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Oh man David sorry to have to tell you but you really have zero taste absolutely zero taste when it comes to Final Fantasy. Putting one of the greatest Final Fantasy games ever Final Fantasy 8 on one of the last places is just blasphemous and it really shows poor taste. And Final Fantasy 15 with all its DLCs is also very undeserved to be on one of the last places FF15 was for sure one of the best modern Final Fantasy games its Romeo and Juliet like story was actually quite good and it also had a lot of exploration with a world map and towns that most other modern Final Fantasy games lack and don't offer its only real problem was how scattered Square Enix released this game they should have released FF15 as one complete finished game. So most players never even experienced FF15 in its finished/final shape how this game was supposed to be. Also having FF10 on the last places is also very bad taste.
If there's one thing FF fans can agree on, it's that there is no agreement whatsover on ranking the games and doing so never fails to end in people yelling
David, I think you're missing two games. You said all the mainline games but you left out FFXI and FFXIV. Now we all know why you did, but I just wanted to be a smartass so in fairness here's a review of both just to help out lol. FFXI - Square's first attempt at the MMORPG genre was a success but not without it's growing pains. Whether it was the lack of any PVP, some of the hilarious levels of grinding needed for certain weapons and items, to the insanity of fights like the Pandemonium Warden and Absolute Virtue, Square definitely jumped in with both feet and took their lumps as they learned on the fly. However, the numbers didn't lie, and for all the missteps many people still view this as one of their favorite MMORPG, I'd put it just below the top tier. FFXIV - Now this one is more tricky, because it really comes down to are you rating the original FFXIV or are we talking ARR? (A Realm Reborn). The original FFXIV launch was to put it bluntly a complete and utter shit show. Square was still in their FFX period of focusing on graphics over gameplay and as such the launch of FFXIV was tremendously terrible and the game looked doomed for the trash bin as a cataclysmic failure. But then Yoshi P decided to not only Canonically destroy the original world of FFXIV and build a new game from scratch, he applied the failures and lessons learned to create what is considered maybe the best MMORPG on the market today, even eclipsing that "other" MMORPG we won't name. ARR's saving of the FFXIV has only continued with truly excellent expansions including Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker, with no signs of slowing down. We've even seen high ranking players from that "other" MMORPG playing FFXIV on streams which stands as a testament to how fun and polished the game now is. While still having an interesting dilemma when it comes to allowing addons, Yoshi P has guided the ship masterfully. FFXIV's original launch is down there with FF8, while ARR and the expansions should likely be top tier.
Ff14 is polarizing. People who love it swear by it but...clicking abilities on a hotbar is just completely boring for some. Ff14 is also more world of warcraft than final fantasy. Xi did a much better job of translating the classic turn based FF into a 3d open world game.
I'm playing final fantasy VI lately and I'm loving it, characters, soundtrack, very fun game. I played a lot of jrpgs in my life but never got into final fantasy games but this one got me.
I was playing it blindly (picked it randomly) because why not. Then I recognized that Sabin was the avatar on your channel so I was like "probably it's a great game "👍😃
Hearing 8 being low hurts every time. I'd like to point out, 8 is only broken if you know it inside and out, and it rewards you for that. I love that, it's difficult if you don't know it, but let's you get OP if you do know it well.
8 being that low is a tragic misstep In my opinion, the ONLY thing that FF8 did bad was the Draw system (and by extension the limited casting of those spells). It's AWFUL drawing magic repeatedly just to get 100 and then not being able to cast any of them since it means you have to draw again. Junctioning magic was/is a really cool design concept. The characters are great, cinematics are awesome, story is incredible. Literally nothing else about the game is bad BUT the draw system and if that alone puts it only above FF15 and FF2, then maybe I'm insane because 8 should be above FF10-2, ff13 lightning returns, and ff12 easily. Also, FFX getting flack for being the start of the FF downfall, but then games IN the downfall are toward the top?
It's not only an slog to get, but it can also be very broken. Just give Squall all his junctions spells, Ultimate Weapon in the first disc and everything else, than congratulations! You an god. There's no way you can't lose.
8 is good story good characters but battle system very boring for some people. have to keep draw magic. have to equip GFs. I often forgot to change GF when change characters. that 's very annoying. And I dont understand why you cant use items without GF. Except that it' s still great FF and should be in Top10.
@mozart9611 8' story and character aren't that good. They felt wasted and some come off as annoying or irrelevant. Not to mentioned the whole power & friendship concept was just stupid.
@@jaretco6423 In balamb Garden may boring. But the outside are not.There' s many excite and amazing missions and amazing places, cut scenes. So I play and feel in the story run. I can feel excite more than FF7,10. I said good not said great. It' s not that bad. And Characters are famous and wellknown by non-play FF people knew. The unique design, the deeper when story go further. I understand people who fear and dont like love story not like 8 cause I heard them too. But after I play. not feeling much about that. I 'm interest and keen on the excitement of doing the missions. Just previous mention. My problem just about battel system.
I must be kinda nuts. I liked 15 a lot. It had some huge problems, but I liked the dungeons, I liked the escalation of the story, and I couldn't help but feel moved by the tragedy and loyalty of their friendships at the end. The DLC did probably pull it back into being more good than bad for me. That backstory added a lot to it. I still need to finish the book to really finish it....
FFIX is perfect (to me). It’s the only FF I replay all the way through every time. The emotional highs and lows, the pacing, the more whimsical art direction, the campy characters, Vivi 🥺. It’s the best iteration of FF that there is. I’m open to arguments for VII, but IX is my all time fave.
I think you might enjoy some parts of FFXIV, even as kind of a single-player experience to see the easter eggs and stuff. That game is effectively a celebration of everything in the franchise and does eventually stabilize itself with a very heartfelt story.
I’m so happy to see 5 at number one, it’s got my favorite battle system by far, endless replay ability. While the story isn’t the best I think it just has such a unique silly charm. Love the list
As someone who started with FF IV and played all games on a ton, I never played FF I. That is until I got the Pixel Remasters last year. I can say (as a first time player) that you’re completely right. It held up surprisingly well. I thought it would be a little slog - it wasn’t. Also, any list that has FF X-2 and XIII-2 above their predecessors is a list after my own heart.
Yeah I mean 5 is my personal favorite but even I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best FF when honestly there's so many contenders for best FF within the fandom like 6, 7, 9 and 10 and such for different generations of fans so I personally wouldn't break sweat about what is "Objectively" the "best" FF when me personally I'd rather use the term favorite in these discusssions
It's way too hard for me to say because I think FF4-FF12 is the greatest run of games EVER, of any series, and it tends to fluctuate around. I know the NES games would easily be at the bottom for me, I just don't think NES games in general hold up well. And yes, i'm old and grew up with NES but I don't believe in sacred cows and that's my opinion.
I'll always love FF4 and FF6, cause honestly, they were the first FF games I've played. More importantly enough, with another game, helped me to become a player of RPGs. I'd always preferred 4 over 6, cause I always loved replaying it over and over again.
Wow, soooo cool to see FF5 finally get some love. I always feel like it's the most forgotten title amongst fans. I love 5 so much, for me this is the best FF before the series came to Playstation. Though my personal ranking is totally different, I can understand every single argument about why you don't like a game. So great list. 😊
How is V forgotten when it has constant callbacks in other games whether they be music, cameos, and altogether many fond callbacks. I think people just forget this series has dozens of games, and the mainline titles have splits that sometimes span generations at this point. People might just not have played it and that's all if you're not seeing it in the general conversation.
My first final fantasy game was Final Fantasy Tactics on ps1. I didn't understand it. I thought the music was captivating. But it wasn't until 7th grade when I got into it again, I loved the story and characters. Which leads me to one of my favorite mainline Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy 12. I love how both Tactics and 12 are made by the same people and follow in the (while very loosly) same world, Ivalice.
I love this guy! This video is quite good. Your commentary about each game had me laughing pretty hard. You gained a sub from me. I stopped playing FF after 10. I just can't get along with the series it stopped being turn based. My first FF was IV and then VI. Vi is my absolute favorite, but I respect your list because most of the top spots went to the Classic FF games. Being just a few years older than you I can understand why you placed everything where you did. Even though this was a ranking of the mainline FF games, I was expecting your number 1 to be FF tactics. That game is like a wet dream for people who love the job system.
I’m so happy for the ranking for 13-2, it’s one of my favorites ! The monster hunting mechanic, refined gameplay over 13, the OST. It’s underrated for sure.
@@RoxasOrganizationXIIIthe first half of 13 was linear with a couple branching paths but the other half it opens up and has side quests while 13-2 is pretty open from the start. Both great games imo with 13-2 being better
I've been trying to get my fiancée to play a ff for years. She loves kings glaive movie, so she was like "I want to play XV!" No you don't. Well not first so as to get discouraged at least.
While I fundamentally disagree with your ranking, I appreciate your views. It also shows that anyone who enjoys RPGs is going to find a Final Fantasy game they like.
Great video was a lot of fun to watch. It's interesting how everyone has different favorite Final Fantasies. I just played and beat 13 and really loved it. I am not sure why but the story really resonated with me and I loved the characters and voice acting. I was surprised how in depth the battle system gets later in the game. I really need to play 5 now after hearing you talk about it.
I think FF13 is great. My gripe is not the hallways, not all the new vocabulary, but it takes so long to get a full party for good and to be able to really play indepth with the paradigm system. That, and the last boss having a RNG insta death made me have to retry a handful of times
good video but i can not agree with you. FF8 is the best one of the lot. it was just the coolest one, you could break characters, OP them too early, not have to grind levels, best card system of all of them. monster leveling system was original, you could level monsters up and down to your liking. The only grinding was drawing magic but after a second play through you knew not to draw everything. you could card mod to get spellls early to OP your party if you wanted or make the game extra hard by levelling up certain characters early to make the game harder. the only downfall was the limited magic list you could have and being unable to drop magic you didnt need anymore so you would have to grind out using weaker spells to make space for stronger spells. but i will agree the story had too many plotholes. but the junction system is still my favourite system, well maybe second to materia but materia was too grindy as well. and losing aeris after putting in so much work on her was heartbreaking. i would put FF8 in the top 3-5. FF7 definately number 1, FF6 was up there and FF10 was massive even though it was linear and i think FF10 had the best optional bosses of them all. after FF10 things just turned into automatic systems or bashing X and action based. It should have stayed turn based but children did not have the patience for using stratergy....
FF VII, X, and VI are my favorites, along with being some of my favorite games of all time. All three have such heartfelt, meaningful stories that I really connect as they relate to experiences I've had for myself. I could go on and on about why all three are so good, their messages, their worldbuilding, their personality, they're just amazing experiences in my opinion
Different Final Fantasy games excel at different things, but each game is good in their own way. When I did my massive 10.5hr video essay series on the games (inspired partially by your channel), I wanted to dive into what each game did well and what things I ended up valuing in the series. As it turns out, you and I don't actually share similar values in our rpgs, in that you care a lot more about gameplay and exploration, and I pretty much don't care and am more of a story simp. So, V and I end up ranking much lower for me in comparison to games like XV and XIII, which I tended to rank higher. It's great how everyone has their own version of the series they prefer, but I will admit to my jaw dropping a little when I realized V was gonna be #1. But hey, a lot of the Devs and even Ray Chase cite that one as their fave. Definitely not mine but I'm glad you dig it.
Ff6 will always be my favorite! You had some shocking placements to me as we got higher and higher but what I appreciated is your detailed reasoning. I agreed with every point you made for every game in your top 5! Another great video!
After so many years of playing final fantasy series, my fav mainline are FF9, FF7, FF6 and FF5 but the most favorite out of everything is FFT which I still come back and play nowadays. I played it on the PS1 and then on the PSP and I play it on my mobile now.
Agreeable on a lot of these actually. To me, FF16 just doesnt feel like a FF, it feels more like Devil May Cry with a FF coat of paint and mmo elements thrown in, not to say its a terrible by any stretch, just not on my list whatsoever. I can appreciate the later games since you know what they were going for but it just didnt pan out all the way. FFX was fun but only for a certain extent and you burn out quickly doing the side quests since they were designed to be difficult and take a long time, FF12 seemed to have brought mechanics from the FF11 mmo including drop chances and grind time but still fun. FF9 on the other hand is my all time favorite, people in the past discounted it for their weird looking character designs and art style but honestly that just adds to its charm and not much i can say bad about it, characters are enjoyable, battles scaled well, grinding is quite minimal except for a few things *cough dragon farming and frog hunting cough*, if i was to pick one thing mid about it then that would be the card game, FF8 just did it better. FF4 is the first FF i ever played from the mainline games and i did beat it when i like 7 years old so needless to say it had enough impact to keep me wanting to play rpgs. FF6 to me was fun, i just wasn't a fan of the apocalyptic world, i see what they were going for, but i did like half of the things before i got bored and went to go fight Kefka, it was just too much for me.
The best part about your rank lists is hearing your reasonings, and especially how they changed over time. I kept expecting Tactics and Tactics Advance on the list, but I see it's for numbered games only. I always see them included in the mainline games even if they're not numbered. Curious where those two would have fallen if you had included them. (For those complaining about no XI or XIV, he did say 'offline'! It's not like you can rank MMOs along with single player RPGs.)
My favorite Final Fantasy game is definitely 9. It was the first Final Fantasy game I was able to get a grip on in terms of the battle system, because I was a little kid when I tried playing the others, and they were too difficult for me. LOL The overall setting is charming, and the story is heartwarming and tear jerky at points. It's just a good solid RPG.
I wasn't aware of this. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Shin Megami Tensei. The three rpg neighbor franchises, came out in an era with the likes of Batman The Dark Knight Returns, Saga of the Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison, Miracleman, X-Men The Dark Phoenix Saga and God Loves, Man Kills, Sqaudron Supreme, Animal Man, Batman The Killing Joke, and Watchmen. These comics stories wanted to experiment and reinvent the wheel to the comic book industry. Much like how The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen made the term as Graphic Novels. The rpg genre wanted to also reinvent the wheel and be experimental to while honoring the rpgs of its past, both western and japanese ones alike. Rpgs like the latter two, Shin Megami Tensei and Final Fantasy. Proves that rpgs are not just seen as nerd or kid stuff anymore. It is now a genre that deals with philosophy, religion, and the psychological aspects of these stories.
The RPG Video Game Genre. A Case of Study. To me, Square Enix characters such as Final Fantasy, Valkyrie Profile, Kingdom Hearts, and many more rpgs. Are powerful in their own right. They aren't Immortal. They're meant to be depicted as magic beings, in realistic yet fictional worlds. What would the people react to their powers and abilities? How it can affect the world that has these powerful, super beings around? There is a lot of exposition, substance, and philosophical views of these video game series. In the 90's, comics were starting to become dark, edgy, and extreme. The video game genre. Especially the rpg genre. Refused to follow the trends of 90's comics that are known for. I call it "The Grimdark Age of Comics". Rpgs, are meant to have substance and philosophical views throughout the stories of these games. Not here extreme and edgy content. And trying to look cool for the sake of being dark. Rpgs had been philosophical ever since these ideas can traced back to era of 70's comics. Known as the "Bronze Age of Comics".
I know why Gilgamesh, the series staples like Chocobos, Bahumut, Odin, Shiva and many more mythology characters appear. Including the the name equipment, and character personalities are familiar alike in every game in the Final Fantasy series. Like Shin Megami Tensei. The multiverse is a thing. I pointed out, that the casts of characters are actually a form of reincarnation. Reincarnation is an important staple in rpgs and other media such as fantasy novels. The world of Final Fantasy and the cast of characters. Have been a part of reincarnation and legacy this whole time. From passing the torch from generation to generation. That is my theory here.
FF10 is my favorite, if I had to pick a pixel favorite though, it is for sure 5 all the way. Thanks for the list love seeing how different everyone's favorite FF games are.
Such a very different list than I was expecting. I can respect anyones opinions, but some of these are definitely quite interesting. I do have to say I finally beat final fantasy 5 about a month ago when I finally forced myself to get it completed from the pixel remaster, while a good final fantasy probably would be in top 10 probably but barely. I don't think any game will ever replace 6 at the top of my final fantasy list as even to this day it's my favorite and probably the one i've beat the most out of them all, but right now my top 5 is probably something like 6, 12, 4, 10, 9. I don't think i'll ever be able to complete final fantasy 2 as I just don't like the system lol.
I LOVE the story of X. Yes the battle system was a slog, Inhope the add an exp. Share in the future remake. But man is the story amazing, the characters layered and the world just so beautifully!! And it had my favourite soundtrack before even playing it, so that helps!
Been playing FFIV DS lately and what I came to appreciate about it is that the game overall is streamline while also feeling like it has nuances that you can appreciate over time. I'm surprised at how somewhat fast paced the game could be with the pacing (which can somewhat make the story feel a bit too fast to me but still good) and when compared to my time with FFXVI so far, I find it to be refreshing because the moment to moment gameplay and story makes the game feel like I am actually on an adventure with these characters. I like the Augment system in the DS game version so far (even tho it should've been hinted at better in the game itself) because it rewards you for making temporary party members stronger. Though I feel like it could've been expanded into making those Augment rewards actually more emphasized through more actual sidequests or events from giving those characters augments. Like maybe more flavorful events on those characters if you give them Augments to balance the fast paced linear storytelling of the game.
I genuinely didn't expect Final Fantasy V to be at the top of your list, but it makes me incredibly happy. I feel like I always get strange looks from people when I tell them that Final Fantasy V Advance is my favorite game in the whole series.
@@Chernobog2I wouldn't say poor taste as it is a pretty good game and it's their opinion. However, I think a lot put it at the top because they started with it and look at it with rose tinted glasses but I guess that can be said about any of them in some ways.
Of what I’ve played, in order: 12, 7, 13, 10, 1, 3, 4, 2, 8 The massive world and real-time battling of XII blew my mind as a kid, but the story starts off strong for a few hours then TANKS 😔 If they would have nailed the story it would top everything imo
I also liked Final Fantasy IV better than Final Fantasy VI when I was growing up, but I think that's because I found the World of Ruin to be a little too depressing for a setting where so much of the game took place at the time. Final Fantasy IV certainly had it's dark moments, but seeing the whole world basically get treated like the Village of Mist felt like a bit much. By the time Final Fantasy VII came along and started in the downtrodden Midgar, I felt more ready for it and didn't mind so much.
I love your ranking! I thought I was the only person who preferred FF5 over 6. I just wonder what it would have been like to have gotten 5 when originally came out. I remember how excited I was when I "found" this gem in the late 90's via emulation and fan translation.
I really think FF 12 is very underrated. I do agree that 16 fell short and that 13 it's in "my opinion" a worst gameplay version of FF 12. A very interesting video! ❤
@@bioboost12 Yeah the story was decent and had some interesting moments but the characters are absolutely the weak point of FF 12 specially the main character. The world, the gameplay and the story were overall solid, hence why yi liked 12 overall.
The fact that you have Final fantasy 10 at 11 is just a slap in the face. One of the most groundbreaking Final fantasy games. Introduction of voice acting, amazing graphics for its time, a soundtrack that would kick the ass of most of the games on this list, and a story that was timeless. If you can excuse the main character, the rest of the cast is memorable.
It’s all about preference and opinion. I respect your opinion David but I totally disagree my list is completely different than yours for the most part. I’ve played and beaten most of the Final Fantasy games without getting to lengthy I’ll list my top 5 favorite FF games. 1.) FF14 2.) FF16 3.) FF7 4.) FF12 5.) FF9 I haven’t beat/played 6, tactics, 13 series, 10-2 and 11 so I can’t speak on those games.
Honestly have to say FF9 is my favourite. Beaten it 4 or 5 times so far. Has my favourite cast of characters. Zidane's my personal favourite Final Fantasy protagonist, Kuja is one of my favourite video game villains, great game play, love the music and story. A lot of the side quests weren't my favourites and getting trance is battles that I didn't want get trance in were a couple flaws I had with the game but every game has its flaws
Lightning is a fan favorite character especially in Japan, she always tops favorite character polls or makes top ten. I wish you had mentioned that instead of making it seem like she's just hated. FF13 isn't in my top 3 but I absolutely enjoyed my time with it. It has highly fun and engaging gameplay, amazing soundtracks, and innovated the stagger system that is now used in FF7 remake and many other RPGs like Octopath Traveler and even the new Star Ocean 2 remake has something similar to it (break enemies to stun them and deal massive damage to them). I will always remember how much I enjoyed playing FF13, and I will not be gaslit into believing it's a bad game when it was highly successful and has an 83/100 on metacritic, which is not bad at all. It's not a top 3 FF, but it's a good game nonetheless.
Wow, someone who puts FF5 at the top of their list. Cool. I can respect that. FF6 may be my favorite, but I get what you're saying about FF5, it's my #2 on my own list. FF5 is what I would call Square's biggest mistake for not sending it over seas sooner in an official release than they did. It's a truly epic game that still holds up today!
We have had similar experiences. I started with "II" (IV) when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade when I rented it out from a local video store. After renting it enough to have bought it twice over, I beat it! Later that year, I went to my uncle's house and saw he had the first game on NES, which I borrowed and played to death (and... maybe deleted his file by accident...). I was not a fan of VI for a long time because it just didn't appeal to me. But I jumped ship on Nintendo in 1997 when VII came out on the PS1. I'm curious - how would you rank VIIR on this list? I would love to see that, Crisis Core, FFIV the After Years, and Tactics ranked. Tactics we can argue is part of the VII universe since Cloud and Aerith both appear in it. ;)
I've been playing through FF8 recently and at first I thought it was trash, but then I finally learned how the junction system is supposed to work and I've been enjoying it. I think it's biggest problem is that it does a poor job of explaining it's mechanics and it's so different from not only FF games, but also traditional rpgs in general so you have to go into it with a different mindeset in order to master it. Once I learned to grind Triple Triad instead of battles everything began to click. That being said I can see how you would put it low on the list because even if you understand it doesn't mean you enjoy hell the game is still giving me headaches from time to time when messing with the junction system. 😂
I liked your FF rankings. Everyone is different and I love hearing why their ranking is the way it is. My ranking has changed as well. I used to have FFV in the middle. But after replaying the game in Pixel Remaster, FFV has moved up higher in my rank. In fact, you doing a category ranking, by grouping these games together, is a better method. Thank you for the video, this was fun.
Interesting to see your list. I find it interesting your complaint about 6 when the esper system is the job class system in 5 where you can specialize your party or make them all the same. As you said, maybe its a little too abstract for you, but they serve the same purpose. My list from best to worst that I have played, 6, 4, 7, 9, 16, 10, 5, 13, 1, 3, 2, 15 and 8. Keep up the great work.
I always love watching people rank the mainline final fantasy games because everyone seems to have their own list! I'm still making my way through the mainline series. My personal ranking so far is IX > VII > VIII > I > X > XIII > XV > XII > XIV > XI. I didn't think I'd see another list where someone puts the first final fantasy over games like X. In most lists I always see it towards the bottom. I only played the pixel remaster for the first game earlier this year and I thought its simplicity made it very enjoyable. I was glad that it didn't overstay its welcome and given how short it is, I'd be open to replaying it in the future.
@@Lightmetal.I haven't played 2, 3, 5, 6 or 16 yet but I have all the pixel remasters ready to go! (Currently going through 4.) I'm pretty excited to get to 2 and form my own opinion when I get the chance!
@@Lightmetal. I feel 2 is in a bad place that its design was very oldschool. So it didnt age well. If you played it around the time it came out the nostalgia of it carrys on but its abysmal to go back and play without it.
Final Fantasy 2 makes me interested in the Saga games. I’ve yet to play a Saga game, because the price is too high and I’m too lazy to patch English and emulate right now and I have to study IT. I did most of my emulation on a shitty Windows 7 Starter Netbook and Windows Vista laptop, back in college and some probably Core 2 Duo Family PC or worse pentium, no Idea I was and still am poor.
I have absolutely no clue how VIII could rank lower than X, XII or XIII, but that just shows how taste is different. But hey: At least FFX is on the lower hand. For me it just would rank even lower
My list would be wildly different, and have hard differing opinions to yours in many cases, but I'm pretty sure its because I prioritize story first, and I get the impression you prioritize gameplay/strategy
I can't agree with the list, but I can absolutely respect it... and at the end of the day I would rather have a list that challenges my thoughts on my list, vs just tells me what I already thought. Great video and it's so uniquely you, I loved it... but if we ever meet I promise to raise your opinion on FF3j by atleast 3 spots XD (jk, but it is my favourite and one of my earliest RPGs so I'm biased, lol)
Dude the takedowns of some games were epic! As for me, my personal favorite is IV! Would you rank the better versions of that game higher, or would it still remain at the same spot of your list?
Glad to see the X-2 love, it was my first ever Final Fantasy game and I didn't have a clue what the hell was going on but it sure was fun! Still one of the best battle systems in the series.
I remember the base story of the game, but the part that haunts me to this day is just how many mini games there were. And if you wanted to get the best ending, you had to do almost ALL of them. I go back and complete other games, but X-2 is one that I will probably just be satisfied with having crushed it and never come back.
I think final fantasy 4 should be higher on the list than 6. Not sure what the issue with Tellah is. I loved final fantasy 4. Final Fantasy 6 suffers from what you don't like about romancing saga in the second half of the game. It has better story but it is not linear. It also is obtuse and tedious in parts. It was a big disappointment to be honest. FF 6 was fun before the second half then it became a chore. I stopped having fun and abandoned it after a while playing the second half. Would i like FF 5 considering what I'm saying? I am skipping over it for now.
So Final Fantasy IV: The After Years and Final Fantasy 7 Remake don't qualify as mainline but X-2 does... Not bothered by that decision, just wondering what the justification was.
Agreed! TAY should of definitely be ranked if X-2 gets ranked, as it is a sequel. He probably didn't rank remake since the new ff7 entire story is not complete.
12 is one of my favs but i dont blame you for rating it lower 😂 i also agree on your stance of 4 vs 6 i still love four so much for its nostalgia of when i played it but 6 has grown on me more over the years. 7 ofcourse is great im not much of a fan of its remake. And well 5... I uh should maybe play that one of these days... 😅
Always worth hearing you views! How do you reconcile your ranking of XVI here with your comments previously about how it is amongst the 5-6 best in the series? Is it just a case of morning-after regret after the hype died down?
I’ll always be biased towards 4…it was my first FF when I was a kid and I fell in love with it. Have you played the DS/iOS remake? I thought it was extremely well done, and the voice acting was pretty decent.
I actually agree with this list almost entirely. I don't have much room to talk for XV or XVI, though. You have no idea how happy I was to see X so high and X- 2 so low on your list. IX Top 3? How do I resubscribe to your channel again?
I really like 9, but I think the way you gain abilities is just inferior to the Materia system from 7. Trance is also not as good as Limit breaks or Overdrives in my opinion. I put 10 a lot higher in my list because the party swapping doesn't bother me. I usually just pick the 3 or 4 I like and only use them for the whole run. Maybe this playthrough I want to do girls only, or boys only, or keeping yuna as low level as possible to make the final boss easier, or only using the people who can swim. It gives 10 a lot of replayability for me combined with the sphere grid.
I love X-2 and i don't agree that the plot is stupid. I also quite like Lightning as a lead but i still need to finish that trilogy 😅 15 was ok but was missing quite a bit. Although despite that, i'm alwaya able to find bits i love out of all the games.😊 😊😊
I remember playing 4, 6 , 7, 9 ,10 straight through until I beat them. (Best FFs) How long does it take to get into 12? It name drops so many people and places, I don't know what is going on.
Great list, David! Good for you for not conforming to the usual rankings. XIII-2 always got so much hate and I never understood it. I thought the game was fantastic. The Chocobo theme absolutely slaps! My rankings would be as follows: Worst--->II, XVI, XIII, III, I, XV, IV, XII, XIII-2, VIII, V, VI, IX, VII, X
Wow what an interesting list. It warms my heart to see 5 at the top. Its also my favorite, but it hurts to see 8 so low. I have always connected 8 with 5 along these lines, the GFs are basically the various jobs you would get in 5. They all seem to have one or two unique skils (like devaour or treatment) that seem like the abilities you would get with the different jobs in 5. 8 is maybe a flawed answer to the question what if we let the characters stack multiple jobs on top of each other. I am not saying you should love the game or anything but you might get more enjoyment out of it if you think of it in those terms. Or maybe not, either way is ok. :)
Curious as to why you included the sequels for X and XIII, but not IV After Years. Granted, I don’t think of any of the sequels as main line games, just like I don’t consider Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, Type-0, or Strangers of Paradise main line games either. Completely agree with X-2’s job system, though. The way they integrated it into the battle system was great, even if they went full magical girl on it. I’d probably rank XII higher, but that would be because I love Ivalice as a setting. I probably would’ve put VI at the top spot. I actually to my shame have never finished V. If you included XI and XIV, where would you have ranked them?
Love the ranking video! Im still super early in 16 so unsure where I would place it. My #1 is 4, but its been a few years. Hopefully I get to play its pixel remaster before the years end.
This is the most mad ranking of final fantasy games I’ve ever seen, but I’m not even mad. Can’t believe I finally found a list that doesn’t have 6,7 or 10 at the top
Amazing video david! Kinda funny to me all the sequels except 4-2 made it on here 😭😭 but otherwise this is perfection lol. I don't agree with your list at all, but still loved the video.
@@davidvinc I'd have a version of this video out too if my parents let me play 16... I've been waiting for you to make this video forever so it was the first thing I did after b school lolol
My top ff are 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10. The order has varied so much durante my life that i don't try to order them anymore. I have never played anyhing beyond 12 (which is my bottom), but i played all the others and i agree with 10-2 battle system being extremly fun and most of the things you said about the others
Woof, this list is quite different from the last time. I mostly agree, I'd swap #2 for #1. But you could cut XV some slack at least. It did give the series the slight boon it needed after the XIII trilogy.
Just catching up! I love FF, after 9 I have kept hoping for the same magic and have been let down time and time again excluding 14 which I absolutely love and continue to play to this day. I even have a house and decorated it in a haunted house theme =). I like that you can be a red mage as well. For me, my top three will always be: 1. FF4 - give me Kain any day of the week; also, this game has in my opinion the best FF line ever - “spoony bard” 2. FF6 - Edgar my man! His story breaks my heart 3. FF9 - Vivi - cutest little guy ever I am one of the odd men out. I never liked 7, and actually have never finished it Great review
This was a very well thought take on a ranking list while i may not agree with all of it its ur own opinion with ur feelings about them an i can respect that 😊
I played the ff from the 4 to the 10-2. I must confess that when I saw ff13 at its launch I was like wtf. Square Enix completely lost me and I didn’t play any of the following ff except for crisis core on the psp.
hi i want to ask, what game shoudl i play as a first game, i didnt play any of final fantasy before and i got some good prices for them and wanted to know which game is best and i can get as my first (maybe even from some newer ones )
Hey David, I’m watching this video cause it’s great, and I’m sure it have a huge list of lists you want to make videos of. Could I suggest you eventually rank the dresspheres in ffx-2? I tried to find a decent video if it before, and I couldn’t, and since you also enjoy the silly fun of that game I thought I would throw the request here.
I definitely agree that 5 has so much replayability. It's nowhere near my favourite story, but I play it often because it's just so fun to mess with the Jobs. If I had to rank, I'd probably go: 1. 6 2. 4 3. 7 4. 12 5. 1 6. 16 7. 8 8. 5 9. 10 10. 9 11. 3 12. 2 13. 15 14. 13 15. 14 16. 10-2 17. 11 I haven't played 13-2 or 3, and honestly haven't played much of 11 and 14, but I'm enjoying 14. The only thing I like about 10-2 is the combat. I found 11 super frustrating.
This video has convinced me that I really need to give 13-2 another playthrough. I ended up beating it on my first and only playthrough, but never went back to it. I think it deserves a replay.
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Oh man David sorry to have to tell you but you really have zero taste absolutely zero taste when it comes to Final Fantasy. Putting one of the greatest Final Fantasy games ever Final Fantasy 8 on one of the last places is just blasphemous and it really shows poor taste. And Final Fantasy 15 with all its DLCs is also very undeserved to be on one of the last places FF15 was for sure one of the best modern Final Fantasy games its Romeo and Juliet like story was actually quite good and it also had a lot of exploration with a world map and towns that most other modern Final Fantasy games lack and don't offer its only real problem was how scattered Square Enix released this game they should have released FF15 as one complete finished game. So most players never even experienced FF15 in its finished/final shape how this game was supposed to be. Also having FF10 on the last places is also very bad taste.
be quiet
If there's one thing FF fans can agree on, it's that there is no agreement whatsover on ranking the games and doing so never fails to end in people yelling
@@-TriP- my best is FFXII (PS2) yikes, I know lol
This is one of the reasons I love this series
David, I think you're missing two games. You said all the mainline games but you left out FFXI and FFXIV. Now we all know why you did, but I just wanted to be a smartass so in fairness here's a review of both just to help out lol.
FFXI - Square's first attempt at the MMORPG genre was a success but not without it's growing pains. Whether it was the lack of any PVP, some of the hilarious levels of grinding needed for certain weapons and items, to the insanity of fights like the Pandemonium Warden and Absolute Virtue, Square definitely jumped in with both feet and took their lumps as they learned on the fly. However, the numbers didn't lie, and for all the missteps many people still view this as one of their favorite MMORPG, I'd put it just below the top tier.
FFXIV - Now this one is more tricky, because it really comes down to are you rating the original FFXIV or are we talking ARR? (A Realm Reborn). The original FFXIV launch was to put it bluntly a complete and utter shit show. Square was still in their FFX period of focusing on graphics over gameplay and as such the launch of FFXIV was tremendously terrible and the game looked doomed for the trash bin as a cataclysmic failure. But then Yoshi P decided to not only Canonically destroy the original world of FFXIV and build a new game from scratch, he applied the failures and lessons learned to create what is considered maybe the best MMORPG on the market today, even eclipsing that "other" MMORPG we won't name. ARR's saving of the FFXIV has only continued with truly excellent expansions including Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker, with no signs of slowing down. We've even seen high ranking players from that "other" MMORPG playing FFXIV on streams which stands as a testament to how fun and polished the game now is. While still having an interesting dilemma when it comes to allowing addons, Yoshi P has guided the ship masterfully. FFXIV's original launch is down there with FF8, while ARR and the expansions should likely be top tier.
I love this comment!! Great job with the explanations!
Ff14 is polarizing. People who love it swear by it but...clicking abilities on a hotbar is just completely boring for some. Ff14 is also more world of warcraft than final fantasy. Xi did a much better job of translating the classic turn based FF into a 3d open world game.
I'm playing final fantasy VI lately and I'm loving it, characters, soundtrack, very fun game. I played a lot of jrpgs in my life but never got into final fantasy games but this one got me.
I was playing it blindly (picked it randomly) because why not. Then I recognized that Sabin was the avatar on your channel so I was like "probably it's a great game "👍😃
Glad to see final fantasy 5 getting the recognition it deserves
Hearing 8 being low hurts every time. I'd like to point out, 8 is only broken if you know it inside and out, and it rewards you for that. I love that, it's difficult if you don't know it, but let's you get OP if you do know it well.
8 being that low is a tragic misstep
In my opinion, the ONLY thing that FF8 did bad was the Draw system (and by extension the limited casting of those spells). It's AWFUL drawing magic repeatedly just to get 100 and then not being able to cast any of them since it means you have to draw again.
Junctioning magic was/is a really cool design concept. The characters are great, cinematics are awesome, story is incredible.
Literally nothing else about the game is bad BUT the draw system and if that alone puts it only above FF15 and FF2, then maybe I'm insane because 8 should be above FF10-2, ff13 lightning returns, and ff12 easily. Also, FFX getting flack for being the start of the FF downfall, but then games IN the downfall are toward the top?
It's not only an slog to get, but it can also be very broken. Just give Squall all his junctions spells, Ultimate Weapon in the first disc and everything else, than congratulations! You an god. There's no way you can't lose.
8 is good story good characters but battle system very boring for some people. have to keep draw magic. have to equip GFs. I often forgot to change GF when change characters. that 's very annoying. And I dont understand why you cant use items without GF. Except that it' s still great FF and should be in Top10.
@mozart9611 8' story and character aren't that good. They felt wasted and some come off as annoying or irrelevant. Not to mentioned the whole power & friendship concept was just stupid.
@@jaretco6423 In balamb Garden may boring. But the outside are not.There' s many excite and amazing missions and amazing places, cut scenes. So I play and feel in the story run. I can feel excite more than FF7,10. I said good not said great. It' s not that bad. And Characters are famous and wellknown by non-play FF people knew. The unique design, the deeper when story go further. I understand people who fear and dont like love story not like 8 cause I heard them too. But after I play. not feeling much about that. I 'm interest and keen on the excitement of doing the missions. Just previous mention. My problem just about battel system.
I must be kinda nuts. I liked 15 a lot. It had some huge problems, but I liked the dungeons, I liked the escalation of the story, and I couldn't help but feel moved by the tragedy and loyalty of their friendships at the end. The DLC did probably pull it back into being more good than bad for me. That backstory added a lot to it. I still need to finish the book to really finish it....
FFIX is perfect (to me). It’s the only FF I replay all the way through every time. The emotional highs and lows, the pacing, the more whimsical art direction, the campy characters, Vivi 🥺. It’s the best iteration of FF that there is. I’m open to arguments for VII, but IX is my all time fave.
Vivi is the best FF character!
I think you might enjoy some parts of FFXIV, even as kind of a single-player experience to see the easter eggs and stuff. That game is effectively a celebration of everything in the franchise and does eventually stabilize itself with a very heartfelt story.
I’m so happy to see 5 at number one, it’s got my favorite battle system by far, endless replay ability. While the story isn’t the best I think it just has such a unique silly charm. Love the list
I find that arguable...justifiable but arguable. I think 6 just had a better story and better characters.
@@npaladin2000 VI is far superior to V, as is X, VII, IX, and even IV.
As someone who started with FF IV and played all games on a ton, I never played FF I. That is until I got the Pixel Remasters last year. I can say (as a first time player) that you’re completely right. It held up surprisingly well. I thought it would be a little slog - it wasn’t.
Also, any list that has FF X-2 and XIII-2 above their predecessors is a list after my own heart.
Yeah I mean 5 is my personal favorite but even I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best FF when honestly there's so many contenders for best FF within the fandom like 6, 7, 9 and 10 and such for different generations of fans so I personally wouldn't break sweat about what is "Objectively" the "best" FF when me personally I'd rather use the term favorite in these discusssions
My 3 favorites are 6, X, and 8. I feel like they all hit a really good balance of fun gameplay and good story for me.
Those are mine, too. In same order. I love 4, 11, 12, and 14 too.
8 is my fav. Everyone digs their own thing.
My exact top 3!!!!
@@rpgranked same but x is 4 and 7 is 3
It's way too hard for me to say because I think FF4-FF12 is the greatest run of games EVER, of any series, and it tends to fluctuate around. I know the NES games would easily be at the bottom for me, I just don't think NES games in general hold up well. And yes, i'm old and grew up with NES but I don't believe in sacred cows and that's my opinion.
I'll always love FF4 and FF6, cause honestly, they were the first FF games I've played. More importantly enough, with another game, helped me to become a player of RPGs. I'd always preferred 4 over 6, cause I always loved replaying it over and over again.
Wow, soooo cool to see FF5 finally get some love. I always feel like it's the most forgotten title amongst fans. I love 5 so much, for me this is the best FF before the series came to Playstation.
Though my personal ranking is totally different, I can understand every single argument about why you don't like a game. So great list. 😊
Really? From what I've seen 5 gets a *ton* of love from fans of the more classic entries.
How is V forgotten when it has constant callbacks in other games whether they be music, cameos, and altogether many fond callbacks. I think people just forget this series has dozens of games, and the mainline titles have splits that sometimes span generations at this point. People might just not have played it and that's all if you're not seeing it in the general conversation.
as the years go by, people start to realize the beauty of FFV and how it's easily one of the best FF games. gotta love to see it
My first final fantasy game was Final Fantasy Tactics on ps1. I didn't understand it. I thought the music was captivating. But it wasn't until 7th grade when I got into it again, I loved the story and characters. Which leads me to one of my favorite mainline Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy 12. I love how both Tactics and 12 are made by the same people and follow in the (while very loosly) same world, Ivalice.
I dont agree with your entire list, obviously since its not mine, BUT.....THANK YOU for giving 10-2 some respect. That battle system *chefs kiss*
I love this guy! This video is quite good. Your commentary about each game had me laughing pretty hard. You gained a sub from me. I stopped playing FF after 10. I just can't get along with the series it stopped being turn based. My first FF was IV and then VI. Vi is my absolute favorite, but I respect your list because most of the top spots went to the Classic FF games. Being just a few years older than you I can understand why you placed everything where you did. Even though this was a ranking of the mainline FF games, I was expecting your number 1 to be FF tactics. That game is like a wet dream for people who love the job system.
I’m so happy for the ranking for 13-2, it’s one of my favorites !
The monster hunting mechanic, refined gameplay over 13, the OST.
It’s underrated for sure.
13-3 now 🤦♂️
I actually 100% the game and beat Yomi on double speed. I was obsessed with that game. Favorite music in the series for me.
is it xiii-2 way better than xiii? i feel like wanting to skip to xiii-2 since i heard original was pretty linear @@rabbyd542
@@RoxasOrganizationXIIIthe first half of 13 was linear with a couple branching paths but the other half it opens up and has side quests while 13-2 is pretty open from the start. Both great games imo with 13-2 being better
@@RoxasOrganizationXIIIyou cant skip the first chapter of a book....
That's awesome that FFV is your favorite. It's my 2nd favorite behind your 2nd favorite FFIX. So our 1st and 2nd favorite are reversed.
Good choice!
I've been trying to get my fiancée to play a ff for years. She loves kings glaive movie, so she was like "I want to play XV!" No you don't. Well not first so as to get discouraged at least.
While I fundamentally disagree with your ranking, I appreciate your views. It also shows that anyone who enjoys RPGs is going to find a Final Fantasy game they like.
Ayyy Final Fantasy 8 isn't last place anymore lolol
Seriously, i don't understand how you arent up to over 500k subs. Your channel is a breath of fresh air.
Great video was a lot of fun to watch. It's interesting how everyone has different favorite Final Fantasies. I just played and beat 13 and really loved it. I am not sure why but the story really resonated with me and I loved the characters and voice acting. I was surprised how in depth the battle system gets later in the game. I really need to play 5 now after hearing you talk about it.
I think FF13 is great. My gripe is not the hallways, not all the new vocabulary, but it takes so long to get a full party for good and to be able to really play indepth with the paradigm system. That, and the last boss having a RNG insta death made me have to retry a handful of times
Fascinating that you enjoyed 13. I guess it goes to show that the product was made for someone, just not the core audience of the series.
The visuals, music, and story were awesome!!
good video but i can not agree with you. FF8 is the best one of the lot. it was just the coolest one, you could break characters, OP them too early, not have to grind levels, best card system of all of them. monster leveling system was original, you could level monsters up and down to your liking. The only grinding was drawing magic but after a second play through you knew not to draw everything. you could card mod to get spellls early to OP your party if you wanted or make the game extra hard by levelling up certain characters early to make the game harder. the only downfall was the limited magic list you could have and being unable to drop magic you didnt need anymore so you would have to grind out using weaker spells to make space for stronger spells. but i will agree the story had too many plotholes. but the junction system is still my favourite system, well maybe second to materia but materia was too grindy as well. and losing aeris after putting in so much work on her was heartbreaking. i would put FF8 in the top 3-5. FF7 definately number 1, FF6 was up there and FF10 was massive even though it was linear and i think FF10 had the best optional bosses of them all. after FF10 things just turned into automatic systems or bashing X and action based. It should have stayed turn based but children did not have the patience for using stratergy....
FF VII, X, and VI are my favorites, along with being some of my favorite games of all time. All three have such heartfelt, meaningful stories that I really connect as they relate to experiences I've had for myself. I could go on and on about why all three are so good, their messages, their worldbuilding, their personality, they're just amazing experiences in my opinion
Different Final Fantasy games excel at different things, but each game is good in their own way. When I did my massive 10.5hr video essay series on the games (inspired partially by your channel), I wanted to dive into what each game did well and what things I ended up valuing in the series. As it turns out, you and I don't actually share similar values in our rpgs, in that you care a lot more about gameplay and exploration, and I pretty much don't care and am more of a story simp. So, V and I end up ranking much lower for me in comparison to games like XV and XIII, which I tended to rank higher. It's great how everyone has their own version of the series they prefer, but I will admit to my jaw dropping a little when I realized V was gonna be #1. But hey, a lot of the Devs and even Ray Chase cite that one as their fave. Definitely not mine but I'm glad you dig it.
Ff6 will always be my favorite!
You had some shocking placements to me as we got higher and higher but what I appreciated is your detailed reasoning. I agreed with every point you made for every game in your top 5! Another great video!
After so many years of playing final fantasy series, my fav mainline are FF9, FF7, FF6 and FF5 but the most favorite out of everything is FFT which I still come back and play nowadays. I played it on the PS1 and then on the PSP and I play it on my mobile now.
Agreeable on a lot of these actually. To me, FF16 just doesnt feel like a FF, it feels more like Devil May Cry with a FF coat of paint and mmo elements thrown in, not to say its a terrible by any stretch, just not on my list whatsoever. I can appreciate the later games since you know what they were going for but it just didnt pan out all the way.
FFX was fun but only for a certain extent and you burn out quickly doing the side quests since they were designed to be difficult and take a long time, FF12 seemed to have brought mechanics from the FF11 mmo including drop chances and grind time but still fun.
FF9 on the other hand is my all time favorite, people in the past discounted it for their weird looking character designs and art style but honestly that just adds to its charm and not much i can say bad about it, characters are enjoyable, battles scaled well, grinding is quite minimal except for a few things *cough dragon farming and frog hunting cough*, if i was to pick one thing mid about it then that would be the card game, FF8 just did it better.
FF4 is the first FF i ever played from the mainline games and i did beat it when i like 7 years old so needless to say it had enough impact to keep me wanting to play rpgs. FF6 to me was fun, i just wasn't a fan of the apocalyptic world, i see what they were going for, but i did like half of the things before i got bored and went to go fight Kefka, it was just too much for me.
The best part about your rank lists is hearing your reasonings, and especially how they changed over time.
I kept expecting Tactics and Tactics Advance on the list, but I see it's for numbered games only. I always see them included in the mainline games even if they're not numbered. Curious where those two would have fallen if you had included them.
(For those complaining about no XI or XIV, he did say 'offline'! It's not like you can rank MMOs along with single player RPGs.)
My favorite Final Fantasy game is definitely 9. It was the first Final Fantasy game I was able to get a grip on in terms of the battle system, because I was a little kid when I tried playing the others, and they were too difficult for me. LOL The overall setting is charming, and the story is heartwarming and tear jerky at points. It's just a good solid RPG.
Where would you place Tactics/ Tactics Advance?
All of the Final Fantasy games are amazing in their own right. Since the very beginning of this series.
I wasn't aware of this. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Shin Megami Tensei. The three rpg neighbor franchises, came out in an era with the likes of Batman The Dark Knight Returns, Saga of the Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison, Miracleman, X-Men The Dark Phoenix Saga and God Loves, Man Kills, Sqaudron Supreme, Animal Man, Batman The Killing Joke, and Watchmen. These comics stories wanted to experiment and reinvent the wheel to the comic book industry. Much like how The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen made the term as Graphic Novels. The rpg genre wanted to also reinvent the wheel and be experimental to while honoring the rpgs of its past, both western and japanese ones alike. Rpgs like the latter two, Shin Megami Tensei and Final Fantasy. Proves that rpgs are not just seen as nerd or kid stuff anymore. It is now a genre that deals with philosophy, religion, and the psychological aspects of these stories.
The RPG Video Game Genre. A Case of Study.
To me, Square Enix characters such as Final Fantasy, Valkyrie Profile, Kingdom Hearts, and many more rpgs. Are powerful in their own right. They aren't Immortal. They're meant to be depicted as magic beings, in realistic yet fictional worlds. What would the people react to their powers and abilities? How it can affect the world that has these powerful, super beings around? There is a lot of exposition, substance, and philosophical views of these video game series. In the 90's, comics were starting to become dark, edgy, and extreme. The video game genre. Especially the rpg genre. Refused to follow the trends of 90's comics that are known for. I call it "The Grimdark Age of Comics". Rpgs, are meant to have substance and philosophical views throughout the stories of these games. Not here extreme and edgy content. And trying to look cool for the sake of being dark. Rpgs had been philosophical ever since these ideas can traced back to era of 70's comics. Known as the "Bronze Age of Comics".
I know why Gilgamesh, the series staples like Chocobos, Bahumut, Odin, Shiva and many more mythology characters appear. Including the the name equipment, and character personalities are familiar alike in every game in the Final Fantasy series. Like Shin Megami Tensei. The multiverse is a thing. I pointed out, that the casts of characters are actually a form of reincarnation. Reincarnation is an important staple in rpgs and other media such as fantasy novels. The world of Final Fantasy and the cast of characters. Have been a part of reincarnation and legacy this whole time. From passing the torch from generation to generation. That is my theory here.
FF10 is my favorite, if I had to pick a pixel favorite though, it is for sure 5 all the way. Thanks for the list love seeing how different everyone's favorite FF games are.
Such a very different list than I was expecting. I can respect anyones opinions, but some of these are definitely quite interesting. I do have to say I finally beat final fantasy 5 about a month ago when I finally forced myself to get it completed from the pixel remaster, while a good final fantasy probably would be in top 10 probably but barely. I don't think any game will ever replace 6 at the top of my final fantasy list as even to this day it's my favorite and probably the one i've beat the most out of them all, but right now my top 5 is probably something like 6, 12, 4, 10, 9. I don't think i'll ever be able to complete final fantasy 2 as I just don't like the system lol.
I LOVE the story of X. Yes the battle system was a slog, Inhope the add an exp. Share in the future remake. But man is the story amazing, the characters layered and the world just so beautifully!!
And it had my favourite soundtrack before even playing it, so that helps!
Me at the start:”Please don’t put 2 dead last. Please don’t put 2 dead last….”
Him:”first up. Final Fantasy 2.”
Me:”Agh-…”
Been playing FFIV DS lately and what I came to appreciate about it is that the game overall is streamline while also feeling like it has nuances that you can appreciate over time. I'm surprised at how somewhat fast paced the game could be with the pacing (which can somewhat make the story feel a bit too fast to me but still good) and when compared to my time with FFXVI so far, I find it to be refreshing because the moment to moment gameplay and story makes the game feel like I am actually on an adventure with these characters.
I like the Augment system in the DS game version so far (even tho it should've been hinted at better in the game itself) because it rewards you for making temporary party members stronger. Though I feel like it could've been expanded into making those Augment rewards actually more emphasized through more actual sidequests or events from giving those characters augments. Like maybe more flavorful events on those characters if you give them Augments to balance the fast paced linear storytelling of the game.
I genuinely didn't expect Final Fantasy V to be at the top of your list, but it makes me incredibly happy. I feel like I always get strange looks from people when I tell them that Final Fantasy V Advance is my favorite game in the whole series.
It has a lot of replay value if you do the 4 job fiesta
FFV Ancient Cave romhack gives near endless replay value as well@@ericstaples7220
Most people put either V or IX at the top of their list, unless they have poor taste and go with VII
@@Chernobog2I wouldn't say poor taste as it is a pretty good game and it's their opinion. However, I think a lot put it at the top because they started with it and look at it with rose tinted glasses but I guess that can be said about any of them in some ways.
Of what I’ve played, in order: 12, 7, 13, 10, 1, 3, 4, 2, 8
The massive world and real-time battling of XII blew my mind as a kid, but the story starts off strong for a few hours then TANKS 😔 If they would have nailed the story it would top everything imo
I also liked Final Fantasy IV better than Final Fantasy VI when I was growing up, but I think that's because I found the World of Ruin to be a little too depressing for a setting where so much of the game took place at the time. Final Fantasy IV certainly had it's dark moments, but seeing the whole world basically get treated like the Village of Mist felt like a bit much. By the time Final Fantasy VII came along and started in the downtrodden Midgar, I felt more ready for it and didn't mind so much.
I love your ranking! I thought I was the only person who preferred FF5 over 6. I just wonder what it would have been like to have gotten 5 when originally came out. I remember how excited I was when I "found" this gem in the late 90's via emulation and fan translation.
I really think FF 12 is very underrated. I do agree that 16 fell short and that 13 it's in "my opinion" a worst gameplay version of FF 12.
A very interesting video! ❤
Ehhh ff 12 is usually loved or hated. I think the story and characters were the weak point. Vahn was NOT interesting
@@bioboost12 Yeah the story was decent and had some interesting moments but the characters are absolutely the weak point of FF 12 specially the main character. The world, the gameplay and the story were overall solid, hence why yi liked 12 overall.
The fact that you have Final fantasy 10 at 11 is just a slap in the face. One of the most groundbreaking Final fantasy games. Introduction of voice acting, amazing graphics for its time, a soundtrack that would kick the ass of most of the games on this list, and a story that was timeless. If you can excuse the main character, the rest of the cast is memorable.
excuse the Main Character ? ...Tidus ? ...Who is literally in a world that is not his ???
Just call him Meg Ryan or poopy and it improves the experience
Having just completed V yesterday and am now stating XIII-2, this list feels very exciting for me!
It’s all about preference and opinion. I respect your opinion David but I totally disagree my list is completely different than yours for the most part. I’ve played and beaten most of the Final Fantasy games without getting to lengthy I’ll list my top 5 favorite FF games.
1.) FF14
2.) FF16
3.) FF7
4.) FF12
5.) FF9
I haven’t beat/played 6, tactics, 13 series, 10-2 and 11 so I can’t speak on those games.
Honestly have to say FF9 is my favourite. Beaten it 4 or 5 times so far. Has my favourite cast of characters. Zidane's my personal favourite Final Fantasy protagonist, Kuja is one of my favourite video game villains, great game play, love the music and story. A lot of the side quests weren't my favourites and getting trance is battles that I didn't want get trance in were a couple flaws I had with the game but every game has its flaws
It's also an very slow game.
Lightning is a fan favorite character especially in Japan, she always tops favorite character polls or makes top ten. I wish you had mentioned that instead of making it seem like she's just hated.
FF13 isn't in my top 3 but I absolutely enjoyed my time with it. It has highly fun and engaging gameplay, amazing soundtracks, and innovated the stagger system that is now used in FF7 remake and many other RPGs like Octopath Traveler and even the new Star Ocean 2 remake has something similar to it (break enemies to stun them and deal massive damage to them).
I will always remember how much I enjoyed playing FF13, and I will not be gaslit into believing it's a bad game when it was highly successful and has an 83/100 on metacritic, which is not bad at all. It's not a top 3 FF, but it's a good game nonetheless.
Wow, someone who puts FF5 at the top of their list. Cool. I can respect that. FF6 may be my favorite, but I get what you're saying about FF5, it's my #2 on my own list. FF5 is what I would call Square's biggest mistake for not sending it over seas sooner in an official release than they did. It's a truly epic game that still holds up today!
We have had similar experiences. I started with "II" (IV) when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade when I rented it out from a local video store. After renting it enough to have bought it twice over, I beat it! Later that year, I went to my uncle's house and saw he had the first game on NES, which I borrowed and played to death (and... maybe deleted his file by accident...). I was not a fan of VI for a long time because it just didn't appeal to me. But I jumped ship on Nintendo in 1997 when VII came out on the PS1.
I'm curious - how would you rank VIIR on this list? I would love to see that, Crisis Core, FFIV the After Years, and Tactics ranked. Tactics we can argue is part of the VII universe since Cloud and Aerith both appear in it. ;)
I've been playing through FF8 recently and at first I thought it was trash, but then I finally learned how the junction system is supposed to work and I've been enjoying it. I think it's biggest problem is that it does a poor job of explaining it's mechanics and it's so different from not only FF games, but also traditional rpgs in general so you have to go into it with a different mindeset in order to master it. Once I learned to grind Triple Triad instead of battles everything began to click. That being said I can see how you would put it low on the list because even if you understand it doesn't mean you enjoy hell the game is still giving me headaches from time to time when messing with the junction system. 😂
The draw system is annoying. I had more fun with the card game honestly. I put tons of hours in to it
I really like ff8 but I found it a bit of a slog to play through on subsequent playthroughs which is why I rank it a bit lower on my personal list.
I liked your FF rankings. Everyone is different and I love hearing why their ranking is the way it is. My ranking has changed as well. I used to have FFV in the middle. But after replaying the game in Pixel Remaster, FFV has moved up higher in my rank.
In fact, you doing a category ranking, by grouping these games together, is a better method. Thank you for the video, this was fun.
6:56
My eyes went wide as in "whaaaaat?"
Fair points though.
Can't ever remember seeing anyone prefer FFX-2 to FFX before. My list would be very different to this but it's your own list so I'm not going to hate!
Great review! I loved the placement of the MMOs, I thought that was really fair of you, and showed how open you were to new genres and ideas...
Glad you enjoyed it!
Interesting to see your list. I find it interesting your complaint about 6 when the esper system is the job class system in 5 where you can specialize your party or make them all the same. As you said, maybe its a little too abstract for you, but they serve the same purpose. My list from best to worst that I have played, 6, 4, 7, 9, 16, 10, 5, 13, 1, 3, 2, 15 and 8. Keep up the great work.
Great points. I found this conflicted take very strange for David to say as well.
I always love watching people rank the mainline final fantasy games because everyone seems to have their own list! I'm still making my way through the mainline series. My personal ranking so far is IX > VII > VIII > I > X > XIII > XV > XII > XIV > XI.
I didn't think I'd see another list where someone puts the first final fantasy over games like X. In most lists I always see it towards the bottom. I only played the pixel remaster for the first game earlier this year and I thought its simplicity made it very enjoyable. I was glad that it didn't overstay its welcome and given how short it is, I'd be open to replaying it in the future.
100% agree on those top 4, just not in that order. I would say 8>7>9>1.
@@Lightmetal.I haven't played 2, 3, 5, 6 or 16 yet but I have all the pixel remasters ready to go! (Currently going through 4.) I'm pretty excited to get to 2 and form my own opinion when I get the chance!
@@Lightmetal. I feel 2 is in a bad place that its design was very oldschool. So it didnt age well. If you played it around the time it came out the nostalgia of it carrys on but its abysmal to go back and play without it.
Final Fantasy 2 makes me interested in the Saga games.
I’ve yet to play a Saga game, because the price is too high and I’m too lazy to patch English and emulate right now and I have to study IT.
I did most of my emulation on a shitty Windows 7 Starter Netbook and Windows Vista laptop, back in college and some probably Core 2 Duo Family PC or worse pentium, no Idea I was and still am poor.
I’m always so happy to see 5 get the recognition it deserves, it’s my personal favorite as well
Oh David! You *musn't*...
What treats. Thank you ❤
I have absolutely no clue how VIII could rank lower than X, XII or XIII, but that just shows how taste is different.
But hey: At least FFX is on the lower hand. For me it just would rank even lower
Here for more 8 slander.
And I’m always here to deliver
Always!
That hate still hurts me so much. Ha ha . Still mad respect for all David does
@@davidvinc you were actually kinda nice this time. LOL
Your top 4 is mostly unimpeachable. It'd be picking nits. A solid list.
8 is the best one.
Mary we need a dragon quest list. This final fantasy list is great even tho FFX is in the bottom mid 😭❤️
My list would be wildly different, and have hard differing opinions to yours in many cases, but I'm pretty sure its because I prioritize story first, and I get the impression you prioritize gameplay/strategy
I can't agree with the list, but I can absolutely respect it... and at the end of the day I would rather have a list that challenges my thoughts on my list, vs just tells me what I already thought.
Great video and it's so uniquely you, I loved it... but if we ever meet I promise to raise your opinion on FF3j by atleast 3 spots XD (jk, but it is my favourite and one of my earliest RPGs so I'm biased, lol)
"Angst, cringe, Ramen Noodles, and photographs."
That is the best description of FFXV I've ever seen! 😂
Dude the takedowns of some games were epic! As for me, my personal favorite is IV! Would you rank the better versions of that game higher, or would it still remain at the same spot of your list?
Glad to see the X-2 love, it was my first ever Final Fantasy game and I didn't have a clue what the hell was going on but it sure was fun! Still one of the best battle systems in the series.
I remember the base story of the game, but the part that haunts me to this day is just how many mini games there were. And if you wanted to get the best ending, you had to do almost ALL of them. I go back and complete other games, but X-2 is one that I will probably just be satisfied with having crushed it and never come back.
@@brycearmstrong9370 my parents walking in on me playing the Leblanc massage mini game still haunts my dreams 💀
I think final fantasy 4 should be higher on the list than 6. Not sure what the issue with Tellah is. I loved final fantasy 4. Final Fantasy 6 suffers from what you don't like about romancing saga in the second half of the game. It has better story but it is not linear. It also is obtuse and tedious in parts. It was a big disappointment to be honest. FF 6 was fun before the second half then it became a chore. I stopped having fun and abandoned it after a while playing the second half. Would i like FF 5 considering what I'm saying? I am skipping over it for now.
So Final Fantasy IV: The After Years and Final Fantasy 7 Remake don't qualify as mainline but X-2 does... Not bothered by that decision, just wondering what the justification was.
Agreed! TAY should of definitely be ranked if X-2 gets ranked, as it is a sequel. He probably didn't rank remake since the new ff7 entire story is not complete.
12 is one of my favs but i dont blame you for rating it lower 😂 i also agree on your stance of 4 vs 6 i still love four so much for its nostalgia of when i played it but 6 has grown on me more over the years. 7 ofcourse is great im not much of a fan of its remake. And well 5... I uh should maybe play that one of these days... 😅
Always worth hearing you views! How do you reconcile your ranking of XVI here with your comments previously about how it is amongst the 5-6 best in the series? Is it just a case of morning-after regret after the hype died down?
Yeah the hype died and I gave it a good hard look
Cool video. I’m just started playing FF XIII-2 on my PS3. ❤
I’ll always be biased towards 4…it was my first FF when I was a kid and I fell in love with it. Have you played the DS/iOS remake? I thought it was extremely well done, and the voice acting was pretty decent.
I actually agree with this list almost entirely. I don't have much room to talk for XV or XVI, though. You have no idea how happy I was to see X so high and X- 2 so low on your list. IX Top 3? How do I resubscribe to your channel again?
I really like 9, but I think the way you gain abilities is just inferior to the Materia system from 7. Trance is also not as good as Limit breaks or Overdrives in my opinion.
I put 10 a lot higher in my list because the party swapping doesn't bother me. I usually just pick the 3 or 4 I like and only use them for the whole run. Maybe this playthrough I want to do girls only, or boys only, or keeping yuna as low level as possible to make the final boss easier, or only using the people who can swim. It gives 10 a lot of replayability for me combined with the sphere grid.
I love X-2 and i don't agree that the plot is stupid. I also quite like Lightning as a lead but i still need to finish that trilogy 😅 15 was ok but was missing quite a bit. Although despite that, i'm alwaya able to find bits i love out of all the games.😊 😊😊
I remember playing 4, 6 , 7, 9 ,10 straight through until I beat them. (Best FFs) How long does it take to get into 12? It name drops so many people and places, I don't know what is going on.
Great list! Love seeing which FF you put at at the top. Such a great game.
Great list, David! Good for you for not conforming to the usual rankings.
XIII-2 always got so much hate and I never understood it. I thought the game was fantastic. The Chocobo theme absolutely slaps!
My rankings would be as follows:
Worst--->II, XVI, XIII, III, I, XV, IV, XII, XIII-2, VIII, V, VI, IX, VII, X
Wow what an interesting list. It warms my heart to see 5 at the top. Its also my favorite, but it hurts to see 8 so low. I have always connected 8 with 5 along these lines, the GFs are basically the various jobs you would get in 5. They all seem to have one or two unique skils (like devaour or treatment) that seem like the abilities you would get with the different jobs in 5. 8 is maybe a flawed answer to the question what if we let the characters stack multiple jobs on top of each other. I am not saying you should love the game or anything but you might get more enjoyment out of it if you think of it in those terms. Or maybe not, either way is ok. :)
Awesome list!!! It’s cool how much my list is similar to yours, now we need Dragon Quest!!!
Great list! I love you rankings because they are all so personal and it doesn't matter because it's how you feel. Love these!!!
Thank you so much! That’s what’s so special about making these videos, at the end of the day, they’re your opinions and you have to stick by them! :)
Curious as to why you included the sequels for X and XIII, but not IV After Years. Granted, I don’t think of any of the sequels as main line games, just like I don’t consider Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, Type-0, or Strangers of Paradise main line games either. Completely agree with X-2’s job system, though. The way they integrated it into the battle system was great, even if they went full magical girl on it. I’d probably rank XII higher, but that would be because I love Ivalice as a setting. I probably would’ve put VI at the top spot. I actually to my shame have never finished V. If you included XI and XIV, where would you have ranked them?
Love the ranking video! Im still super early in 16 so unsure where I would place it. My #1 is 4, but its been a few years. Hopefully I get to play its pixel remaster before the years end.
This is the most mad ranking of final fantasy games I’ve ever seen, but I’m not even mad. Can’t believe I finally found a list that doesn’t have 6,7 or 10 at the top
Will we get an updated Dragon Quest list?? =)
If you're including the X and XIII sequels, whereabouts would you rank The After Years?
Amazing video david! Kinda funny to me all the sequels except 4-2 made it on here 😭😭 but otherwise this is perfection lol. I don't agree with your list at all, but still loved the video.
Hahaha!! Glad you enjoyed it!
@@davidvinc I'd have a version of this video out too if my parents let me play 16... I've been waiting for you to make this video forever so it was the first thing I did after b school lolol
My top ff are 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10. The order has varied so much durante my life that i don't try to order them anymore. I have never played anyhing beyond 12 (which is my bottom), but i played all the others and i agree with 10-2 battle system being extremly fun and most of the things you said about the others
Woof, this list is quite different from the last time. I mostly agree, I'd swap #2 for #1. But you could cut XV some slack at least. It did give the series the slight boon it needed after the XIII trilogy.
Just catching up! I love FF, after 9 I have kept hoping for the same magic and have been let down time and time again excluding 14 which I absolutely love and continue to play to this day. I even have a house and decorated it in a haunted house theme =). I like that you can be a red mage as well.
For me, my top three will always be:
1. FF4 - give me Kain any day of the week; also, this game has in my opinion the best FF line ever - “spoony bard”
2. FF6 - Edgar my man! His story breaks my heart
3. FF9 - Vivi - cutest little guy ever
I am one of the odd men out. I never liked 7, and actually have never finished it
Great review
This was a very well thought take on a ranking list while i may not agree with all of it its ur own opinion with ur feelings about them an i can respect that 😊
I played the ff from the 4 to the 10-2. I must confess that when I saw ff13 at its launch I was like wtf. Square Enix completely lost me and I didn’t play any of the following ff except for crisis core on the psp.
hi i want to ask, what game shoudl i play as a first game, i didnt play any of final fantasy before and i got some good prices for them and wanted to know which game is best and i can get as my first (maybe even from some newer ones )
FF7
Hey David, I’m watching this video cause it’s great, and I’m sure it have a huge list of lists you want to make videos of. Could I suggest you eventually rank the dresspheres in ffx-2? I tried to find a decent video if it before, and I couldn’t, and since you also enjoy the silly fun of that game I thought I would throw the request here.
5 is the one usually ignored, but probably the only entry NOBODY hates.
Where would you position Tactics?
Great list! Your top 2 are actually my top 2 as well!
I definitely agree that 5 has so much replayability. It's nowhere near my favourite story, but I play it often because it's just so fun to mess with the Jobs. If I had to rank, I'd probably go:
1. 6
2. 4
3. 7
4. 12
5. 1
6. 16
7. 8
8. 5
9. 10
10. 9
11. 3
12. 2
13. 15
14. 13
15. 14
16. 10-2
17. 11
I haven't played 13-2 or 3, and honestly haven't played much of 11 and 14, but I'm enjoying 14. The only thing I like about 10-2 is the combat. I found 11 super frustrating.
Nice, this is pretty close to my list!
This video has convinced me that I really need to give 13-2 another playthrough. I ended up beating it on my first and only playthrough, but never went back to it. I think it deserves a replay.