The Final Fantasy series’ charm is that, because every game is so different from the others, they each have their own strengths and faults. Some games excel in aspects others crash and burn trying to emulate, and it makes the series fascinating to compare and contrast. Kotaku US even tried to rank these disparate games and came up with a list everyone was extremely happy with and unified on. But that’s broad strokes. Let’s get into the minutiae of the best and worst parts of the mainline Final Fantasy games.
Final Fantasy
Best: The modular party
As the game that started it all, Final Fantasy can feel a little simple compared to the decades of iteration that followed. But it was still pretty exceptional for that time, and the way you could customise your team set a strong precedent for future games. You had four party slots, but six possible classes to choose from, and that made every party composition a strategic play. Between the other 15 games and all their spin-offs, this fundamental has been riffed upon in countless ways, but it gave everyone a personalised experience as they carefully contemplated what characters they would set out with.
Worst: The “ineffective” move
One of the most frustrating aspects of the original game was changed in various re-releases, but that first game on the NES had a weird quirk that, if you queued up an attack that would hit an enemy that was taken out by other means, you would waste a turn because those moves wouldn’t redirect to another foe. They would instead be deemed “ineffective.” For a game that is all about what you do in what little time you’re allotted, an oversight like this is a great way to feel like the player is wasting their time. Thankfully, this was corrected in future ports and remasters.
Final Fantasy II
Best: Established Final Fantasy would be about reinvention
Much like the rest of the series, Final Fantasy II completely changes a lot of the core mechanics of the original game, such as retooling progression to not be about levels and instead about how your party would specialise in certain roles. In a way, Final Fantasy II established that the series would be one about constant evolution, and acted as an early tone-setter for each game to be significantly different than the last.
Worst: But some of those changes were divisive
It wouldn’t have been a proper tone-setter for what Final Fantasy would become if it wasn’t also contentious in some of its changes. That new levelling system contains some elements of RNG, which can make grinding unpredictable and sometimes frustrating as you try to spec your characters into specific roles.
Final Fantasy III
Best: Introducing the job system
Final Fantasy III introduced what would become one of the series’ mainstays: the job system. This allows players to change their classes throughout their journey, and really customise your team and strategies. It paved the way for similar takes like Final Fantasy X-2’s Dressphere mechanic, or the entire structure of Final Fantasy XIII’s Paradigm Shift battle systems. It’s incredibly influential, which makes it all the more sad that…
Worst: It’s pretty unremarkable
Despite introducing the job system, Final Fantasy III hasn’t left a huge impression on the series’ community over the years. The game was remade for the Nintendo DS, but beyond that, it mainly just exists as a thing Square packages on its various collections.
Final Fantasy IV
Best: The introduction of ATB
Active Time Battle became a Final Fantasy staple with Final Fantasy IV. The battle system merges turn-based strategy with a frantic, real-time combat that both spiced up fights and made them more exciting, but also added a sense of urgency. Square would go on to riff on this idea over the years before eventually pivoting hard into a straight-up action game, but Final Fantasy IV kept the series fresh in those early years. Even among some sweeping changes, the series would continue to use it for several years.
Worst: It does feel a little simple now, though
Final Fantasy IV was the battle system blueprint for an era in the series’ lifetime, but because games like Final Fantasy VII and XIII so effectively iterated on the idea of ATB, the fourth game’s combat feels a little less impactful these days. Hats off to the OG, though.
Final Fantasy V
Best: The additions to the job system are so good
By Final Fantasy V, the job system had already been well-established, but this game cracked it wide open with the addition of Ability Points, which characters gain in tandem with standard experience. This lets you both level up your character generally alongside working through job-specific progression. Because jobs and characters now level up separately from one another, Final Fantasy V allowed for more flexibility, and made switching between roles more rewarding.
Worst: The rest is kinda meh
Similar to FInal Fantasy III, there’s a lot of interesting mechanical changes that make Final Fantasy V significant, but in terms of cultural impact within the community, the fifth game hasn’t had the staying power of other numbered entries. That doesn’t mean it’s not beloved, though, as even the developers behind Final Fantasy XVI cite it as one of their favourites.
Final Fantasy VI
Best: It was the beginning of the emotional, melodramatic storytelling the series is known for
Other than Final Fantasy VII, the sixth game is probably the one I’ve heard most people call their favourite over the years. That’s because it was the point where the series expanded beyond just mechanical mastery and into the character-driven, emotional storytelling we associate with the series to this day. The story of Terra and co. was a watershed moment for the series to become the fantasy operas they are today. That’s true even without the giant, budget-melting cinematic cutscenes we have these days.
Worst: The Cultists’ Tower
The Cult of Kefka’s Tower is one of the most frustrating moments in Final Fantasy VI. Not only is it a trudge through some difficult fights, but it disables certain commands and creates an interesting, but restricting challenge. Sure, there’s some decent loot to be found, but is it worth the frustration?
Final Fantasy VII
Best: The death of Aerith
Talk about a cultural reset. The death of Aerith remains an unforgettable moment in the Final Fantasy compendium almost 30 years later, and for good reason. Even for a PlayStation game, the visual composition of the moment is still incredibly striking. Aerith is shown praying as Sephiroth descends with his sword drawn. The moment has become widely known by even non-fans at this point, which takes a lot of the surprise out of it for newcomers. But at the time, it was a gut punch that floored players as they lost a beloved party member before they’d even switched over to the second disc. What remains to be seen is how Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will handle this, as breaking away from the established story has become a major part of what the remake games contend with, but even Final Fantasy VII Remake’s late-game flash forwards are already teasing this moment and whether or not it happens will be a key story beat for this reimagined story.
Worst: The localisation
While Final Fantasy VII is largely considered the series’ peak, the game’s localisation is notoriously rough. The errors range from name changes like calling Aerith “Aeris” to just some nonsensical dialogue that has been memed to hell and back for almost three decades. We even have a pretty extensive deep dive into it here at Kotaku that’s worth checking out. Luckily, video games are much better about this now than they were in the 90s, but Final Fantasy VII remains a case study in how a poor localisation can undermine otherwise good writing that still manages to resonate with players.
Final Fantasy VIII
Best: The gunblade
The idea of a sword that is also a gun is pretty silly, but dear reader, I ask you to consider something: it also rules. Squall’s iconic weapon became a Final Fantasy mainstay, and even with characters like Lightning wielding them in more recent games, Final Fantasy VIII’s version remains one of the most memorable. This is a series where weapons are nearly as visually recognisable as the heroes that use them, and the gunblade is one of the coolest examples of it, ok?
Worst: The Junction system
Sometimes reinvention leads to needless iteration, and Final Fantasy VIII’s Junction mechanic is an example of that. This mechanic makes casting magic a resource, rather than a replenishable constant in your arsenal. The biggest trouble is that collecting these requires some busy work and hunting down specific monsters who have the materials you need to cast the appropriate spell. Farming magic can feel like the game is wasting small increments of your time in rapid succession.
Final Fantasy IX
Best: Vivi
It’s wild that nine games into a series, a character could be visually based on a long-established class and completely usurp the association with the design. Vivi, Final Fantasy IX’s black mage, is one of the series’ most beloved characters not just because his design is cute, but because he is the beating heart of Final Fantasy IX. His story is one of near-constant tragedy, but as he persists through his own strife, he grows into one of the series’ most memorable characters.
Worst: That slow pace
Despite using ATB, Final Fantasy IX has a notorious problem with pacing its battles in a way that doesn’t feel like it’s wasting your time. Re-releases helped alleviate this with fast-foward options, but the sluggish way battles load and animation plays weighs the game down. This wasn’t helped by a notably high random encounter rate, which made those slow fights all too frequent.
Final Fantasy X
Best: The soundtrack
Man, this one was tough to nail down. Final Fantasy X has so many different elements in the running for its best part. It’s one of the best love stories in the series, its commentary on oppressive systems and breaking free from them still hits 20 years later, and the turn-based battle system has enough cool nuances to it that make it a standout when it could have easily felt generic. But both it and its sequel still stand out as some of the finest music across the franchise. The “Hymn Of The Fayth” is one of the most iconic compositions to grace a Final Fantasy game, encapsulating a haunting anguish as the world of Spira begs for freedom from the oppressive cycle. The Besaid theme soars as Tidus explores the tropical island where he meets his new friends, beckoning toward the cast’s new beginnings and quiet introspection about the journey ahead. Plus, who can forget the heavy metal stylings of “Otherworld” that plays as you fight Braska’s Final Aeon? The range jumped out. Final Fantasy X-2 continues the trend of this subseries having some of the best music in a series full of excellent soundtracks, and delves into poppy, melodic earworms that illustrate just how much the world has changed. They both have some of the best music in the series’ history, and that stands out above all the other things Final Fantasy X excels at.
Worst: Blitzball
I will fight anyone in the streets about this, Blitzball sucks. Most of this is because of Square’s idea of a tutorial to put a giant wall of a menu in front of you that explains all the minutiae to you in an extremely unnatural way. You learn about these elements that are supposed to be used in tandem with one another in a way that separates them so inorganically that it’s hard to actually get a grasp on how you’re supposed to play and weave these ideas together. Luckily, you don’t have to play it well to progress, but it sure would feel better in the instances you’re required to play it if I had any meaningful sense of how to play, but the tutorial is such a poor introduction that you basically have to learn it yourself through trial and error. I’m ready to square up with anyone who says this shit is fun. Fight me. (Please don’t fight me, I am very small and weak).
Final Fantasy XI
Best: Made Final Fantasy a communal experience
When Final Fantasy XI made the pivot from a single-player RPG to an MMORPG, it was controversial. For a lot of fans in the early 2000s, Final Fantasy XI felt impenetrable because the internet infrastructure wasn’t what it is today. But for those with good internet access, Final Fantasy XI made the series something that could be shared with friends, rather than something experienced by yourself and talked about later. Final Fantasy XIV has pretty much eclipsed it as the Final Fantasy MMO in people’s minds, but it all started with Final Fantasy XI making the big swing. It paid off, too, the game is still going.
Worst: You can lose your level progress
MMOs can be notoriously grindy, and Final Fantasy XI has this issue. But on top of that, you can also “de-level” when you’re knocked out in battle by losing experience. This can even extend to losing access to level-gated content. Losing progress always feels bad, whether that’s going back to a checkpoint or losing a save. It’s unfortunate this is baked into Final Fantasy XI, but it has at least been removed from Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy XII
Best: The Gambit system
Final Fantasy XII’s MMO-lite battle system has a lot going on at any given moment. It’s not quite an action game, not quite a turn-based one, but it does play out in real-time while you manage cooldowns and resources. But the Gambit system, which lets you get into some real specific minutiae to prepare for different scenarios, makes a lot of that much more manageable. Want your team to cast healing spells if you reach a certain health threshold? You can do that. These modular strategies can be tailored to different characters to lean into their strengths and account for their weaknesses. Engaging with the Gambit system is key to getting the most out of Final Fantasy XII’s combat, and watching your pre-planned tactics play out is always satisfying.
Worst: Not everyone in the cast stands out
Final Fantasy XII has some fan-favourite characters like Baltheir and Fran, but despite them being the community’s darlings, they aren’t the “main” characters, so they seldom get to represent the game in the larger franchise. Instead, we have Vaan. This is the guy who gets the roster slot in Dissidia, and he’s one of the least memorable people in a game that has some real standouts.
Final Fantasy XIII
Best: The Paradigm Shift
Make no mistake, Final Fantasy XIII has a lot of problems, but its battle system is not one of them. The Paradigm Shift mechanic, which has you create specialised dynamics between your characters to be switched between on the fly, absolutely whips arse. Changing your party’s composition in real-time to adapt to different situations is one of the most strategically satisfying formats the series has used. Switching between the Relentless Assault paradigm to deal major damage and defence-driven compositions like Combat Clinic to withstand and recover from a brutal attack is just one of the multitudes of ways understanding how roles relate to each other and work in tandem can create engaging battles that can change in a moment’s notice. Final Fantasy XIII’s complexities can feel overwhelming at first, but by the time it was over, I felt like a master of the Paradigm Shift and all its nuances. Final Fantasy is moving in a more action-oriented direction these days, but XIII’s battle system feels like one of the best marriages of active and strategic mechanics.
Worst: The shoddy exposition
Final Fantasy XIII is one of the biggest victims of proper noun word salad, and it does next to nothing to explain what the hell is going on. A lot of the lore is buried in its codex, and I felt like reading through it was the only way I had a proper understanding of the game’s world. Before that, characters were yelling at me about L’Cie, Fal’Cie, and Focus, and I was just left confused and unclear on how I was supposed to solve any of these problems and what I was even fighting for. I felt like I had a stronger grasp of these concepts in the sequel, but for a world as dense as this, I’m surprised they didn’t go the Final Fantasy X route of having a character who wasn’t from this world and had to ask clarifying questions. It’s a cool world and there are interesting conflicts happening within it. But Final Fantasy XIII cannot be bothered to explain them to you in a natural way.
Final Fantasy XIV
Best: The expanded free trial in which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime
Most people who shy away from MMORPGs do it because it feels like there’s an insurmountable barrier to entry in time investment and subscription costs. Final Fantasy XIV removes a lot of that with its free trial, which lets you play several dozen hours of its main story and first expansion. You can play more than enough to know if you want to get involved without dropping a cent, and the free trial has acted as a gateway for so many of the game’s sickest sickos to dip their toes in the water. It’s a ridiculous value, and if it hooks you, you’ve got hundreds of hours left to play.
Worst: The time investment
…on the other hand, Final Fantasy XIV’s time investment to catch up and see the breadth of what the MMORPG has to offer is a lot. The How Long To Beat page for the game marks the Final Fantasy XIV runtime as anywhere from 106 hours to 2552 hours, and some players would likely dispute that lower number. The game is dense, and it’s intimidating, and even a free trial cannot change just how much of a life suck Final Fantasy XIV can be. Sure, if you’re hooked, those hours might fly by, but if you’re a person who’s constantly torn on whether or not they want to jump in, those hour counts are as much a barrier to entry as buying the game and paying a monthly subscription are.
Final Fantasy XV
Best: The Florence + The Machine songs
Final Fantasy XV defenders will likely point to some of the game’s good qualities, but when we say what is the “best” part of Noctis’ journey, it’s the songs indie rock band Florence + The Machine performed for its soundtrack. One of these is the soaring cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” that plays during an early car ride, but it was accompanied by two equally excellent songs that stand tall against the rest of the group’s discography. The anthemic “Too Much Is Never Enough” that plays during the credits is one of Florence Welsh’s best vocal showcases, and “I Will Be” is a lovely, mostly wordless piece that captures the wonder of Final Fantasy XV’s expansive world. All of these songs are available in a Songs From Final Fantasy XV EP, which is on all your favourite streaming platforms.
Worst: They did Lunafreya so dirty
I know Final Fantasy XV was trying to capture the vibe of a “boys road trip” with Noctics and his pals, but even if you, for whatever reason, think your story is best captured by excluding women, there was no need to do your female lead as dirty as Final Fantasy XV does Lunafreya. She’s the main character’s love interest, but she barely appears in the game.On top of that, Square decided the best course of action to make up for that was to fridge her at the midpoint to propel Noctis forward in his quest. Clownery. And the series didn’t learn its lesson after it, either, as Final Fantasy XVI deals with the same fuckery.
Final Fantasy XVI
Best: The Eikon fights
While the action-oriented leanings of the latest Final Fantasy might be divisive to some, the scale of some of its biggest battles is truly a sight to behold. Final Fantasy XVI puts a lot of spotlight on Eikons, the game’s version of summons, which characters known as Dominant transform into. Throughout, you take part in some stellar fights that are some of the most breathtaking action sequences in all of the series. Given the game has been out for less than a day, we won’t spoil any specifics, but if you’re just now getting into Final Fantasy XVI, you’re in for a real treat.
Worst: The way Square bends over backward to exclude people of colour
Square Enix’s explanations as to why people of colour aren’t featured prominently in Final Fantasy XVI are just a whole lot of nonsense. The game exists in a fantasy universe where there are dragons and fiery birds who engage in epic battles and people can shoot lightning out of their hands, but the studio says the game is primarily focused on white characters to adhere to some kind of imagined historical accuracy. Naturally, this is all bullshit both because Final Fantasy XVI doesn’t exist in the real world, even if Square believes it is based on medieval Europe, and because it doesn’t actually reflect the real world to pretend people of colour don’t exist.
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