Hello Everyone!
Its been too long haha~ I've been sick for a while and running in and out of the hospital for the past two weeks so I haven't had the time or energy to write anything. Sorry! I'm feeling alright for now though so I'm writing this post in the early hours of the morning since I slept through the whole day!
So, I've been wanting to make this post for a LONG time now, and the only reason why I haven't was because I wanted to wait until I bought FF XIV. I have the game now, but I haven't even played it yet lol. As you all know, I'm a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series and have been for years!
I used to watch my cousins play the games (notably, VI and VIII) when I was younger watched in awe at how beautiful it was. I never played the games myself until I played Kingdom Hearts and learnt that the franchise was made by the same people who made Final Fantasy (Square Soft; now Square Enix). From then on I went to play loads of titles from the series so I could experience the games in its entirety.
What I love most about the final fantasy series is that each games is it's own story. The first game doesn't link to the second, and so on. It allows you to play a new characters story with each new release, and gives you the opportunity to explore their world. It's different to the Kingdom Hearts series where each game is tied to each other and they all play important roles for the storyline.
I decided that I don't want to include games from the series that I haven't played since that's a little stupid right? So I'm only going to be ranking the ones that I have played!! The Final Fantasy games I have played are: IV, VI, VII, VII CC, VIII, IX, X, X-2, XII, XIII, XIII-2
I'll try my best to leave spoilers out of it, and I'll put the console platform you can play it on in brackets, and leave my personal ranking at the bottom of each rank!
So enough rambling, lets get started!
- 7 -
Final Fantasy IX - released, 2000 (PS1)
Lets kick this one off with Final Fantasy 9! I debated really hard on whether to put this one on my list, but decided to go ahead with it in the end. This game has been said to be the bridge between the old final fantasy games and the new generation graphics we see today (well, back then lol). And that's probably the reason why I enjoyed it so much. FF 7 and 8 gave us really cool story lines in worlds that were similar to ours, but the first few final fantasy worlds isn't really like that, and I feel like 9 was able to bring out the best in the old games and put it into a whole new story.
The characters are great, my favorite being Vivi! He was honestly the saddest character in the game for me and the ending didn't help lol. I also loved the relationship between Garnet and Zidane. He could always see when Garnet was having trouble with her emotions and tried his best to help despite having his own problems. Best friend goals!!
Story 7/10 - Characters 9/10 - Soundtrack 6/10 - Gameplay 6/10
- 6 -
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call - released, 2014 (3DS)
Hehehe, this isn't really a final fantasy game. It doesn't have a main story line or cut-scenes. Its basically a spin off music game where you get to choose an ost from any of the final fantasy games, and with your four characters (ff characters that you can unlock as the game progresses) you can use that track to defeat your enemy (the ff villains). The more games you play, the higher your level, and the further into your quest you can go!
The trailer explains it better than I do lol
This game is a really fun one if you love the music in final fantasy games, but not the games itself. It's not a role playing game, but something similar to Love Live!School Idol Festival, just on your 3DS instead of your phone. I recommend this game if you're a fan of rhythm games!
Story 3/10 - Characters 4/10 - Soundtrack 10/10 - Gameplay 8/10
- 5 -
Final Fantasy VII - released, 1997 (PS1, PS3, PS4)
I bet you didn't expect to see this one up on the list so early on did you? Haha, I know I talk about this game a lot, but it's not my favorite FF game by far. I do love it however, since its the second FF game I've ever played. The game is easily the most talked about in the franchise since a lot of gamers were first introduced to the RPG genre from it. I for one absolutely loved this game for a different reason though. What drew me to this game was how similar the world was to our own. There being a huge city with so much to offer, only to find that the world was SO MUCH BIGGER (seriously, the scene where you find out there is a lot more to the game than Midgar was mind blowing). Having a corrupt government, and a villain who lost their way in life. It was so similar to the way I viewed the world that I couldn't help but love this game. The villain (Sephiroth) was great and allowed for the best villain soundtrack to date, as well as the biggest wtf battle I've ever had to play lol. The characters are all very realistic (unlike many other games where its like "WE CAN DO IT" all the time), and the soundtrack was beautifully done. This game, although it wasn't my favorite, is easily one of the most nostalgic. AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE REMAKE!?!! OHH MYY GODDD
I would recommend this game if you like RPG's that aren't so driven by its "fantasy" setting/theme and has an almost realistic approach to the game.
/cough would also recommend FF XV when it's released lol and i mean come on LOOK AT THAT GLORIOUS GAMEPLAY AND THE CUTSCENES AND THE GRAPHICS GOOD LORD/
^Yes those were all trailers and you need to watch them ALL^
Story 8/10 - Characters 8/10 - Soundtrack 9/10 - Gameplay 6/10
- 4 -
Final Fantasy XIII-2 - released, 2012 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Hmm, this is a game that I personally think got completely ignored by fans of the FF franchise simply because they didn't like its original game, FF XIII. I can't blame them for ignoring this game though, since I didn't like the first game either lol. The sequel to it though, I loved. I thought it was amazing. The improved gameplay, the focus not being so split on so many different characters, the relationship between Serah and Noel (which I 100% ship more than Serah and Snow, god I hated Snow). I liked how in this game, the focus was more on Serah, Lightning's little sister (and the reason why the story of 13 happened in the first place!). She went from being a girl who wasn't taken seriously and had to depend on everyone, to a strong woman who did what she had to do to get her sister back and save the world. I liked how unlike the first game *XIII, the sequel explored the world before the Fal'cie, and allowed you to switch back and forth into different time lines (basically time travelling). The soundtrack was LEAAAUUUGGEESSS ahead of 13, it really made the game 1000 times better.
Sorry for bringing up ships again but dammit I really don't like Serah and Snow together. If Serah ended with Noel at the end of the story, I would have given this a higher rating.
And since we're on the topic of XIII, the trailer was soooo much better than the game itself , makes me angry just thinking about it.
Story 7/10 - Characters 6/10 - Soundtrack 9/10 - Gameplay 8/10
almost there lol
- 3 -
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - released, 2008 (PSP)
Oh boy, queue the tears. This game is the prequel to Final Fantasy VII and tells the story of Zack Fair, a member of SOLDIER and best friend of Cloud Strife (the blondie). This is, in my opinion, what really ties the story line together. Without this game, I don't think I would have enjoyed 7, Dirge of Cerberus, or Advent Children as much as I did. I allowed me to experience what happened before Clouds journey, and actually made me sympathize for not only Cloud, but the villain Sephiroth too. The only fault this game had was the game play. I really hated the the whole "wheel of fortune" limit breaks that are similar to Wakka's (FFX) limit. I didn't mind the rest of it though, but it couldn't make up for the annoying parts of the gameplay. The story itself however, is probably one of my favorite in any final fantasy game. The emphasis on friendship really made this story great, and the connections between all of them only made it greater. My favorite scene is definitely the play fight between Sephiroth and his friends Angeal and Genesis. Also, the end scene but I don't wanna talk about it because../cries
I would recommend this game if you're already a final fantasy fan who wants to know more about FF7, or if you're looking for a reason to dig out your PSP again lol.
Story 8/10 - Characters 10/10 - Soundtrack 9/10 - Gameplay 4/10
- 2 -
Final Fantasy XII - released 2006 (PS2)
And here we have the most underrated Final Fantasy game ever released (except 5 lol), Final Fantasy XII. Now, ranking this at 2 might just be me being biased since FFXII was my first final fantasy game, but man do I love it. This story is focused on multiple characters stories told in the narrative of Vaan, the main character of this game. I tend to not enjoy games where multiple characters have a main story because most devs never seem to get it right, but Square did with this one (much better than XIII like I mentioned before). All the characters stories where essential to the plot and they all linked together at the end of the story. There wasn't one character that felt irrelevant in the game and that's what made me like it so much. Granted, I don't think the main character was the best choice, I would have made Balthier and Ashe (the people in the photo) the main's simply because they had a bigger role in the story and imo where the best characters the game had.
The gameplay is great! I love not having to encounter enemies when I don't want to and this game allowed me to avoid them when they were coming, and go back to them when I wanted to. The scenery is mesmerizing. I don't think I've ever seen such nice graphics for scenery in a FF game. It was also extremely well spaced out and gave you so much room to explore the world and discover secret things to help you progress in the game. The soundtrack, although not as great as it's predecessors, was amazingly put together as well. I don't know why people hated it so much, because I honestly think this is one of the best games in the FF franchise. The opening theme still gives me the feels!!!
Story 8/10 - Characters 7/10 - Soundtrack 8/10 - Gameplay 9/10
- Honorable Mention -
Final Fantasy IV, released 1991 (SNES, PS1, GBA, NintendoDS, PSP, Mobile)
Final Fantasy IV, released 1991 (SNES, PS1, GBA, NintendoDS, PSP, Mobile)
- 1 -
Final Fantasy X - released 2001 (PS2, PS3, PS4)
Hmm, I guess after seeing FF7 up at 5, you knew 10 would be my number 1 lol. To be fair, this is just a slight bit higher than FF12 in terms of my love for it. It's a fan favorite and I can see why, it's just such a beautifully put together game. There has only ever been two games that I have continued to play constantly without getting bored and this is definitely one of them. Final Fantasy X revolves around a world that is plagued by "Sin", a monster that appears every ten years to punish the world for their wrong doings. The main character Tidus is dragged into this world, where he meets Yuna and her guardians and joins them in their quest to defeat Sin once more.
What gets me about this game is the raw emotion that it gives you. Never has a game made me feel so sad about a character or a story, before this one. This game knows how to tug on your heart in the worst way. There are parts in the game where you battle the enemy, and after feeling so accomplished with yourself, they'll show a cut scene which makes you feel so horrible about defeating them. Whatever you say or do in the game can have a huge affect on the group later on, it makes you think "if i had said yes/no, would this be the outcome?". The gameplay is very simple in terms of actions, but the battles itself are strategic, so you have to think about your next move wisely and quickly. It's a huge step up from FF7's turn based system.
Each part of the game is so important, I don't think there is one part where I think "this part of the game wasn't needed", every cut scene is relevant and every character is important (even Kimhari lol). Tidus is quite an annoying character at the beginning (much like Sora in Kingdom Hearts), but he quickly realizes the weight of the situation and matures gradually. The relationship between Tidus and Yuna is probably the most beautiful and saddest relationship i've ever seen on a game. The best (and worst) thing about this game for me, is when I go through cut scenes and realize that a lot of them foreshadow the events to come. You only ever realize it once you get to a certain part of the game and it just makes you go "............oh my god", seriously. The biggest one for me was this scene when Tidus lights up...... yep never getting over that blatant foreshadowing that I didn't notice because of how beautiful Yuna's ceremony was.
This game has one of the most well written stories, the best soundtrack of gaming history (i mean come on, listen to THIS), memorable characters with stories you don't get bored of, and improved gameplay that makes the turn based battle system fun! The introduction of the Sphere Grid was awesome and my favorite part of leveling up in the game. The only fault I would give this game is the Villain (Seymour) being somewhat of a wannabe Sephiroth, and for making Tidus...well, you know.
/CRIES FOREVER/
And if you don't know then well, you need to play this game now. Literally just close this tab, go to a game store and go buy this game NOW.
Story 10/10 - Characters 9/10 - Soundtrack 10/10 - Gameplay 8/10
And that's it! This took way longer than I planned it to lol. I just start rambling when it comes to Final Fantasy games. I love them so much haha. If you haven't played any of the games please do! I recommend all the games I mentioned here~ If you have played a FF game before, what's your favorite game? Leave me a comment down in the comment section below!
Thanks for reading!
Oh before I forget, I am still looking for Guest bloggers and Questions for my Q&A. I kind of put it on halt since I've been ill the past two weeks, but i'm jump starting it up again haha, so please leave a message in the comment section below with questions you want me to answer. If you want to be a quest blogger please send me an email at jasminech@outlook.com with the subject "Minaekei - Guest Blogger" and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Bye!
Missed a post? Catch up with the latest blog posts~
~ Kami 7 Series ~
Let's keep in touch! Follow me here!
Comments
Post a Comment