Been slowly working my way through the series, this video definitely boosted motivation and drive to experience the rest of the titles! Got I and II finished, working on X (I’d started it WAY before the other two, will probably replay it once I get back to it in the progression.) Found your takes really interesting! Loved this style of video too, can’t wait to check out more of your stuff :)
I couldn’t agree less with this list but it was interesting to hear about your opinions and realizing how every single FF game is loved by someone makes me smile. I think it’s a nice thought 😊 My favourite ones are 4,6 and 10.
@@perkosean4 is goated because it's first with just such a good story and heavy moments with characters 6-10 are all just absolute bombshell games though
My list goes 10, 7, 6, 9, 8, 4, 12, 15, 5, 13, 1, 3, 2. I played most at release, and for the longest time I said that 8 was my favorite. I replayed 10 as an adult for the first time since it was originally released and it really spoke to my older self with losing friends and nothing being guaranteed. Not loving 16 so far. I'm sure my list will continue to evolve as I age.
Love your perspectives :) My small gripe with 9 was that the extra content wasn’t that long/difficult. It didn’t have a grind element like FF7 to beat the weapons or the monstrous task that would have been completing the monster arena in 10….. the latter, holy crap! 7 was too perfect not to be #1, then probably 8 for story or 10 for depth of gameplay (some would say repetitiveness) and then 9!
Very interesting ranking, here is mine (from what I have played. I have played Final Fantasy's I, II, IV, XII, XIII and XV but not enough to where I could give a full opinion): 1: Final Fantasy VII 2: Final Fantasy VI 3: Final Fantasy X 4: Final Fantasy VII Remake 5: Final Fantasy IX 6: Final Fantasy V 7: Final Fantasy VIII 8: Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IX just feels right at number 1. The rest of the list is really different from my own but that's alright, different strokes for different folks. But I always love seeing FF IX get it's praise.
After playing FF XIV up to the most recent expac, its certainly the best. It can't be topped. There's so much amazing content, characters, story and decent gameplay. The main flaw is that it took me about 50 h per expansion in order to see every bit of the story. In order to finish every content to review the game (excluding extremes, savages etc) my total playtime was about 800h.
I fully trust you! I just haven't gotten to the point where I can consistently put in the time and effort to go through all the game has to offer. I don't want to just B-line through the story, I want to be able to love as much of the world as I can!
@@zedorian6547 FF14 being a WoW skin, I strongly disagree. Playing both, FF14 excels at main stories, world building and lore far better than modern WoW. But WoW has superior presentation for side content and especally its class customization which FF14 severely lacks. Back to FF11 you mentioned, it trumps FF14 in that area too among various stories as well. But...i like FF14 combat more than FF11, its battle menu way too clunky and need tons of macro shortcuts to be optimal.
@@zedorian6547 Well even though I disagree with your statement also clearly you did not finished the game, I’ll support your freedom of speech with my life.
Mad respect for your list man! My list is definitely a little different, but that’s what makes this series great is that it hits people in different ways! Keep up the great work man!
I did a replay of 6 when my son was a newborn doing the same thing. Sitting up sleep deprived and reliving the experience. Way higher on my list but I played it in 8th grade when it was brand new.
A lot to like about this ranking. 1. It's off the beaten path, and doesn't try to poison the well with "you're gonna hate me" stuff, he's very confident in his list, and just puts it out there. That's how to do it. 2. Age context means so much here. I really wish they had remastered 6 instead of 7, since 7 at least was in the age of cutscenes and somewhat 3d graphics. 3. The #1 choice - such a great entry, one of my personal favorites as well. I've only played 1, 6, 7, 9 to completion, then a lot of 4, 8, and 15. My ranking of those would be (best to worst) - #1 - 6 #2 - 9 #3 - 7 #4 - 15 #5 - 4 #6 - 1 #7 - 8 I liked all of them EXCEPT 8, which was hit and miss. In true generic fashion, 6 and 7 are high on my list. We need a 6 remake, we really do.
My guyyyyy finally someone who loves 13. You are my new friend lol so I started playing final fantasy on the ds when final fantasy 3 remake came out in 2006 and I was about 12 or 13 years old and I wasn’t that good at it but I remember buying the book to help me. I loved it. Then when 13 came out I was old enough I was starting high school and I absolutely loved the game it was one of the coolest final fantasy games I played and I loved it from the music to the graphics and the story. I grew up a Zelda fan so final fantasy was very different for me to play but I ended up owning all the games. I’m personally not a fan of 8th but my favorites are 3, 7, 13, 10, and 15. I also love the remake of 7 and I’m loving the new collection that came out called pixel remasters on my switch. Great video man.
I was surprised, and glad, to see FF15 so high up on your list. It was my first, and my favorite FF title and I've always told people who are unsure about starting the series to start there. It's never failed in turning friends into huge FF fans, definitely deserves more love!
I don't agree with most of the placement in this video, but it was still cool to watch. I definitely agree with you that FF13 is super underrated. It has plenty of problems, but I really love it. Great music and battle system. FF9 and FF10 are my favorites. I go back and forth on which one I like more.
Ff6 had such good character development, soundtrack and story, I think it has to be in the top 3. I have not played ff13 but this list makes me want to try it. I’m really hoping it comes to ps5 someday.
From the FF games I have played (not a lot lol) I personally enjoyed 12 the most, felt like I could really customize things with the license board and no longer having random encounters was a huge jump forward for the series. Everything you can do with the gambit system as well! From a gameplay/battle mechanics perspective it is probably the best of any game I have ever played even outside the FF series.
I love content like this. I genuinely hope this channel continues to grow. I understand the struggle of getting to monetization. I'm working on it myself.
Following in your footsteps by sticking with the mainline entries: 1. Final Fantasy VII 2. Final Fantasy IX 3. Final Fantasy V 4. Final Fantasy 5. Final Fantasy VI 6. Final Fantasy X 7. Final Fantasy IV 8. Final Fantasy VIII 9. Final Fantasy III 10.Final Fantasy II Since I've either not played nor beaten the later games, XI through XV will not be added to the list. Additionally, I've played and beaten X-2, Dissidia, Tactics Advance, Interlude, The After Years, and...*sigh*...Mystic Quest. I'd say, if I were to expand my list to include spinoff titles, I'd include X-2, Dissidia, and Tactics Advance as well.
FINALLY some love for 15😭 idk why people hate it so much, like yeah the story is a bit messy but I just finished it like a month ago and the whole journey with the bros and the ENDING omg. I’m not even close to playing all the FF games, but I love that game so much it was my first platinum.
Of the games Ive played. 7>10>9>6>12>13>8>4>15>3. Didnt include 14 because im still early in 14. 12 and 13 while very different are close in my rankings. Could easily swap them. Im halfway through 16 and it very easy could crack my top 3.
As someone who has ffX as their fav, the beginning where the game explains that you went forward in time but everything is old, its kind of a whiplash. I think the story decision of Tidus learning things ALONG with the player helps digest it, but I understand if people dropped it early.
Great list man! I’m relatively new to Final Fantasy. I’ve only played 2 final fantasy games- final fantasy x and final fantasy VII (remake) but they all seem very interesting and fun!
Finally someone who puts respect on 8 and 15’s name. FF8 > FF9 > FF15 > FF10 FF7 is my top 5. Still haven’t tried 6 yet so it’s on my list after I finish up with 16 which has been pretty good so far!
I dont think ive seen a list i disagreed with this much but i respect your opinion and it was in a way somewhat refreshing. Rarely do i see 13 and 15 so high- not that id do that, but yeah this is the kind of thing that makes me love the FF series so much. Everyone has their own favorites
I feel so comfortable watching you in this video. I don't know if it's your voice, your kindness, your thoughtful analyses, or just the fact that your rankings were the most aligned with my own of any ranking I've seen, but I usually click out of these videos pretty quickly, but I stayed all the way through. Really enjoyed this video.
Always interesting too see people's rankings of the mainline games since pretty much everyone's list will be 100% different. My top 3 has to be FF7, FF14 and FF9. But I still have a lot of love for the others in the series :) As for FF14, I'm 1 of those people that keeps gushing about how good the game is. lol. I personally think FF14 Shadowbringers is one of the very best FF stories ever made.
I've been asked numerous times, which FF game should i play 1st. I use this method now where i ask them what their top 3 games of all time are, then judge from there. My go-tos have been 6, 10 and 7 remake. With a rare tactics here and there.
Awesome video, i did the same thing as you and started at number 1 (except i did the pixel remasters) and im currently on ffV and ive gotta say the best part is seeing the evolution of the games and gameplay and stories, loving every bit so far
Age is the biggest determinant of people’s FF ranking. 6, 7, 9, 10, 8, 4 for me are all a separate tier and are the only ones I can justify as being anyone’s top five options of whatever order. 🤷♂️
This is a pretty unique and interesting list, Its not often when I see the games ranked this way. I personally also dont dislike any of games in the series, but I do have my favorites. Just to put my own list into perspective, I have been a fan of the series since 1998 when I played 7 for the first time. 1. FF 7 2. FF 9 3. FF 10 4. FF 6 5. FF 12 6. FF 8 7. FF 4 8. FF 5 9. FF 15 10. FF 13 11. FF 1 12. FF 3 13. FF 2
Yeah, I'm someone who doesn't mind the change of formula over the years. I feel like every game has something for everyone! So cool to see the many different and diverse lists!
@@overleveledgames For me why FF13 and FF15 are pretty low on the list, is not because they changed the formula. Imo they did not even come close to their full potential. Mainly because Square was trying to develop their own game engine during the development of both games. I think they would be better games if they would have just used an already established game engine.
Yeah, development was hell for those games. In a perfect world, those games would have been released as their original visions. Over time, though, I've come around to appreciate what we have of those games now. Buy I also can't help but think about what could've been haha
I've never seen X ranked #1 by anyone's list, always 2-3, still my fav tho. It's been hard getting into VI since I only play Japanese versions to help with immersion since I have to read everything otherwise, but I hope it gets the remake it deserves. They say there's too much content but maybe they could focus on one set story rather than all the possible branches with 14 characters.
Loved Tetra Master as well. I always sucked at it until my most recent playthrough, which was the first time I embarked on the Chocobo treasure quests and eventually defeated Ozma. FF9 is IMO the best story, world, and fun I've had in any FF game. First Time beating it was in 2002, the second time was 2020, and I just recently played it and did all the extra stuff. It's by far my favorite. Kinda sad that there's nothing new to find in it for myself anymore... The only FF game left for me to check out is 13, which I think I'll do eventually.
I 100% understand your feelings with FF 10! The same thing happened with me every time I attempted to play it. I would just lose interest after a few hours and drop it. This never once happened to me during any of the PS1 final fantasies. I think if FF8's leveling/drawing system was scrapped for a more traditional battle system, It would rank #2 for me right behind FF9.
I audibly gasped at hearing XIVs placement but then nodded my head at you saying you only played A Realm Reborn, very fair but man you are doing yourself as a final fantasy fan a injustice. The final two expansions are the best thing thats ever happened to the series due to everything built up as a base. Yeah its long and a commitment but I honestly wholeheartedly think that we'll never get something of that calibur in terms of story for a very very long time
It’s really interesting how 13, type 0, and 15 are connected. They’re all games I’m considering collecting for my Xbox series because backwards compatibility 😥 lol but the pc version of 13 might be the way to go not sure
Slight correction, CID is indeed in FF1 ;) Beside 11, I personally played and completed them all... and since being with my wife 15 years ago, we replayed all of them together (except 8 which we havent gotten to just yet) We also did not play any of the 14 DLCs yet either... maybe one day! hehe.. Here would be my personal order... but honestly, i haven't thought about it that much... And many of them could probably be moved around! 11, 13, 3, 2, 5, 14, 8, 1, 9, 10, 12, 15, 6, 4, 7 After hearing your stories... I assume it might actually be related to WHEN in your life you were when you played it... and which order you played the games ;) While i did rank 13 very low, I also enjoyed it... did a platinum on it... after the first 20 linear hours, i really started to enjoy the systems and the game... but i still prefered 13-2... AND i "think" all other games in the series ;) hehe...
I think meant to clarify that Cid wasn't in the original NES version of FF1. His name was added in future ports and remakes, so in that sense, you're right haha. But great list! It's great that you and your wife could experience most of them together!
Hey a list quite similar to mine, and for sure I agree with most of what you said. Your spot on about when in your life you played it. I have fond memories of the day I bought Final Fantasy 1 for the NES as a kid, never hearing about it but I liked the cover of the box with the sword and axe crossed. Little did I know what journey it would take me on for the last few decades. The only game I've never finished (other than MMO's because you can't finish them technically) was FF13. Couldn't even get through more than 2 hours of it. Characters were all annoying, it was unbelievably linear, music wasn't good at al and heck they didn't even have FF prelude song or victory fanfare.... just failure all around. My list is 13, 11, 3, 2, 5, 15, 9, 10, 8, 12, 14, 6, 4, 1, 7. Similar enough to yours with a few adjustments.
It's a shame FFXI had to go so low, but I don't blame you. It was always at the bottom of my list until I tried it not too long ago. Now, it's my favorite in the series. They made the main story soloable, and each expansion takes about as long as a normal FF game. The main story of FFXI is probably the best in the series. Thanks for the video, it's awesome seeing some FFIX appreciation!
Final Fantasy XIV is a great game, but it's not for everyone, and AAR is sometimes hard to get through. But I never thought I would love an MMO as much as XIV and I have tried WOW.
With the release of the Pixel Remasters, I've finally played the NES era games and besides XI have finally played them all. Here's how I would rank them: 1. VII 2. XII 3. XIV 4. VIII 5. IX 6. XIII 7. IV 8. VI 9. V 10. XVI 11. II 12. XV 13. III 14. I 15. X
I really enjoyed watching this video! I came in thinking that the top 5 had to be the same titles as my own, just in a different order. I was surprised throughout and respect your opinion and also am happy you were able to experience the entire mainline series! For me: 6 (my favorite video game ever) 9 5 4 10 12 7 1 14 3 15 11 2 8 13
FF4 got the best story from a protagonist point of view, and the best redemption story i have seen ever in a rpg, + it was also my first FF, i played it at the original release in 1992 somewhere as an import from the U.S. since i am living in Vienna, Europe and there was no pal version ever made for the SNES. It has a very memorably music, story, characters, Golbez was kinda the Darth Vader of Final Fantasy and very connected to Cecil the dark knight who did start out as the evil guy massacring villaers for crystals. And lets not forget Rubicant the most honorable fire fiend and strongest of the 4 elementals, who heals your party before the battle to gurantee a fair fight. Its the first part of the story that is so well written, until Cecil the Dark Knight, turned into a paladin. He is saving this strange girl from a village, with green hair who can summon monsters, from his own soldiers, because he also got betryayed by his own king. The redemption path for doing evil and killing her mother started with that girl. The world building was very cute and unique, with Yang and his wife for example. I think you should play it again with more open eyes :P Another great detail why i think FFIV is the best, is, the great art of plot and character telling just started with this one. Its amazing what you could do on an early 16 bit title and just some 2D sprites. I liked the gameplay, too as i like defined classes don't want job classes, fixed classes give characters more personality, its useful for the story narrative. And FFVI is bigger, and better won't deny that, but it lost quite the enchanting and innocent fairy tale charme of 4, with its doomsday weapons of mass destruction and syfy elements. But character cast was still solid, and it got the best antagonist in the series Too bad Cecil never run into Kefka. Would have been quite interesting. And yeas there are simply stories, but the art of making it good lies in execution and details, and FFIV perfected it, with its little dramatic event scripts. In a similar way i like Shining Force 1 campaign better than SF2s its just how its directed and done. Shorter games and stories maybe, but no fluff no idling no losing of momentum. My Ex-GF loved FFVIII was into this romance story, i never played it but just got a remaster, might explore this a bit never played 9 either. I like the CGI style of FVIII at least and card games, i think it got some nice world building i knew virtual chatrooms from 20 years ago that were build on the pictures and art of FFVIII. She hated IX, however - coming from 8, 9 was very different game. A back to the roots game i would have prefered. However you must know, it was released as the last FF on the PS1 and the game simply did not run well on it, the load times were much higher than in the previous games, i am sure that was annoying and hinered here to explore this game. The last FF i actively played was VII. The plot was greater than it looked like on first glance, i think that was pretty interesting. Final form of Sepiroth looked like that one of Kefka, which was a bit confusing. Personally i wish'd, square would have expanded on FF6 more and not so much FF7, Kefka was more intersting than Sepiroth, albeit Sepi was iconic to look at. But Kefka was so crazy and evil like no other villain in history of villains, like the Joker, just worse. And he started out as weakling and whimp.......who got to godhood to do evil things like the destruction of the world, pretty awesome for an villain to achieve his goals while people still playing the game. I heard rumors after the FF7 remake there will be a FF6 remake. Would be really about time to remake the easily the best FF. I really love 4 most, but 6 was easily the best overall, both strong story games and one has the best protagnist story and the other the best antoganist story, FF is just about story anyways and world building and immersion with music themes, perhaps. Id rather play tactical RPG for the gameplay, like tactics ogre, currently sitting on Triangle Strategy with its retro look and its from 2022.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has XIII in top 5.😂 Here’s my list. It may change overtime because I want to give some of these another chance(especially VII and XV): 1)X 2)XII 3)VI 4)IX 5)XIII 6)XIV(ARR) 7)VII 8)VIII 9)I 10)XV 11)IV 12)V 13)III 14)II 15)XI(only one I haven’t played)
FFXV is phenomenal. Thanks for that. On the topic of ‘controversial’ games, I only wish you also played FFII at an earlier, more ideal time in your life. To me, it’s very brave and special. The darkness of the story took me on such a whirlwind ride.
No it isn't. It was an absolute nightmare at release. The royal edition fixed some of it. It's far from a great game. And that's not an opinion. Just a fact
It’s wild that we both love this series and your 3,4, and 5 spot would be like 10,11,12 for me and you have some of mine so low (my favorite is 6). It shows the quality of the series and how there is no right answers, just awesome games for people to love.
Exactly! And don't get me wrong, the classics that I have a little lower on my list are fantastic! I think, since I'm only 23, the newer games are higher because I played them in my formative years. Like I mentioned, I recently played 4 and 6, and that was after I played almost all the rest. I will say though, as I've been going back and playing through the series, I can absolutely guarantee you that my list is going to be DRASTICALLY different once I play through then all again and update this list. Thanks for the comment!
@@overleveledgames completely agree. Formative years matter for sure. I’m (unfortunately) 34 and my first two I played were 6 and 7. My third game was 4 and while I love it it was definitely hard going backwards. Your list was genuine and well done. I’ve subbed and look forward to going through your channel!
My personal ranking (of the games I’ve played): 1. IX (favorite game of all-time) 2. VI 3. IV 4. XII 5. X 6. XIII 7. XIV (Realm Reborn only) 8. VIII 9. XV Really hoping for the pixel remasters to come to console so I can play I-III sometime soon. Also, while I haven’t played the original VII, I’m experiencing it for the first time via Remake. And if I had to include Remake on the list, it’d be right inbetween FFIV and FFXII.
@@Storm1Trooper5 I know haha. Kinda wild. But when I was a kid, I only played IX. And then going into my teenage years I played X and XIII. I just never went back to play any games older than IX until I was in college when XV released and the SNES Classic came out. That led to me playing VI. And about a year ago I bought a Vita so that I could play classic PS1 JRPGs, but that also enabled me to play the PSP version of IV. And then just eventually VIII via the remaster on PS4. Just never got around to VII albeit owning the game on PS1 for pretty much my entire life via my older brothers. And then they announced Remake, so I decided to let that be my first experience with it.
I've only played 1,4,5,6,7,9 and those are my favorites 😂 you make me want to check out the post-X PC ones though. I would suggest giving the FFV pixel remaster a playthrough, it really is a great FF title and the job system is excellent.
So to the exception of 10 u u played the best ones. I mean u can skip the rest. I mean 12 was decent but 13 n 8 are god awful ans 15 would be better if the e ding was better and the fame was actually complete
One of the best ranking videos I’ve ever watched. I enjoyed your opinions, comparisons and real-life connections. I finished X on deployment to get my mind off missing family. Came home and finished 8 when it was my night to stay up with my newborn daughter. Looking forward to watching your other videos.
As a child, I inherited PS1 from my older cousin when others have moved on to PS2. I played FF VII, VIII, and IX, and totally loved IX the most among the three. FFX was such a hype when it was released and since I didn't have PS2, it was always a distant unfulfilled childhood desire. About a couple years ago, I picked up the FFX HD from Steam, and I thought it was just me but I HAD THE SAME EXACT DIFFICULTY AND REASON AS WHAT YOU WERE EXPLAINING IN THE VIDEO!!! I also stopped after 5-6 hours, and never continued playing! Glad you managed to overcome it and found it rewarding. Seeing how we had the same taste on IX, I may likely find the X to also be great. I'll play X again one of these days :)
Just skip X and play other, better FF titles. X is the most linear, overrated, cringeworthy voice acted and undemanding FF of all time ;) Won´t get any better aufter 5, 20 or 60 hours.
@@FelixS. On linearity, I don't consider it a con. Linear is welcome as long as the story is great (all my favorite games are linear). I don't really get the attraction of multiple endings non-linear games--give me the best version and be done with it!--is my thought process lol. What FFs are your top 1, 2, 3?
@@nurhandrio I am talking about the fact this game is basically a one way road without any decisions or explorations whatsoever. I am not talking about open world. Not everything is black and white there are shades of grey inbetween. Additionally I find the story of this game vastly overrated and didn’t get any emotions from the „romance“ of this narrative. Game is a major step back from the psx era. But of course build your own opinion. Just wanted to emphasize there are much worthier games in this franchise to approach first.
@@nurhandrio Oh. My top FFs are IX and XIV by far, followed by VII, VIII, XII and XVI in no specific order, with XVI being a great example for linear but brilliant.
I have just barely started playing FFXII on my Steam Deck (1.5 hours so far) and I too love the setting and the initial setup of the story (from the cut scene). I have a FF-related question: The Steam store have FFIV listed in a few ways and I am a bit confused and am hoping you can help. I see the 'regular' version, a '3D Remake' version, and 'The After Years.' I want the remake, but since I want the whole story, will I also have to by 'The After Years' or does the remake include 'regular' and 'The After Years?' Thanks for any light you can shed on my confusion.
This is a very... Uhhh... "unorthodox" list. Listening to your reasonings on it is fascinating. Mine is (fav to least fav) IX, XII, VI, V, X, VII, IV, VIII, XIII, III, I, II, XV. Never played XI and XIV.
Can't say I have a top 15 but I can do a top 10 10. FF3 just didn't appeal to me the way I wish it would've 9. FF2 I don't think it's the black sheep even though it is I didn't mind the backwards Leveling system or the music and I respect that they tried with the story 8. FF1 this game is addictive for an 80s game working on OG Nes version and not really the biggest fan of it!! Otherwise I've played the PSP, GBA, PS1 and Pixel Remaster versions of this game!! 7. FF10-2 I'm putting this one here mainly because I have played this game but haven't played FF8!! I don't count just making it to the first save point kuz that's only like 10 minutes of gameplay maybe 20 minutes at best!! 6. FF4 I like the story but what's holding this one back is I feel like it's the easiest one of the series!! I could be wrong but I felt this was more story focused rather then gameplay focus 5. FF7 I know I'm probably gonna have a lot of people stop reading after placing FF7 at 5 but don't get me wrong it's a great game and I understand all the fuss about it personally I just like a few more games of the series better!! 4. FF6!? Maybe FF5!? 3. FF5!? Maybe FF6!? This one is tough for me because I love both games and I really can't decide!! I love the job system on FF5 but I love the environment on FF6!! Maybe I'll come back and edit this comment once I know for sure!! 2. FF10 I grew up with this one as a kid I love the voice acting art style music and Blitzball!! 1. FF9 I started with this one so this could just be me being biased and blinded by nostalgia but that story music relatable characters plus the E2PG challenge or just achieving the Excalibur 2 in general felt rewarding and it gave me a reason to speed run this game!! I'm not the greatest speed runner but I can segment run this game and achieve the Excalibur 2!!
We have the same top 2, but the rest is wildly different. Ignoring XI since I haven't played it, mine would probably go: II, III, XV, I, XIII, IV, VIII, XII, V, XVI, X, XIV, VI, VII, IX I'm unsure if XVI is too high or not due to recency bias. While XIV has a huge advantage in story due to its length (Shadowbringers alone is top tier FF) as a long-time player the gameplay and meddling with jobs gets a bit tiresome, and all story-mandatory content is very easy (a philosophy also apparent in XVI). For story alone it'd be rank 1 or 2, but 4 feels about right overall despite the wildly different style.
6 > 4 > FFT > 9 > 11 > 12 > 14 > 7 > 5 > 2 = 1 > 8 > 3 > 10 > 13. Can't rank 15 since I didn't end up wanting to play it, 16 is most likely in the same boat since it's doubling down on action combat. I could put FFT in 4's place, but I'm taking into account how long the battles in FFT can be and how you need to set time for it.
listing games is very subjective. For me, ff6 doesn't cut it at all for example, while I adore ff10, 9, 8, and 7. I also loved 16 and the two 7R games!
Loved your list man, this is the first video i saw from you but you just got one more subscriber and Twitter follower. I'm 36 and i've been playing Final Fantasy since 1998, so my list is a little different: 1 - FF 8 (my favorite game of all time 2 - FF 7 and 9 (can't decide, my other favorite games ever) 4 - FF 10 (this game and the 3 PSOne ones are the games i replayed the most all my life together with KH 1 and 2) 5 - FF 6 6 - FF 12 7 - FF 4 8 - FF 15 9 - FF 5 10 - FF 13 11 - FF 3 12 - FF 13 - FF 2
You can always tell when someone comes into the series late. Final Fantasy four is not only my favorite Final Fantasy game but it’s my favorite video game of all time. I’m glad you acknowledge that because I’m surprised it was so low on the list. I am glad that you put 13 so high because I really like that game and I don’t understand all the hate it gets..
I just did an extensive replay of IV. I played the PSP version before I made this video, but I just finished the 3D Steam port. My opinion has almost completely flopped on it's head (in a great way), haha. Look out for a full review/retrospective of FFIV on my channel!
@@overleveledgames You were right also when you said playing these games when they were new really blew a lot of minds because we hadn't seen anything like this before.
Hoo boy! Those are some spicy takes, sir! Have a like for your courage. ...Definitely agree with number 1, though. Final Fantasy IX is truly a definitive Final Fantasy.
IX is the best best best.l Dude you need to start 14 again! ITs wayyy wayyy better than the realm reborn era now. I confident you would enjoy it as ff fan.
4 is the one that established final fantasy as the premier story telling franchise 6 was an opera for the snes. I played them all as they came out in the us starting with 1
Followed I don't follow a lot of FF youtubers. as someone who have played all the games including XI and XIV I find it hard to find people who are respectful of other peoples' opinions. But as someone who played only ARR and loves the Final Fantasy series its a shame you didn't play more. ARR is good and it's only gets better. I think any FF fan should play it its the most FF game there is. 😊
The idea of placing the original Final Fantasy below FF14 in any way would be completely mindboggling if you had played ANYTHING past ARR. The Expansions are better than... a solid MOST of the mainline Final Fantasy Games.
Most of the top of your list is the same as mine with the exception of 15 which I didn’t like very much. But I love that you have 9 as number one. Same. FF9 and KH2 are still my favorite games of all time. I also would place FF13 high on my list. I’d maybe place FF6 up under 9, 7, and 8. But good. Good list.
9 7 16 6 10 1 15 12 8 13 (Havent played the mmos and working on 2-5 rn. Also plan on replaying 12 cause i havent played the zodiac age so my list might change)
I like the Pixel Remasters for 1.) Their Soundtracks 2.) The quality of life changes to the gameplay, primarily for 1, 2, and 3 3.) The convenience of being modern hardware. 4.) The most updated translations to be as in depth and as close to the original script. However, I personally am partial to the PSP versions of FF1 and 2, and the 3D version of FF4. For Final Fantasy 1 and 2, I'm a big fan of the visuals over the Pixel Remaster. For Final Fantasy 4, even though I prefer the visuals of the pixelated version, the script of the 3D version is unmatched. So good! Personally, I'm currently playing FF2 on PSP, but it's modded with the OST from the Pixel Remaster. That's the best way to play FF1 & 2 in my opinion. To each their own though! Haha. No matter how you play the games though, each version has it's pros and cons. Let me know when you make a decision! And thanks for watching!
I just recently finished the FFIV Pixel Remaster version and it increased my appreciation of FFIV but I originally played the PS1 version and it didn't land with me either so you're not alone there. I also really adore FFIX but Tetra Master is awful. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it but it's just very poorly implemented.
Final Fantasy 8 is a lot more fun when played like a regular Final Fantasy game. Instead of Junctioning a phoenix down to your HP early on and not leveling up to keep enemies weak etc just play through and it's a lot more fun.
Much appreciated man! Yeah I'm doing a big replay through the series right now. I just finished up my review of FFI if you want to check that one out as well! I even reviewed the official novelization lol
@@overleveledgames oh wow, thats dedication 😁 I'll cheggit out I played 1 not too long ago and it's still good. Just a little basic but cool to see where it came from
I know you are a bit younger than me (31 as of typing this) but I find it super interesting that your family are gamers. My grandma is like in her 90s and probably dosen’t understand the concept of what a video game is, and my mom’s knowledge doesn’t go past knowing who Mario is so she definitely wouldn’t know the story of FF7.
I wouldn't say I have a family of gamers haha. I'm 24, born in 1999. My mom was right out of high school when she had me. Back in 97, as a teenager, I think she just had a lot of friends were into video games. The only game that I would say she knows everything about is Killer Instinct on SNES haha
If you’re a story lover you should give FFXIV a better look. SE is offering a free trial up to the end of the first expansion (heavensward) so that’s everything to lvl 60. I am a Dad and have the same time constraints so I play when I can but the story after the base game (realm reborn) just gets so much better. By the end of the last expansion 6.0 you are so invested in the story, anyway you do you but if it’s a great story your looking for I would do it…. Plus you could stream your journey through the MSQ and that will give you a huge boost to stream and YT viewership. Nothing FFXIV players love more than seeing new players experience the story, trust me 😀
I’m here to let you know what you hopefully already know. FFXIV is an absolute masterpiece. A realm reborn is like a 1/10 in comparison to heavensward, a 3/10 to stormblood, a 0/10 to shadowbringers, and a 1/10 to endwalker. My best friend is the absolute biggest final fantasy fan to ever walk the planet. He’s played through and beat all of them at least 10 times each, but more than 30 times each for your top 5. In his words, “FF14 has the best story hands down.” Also, all the fan service from previous games makes it incredibly hype for long time fans of the franchise. I don’t want to spoil anything, but trust me when I say, the fan service in 9 is nothing in comparison. Stop robbing yourself of one of the best stories you will ever experience in all forms of media.
Like I said, investment in any MMO right now is tough because I work over 50 hours a week and have 2 kids. I know that I would LOVE XIV, I just wouldn't be able to give it the love it deserves right now. Either that or not give my family the love they deserve, haha. I want to make FFXIV content so badly! I just need to get to the point where TH-cam and streaming and that kind of stuff are viable financial avenues for me. But subscribing now is a step closer to me getting to that point!
@@overleveledgames No reason to play it as an MMO. Play the main story quests alone, as that is what I and the community praise so highly. Each expansion is roughly 40-50 hours of content if digested at a casual pace the first time you play through it, just like most FF games. Play it like it’s any other single player RPG. FFXIV is an MMO that doesn’t punish you for having commitment to the real world.
I am wondering what makes certain people gravitate towards different entries. I very much appreciate the older era (IV & VI are high on my list-I was shocked to hear you say story is your highest priority, but right after are saying IV & VI are so low on your list), while XV is very low on my list, due to the story & something about it felt… synthetic, for lack of a better word. But still, X is really hard for me to get in to because of the atrocious voice acting, and VIII was forgettable and kind of cringe to me, yet I love XII. At the same time, though, while I’ve been playing Final Fantasy games for a bit over 20 years, XVI and VII Remake are two of my favorite entries in the series, & they’re the two newest. It’s interesting to think about. Good list regardless since you had understandable reasons for everything! 😅
Been slowly working my way through the series, this video definitely boosted motivation and drive to experience the rest of the titles!
Got I and II finished, working on X (I’d started it WAY before the other two, will probably replay it once I get back to it in the progression.) Found your takes really interesting! Loved this style of video too, can’t wait to check out more of your stuff :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you fall in love with the series like I have!
During my first deployment, I brought my snes and FF VI. It’s always going to my favorite and most memorable.
The best, perfect RPG.
That goes to show just how great of a franchise FF is. Every game has people who consider it their favorite
Except for 2 lol
I couldn’t agree less with this list but it was interesting to hear about your opinions and realizing how every single FF game is loved by someone makes me smile. I think it’s a nice thought 😊 My favourite ones are 4,6 and 10.
Top 5: 7, 10, 9, 4, 6
HM: Tactics
Bottom 5: 2, 13, 8, 3, 15
HM: 16
Agreed. I love FF8 but there’s no way it is better than 6. 6 is ranked too low in this list.
@@perkosean4 is goated because it's first with just such a good story and heavy moments with characters
6-10 are all just absolute bombshell games though
My list goes 10, 7, 6, 9, 8, 4, 12, 15, 5, 13, 1, 3, 2. I played most at release, and for the longest time I said that 8 was my favorite. I replayed 10 as an adult for the first time since it was originally released and it really spoke to my older self with losing friends and nothing being guaranteed. Not loving 16 so far. I'm sure my list will continue to evolve as I age.
I played FF6 way back in 1994, when it first came out and so it holds a special place in my heart.
Your #1 doesn't fail to one thing, it's truly a masterpiece and has a special place in my heart.
Love your perspectives :) My small gripe with 9 was that the extra content wasn’t that long/difficult. It didn’t have a grind element like FF7 to beat the weapons or the monstrous task that would have been completing the monster arena in 10….. the latter, holy crap! 7 was too perfect not to be #1, then probably 8 for story or 10 for depth of gameplay (some would say repetitiveness) and then 9!
Very interesting ranking, here is mine (from what I have played. I have played Final Fantasy's I, II, IV, XII, XIII and XV but not enough to where I could give a full opinion):
1: Final Fantasy VII
2: Final Fantasy VI
3: Final Fantasy X
4: Final Fantasy VII Remake
5: Final Fantasy IX
6: Final Fantasy V
7: Final Fantasy VIII
8: Final Fantasy III
Final fantasy xv is amazing. One of the best experiences i've ever had in my Life.
Final Fantasy IX just feels right at number 1. The rest of the list is really different from my own but that's alright, different strokes for different folks. But I always love seeing FF IX get it's praise.
After playing FF XIV up to the most recent expac, its certainly the best. It can't be topped. There's so much amazing content, characters, story and decent gameplay. The main flaw is that it took me about 50 h per expansion in order to see every bit of the story. In order to finish every content to review the game (excluding extremes, savages etc) my total playtime was about 800h.
I fully trust you! I just haven't gotten to the point where I can consistently put in the time and effort to go through all the game has to offer. I don't want to just B-line through the story, I want to be able to love as much of the world as I can!
Eh, I personally feel that FFXI is a better FF game. Just feels more like a FF game to me wheras XIV feels more like WoW with a FF skin.
@@zedorian6547 FF14 being a WoW skin, I strongly disagree. Playing both, FF14 excels at main stories, world building and lore far better than modern WoW. But WoW has superior presentation for side content and especally its class customization which FF14 severely lacks. Back to FF11 you mentioned, it trumps FF14 in that area too among various stories as well. But...i like FF14 combat more than FF11, its battle menu way too clunky and need tons of macro shortcuts to be optimal.
@@zedorian6547
Well even though I disagree with your statement also clearly you did not finished the game, I’ll support your freedom of speech with my life.
@@zedorian6547the WoW inspiration for gameplay systems is there for sure, but it's absolutely not a clone
Mad respect for your list man! My list is definitely a little different, but that’s what makes this series great is that it hits people in different ways! Keep up the great work man!
I did a replay of 6 when my son was a newborn doing the same thing. Sitting up sleep deprived and reliving the experience. Way higher on my list but I played it in 8th grade when it was brand new.
A lot to like about this ranking.
1. It's off the beaten path, and doesn't try to poison the well with "you're gonna hate me" stuff, he's very confident in his list, and just puts it out there. That's how to do it.
2. Age context means so much here. I really wish they had remastered 6 instead of 7, since 7 at least was in the age of cutscenes and somewhat 3d graphics.
3. The #1 choice - such a great entry, one of my personal favorites as well.
I've only played 1, 6, 7, 9 to completion, then a lot of 4, 8, and 15. My ranking of those would be (best to worst) -
#1 - 6
#2 - 9
#3 - 7
#4 - 15
#5 - 4
#6 - 1
#7 - 8
I liked all of them EXCEPT 8, which was hit and miss. In true generic fashion, 6 and 7 are high on my list. We need a 6 remake, we really do.
I appreciate the comment! Glad my authentic opinions felt like a breath of fresh air for you! I also totally respect your list!
My guyyyyy finally someone who loves 13. You are my new friend lol so I started playing final fantasy on the ds when final fantasy 3 remake came out in 2006 and I was about 12 or 13 years old and I wasn’t that good at it but I remember buying the book to help me. I loved it. Then when 13 came out I was old enough I was starting high school and I absolutely loved the game it was one of the coolest final fantasy games I played and I loved it from the music to the graphics and the story. I grew up a Zelda fan so final fantasy was very different for me to play but I ended up owning all the games. I’m personally not a fan of 8th but my favorites are 3, 7, 13, 10, and 15. I also love the remake of 7 and I’m loving the new collection that came out called pixel remasters on my switch. Great video man.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! XIII certainly doesn't get the love it deserves!
@@overleveledgames no 13 and 15 always get allot of hate and they are amazing games.
I was surprised, and glad, to see FF15 so high up on your list. It was my first, and my favorite FF title and I've always told people who are unsure about starting the series to start there. It's never failed in turning friends into huge FF fans, definitely deserves more love!
Final Fantasy XIII being in the top five. You love to see it.
A sure tell of a bad FF tier list
I don't agree with most of the placement in this video, but it was still cool to watch. I definitely agree with you that FF13 is super underrated. It has plenty of problems, but I really love it. Great music and battle system. FF9 and FF10 are my favorites. I go back and forth on which one I like more.
Ff6 had such good character development, soundtrack and story, I think it has to be in the top 3. I have not played ff13 but this list makes me want to try it. I’m really hoping it comes to ps5 someday.
From the FF games I have played (not a lot lol) I personally enjoyed 12 the most, felt like I could really customize things with the license board and no longer having random encounters was a huge jump forward for the series. Everything you can do with the gambit system as well! From a gameplay/battle mechanics perspective it is probably the best of any game I have ever played even outside the FF series.
I love content like this. I genuinely hope this channel continues to grow.
I understand the struggle of getting to monetization. I'm working on it myself.
I appreciate the kind words! Best of luck to you as well!
@@overleveledgames Thank you Gavin!
Following in your footsteps by sticking with the mainline entries:
1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Final Fantasy IX
3. Final Fantasy V
4. Final Fantasy
5. Final Fantasy VI
6. Final Fantasy X
7. Final Fantasy IV
8. Final Fantasy VIII
9. Final Fantasy III
10.Final Fantasy II
Since I've either not played nor beaten the later games, XI through XV will not be added to the list.
Additionally, I've played and beaten X-2, Dissidia, Tactics Advance, Interlude, The After Years, and...*sigh*...Mystic Quest.
I'd say, if I were to expand my list to include spinoff titles, I'd include X-2, Dissidia, and Tactics Advance as well.
FINALLY some love for 15😭 idk why people hate it so much, like yeah the story is a bit messy but I just finished it like a month ago and the whole journey with the bros and the ENDING omg. I’m not even close to playing all the FF games, but I love that game so much it was my first platinum.
Of the games Ive played. 7>10>9>6>12>13>8>4>15>3. Didnt include 14 because im still early in 14. 12 and 13 while very different are close in my rankings. Could easily swap them. Im halfway through 16 and it very easy could crack my top 3.
As someone who has ffX as their fav, the beginning where the game explains that you went forward in time but everything is old, its kind of a whiplash. I think the story decision of Tidus learning things ALONG with the player helps digest it, but I understand if people dropped it early.
Great list man! I’m relatively new to Final Fantasy. I’ve only played 2 final fantasy games- final fantasy x and final fantasy VII (remake) but they all seem very interesting and fun!
Couln’t be more far from my tier list but we are still fans!
Finally someone who puts respect on 8 and 15’s name. FF8 > FF9 > FF15 > FF10 FF7 is my top 5. Still haven’t tried 6 yet so it’s on my list after I finish up with 16 which has been pretty good so far!
Idk y. Squall was whiny lil b and the draw system is pro ably the worst battle system in the entire franchise.
I dont think ive seen a list i disagreed with this much but i respect your opinion and it was in a way somewhat refreshing. Rarely do i see 13 and 15 so high- not that id do that, but yeah this is the kind of thing that makes me love the FF series so much. Everyone has their own favorites
I feel so comfortable watching you in this video. I don't know if it's your voice, your kindness, your thoughtful analyses, or just the fact that your rankings were the most aligned with my own of any ranking I've seen, but I usually click out of these videos pretty quickly, but I stayed all the way through. Really enjoyed this video.
I'm glad you resonated with it!
My top 5
5. Final Fantasy VI
4. Final Fantasy VII
3. Final Fantasy X (prefer X-2)
2. Final Fantasy VIII
1. Final Fantasy IX
Always interesting too see people's rankings of the mainline games since pretty much everyone's list will be 100% different. My top 3 has to be FF7, FF14 and FF9. But I still have a lot of love for the others in the series :) As for FF14, I'm 1 of those people that keeps gushing about how good the game is. lol. I personally think FF14 Shadowbringers is one of the very best FF stories ever made.
I played ff xiv until the half of first expansion and I have to admit, it's the worst ff game that I have played :(.
I've been asked numerous times, which FF game should i play 1st. I use this method now where i ask them what their top 3 games of all time are, then judge from there. My go-tos have been 6, 10 and 7 remake. With a rare tactics here and there.
Do you think I can understand and enjoy 7 remake if I haven't played the original?
Awesome video, i did the same thing as you and started at number 1 (except i did the pixel remasters) and im currently on ffV and ive gotta say the best part is seeing the evolution of the games and gameplay and stories, loving every bit so far
Age is the biggest determinant of people’s FF ranking.
6, 7, 9, 10, 8, 4 for me are all a separate tier and are the only ones I can justify as being anyone’s top five options of whatever order. 🤷♂️
This is a pretty unique and interesting list, Its not often when I see the games ranked this way. I personally also dont dislike any of games in the series, but I do have my favorites. Just to put my own list into perspective, I have been a fan of the series since 1998 when I played 7 for the first time.
1. FF 7
2. FF 9
3. FF 10
4. FF 6
5. FF 12
6. FF 8
7. FF 4
8. FF 5
9. FF 15
10. FF 13
11. FF 1
12. FF 3
13. FF 2
Yeah, I'm someone who doesn't mind the change of formula over the years. I feel like every game has something for everyone! So cool to see the many different and diverse lists!
@@overleveledgames For me why FF13 and FF15 are pretty low on the list, is not because they changed the formula. Imo they did not even come close to their full potential.
Mainly because Square was trying to develop their own game engine during the development of both games. I think they would be better games if they would have just used an already established game engine.
Yeah, development was hell for those games. In a perfect world, those games would have been released as their original visions. Over time, though, I've come around to appreciate what we have of those games now. Buy I also can't help but think about what could've been haha
I've never seen X ranked #1 by anyone's list, always 2-3, still my fav tho. It's been hard getting into VI since I only play Japanese versions to help with immersion since I have to read everything otherwise, but I hope it gets the remake it deserves. They say there's too much content but maybe they could focus on one set story rather than all the possible branches with 14 characters.
9 and 6 would take my top two slots, with 6 edging out the win on personal nostalgia points. Followed by 7, 4, 5, 1
Loved Tetra Master as well. I always sucked at it until my most recent playthrough, which was the first time I embarked on the Chocobo treasure quests and eventually defeated Ozma. FF9 is IMO the best story, world, and fun I've had in any FF game. First Time beating it was in 2002, the second time was 2020, and I just recently played it and did all the extra stuff. It's by far my favorite. Kinda sad that there's nothing new to find in it for myself anymore... The only FF game left for me to check out is 13, which I think I'll do eventually.
I 100% understand your feelings with FF 10! The same thing happened with me every time I attempted to play it. I would just lose interest after a few hours and drop it. This never once happened to me during any of the PS1 final fantasies.
I think if FF8's leveling/drawing system was scrapped for a more traditional battle system, It would rank #2 for me right behind FF9.
I audibly gasped at hearing XIVs placement but then nodded my head at you saying you only played A Realm Reborn, very fair but man you are doing yourself as a final fantasy fan a injustice. The final two expansions are the best thing thats ever happened to the series due to everything built up as a base. Yeah its long and a commitment but I honestly wholeheartedly think that we'll never get something of that calibur in terms of story for a very very long time
It’s really interesting how 13, type 0, and 15 are connected. They’re all games I’m considering collecting for my Xbox series because backwards compatibility 😥 lol but the pc version of 13 might be the way to go not sure
Slight correction, CID is indeed in FF1 ;)
Beside 11, I personally played and completed them all...
and since being with my wife 15 years ago, we replayed all of them together (except 8 which we havent gotten to just yet)
We also did not play any of the 14 DLCs yet either... maybe one day! hehe..
Here would be my personal order... but honestly, i haven't thought about it that much...
And many of them could probably be moved around!
11, 13, 3, 2, 5, 14, 8, 1, 9, 10, 12, 15, 6, 4, 7
After hearing your stories... I assume it might actually be related to WHEN in your life you were when you played it... and which order you played the games ;)
While i did rank 13 very low, I also enjoyed it... did a platinum on it... after the first 20 linear hours, i really started to enjoy the systems and the game... but i still prefered 13-2... AND i "think" all other games in the series ;) hehe...
I think meant to clarify that Cid wasn't in the original NES version of FF1. His name was added in future ports and remakes, so in that sense, you're right haha.
But great list! It's great that you and your wife could experience most of them together!
Hey a list quite similar to mine, and for sure I agree with most of what you said. Your spot on about when in your life you played it. I have fond memories of the day I bought Final Fantasy 1 for the NES as a kid, never hearing about it but I liked the cover of the box with the sword and axe crossed. Little did I know what journey it would take me on for the last few decades. The only game I've never finished (other than MMO's because you can't finish them technically) was FF13. Couldn't even get through more than 2 hours of it. Characters were all annoying, it was unbelievably linear, music wasn't good at al and heck they didn't even have FF prelude song or victory fanfare.... just failure all around.
My list is 13, 11, 3, 2, 5, 15, 9, 10, 8, 12, 14, 6, 4, 1, 7. Similar enough to yours with a few adjustments.
It's a shame FFXI had to go so low, but I don't blame you. It was always at the bottom of my list until I tried it not too long ago. Now, it's my favorite in the series. They made the main story soloable, and each expansion takes about as long as a normal FF game. The main story of FFXI is probably the best in the series.
Thanks for the video, it's awesome seeing some FFIX appreciation!
Final Fantasy XIV is a great game, but it's not for everyone, and AAR is sometimes hard to get through.
But I never thought I would love an MMO as much as XIV and I have tried WOW.
Regarding FF8, if you didn't fall asleep drawing magic out of Biggs & Wedge, did you really play ff8???
Good old days...😂
With the release of the Pixel Remasters, I've finally played the NES era games and besides XI have finally played them all. Here's how I would rank them:
1. VII
2. XII
3. XIV
4. VIII
5. IX
6. XIII
7. IV
8. VI
9. V
10. XVI
11. II
12. XV
13. III
14. I
15. X
I really enjoyed watching this video! I came in thinking that the top 5 had to be the same titles as my own, just in a different order. I was surprised throughout and respect your opinion and also am happy you were able to experience the entire mainline series!
For me:
6 (my favorite video game ever)
9
5
4
10
12
7
1
14
3
15
11
2
8
13
Your list is great! I appreciate the kind words!
FF4 got the best story from a protagonist point of view, and the best redemption story i have seen ever in a rpg, + it was also my first FF, i played it at the original release in 1992 somewhere as an import from the U.S. since i am living in Vienna, Europe and there was no pal version ever made for the SNES.
It has a very memorably music, story, characters, Golbez was kinda the Darth Vader of Final Fantasy and very connected to Cecil the dark knight who did start out as the evil guy massacring villaers for crystals. And lets not forget Rubicant the most honorable fire fiend and strongest of the 4 elementals, who heals your party before the battle to gurantee a fair fight.
Its the first part of the story that is so well written, until Cecil the Dark Knight, turned into a paladin.
He is saving this strange girl from a village, with green hair who can summon monsters, from his own soldiers, because he also got betryayed by his own king.
The redemption path for doing evil and killing her mother started with that girl.
The world building was very cute and unique, with Yang and his wife for example.
I think you should play it again with more open eyes :P
Another great detail why i think FFIV is the best, is, the great art of plot and character telling just started with this one.
Its amazing what you could do on an early 16 bit title and just some 2D sprites.
I liked the gameplay, too as i like defined classes don't want job classes, fixed classes give characters more personality, its useful for the story narrative.
And FFVI is bigger, and better won't deny that, but it lost quite the enchanting and innocent fairy tale charme of 4, with its doomsday weapons of mass destruction and syfy elements.
But character cast was still solid, and it got the best antagonist in the series
Too bad Cecil never run into Kefka. Would have been quite interesting.
And yeas there are simply stories, but the art of making it good lies in execution and details, and FFIV perfected it, with its little dramatic event scripts.
In a similar way i like Shining Force 1 campaign better than SF2s its just how its directed and done. Shorter games and stories maybe, but no fluff no idling no losing of momentum.
My Ex-GF loved FFVIII was into this romance story, i never played it but just got a remaster, might explore this a bit never played 9 either.
I like the CGI style of FVIII at least and card games, i think it got some nice world building i knew virtual chatrooms from 20 years ago that were build on the pictures and art of FFVIII.
She hated IX, however - coming from 8, 9 was very different game. A back to the roots game i would have prefered. However you must know, it was released as the last FF on the PS1 and the game simply did not run well on it, the load times were much higher than in the previous games, i am sure that was annoying and hinered here to explore this game.
The last FF i actively played was VII. The plot was greater than it looked like on first glance, i think that was pretty interesting. Final form of Sepiroth looked like that one of Kefka, which was a bit confusing.
Personally i wish'd, square would have expanded on FF6 more and not so much FF7, Kefka was more intersting than Sepiroth, albeit Sepi was iconic to look at. But Kefka was so crazy and evil like no other villain in history of villains, like the Joker, just worse.
And he started out as weakling and whimp.......who got to godhood to do evil things like the destruction of the world, pretty awesome for an villain to achieve his goals while people still playing the game.
I heard rumors after the FF7 remake there will be a FF6 remake. Would be really about time to remake the easily the best FF. I really love 4 most, but 6 was easily the best overall, both strong story games and one has the best protagnist story and the other the best antoganist story, FF is just about story anyways and world building and immersion with music themes, perhaps.
Id rather play tactical RPG for the gameplay, like tactics ogre, currently sitting on Triangle Strategy with its retro look and its from 2022.
"I've only played ARR"... welp that explains it.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has XIII in top 5.😂 Here’s my list. It may change overtime because I want to give some of these another chance(especially VII and XV):
1)X
2)XII
3)VI
4)IX
5)XIII
6)XIV(ARR)
7)VII
8)VIII
9)I
10)XV
11)IV
12)V
13)III
14)II
15)XI(only one I haven’t played)
FFXV is phenomenal. Thanks for that.
On the topic of ‘controversial’ games, I only wish you also played FFII at an earlier, more ideal time in your life. To me, it’s very brave and special. The darkness of the story took me on such a whirlwind ride.
No it isn't. It was an absolute nightmare at release. The royal edition fixed some of it. It's far from a great game. And that's not an opinion. Just a fact
It’s wild that we both love this series and your 3,4, and 5 spot would be like 10,11,12 for me and you have some of mine so low (my favorite is 6). It shows the quality of the series and how there is no right answers, just awesome games for people to love.
Exactly! And don't get me wrong, the classics that I have a little lower on my list are fantastic! I think, since I'm only 23, the newer games are higher because I played them in my formative years. Like I mentioned, I recently played 4 and 6, and that was after I played almost all the rest.
I will say though, as I've been going back and playing through the series, I can absolutely guarantee you that my list is going to be DRASTICALLY different once I play through then all again and update this list. Thanks for the comment!
@@overleveledgames completely agree. Formative years matter for sure. I’m (unfortunately) 34 and my first two I played were 6 and 7. My third game was 4 and while I love it it was definitely hard going backwards. Your list was genuine and well done. I’ve subbed and look forward to going through your channel!
Keep up the good work dude!!! Glad you're able to make these videos while also working to support your family!!!
I appreciate it!
My personal ranking (of the games I’ve played):
1. IX (favorite game of all-time)
2. VI
3. IV
4. XII
5. X
6. XIII
7. XIV (Realm Reborn only)
8. VIII
9. XV
Really hoping for the pixel remasters to come to console so I can play I-III sometime soon. Also, while I haven’t played the original VII, I’m experiencing it for the first time via Remake. And if I had to include Remake on the list, it’d be right inbetween FFIV and FFXII.
You’ve played that many without playing 7 how interesting
I actually only played FFVII for the first time in 2019. Took me a while for some reason to get there haha
@@Storm1Trooper5 I know haha. Kinda wild. But when I was a kid, I only played IX. And then going into my teenage years I played X and XIII. I just never went back to play any games older than IX until I was in college when XV released and the SNES Classic came out. That led to me playing VI. And about a year ago I bought a Vita so that I could play classic PS1 JRPGs, but that also enabled me to play the PSP version of IV. And then just eventually VIII via the remaster on PS4.
Just never got around to VII albeit owning the game on PS1 for pretty much my entire life via my older brothers. And then they announced Remake, so I decided to let that be my first experience with it.
I've only played 1,4,5,6,7,9 and those are my favorites 😂 you make me want to check out the post-X PC ones though. I would suggest giving the FFV pixel remaster a playthrough, it really is a great FF title and the job system is excellent.
So to the exception of 10 u u played the best ones. I mean u can skip the rest. I mean 12 was decent but 13 n 8 are god awful ans 15 would be better if the e ding was better and the fame was actually complete
One of the best ranking videos I’ve ever watched. I enjoyed your opinions, comparisons and real-life connections. I finished X on deployment to get my mind off missing family. Came home and finished 8 when it was my night to stay up with my newborn daughter. Looking forward to watching your other videos.
I greatly appreciate it, and thank you for your service!
As a child, I inherited PS1 from my older cousin when others have moved on to PS2. I played FF VII, VIII, and IX, and totally loved IX the most among the three. FFX was such a hype when it was released and since I didn't have PS2, it was always a distant unfulfilled childhood desire. About a couple years ago, I picked up the FFX HD from Steam, and I thought it was just me but I HAD THE SAME EXACT DIFFICULTY AND REASON AS WHAT YOU WERE EXPLAINING IN THE VIDEO!!! I also stopped after 5-6 hours, and never continued playing! Glad you managed to overcome it and found it rewarding. Seeing how we had the same taste on IX, I may likely find the X to also be great. I'll play X again one of these days :)
Just skip X and play other, better FF titles. X is the most linear, overrated, cringeworthy voice acted and undemanding FF of all time ;) Won´t get any better aufter 5, 20 or 60 hours.
@@FelixS. On linearity, I don't consider it a con. Linear is welcome as long as the story is great (all my favorite games are linear). I don't really get the attraction of multiple endings non-linear games--give me the best version and be done with it!--is my thought process lol. What FFs are your top 1, 2, 3?
@@nurhandrio I am talking about the fact this game is basically a one way road without any decisions or explorations whatsoever. I am not talking about open world. Not everything is black and white there are shades of grey inbetween. Additionally I find the story of this game vastly overrated and didn’t get any emotions from the „romance“ of this narrative. Game is a major step back from the psx era. But of course build your own opinion. Just wanted to emphasize there are much worthier games in this franchise to approach first.
@@nurhandrio Oh. My top FFs are IX and XIV by far, followed by VII, VIII, XII and XVI in no specific order, with XVI being a great example for linear but brilliant.
I have just barely started playing FFXII on my Steam Deck (1.5 hours so far) and I too love the setting and the initial setup of the story (from the cut scene).
I have a FF-related question: The Steam store have FFIV listed in a few ways and I am a bit confused and am hoping you can help. I see the 'regular' version, a '3D Remake' version, and 'The After Years.' I want the remake, but since I want the whole story, will I also have to by 'The After Years' or does the remake include 'regular' and 'The After Years?' Thanks for any light you can shed on my confusion.
The After Years is, unfortunately, a separate purchase from both the regular version (the Pixel Remaster) and the 3D remake
This is a very... Uhhh... "unorthodox" list. Listening to your reasonings on it is fascinating.
Mine is (fav to least fav) IX, XII, VI, V, X, VII, IV, VIII, XIII, III, I, II, XV. Never played XI and XIV.
I like them all tho, none is bad or comes close to being bad.
Mine are 4, 6, 15, and 13 along with 13-3
Fun fact FFXI is in the guiness book as the first cross platform network.
That fact WAS fun!
Can't say I have a top 15 but I can do a top 10
10. FF3 just didn't appeal to me the way I wish it would've
9. FF2 I don't think it's the black sheep even though it is I didn't mind the backwards Leveling system or the music and I respect that they tried with the story
8. FF1 this game is addictive for an 80s game working on OG Nes version and not really the biggest fan of it!! Otherwise I've played the PSP, GBA, PS1 and Pixel Remaster versions of this game!!
7. FF10-2 I'm putting this one here mainly because I have played this game but haven't played FF8!! I don't count just making it to the first save point kuz that's only like 10 minutes of gameplay maybe 20 minutes at best!!
6. FF4 I like the story but what's holding this one back is I feel like it's the easiest one of the series!! I could be wrong but I felt this was more story focused rather then gameplay focus
5. FF7 I know I'm probably gonna have a lot of people stop reading after placing FF7 at 5 but don't get me wrong it's a great game and I understand all the fuss about it personally I just like a few more games of the series better!!
4. FF6!? Maybe FF5!?
3. FF5!? Maybe FF6!? This one is tough for me because I love both games and I really can't decide!! I love the job system on FF5 but I love the environment on FF6!! Maybe I'll come back and edit this comment once I know for sure!!
2. FF10 I grew up with this one as a kid I love the voice acting art style music and Blitzball!!
1. FF9 I started with this one so this could just be me being biased and blinded by nostalgia but that story music relatable characters plus the E2PG challenge or just achieving the Excalibur 2 in general felt rewarding and it gave me a reason to speed run this game!! I'm not the greatest speed runner but I can segment run this game and achieve the Excalibur 2!!
This was seriously an awesome upload and glad to see you have your own opinion rather than following a trend. Subscribed now
We have the same top 2, but the rest is wildly different. Ignoring XI since I haven't played it, mine would probably go:
II, III, XV, I, XIII, IV, VIII, XII, V, XVI, X, XIV, VI, VII, IX
I'm unsure if XVI is too high or not due to recency bias. While XIV has a huge advantage in story due to its length (Shadowbringers alone is top tier FF) as a long-time player the gameplay and meddling with jobs gets a bit tiresome, and all story-mandatory content is very easy (a philosophy also apparent in XVI). For story alone it'd be rank 1 or 2, but 4 feels about right overall despite the wildly different style.
6 > 4 > FFT > 9 > 11 > 12 > 14 > 7 > 5 > 2 = 1 > 8 > 3 > 10 > 13. Can't rank 15 since I didn't end up wanting to play it, 16 is most likely in the same boat since it's doubling down on action combat.
I could put FFT in 4's place, but I'm taking into account how long the battles in FFT can be and how you need to set time for it.
Finally, someone who forms their own opinion on their favorite games and backs it up with evidence. Good video🎉
I appreciate it man!
listing games is very subjective. For me, ff6 doesn't cut it at all for example, while I adore ff10, 9, 8, and 7. I also loved 16 and the two 7R games!
You’ve got goated tastes especially putting FFIX at the top, it’s the best FF game I agree with this.
Loved your list man, this is the first video i saw from you but you just got one more subscriber and Twitter follower. I'm 36 and i've been playing Final Fantasy since 1998, so my list is a little different:
1 - FF 8 (my favorite game of all time
2 - FF 7 and 9 (can't decide, my other favorite games ever)
4 - FF 10 (this game and the 3 PSOne ones are the games i replayed the most all my life together with KH 1 and 2)
5 - FF 6
6 - FF 12
7 - FF 4
8 - FF 15
9 - FF 5
10 - FF 13
11 - FF 3
12 - FF
13 - FF 2
So happy you enjoyed it, and great list!
You can always tell when someone comes into the series late. Final Fantasy four is not only my favorite Final Fantasy game but it’s my favorite video game of all time. I’m glad you acknowledge that because I’m surprised it was so low on the list. I am glad that you put 13 so high because I really like that game and I don’t understand all the hate it gets..
I just did an extensive replay of IV. I played the PSP version before I made this video, but I just finished the 3D Steam port. My opinion has almost completely flopped on it's head (in a great way), haha. Look out for a full review/retrospective of FFIV on my channel!
@@overleveledgames You were right also when you said playing these games when they were new really blew a lot of minds because we hadn't seen anything like this before.
Loved your list. Thank you!
Hoo boy! Those are some spicy takes, sir! Have a like for your courage.
...Definitely agree with number 1, though. Final Fantasy IX is truly a definitive Final Fantasy.
I love the story in final fantasy 7 with crisis core, the main game and advent children which is a movie l wish they made it into a game instead
IX is the best best best.l Dude you need to start 14 again! ITs wayyy wayyy better than the realm reborn era now. I confident you would enjoy it as ff fan.
4 is the one that established final fantasy as the premier story telling franchise 6 was an opera for the snes. I played them all as they came out in the us starting with 1
Loved that FF9 was your top. But 13 is way to high for me. That "game" is a piece if trash. But I appreciate the honesty.
FF6 is the best
Followed I don't follow a lot of FF youtubers.
as someone who have played all the games including XI and XIV I find it hard to find people who are respectful of other peoples' opinions.
But as someone who played only ARR and loves the Final Fantasy series its a shame you didn't play more. ARR is good and it's only gets better. I think any FF fan should play it its the most FF game there is. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it! I'll certainly jump back into FF14 in the future!
The idea of placing the original Final Fantasy below FF14 in any way would be completely mindboggling if you had played ANYTHING past ARR. The Expansions are better than... a solid MOST of the mainline Final Fantasy Games.
Ff9 takes the #1 spot for me too!!! So amazing!
Based. For me it’s super hard between FF7 and FF9, they’re both beautiful games.
After the Release of ff16, in which place you would it rank?
These takes are wild af, to each their own but you gone and did the 16bit Era absolutely dirty.
Most of the top of your list is the same as mine with the exception of 15 which I didn’t like very much. But I love that you have 9 as number one. Same. FF9 and KH2 are still my favorite games of all time. I also would place FF13 high on my list. I’d maybe place FF6 up under 9, 7, and 8. But good. Good list.
9
7
16
6
10
1
15
12
8
13
(Havent played the mmos and working on 2-5 rn. Also plan on replaying 12 cause i havent played the zodiac age so my list might change)
Watching to help me decide whether to buy the pixel remaster collection on switch. Great video
I like the Pixel Remasters for
1.) Their Soundtracks
2.) The quality of life changes to the gameplay, primarily for 1, 2, and 3
3.) The convenience of being modern hardware.
4.) The most updated translations to be as in depth and as close to the original script.
However, I personally am partial to the PSP versions of FF1 and 2, and the 3D version of FF4.
For Final Fantasy 1 and 2, I'm a big fan of the visuals over the Pixel Remaster. For Final Fantasy 4, even though I prefer the visuals of the pixelated version, the script of the 3D version is unmatched. So good!
Personally, I'm currently playing FF2 on PSP, but it's modded with the OST from the Pixel Remaster. That's the best way to play FF1 & 2 in my opinion.
To each their own though! Haha. No matter how you play the games though, each version has it's pros and cons. Let me know when you make a decision! And thanks for watching!
I just recently finished the FFIV Pixel Remaster version and it increased my appreciation of FFIV but I originally played the PS1 version and it didn't land with me either so you're not alone there.
I also really adore FFIX but Tetra Master is awful. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it but it's just very poorly implemented.
Final Fantasy 8 is a lot more fun when played like a regular Final Fantasy game. Instead of Junctioning a phoenix down to your HP early on and not leveling up to keep enemies weak etc just play through and it's a lot more fun.
Good work man. This has got me exited for FF16 and I kinda wanna play through them all again too
Much appreciated man! Yeah I'm doing a big replay through the series right now. I just finished up my review of FFI if you want to check that one out as well! I even reviewed the official novelization lol
@@overleveledgames oh wow, thats dedication 😁
I'll cheggit out
I played 1 not too long ago and it's still good. Just a little basic but cool to see where it came from
FFVIII finally getting some true love.
I know you are a bit younger than me (31 as of typing this) but I find it super interesting that your family are gamers. My grandma is like in her 90s and probably dosen’t understand the concept of what a video game is, and my mom’s knowledge doesn’t go past knowing who Mario is so she definitely wouldn’t know the story of FF7.
I wouldn't say I have a family of gamers haha. I'm 24, born in 1999. My mom was right out of high school when she had me. Back in 97, as a teenager, I think she just had a lot of friends were into video games. The only game that I would say she knows everything about is Killer Instinct on SNES haha
FFXV made by the Tokyo Team while KHIII made by the Osaka Team. How the timeline and games could have been on release
First time viewer.
Very good video 🎉
Subscribed today
I don’t get the hate for 13. It was my first and I loved it.
If im new to the series, which one should i buy?
I definitely recommend you check out my video "What Should be Your FIRST Final Fantasy?"
If you’re a story lover you should give FFXIV a better look. SE is offering a free trial up to the end of the first expansion (heavensward) so that’s everything to lvl 60. I am a Dad and have the same time constraints so I play when I can but the story after the base game (realm reborn) just gets so much better.
By the end of the last expansion 6.0 you are so invested in the story, anyway you do you but if it’s a great story your looking for I would do it…. Plus you could stream your journey through the MSQ and that will give you a huge boost to stream and YT viewership. Nothing FFXIV players love more than seeing new players experience the story, trust me 😀
I’m here to let you know what you hopefully already know. FFXIV is an absolute masterpiece. A realm reborn is like a 1/10 in comparison to heavensward, a 3/10 to stormblood, a 0/10 to shadowbringers, and a 1/10 to endwalker.
My best friend is the absolute biggest final fantasy fan to ever walk the planet. He’s played through and beat all of them at least 10 times each, but more than 30 times each for your top 5. In his words, “FF14 has the best story hands down.” Also, all the fan service from previous games makes it incredibly hype for long time fans of the franchise. I don’t want to spoil anything, but trust me when I say, the fan service in 9 is nothing in comparison.
Stop robbing yourself of one of the best stories you will ever experience in all forms of media.
PS
Will sub for 14 content.
Like I said, investment in any MMO right now is tough because I work over 50 hours a week and have 2 kids. I know that I would LOVE XIV, I just wouldn't be able to give it the love it deserves right now. Either that or not give my family the love they deserve, haha.
I want to make FFXIV content so badly! I just need to get to the point where TH-cam and streaming and that kind of stuff are viable financial avenues for me. But subscribing now is a step closer to me getting to that point!
@@overleveledgames No reason to play it as an MMO. Play the main story quests alone, as that is what I and the community praise so highly. Each expansion is roughly 40-50 hours of content if digested at a casual pace the first time you play through it, just like most FF games. Play it like it’s any other single player RPG. FFXIV is an MMO that doesn’t punish you for having commitment to the real world.
I am wondering what makes certain people gravitate towards different entries. I very much appreciate the older era (IV & VI are high on my list-I was shocked to hear you say story is your highest priority, but right after are saying IV & VI are so low on your list), while XV is very low on my list, due to the story & something about it felt… synthetic, for lack of a better word. But still, X is really hard for me to get in to because of the atrocious voice acting, and VIII was forgettable and kind of cringe to me, yet I love XII. At the same time, though, while I’ve been playing Final Fantasy games for a bit over 20 years, XVI and VII Remake are two of my favorite entries in the series, & they’re the two newest. It’s interesting to think about. Good list regardless since you had understandable reasons for everything! 😅
I'd be surprised if FFXVI didn't get to your top 5 after seeing this list