With the recent release of FF7 Rebirth, the time has come to establish which are the best Final Fantasy games in the numbered saga.
The Final Fantasy series never ends, despite the name. More than three decades after the first chapter, Final Fantasy is as strong and revered as ever, and the recent Final Fantasy XVI was well received both by a large part of critics and by fans who immediately welcomed it among the best episodes.
XVI is actually the perfect starting point for your Final Fantasy journey, and if you want even more after you’re done with Clive and his friends, you can use our list below to expand your horizons. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, on the other hand, is a more complex matter, given that it is the second part of the remake of an already existing chapter, and therefore requires some more knowledge of the saga.
In this list of all mainline Final Fantasy games, we’ve ranked each title from best to worst. After all, not all fantasy is the same.
What are the best Final Fantasy games? —
Our fundamental rule for this ranking is that, to enter, a title must be a main and numbered chapter, so we will leave out sequels and spin-offs. That means no X-2, no Lightning Returns, and no XII Revenant Wings. The rule has been bent a little for the sake of one particular game, but we’re sure you’ll forgive us for that.
Read on, then, to find out everything you need to know about the best and worst games in the main Final Fantasy series, ranked from worst to best.
18. Final Fantasy II
This might be the only “bad” game in the main series, depending on your point of view. Final Fantasy II is more Final Fantasy, but it’s simply… more of the same, only not as good. Unless you’re determined to play the entire series, there’s no reason to return to this particular chapter.
17. Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III is actually pretty brilliant. It introduces the job system, which will become a staple of the series, has more detailed characters and, in general, lays the foundation for the future of the saga. It probably seemed like a revelation at the time, even though it wasn’t released outside of Japan for years. Nowadays it’s decent, but with a story that isn’t entirely convincing and a level design that’s simply… functional. He was instrumental in making the series what it is now, and these innovations have been vastly improved upon since then.
16. Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy FFXI fans are truly devoted and still are today. Is it worth playing? Um…
15. Final Fantasy XIII
Most levels in Final Fantasy XIII consist of linear corridors with branches leading to simple chests. You simply walk forward to the next fight or cutscene, then fight and watch the cutscenes. In the game’s defense, the graphics are truly exceptional by the standards of the time, the cutscenes are gorgeous and the fights have dramatic angles, making the battles more active and exciting than ever – this is what you should have imagined when the sprites were jumping around the screen of your SNES. Lightning is still a fan-favorite character, but FFXIII is often considered a misstep for the series.
14. Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII is good, okay? It just doesn’t live up to the incredible standards set by other PS1 Final Fantasy games. Squall’s Gunblade is iconic, and FFVIII set a new standard for JRPG graphics of the time. But despite the leap forward in terms of graphics, FFVII still overshadowed it, and that’s still true today.
13. Final Fantasy V
Now let’s take a moment to remember that Final Fantasy’s mainline chapters have some of the highest average quality of any JRPG series, despite it being so long-running and having such a high number of episodes. So while it may seem like Final Fantasy V was poorly made, it’s still a great game. It’s a classic turn-based JRPG, which Hironobu Sakaguchi called his favorite Final Fantasy. High praise.
12. Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy Even now that it is considered complete in terms of content, with all the paid DLC and post-launch updates, it still seems like something fundamental is missing. Nonetheless, what is there is valid. The world isn’t particularly Final Fantasy, but the journey with the boy band is unique in the series and the bonds that are created over the course of the game are worth the price of admission, even if it still has some underlying problems. It’s nice! But not great.
11. Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII, at the time, was a huge departure from what was synonymous with the series. For the first time, combat was drastically changed, switching to the Active Dimension Battle (ADB) system, where party members could follow pre-programmed instructions with the Gambit system. This game was also a key part of the ill-fated Ivalice Alliance, a Final Fantasy series that shared the same universe. FFXII is divisive, mostly because there’s still a legion of fans who love it through and through. Maybe not the best Final Fantasy, but it’s still fantastic.
10. Final Fantasy XIV
Yes, the MMO. Die-hard fans of the game argue that it deserves a much higher place on the list, but rest assured that someone will be upset regardless of the order. XIV had an incredibly difficult start, but A Realm Reborn breathed new life into the game and all subsequent expansions are better than the last, so much so that today it is considered the best MMO you can play right now. Have you heard about the free trial?
9. Final Fantasy XVI
Here it is, the last chapter of the series. Final Fantasy XVI has some ups and downs – the pacing sags in the last half – but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s excellent. The combat system is great and the limitation of only one playable character is one of the only things that stops it from being as good as FF7R. The story is beautifully anime too, with the most explosive and extreme battles and cutscenes in the entire series.
8. Final Fantasy IV
Many fans consider it one of the best, and it’s easy to see why. He took everything the previous ones had done and built on it, creating a unique and updated adventure. It is also one of the only classic FFs to have a direct sequel in IV: The After Years. However, the less said about this sequel, the better…
7. Final Fantasy I
The original. There’s a reason why Final Fantasy became the hit series it is now, and it all started with the first one. It might seem a little predictable now, especially if you’ve played many of the later Final Fantasy games, but the original game still shines. It has also been remade several times, making it easily accessible.
6. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Controversial, because Final Fantasy VII Remake is actually just the first few hours of the original game’s story, lengthened and “enhanced” with a duration of 30 hours. Technically FF7R is a sequel to the original FFVII, but let’s forget about that detail for now. All you need to know is that FF7R is a lot of fun, if sometimes poorly paced. It’s still the best combat system in all of Final Fantasy, so it earns a place on this list.
5. Final Fantasy VI
Perhaps the best of the 2D Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy VI features large mechs and a deep story, full of political plots and mystery. The protagonist Terra is a slave to the Empire thanks to a mind control device and, after being freed, she tries to discover herself and understand why she can use magic in a steampunk world where no one else can. A brilliant story that closes the classic era of Final Fantasy on a high note.
4. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
3. Final Fantasy
The first Final Fantasy for PS2 and one of the biggest transformations of the series in quite some time. The ATB (Active Time Battle) system was replaced by the CTB (Conditional Turn-Based) system, which changed the way the saga handled combat. Summons have also undergone a massive overhaul: the “Aeons” completely replace the party in battle, fighting for you. This is just the tip of the iceberg of why fans love FFX, and it’s worth discovering the rest for yourself.
2. Final Fantasy VII
The legend. Final Fantasy VII introduced JRPGs to an entire generation: people who didn’t even know what this genre was were suddenly drawn into a fascinating world and a story with multiple twists. Characters like Cloud and Aerith have become icons in the world of video games, cementing Final Fantasy VII’s status as one of the best titles in the genre. Some of it is just nostalgia, but you can’t ignore the impact this game has had on the entire industry. An essential game.
1. Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX is the last “traditional” Final Fantasy. It’s steeped in medieval fantasy, with knights, wizards, princesses and some wacky characters. This game arrived after Final Fantasy had dived deeper into sci-fi and steampunk tropes and settings for several chapters, and it was incredibly refreshing, with a deep story that took fans back to the series’ roots. Fans often consider it the best Final Fantasy game, though there’s plenty of room for debate. For this list, we think Final Fantasy IX is the best of all time. The pinnacle of Final Fantasy.
Top 10 Final Fantasy —
This is the top 10 of the best Final Fantasy, deriving from our ranking of the Square Enix role-playing saga:
- Final Fantasy IX
- Final Fantasy VII
- Final Fantasy
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Final Fantasy VI
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Final Fantasy I
- Final Fantasy IV
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Final Fantasy XIV
These other numbered chapters remain out, in order: Final Fantasy XII (11), Final Fantasy XV (12), Final Fantasy V (13), Final Fantasy VIII (14), Final Fantasy XIII (15), Final Fantasy (16), Final Fantasy III (17) and Final Fantasy II (18). We hope the ranking is useful for understanding where to start and with what priorities to tackle this or that episode, but in the meantime – if you are already veterans of the franchise – do you agree with our disposition?
Written by Dave Aubrey for GLHF