For a game series that was initially spawned out of a last-ditch effort, this long-running JRPG series never seems to reach the finality where its namesake comes from. That’s a good thing, of course. Over time,Final Fantasyhas ebbed and flowed between different entries, different ideas. Each game takes place in a completely separate setting, telling a completely separate story. Gameplay mechanics and systems have changed significantly, especially in the more recent entries.Final Fantasyhas always been a malleable series, ever since the franchise’s inception in 1987, all the way to the upcomingFinal Fantasy 16coming soon.
Obviously this list is not going to be inherently objective, especially in the highest tiers, asFinal Fantasyis a franchise full of differences and favorites. There are plenty of fans that consider any entry betweenFinal Fantasy 6andFinal Fantasy 10as the best game in the series. Some would argue thatFinal Fantasy 12is better than any of those games. Opinions vary because of how different each subsequent entry is between releases, and how most fans have their preference inFinal FantasyJRPG flavor. That being said, there are some pretty clear winners and losers throughout the whole series, even if some of the bestFinal Fantasyentries are comparably great.
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D-Tier: Poorly Aged and Disappointing Final Fantasy Games
Final Fantasy’s humble beginnings did help kick-start the franchise’s popularity and eventual success, but the first three games pale in comparison to later efforts.Final Fantasy 1,2, and3each emphasized what’s quickly becomethe tropes of JRPGs likeFinal Fantasy. WhileFinal Fantasy 3was the only game that began to emphasize the best parts about theFinal Fantasyseries, it just wasn’t quite impressive compared to later entries. It doesn’t help that all three classic games are mechanically dated and tedious to play compared to their successors.
The only modern exception in this tier isFinal Fantasy 13, the entry many may have expected to rank lower on the list.Final Fantasy 13is a strange behemoth of a game that somehow manages to be both derivative and uninteresting, whilst also trying and failing at executing new ideas as well.
The main character isa brooding protagonist with a gunblade. Sound familiar?So are most characters in the main cast. The game takes place in a sci-fi inspired setting hellbent on relentlessly hitting players over the head with supernatural jargon with L’Cie, Cieth, Fal’Cie, and all of the strange permutations in between.Final Fantasy 13also features the most simplified version of the active time battle system, as well as a hybrid “Paradigm” job system that was a bit arbitrary compared to other games.Final Fantasy 13is one of the better looking games in the whole series, but that’s really the only positive aspect paired with the litany of comparatively disappointing features.
C-Tier: Formative, but Forgetful, Final Fantasy Games
What’s interesting about this next tier ofFinal Fantasygames is that both entries here were formative at the time, but lackluster in retrospect.Final Fantasy 11was the first time the mainline series had entirely shifted genres, instead of slightly bending the JRPG formula. Jumping ship and becoming the first MMO in the series,Final Fantasy 11was certainly memorable for that reason, but was otherwise generic. It certainly wasn’t a bad MMO by any stretch, but evenafter the years of support (even to this day),Final Fantasy 11resembles a very traditional MMO framework that’s far outclassed by the more recentFinal FantasyMMO.
Final Fantasy 15was a formative game as a test run for open world and action-RPG mechanics. To some extent,Final Fantasy 15falls into the same area thatFinal Fantasy 11does, in that it can be generic. It doesn’t help that the game was stuck in development hell for over a decade, but even putting that aside, everything about the combat system and open world reflected western design more than a JRPG. Paired with two warring empires as the main conflict,a jester-like villain who’s awfully like Kefka, and the story ends up being quite similar to previousFinal Fantasygames.Final Fantasy 15does have redeeming qualities, but they’re few and far between.
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Arguably, the fourth and fifthFinal Fantasygames are neither great, nor bad. Both of these titles don’t necessarily have any glaring downsides, but distinguishable upsides are hard to quantify compared to later entries in the series.Final Fantasy 4ushered in the active time battle system used untilFinal Fantasy 10, as well as introduced a fluid class system. The narrative was also avastimprovement over the first three games, with character-driven stories that added much-needed personality to the plot.
Final Fantasy 5had excellent RPG mechanics and gameplay, especially with the refined Job system in the game. The sheer amount of customization between jobs and the cross-pollination of skills between each classmakes every playthrough ofFinal Fantasy 5unique. However, the plot and characters of the fifth game simply lack the same memorable or endearing qualities compared to other entries, includingFinal Fantasy 4.
A-Tier: The Most Ambitious Final Fantasy Games
This is where things get real interesting, because most fans really start to split opinions on the better end ofFinal Fantasyentries. If it had to be narrowed down, entries fromFinal Fantasy 8toFinal Fantasy 12(excludingFinal Fantasy 11) would find themselves in this tier compared to the best. Each game has several qualities that makes them all fantastic entries in theFinal Fantasyfranchise, but aren’t quite as extraordinary as the best games in the franchise.
Final Fantasy 8ends up here because it’s arguably the most ambitiousand polarizing entry in the series, taking the most risks in RPG mechanics and storytelling compared to others.Final Fantasy 9, while a beautiful love-letter and callback to the medievalFinal Fantasygames, is also derivative in setting and tone.Final Fantasy 10made the inaugural jump to high fidelity graphics alongside impressive refinements of classic mechanics, but the game shows its age in several key areas.Final Fantasy 12has largely become a niche entry in the franchise, since it’s mechanically very different from its predecessors.
S-Tier: The Quintessential Final Fantasy Experiences
The best of the bestFinal Fantasygames will likely come as relatively no surprise to many, with the one exception beingFinal Fantasy 14. The 14th game is a special case in that, despite launching in a state far worse thanFinal Fantasy 11initially, the game was re-launched and reinvented withA Realm Reborn. Unlike the traditional and slightly generic approach in the firstFinal FantasyMMO,Final Fantasy 14melds its source material into the MMO genre wonderfully. Homages to past games, alongside mechanics that are both easy to learn, hard to master, all makeFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborna perfect example of what aFinal FantasyMMO should be.
As forFinal Fantasy 7, this choice is arguable for being one of the best entries in the franchise, but the seventh game deserves high marks.Final Fantasy 7was the game that boosted the series' popularity worldwide, was one of the most successful entries in the franchise, and has become one of the most iconic video games in general. Even if it’s not empirical evidence of whyFinal Fantasy 7is so important for the series, there’s merit to the game being important enough to be completely remade. However, evenin the wake ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s first episodeshowing what the future holds, the originalFinal Fantasy 7still holds up really well.
Of course,the quintessentialFinal Fantasygame is stillFinal Fantasy 6. Emphasizing everything that made the classicFinal Fantasygames great, whilst also ushering many of the grounded sci-fi themes that would permeate through many subsequent entries. It was the last of the 16-bit eraFinal Fantasygames on SNES, and every aspect of the gameplay and story still remains some of the series' best. The pacing, from the linear start to the more open ended back half of the game, is near-perfect. All of the RPG mechanics and customizability enhance the game’s gameplay freedom.Final Fantasy 6is a masterclass entry that’s a must-play for any JRPG fan.
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