Sequel Showdown #7 - Final Fantasy

[AstralSoul | 502]

What is your favorite mainline Final Fantasy? This excludes any spinoff. Only mainline numbered entries and direct sequels to numbered entries will be included.

For the sake of the poll, any entry with multiple versions count for the same game. For instance, FF1 on NES as well as the PS1/GBA remakes are the same entry since they are all basically the same game structurally. FF7 and FF7 Remake are different enough to have their own entries. FF3 counts for the original NES version as well as the DS remake since they are also essentially the same game just with graphical enhancements. I did not include an "Other" option so there are no votes for spin offs like Crystal Chronicles and what have you. There are too many games in the franchise to list them all separately. It you haven't played any or feel you haven't played enough of them to really judge, then you don't have to vote. 

[AstralSoul | 502]

FF9 is easily my favorite and it's really not even close. The game is one of my favorites of all time. But FF7 is huge for me too for having got me into the series in the first place, and FF12 and 10 are favorites of mine as well. Really the only ones on the list I truly disliked were FF3 (DS) and FF15. I thought FF3 was severely imbalanced and the least memorable game in the series and FF15 had one of the worst cast of characters, one of the least interesting stories, and the worst combat system in the entire series.

[Sumer | 221]

4 (or 2 here in the US).  Loved it quite a bit...old school JRPG in the vein of Ultima.  I love the characters too (Palom and Porom for life!).  Spoony Bard.  Kain's jump.  Golbez who, to me at the time, had a strong resemblance to Darth Vader...

Man, loved that game.

[BortLicensePlate | 652]

I should probably play some of these

[Nintegageo | 582]

FF VI is my #1 game. Period.

[Hammerfestus | 3,836]

7.  Easy.  After that it’s probably 10, 8, 6, 9.  If we were talking favorite including spin-offs FF Tactics beats 7.

[RH | 4,903]

5 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said:

7.  Easy.  After that it’s probably 10, 8, 6, 9.  If we were talking favorite including spin-offs FF Tactics beats 7.

I got to agree, FFT is pretty rad. VII is #1 for me but FFT gets pretty darn close.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

I had to go with FF7 although I still enjoy going back to the original. 

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

7. 6 is in second place and is an amazing game in it's own right, but nothing compares to the impact FF7 has had on both myself, video games as a whole, and just pop culture in general.

[DefaultGen | 5,401]

It’s strongly between 1 and 7 for me ... because those are the only 2 I’ve beaten. I’ll say 7 because it has Cloud dressing up as a girl.

[guitarzombie | 924]

I dont want to vote and spoil the polls, but I have HEAVY nostalgia for FFX as I met one of my close friends when this game came out and he played it constantly.  So the music, enemies, I know really well.  I ended up DLing the game and 100% it (dark aeons) and I dug it!  On the other hand, I really am not a fan of turn based RPGs so this and maybe Earthbound I would play and thats about it.  So I love FFX

[Gloves | 11,776]

23 minutes ago, guitarzombie said:

I dont want to vote and spoil the polls, but I have HEAVY nostalgia for FFX as I met one of my close friends when this game came out and he played it constantly.  So the music, enemies, I know really well.  I ended up DLing the game and 100% it (dark aeons) and I dug it!  On the other hand, I really am not a fan of turn based RPGs so this and maybe Earthbound I would play and thats about it.  So I love FFX

I don't think you voting for FFX would spoil anything lol.

[Jicsan | 589]

4 for me.  Just played it at that time in my life where it was a great influence.  I'd played FF1 and Dragon Warrior, and only liked them, but FF4 made me love the characters and story, and made me love the genre from then on.  I love most of the Final Fantasy games, but 4 is definitely my favorite.

[Webhead123 | 675]

I'm definitely not a "series fan" as it were, since I basically stopped playing them after the SNES. With that in mind, FFVI takes my vote. Although I have more personal nostalgia for FFIV, I recognize that FFVI is largely the better game all around. FF on NES was "okay" but I was much more into the Dragon Warrior/Quest series in those days.

I watched a friend playing FFX from time to time. Nice graphics and all that but the barrage of cutscenes and the obnoxious-looking and sounding characters kinda killed it for me.

[guitarzombie | 924]

34 minutes ago, Gloves said:

I don't think you voting for FFX would spoil anything lol.

Well I mean, I haven't and have no interest in playing any of the others so it wouldn't be an accurate representation.  Ive seen the FF7 remake and it looks pretty great.  Id probably play that cuz its not turn based.  

[Gaia Gensouki | 1,073]

My favorite is definitely FFX. I love the sphere grid and the freedom it brings in terms of character development. The only real challengers in that category are FFV and FFX-2, but the latter one was ruined for me by the mission system with the endless side quests and mini games. FFV would be my second favorite thanks to the job system and only loses to FFX due to the somewhat lackluster plot.

FFVIII btw. is my third favorite game in the series, although it's partly nostalgia since this was the first game in the series that I've ever played.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,520]

I won't answer in order to potentially avoid spoiling my SNES ranks (not that anyone cares).  But here's my non-SNES thoughts

VII > XII > VIII > X > IX (but I really like all of them so it's close)

...and then bringing up the rear:

III > IV After Years > X2

[themisfit138 | 523]

I picked wrong on your number system. US FF2 on SNES is my favorite. 

[fox | 1,667]

Final Fantasy 4 as it was the first rpg I played, so there will always be a lot of nostalgia for it, and I have played it the most thru all the various re-releases.

6/7 might be better games but 4 is like my first love

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

This is a tough one. FF6 and FF7 are both absolutely amazing RPG experiences and it's hard to rank one over the other. Right now I'm leaning towards 7, but I'm gonna give it some time before I vote.

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

6 hours ago, themisfit138 said:

I picked wrong on your number system. US FF2 on SNES is my favorite. 

That explains it; as soon as I saw a vote for FF 2 I was looking down the thread to see what you would say.  Sure enough...

[elprincipe | 142]

I don't care for the series at all, but I voted the original since I did beat that back in the day. The last one I played was VII, one of the most boring games I've ever played.

[Sumez | 2,947]

Well this is an easy one. I didn't hesitate for a second.

[themisfit138 | 523]

8 hours ago, Dr. Morbis said:

That explains it; as soon as I saw a vote for FF 2 I was looking down the thread to see what you would say.  Sure enough...

I have played through a rom of JP FF2 when nesticle was new. I remember 2 being a more complicated 1 with that job system.

Side Note: the first time I played FF1. I beat the game with all mages. 2 Black, a Red, and a White. It was a slog. This was before the internet. So, I didn’t know about party building. I had a cart only copy. Didn’t have the manual . A school friend gave me the game. 

Final Fantasy IV was the first real RPG that I played. I know that VI is arguably a better game, but I enjoy playing IV more. 

Edited February 10, 2021 by themisfit138

[MagusSmurf | 577]

FFVI is pretty great and would have been my answer for a long time but for me it's lost a little of its luster. It's fairly strong in most areas but doesn't truly excel in much. Pacing is pretty quick - though that's not uncommon for great JRPGS from its era if rather rare in earlier or later ones - but the game's long enough to make even a dedicated weekend playthrough not really viable and that point I'd just as soon have a deeper experience over a time-efficient one. Music is great too but there's no end to great JRPG soundtracks. Think I prefer FFVII overall though it's been awhile since I've been back to it. Definitely prefer Materia to Magicite.

If FFT had been an option though, I might have voted that.