You might find a slight bias in here for a particular franchise but bear with it.

Be aware that all criticism leveled at the games is in a different league than any other game. So "decent" in this comparison means "slightly less phenomenal than the other games on this list"

I played all of the games on their original consoles.

12. Final Fantasy III



I'll be honest here. I never finished FF3. I started it when I already played every other FF. It was a time where I was easily distracted by other stuff and never came around to finish it. But from what I've seen so far it's quite decent and has the usual FF goodness. It will probably be ranked higher after I finished it but until then it stays at the bottom.


11. Final Fantasy VI




This one just never clicked with me. Maybe it was the setting or the boring cast. I finished it barely but couldn't muster up any excitement comparable to other FF games I played. I know some people might disagree with it but I'm weird that way.


10. Final Fantasy




This one probably should rank higher for nostalgia reasons but not with me. Sure, it started the greatest franchise of all time but compared to all games that came after it it's a bit lackluster and it wouldn't be fair to put it before other games that boast a lot more features.


9. Final Fantasy II




I initially didn't like this one because of its skill system. But since I'm a sucker for senseless grinding I soon found myself enjoying slaying all those monsters with my maxed out weapons. A big step up from the first game story wise as well.


8. Final Fantasy IV




Decent game. Had all the bells and whistles a true FF game needs. Sadly it doesn't stand out too much among the other games.


7. Final Fantasy VII




Good game. The reason why this is so low is the weak cast. Cloud was a bore and his bore girlfriend Aerith didn't do much either. Honestly, I was relieved when she was kicked out of the game. I liked Tifa though for some odd reasons.
The setting is really nice and Gold Saucer was a great way to introduce minigames. Still love the submarine battles.
There were a few other nitpicks that made it not enter my prestigious top 5.

6. Final Fantasy X/X-2




I got a lot more enjoyment out of 10-2 than 10 because I'm a sucker for job systems. But'll score them together because without 10, 10-2 wouldn't have happened.
But as far as content goes 10 was awesome. Great level system, simple but engaging battle system. I really appreciated that they went back to real turn based strategy as opposed to the ATB of the previous games.
There was so much stuff in this game, from the ultimate weapons to the dark aeons. Blitzball was another great addition.
The only thing that holds those games back are the characters and story I don't give a flying fuck about.

5. Final Fantasy XII




This is the FF game I spent most time with. I did 2 playthroughs with the first just about 100h and the second even past that.
The battle system was something new for the series. It was free flowing but had some severe drawbacks. Nevertheless I for some reason enjoyed this game immensely. The graphics are absolutely astonishing for PS2 and the environmants are varried enough to net get boring too quick.
Mob hunting was great fun and the fact that the gambit system made it possible to defeat bosses without even touching the controller was great.
Biggest drawback was the useless level system. Except for FF13, this is the least fun I ever had with leveling.
Vaan and Penelope wre boring blank slates but I really enjoyed the rest of the cast around which luckily the story actually revolved. Probably not the most innovative story but enough to keep the game flowing.


4. Final Fantasy V




Yes, I love Job systems. And even though FF3 invented it, FF5 did it absolutely right. So many jobs, so many characters. An interesting story and an Omega Weapon that fucked me up so many times and I still loved it :)
Definitely by far the best 2D FF.


3. Final Fantasy XIII Saga




I think my love for FFXIII is abundantly clear. I even wrote a whole essay why I love it so much.
http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=180187

I was absolutely flashed by FF13. For once not because of the gameplay but the world, characters, story and at that time the graphics. I just wanted more after the game to explore the world.
FF13-2 and LR rounded up the saga quite nicely with my favorite ending of all time. A deserved entry into my top 3.


2. Final Fantasy VIII




I could tell you what I love about this game all day long but I'll keep it short: Most of it.
I loved the innovative setting with the moving "schools", the quite modern characters. The story is what I love most about it. It's a rollercoaster ride that changes pace and places so often that I just can't help myself. I mean at one point you're even in fucking space!!
Hovering Battle Schools? Check!
Blades that shoot bullets? Check!
Witches that come from the future, fly in space and care for orphans? Check!
Motorcycles jumping across battling flying fortresses? Check!

I could go on but I'm still gonna mention Triple Triad and the great number of Aeons that aren't even called Aeons and in my opinion the best soundtrack.

It's just the most innovative and crazy FF of them all!

1. Final Fantasy IX




There can't really be another FF at the top spot. FF9 is the pinnacle and the raw essence of every Final Fantasy game fused together with a great cast, world and story, sprinkled with 2 of the most awesome minigames ever and presented in stunning and timeless graphics.
I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this game. The gameplay was straight forward but well executed.





So there you have it. Those are my favorite games of all time. I am a Final Fantasy whore and will regard any main game as on another plane of existence compared to any non-FF games. If you wonder where FFXI and FFXIV are, they don't actually exist. They are just a scam by SE to make people pay monthly fees.

I might have to do a top 10 of non-FF games and then one for non-Japanese games to cover them all.

ff9 really is an almost perfect jrpg but it was way too easy.

Almost makes me want to play FF9...almost.

slightly versus total equals = one series to a variety of playstation games

I'm confused on the purpose of these posts.

I knew people who thought it was quite hard. Particularly the first boss. But those people don't grind like an idiot like most FF fans do who kn ow what the game is about.

i remember the old days when ff9 came out nobody like it at that time..they would literally laugh at you for even mentioning ff9. but not now different story..i guess everyone was into ff7 at that time and nothing in their minds could come even close.

FF9 wasn't edgy and cool and mature like FF7. It's pretty much the same as today when all these cool 14year olds laugh about Nintendo games.

I haven't played any of your favorite games.

No azure dreams for ps1? This list sucks




Ok its quite cool, except for XIII being so damn high

You should try some. I heard they're good.