast of characters. Locke,Celes,Sabin,Shadow,and Terra were my favorites and it was the first time you had to do unique button combinations or mini games to pull off each characters best moves. My favorite one was the "gambling slots" for the air ship pilot Setzer. (I think that was his name it's been awhile.)

FF7: To most this is the shiz-net. It got them started loving the franchise and was for the PS-1. I loved the post apocolyptic setting and futuristic themes but somehow I couldn't relate to the characters or get into the emo-rage fest between Cloud and Sephiroth. However I admit Cloud had the most complex and compelling story of any FF main hero and as we all know FF 7 was the first game to adress the death of loved ones on a serious note. I never beat it but saw someone do it. The ending left alot of plot holes which were resolved in later spin offs like Dirge of Cerebus + Advent children.

FF8: For me it came and went. The graphics were gorgeous but the whole "parts" and "magazine system" used to upgrade weapons was a pain in the arse. Add this to the frustration fighting Ultimacea if you didn't find every summon and the inability to go back once you get into the last area soured the deal. Lastly was it just me or did this games heroes tend to be bad teenager stereotypes? As rpgs go it was high calibur but I was too busy playing Legend of Dragoon to care.

FF9: It was an attempt to recapture the nostalgic glow of FF4 and FF6. The weird cutsey graphics proably threw people off but the enviorments were beautiful and exotic. I played this one alot but the characters often were so strange or bizzare I felt detached. Garnet was cute in those yellow tight pants however. The world definetly was older FF fan-fare but the heroes were a mixed bag and I just couldn't find Kuja to be intimidating as a villian. I was more creeped out by Xorn and Thorn the dark jesters. I did admire how the main cast wern't all aesthetic perfect beauty knock offs and had lovable quirks. It made it seem like the heroes were casted from everyday people instead of actors and super models. Vivi was a cute lil guy but Quina annoyed the frak out of me. Zidane,Garnet,and good ol Rusty were my three favs but everyone else fell to the side lines.

FF X: This was a good blend of things. Once again the graphics get an over-haul and once again the story line keeps most people playing. The under water enviorments were neat and blitz ball was funner then the card games introduced in earliar installments. The cast of characters was impressionable specifically Auron,Yuna,Kimari,and Lu lu. Tidus,Wakka, and Rikku wern't too shabby either. The game decieved me. At first the heroes seemed to follow bland stereotypes but then they really grew into believable people. It was also the first time the plot surprised me since FF7. There were quite a few twists and the ending was bitter sweet and tragic as opposed to happy and upbeat. Strike against it? Too linear.

FF X-2: Ugh. I'm not disputing this was a good game. It just wasn't the game for me. A half hour into it I stopped playing. Determined I tried again but only got up to the Gullwings meeting a pregnant Lu Lu and Wakka. The dress sphere job set up was a neat idea and seeing hot chicks dressing in skimpy clothing or revealing armor did not hurt my male testosterone sensibilities. However there is just something about pop singing air pirates passing themselves off as the newest Charlie's Angels that does not settle well in my stomach. In its defense SquareEnix was marketing this game for young girls and I'd recommend it for any mum looking for a great game for their teenaged daughters. You may want to beat it as it is a sequal to FF X and explains more about Spira.

FF tactics: It was for the PS-1 but I did not get it until I had my PS-2. If you like tactical rpgs and a wonderful world of politics,intrigue,and warring kingdoms you should pick it up. Also if you like games such as Disgaea,Ogre battle, or La Pucelle tactics you'll feel right at home. Btw do not expect the graphics to be mind blowing. It is a throw back to 32 bit pixel sprites.

FF 12: It ties with FF 6 as my absolute favorite. I know some of you maybe apprehensive about the "real time" battles and the completly revamped gameplay but in my opinion the story line is deep and offers plenty of surprises. Once again we have a strong no nonsense lead female character that can use steel and throw down and once again we have a plot with shades of grey and conflicting views instead of things being completly good and completly evil. I cannot promise FF vets will dig it. The "over epic" crowd may see it as generic and uninspired. The people that actually "enjoy" random battles will find this to be a complete departure from famaliar territory. In addition enemies are not predictable. They are smart and even in the first locales there are "player killer" creatures romping around. To me this added realism. To others it may add tidium.

FF 6's influence is definetly seen in the supporting Cast. Balthier the sky pirate bares an uncanny resemblence to Setzer. Princess Ashe is like the determined and strong willed Celes. Fran is gorgeous,sexy,and because she is a non human in a human crowd has feelings of alienation like Terra did for being half esper. Van is a thief akin to Locke. Penelo? Well she is Van's child hood friend and reminded me a bit of Garnet from FF 9. There is magicite,espers, an empire,and yes feuding royal famalies. It takes place in Ivalice the realm of FF tactics and it is quite obivous the head director and programmers love Star Wars not that is a bad thing.

The gambit AI system is completly customizable and makes character management in heated battles much easier. The license grid is alot more simpler and more of a joy then a burden unlike past skill trees. No offense to the FF X crowd but the sphere grid drove me batty.

I'd say if you love FF and have enjoyed games like Guild wars, World of war craft,//.Hack, and Knights of the old republic you need to buy it. If you want the game mechanics to be exactly like the previous FF games or things to be "over the top epic" with themes of "pure right" versus "pure wrong" rent it first.