I don't think it's any
secret by now that I love Final Fantasy. It was my introduction to
the RPG genre and remains one of my favorite series of all time.
I've reviewed several games from the franchise, and I plan to review
a lot more as soon as I can get around to it, but in the meantime I
want to focus on ten entries in the franchise that have stood out to
me through the years and might have stood out to you, too. Prepare
for an adventure as we embark on the one Top Ten list where nobody
is going to come out satisfied. This is ToriJ's Top Ten Final
Fantasy games!
10.
I'm going to go out on a
limb and say that not many lists include this entry, and I can see
why. It does take a lot of trial and error to get any enjoyment out
of the actual title, but once you figure certain things out the game
can become a lot of fun. You don't need to punch yourself in the face
to get stronger or put Maria in the back row. Walkthroughs have
shown us that you can do more damage in the beginning with your
fists than with weapons and increase your evade to make up for how
much damage the enemy can do. Thanks to this I actually had enemies
running away from me than the other way around. The way it sets up
makes absolutely no sense, but it was only their second game.
Final Fantasy II is the
first FF to have a more constructive narrative. We have actual
characters with personalities and are introduced to chocobos and the
Empire, which would both make reappearances in many Final Fantasy
games to come. The former obviously a bit more than the latter. Even
the villain is cool in this game. Mateus actually dies just to come
back from hell as a demon to destroy the world. For a game that came
out in 1988 that's rather impressive. Unfortunately, we never got
this game in the states when it was new and it was only thanks to
remakes like Origins that we got to play it. If you haven't tried it
out, I'd highly recommend it.
9.
Funny to think the game
that started it all can end up so low on the list, but that's only
because we came so far since 1987. At least the game actually made
it on the list because I've seen this game get shafted before. This
was the game that started not just the franchise, but perfected the
RPG genre and influenced a lot of other games that came after it.
While it doesn't have the story or characters of II, the time
paradox, Chaos, and the Four Fiends are phenomenal. With six classes
to choose from and no default names the characters you play as really
do feel like your own instead of presets and with the way the
sprites are it's up to your imagination whether some of them are a
boy or a girl.
I didn't get to play
this game when it first came out to the states, but I did manage to
get my hands on the Origins version. If you want to try this game
out yourself I can't recommend that version enough. It fixes a lot
of the issues with the original NES version and makes the game a lot
more playable. There are more updated versions, but since I haven't
played any of them I can't speak to their quality. Origins came with
both an easy and the original NES difficulty, so if you're looking
for a Final Fantasy that's actually challenging and where grinding
matters, look no further. I clocked a lot of hours on this game and
I don't regret a minute of it.
8.
People have been curious
about my thoughts on FFV, so wonder no longer. FFV was the first of
the classic Final Fantasy games that I got the chance to play when I
was a kid, and I loved every second of it! The characters, the plot,
the world, the humor, all of it came together to make a beautiful
package that was a lot of fun to play and it guts me that child ToriJ
could only get so far in the game before I had to return it to
Blockbuster, but have no fear. This baby is on my PS3 now and I will
play it again one day. It has been far, FAR too long since I last
gave this bad boy a spin.
Final Fantasy V's story
borrows from the first game having the same elements plot, but it's
the characters that make the game. More specifically, Galuf, the
mysterious old joker with amnesia (although old is relative in Final
Fantasy), and Faris, the sassy cross dressing pirate who steals
every scene she's in. Let's face it, Faris is probably the only
reason this game hasn't fallen into obscurity yet. FFV central theme
has a lot to do with inheritance, the younger generation going
around fixing the mistakes left behind by the previous generation
which reflects on the fact that this was the last traditional Final
Fantasy before Sakaguchi handed the director's chair to somebody
younger and it shows in comparison to the games that came after. FFV
is the end of an era and has done more than enough to deserve a spot
on this list.
7.
I'll admit it took me a
second playthrough to truly appreciate this game. When I first played
it I found the opening segment to be very entertaining only to lose
steam as soon as it got to Vaan. The second time around I stuck with
it and it paid off in the end. The game gave us characters like
Balthier, Fran, Ashe, Basch, and Penelo. Even Vaan wasn't nearly as
bad as people made him out to be, he just flopped as a main
character around the second half of the game. Minor characters like
Larsa was highly enjoyable and Vayne's motivations wasn't as black
and white as past villains have been. The political intrigue was
something you didn't see in a lot of Final Fantasy games and it made
it stand out among the rest all the more.
Then we have the Gambit
System that made it possible to adjust the game to your own personal
preferences. You could control everybody in your party manually and
decide who the party leader was, and whoever the party leader was
was the one you played as. Or you can set it to where the computer
did most of the work for you. I can't say I found the open world very
compelling and I didn't like the monster hunts one bit, but not
since Final Fantasy X has a FF game made me want to play all the way
to the end to see the story's conclusion. While the game does
blatantly rips off Star Wars a lot it's still an enjoyable game to
play, and I'd be lying if that final fight between the Empire and
the Rebellion didn't get me pumped. This is one game I'm glad I gave
a second chance.
6.
Here's another example of
a game I had to play twice to truly appreciate. The first time I
played this game I was a big VII and VIII fan and so the feel of
this game didn't resonate with me as a kid. Not until I played some
more of the classic Final Fantasy games that I was able to
appreciate this a lot more and it quickly became one of my
favorites. The loveable characters, the humor, the old school battle
system, this game celebrates everything that the franchise has
accomplished up to that point and provided a satisfying experience
through them.
Despite the
lightheartedness of the game, FFIX tackles a lot of serious themes
like identity. A lot of the characters get meaningful development
through the game, especially Vivi who struggles through the question
of his own existence, and it may very well have one of the more
better written love stories between Zidane and Garnet. FFIX embraces
the high fantasy setting that the series began with and is
everything an old school fan could ask for after the departures that
were VI – VIII.
5.
Yeah, I know.
You're so surprised to see this here.
Like a lot
of you FFVII was my introduction to the franchise and it will always
hold a special place in my heart. From the moment it throws you into
the action in Midgar it never ceases to amaze me just how much they
accomplished with this game. Midgar is seen as such a large place
only to be revealed as just one small part of an even greater world
waiting beyond it. From its diverse cast to its memorable villains,
VII has a little bit of everything to offer.
The game
does a good job of making you care about the characters and even
Sephiroth manages to be a sympathetic villain when you really think
about it. The suspense they add to finding out Cloud's true identity
and just the whole buildup to who Sephiroth is and how powerful he is
is well executed. FFVII wasn't afraid to kill off one of its main
characters in Aerith leaving to one of the most memorable moments in
video games history. And the music, we can never forget about the
music. FFVII has one of the best musical scores in the series and I
can never get tired of listening to them. Whether you think it's the
best game of all time or an overrated piece of shit one thing is for
certain, this game isn't going anywhere any time soon.
4.
And now I
just pissed you off.
Final
Fantasy VIII was placed with an impossible task of topping Final
Fantasy VII. Why do I say impossible? Because I don't believe any FF
will ever top VII in term of financial success or how much of an
impact it had on our culture, but damn if it didn't try its hardest.
We fought demons, took part in a war, kidnapped the President who
turned out to be a decoy who turned into a monster, and attempted to
kill a sorceress, and that's just the first disc alone. The game
only gets crazier as the story progresses and you either embrace the
insanity or reject it altogether. Luckily for me I did the former.
I played a
lot more VIII as a kid than I did VII and made it to the end of disc
two on my very first playthrough. I got invested in the characters
and story and couldn't get enough. The world is also extremely easy
for me to remember even to this day. Names, visuals, you name it and
I can see it in my head. I have had people try to convince me the
characters are annoying, but I don't see it. Squall has his issues,
but he overcomes them by the end; Rinoa is fun to be around and I
wish I had somebody like her growing up; Zell is just hilarious;
Selphie is someone I could imagine a girl her age to be; Irvine is
another character whose misery is just fun to laugh at; Seifer and
Quistis? Nobody seems to have a bad word to say about them. Maybe
these characters would be more annoying if voice acting existed, but
as it stands I love them all. Last but not least? Triple Triad.
I didn't
understand the Junction system anymore than the next person, but that
didn't ruin my experience. SeeD, the Guardian Forces, the Gardens,
the Galbadia soldiers, all of these things makes the world feel
alive and I'm saddened there aren't just a little more places to
explore. Sorceress Edea probably should have been kept as the main
villain, but I enjoy the concept behind Ultimecia all the same. She
doesn't want power, glory, or world conquest. She just wants to be
left the hell alone. That always made her stand out to me. VII is the
game that introduced me to the franchise.
VIII is the
game that made me a fan for life.
3.
SURPRISE!
Known as
Final Fantasy II in America, Final Fantasy IV is responsible for
introducing a lot of the staples in the series. The ATB battle
system, love story, and cut-scenes through the battle screen was all
made possible thanks to Final Fantasy IV. The game gives us stories
of redemption, a girl learning how to use her powers, the recovery
of lost love, and so much more. FFIV was rocking the love triangle
long before VII even came onto the scene.
I'm a
little ashamed to admit it took me so long to finally get to this
entry. I heard about it a lot, but didn't get around to playing it
until last November, and I'm glad I did. You know what this game
reminds me of? Game of Thrones. The ruler gone mad, friends coming
together to fight against him (however brief), and characters you've
come to know and love dying unexpectedly. Golbez made an
imposing villain from the first time you see him which only makes it
disappointing when Zeromus appears to steal the spotlight away.
After playing it for the first time I can see why this is the game
the Japanese adore to pieces. I'm right there with you, guys.
2.
Number two!?
What does a game have to do to get number one on this list?
Final
Fantasy VI dealt with a lot of adult themes in a mature way that was
appropriate for even children to see. Love, loss, suicide. The game
manages to balance out a large cast of characters and give them all
a time in the spotlight. Experiments like the Opera House played out
so well that many of us will never forget the first time we went
there. Kefka is still to this day considered one of, if not the
best video game villain of all time. This game did another thing
that nothing at the time dared to do, it allowed the villain a huge
victory over the heroes leading to the World of Ruin making it mean
that much more when the heroes rose up to take him down once and for
all.
Summons
weren't just creatures that fought for you. They were an actual race
with their own identity and Terra bridged the gap between Espers and
humans. This game managed to make me feel sorry for the summons when
Kefka mowed them down one by one. Locke and Celes have wonderful
chemistry throughout the game and I ship them hard. I never shipped
anything before in my entire life. Who could forget Edgar's charm
and how much of an loveable doofus Sabin is? This game even allowed
me to say no when I thought it'd just loop until I agreed to do what
I thought the plot demanded of me. FFVI defies a lot of expectations
going in, and I love it all the more for it.
Before
I reveal the number one spot let's look at some honorable mentions:
Honorable
Mentions
Final Fantasy X-2 – I tried to hate this game, but
can't
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Bravely Default – Wait, that's not a Final Fantasy
game. Silly me.
Drum roll please! And the covenant number one spot goes
to...
1.
This comes as
a surprise to no one.
My
reasonings for liking FFX is a lot more personal than the other
entries. You see, I was raised in a religious household. I worshiped
God, prayed, went to church, sang the songs, and read my bible. I
can relate to characters like Yuna and Wakka on a personal level due
to their ties to religion. When Tidus is asking all these questions
about Yevon and Yuna says, “I don't know. It's funny... Before I
never questioned it but now... there are a lot of things I don't
know.” I can relate to that. I've been there. When Wakka stands
unyielding to Rikku's criticism of his religion, I've been there,
too. And in my adult life, I've been on Rikku's side of the fence
just as frustrated. Religion is as big a part of my identity as
anything else. Losing that is scary, painful even, but seeing
characters like Yuna and Wakka overcome that to do what's right is
inspiring to me, and something that remains with me to this day. In
case you're wondering, I was never guilty of racist slurs.
Tidus was
never a cry baby to me. There were moments where he made me facepalm,
but who hasn't facepalm'd at a person's stupidity? Be it a friend or
family member? Tidus has reasons to be the way he is. His father was
a jerk and treated his only son like shit. Anyone in that situation
would have emotional issues about it, but oh, I forgot, men aren't
allowed to display their emotions. They have to be tough or cool all
the time. Give me a break! Tidus had a tough upbringing and was then
thrown into a world where he didn't know anything. If any of us was
in a similar situation, no matter how much we want to pretend we'd
be like Auron or Lulu, we'd be just as lost as Tidus was.
Before you
think I'm a Jecht hater, I'm not. Jecht starts out as a little shit,
but unlike a certain Game of Thrones mother he actually gets the
chance to redeem his character. Coming to Spira and being a guardian
was his second chance. The message he left behind for his son and
telling him he loved him brings a tear to my eye just thinking about
it. He became kind and gave his life for a cause that was bigger
than him. A cause he believed in. Because of this I feel both Father
and Son ends up stronger in the end.
These
characters felt like real people to me. The world of Spira is
beautiful and I always loved the lore. From the history of Yevon to
Blitzball. It's a shame the game is so linear because I would have
loved to be able to explore more of Spira, but it is what it is.
There was a brief moment where I thought I liked VI more than this
until somebody asked, “What's your favorite game?” and I named
this without hesitation. X managed to replace VII as my favorite and
that is no easy feat.
This concludes “ToriJ's
Top Ten Final Fantasy Games.” Did you agree with this list? Would
you rank some games higher or lower? Let me know, and while you're
here check out my reviews for even more Final Fantasy:
Troll list 0/10 no Crystal Chronicles.
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