Oh yeah, definitely! I think wasted potential in general has become an increasingly common occurrence in games, but I guess the whole Fabula Nova Crystallis was a lot of wasted potential - but XIII in particular, I think. In XV, I don't think you see so many great elements begging for an even better game - the game just is what it is - but in XIII, there's absolute greatness embedded in a flawed package. I think in XV's case, it seems kind of the same as with XVI: great highlights that make for great marketing material and give a lot of promise to players as well, but perhaps it all didn't make for a great game in the end. I liked XV and will probably like XVI as well once I get around to playing it, but I have no difficulty seeing why they're usually not considered even nearly the best Final Fantasy games.

The main reason FF5 isn't frequently mentioned is because it wasn't officially released in the west until many years later as part of the PS1 Anthology package which not many bought. By that time, FF5 was outdated, and the PS1 version was slow (long wait times before and after battles).

FF4 (originally known as FF2 in NA) and FF6 (known as FF3 in NA) have the nostalgia and "not outdated" factors. As someone who played and finished FF4,5 and 6 in the late 2000's, I think they're all fantastic games. I prefer 4 and 6 due to the story, but FF5 isn't far behind overall.

7. Fight me.

FF XII

What do y'all think about the MMO? I think it's FF14 or whatever.

FF11 and 14 are critically acclaimed and widely considered among the best Final Fantasy games by those who played them (and the expansions).

I marathoned FF14 A Realm Reborn, Heavenward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers. Awesome game. Not a typical FF in how it plays, but it still feels like one in many ways.

FF12. Part of it is that I am a huge fan of the Ivalice setting and stories, but 12 was just an absolutely complete experience for me. Not only is it better than any of the games that came after, but I also think it is better than 10. It felt more like a living, breathing world. I even liked Vaan better than I did Tidus.

I'd like to say FF8 because it's my favourite and there are people who have this weird hate boner toward it... purposely criticizing the game after playing it in overtly stupid ways (like they were actively looking for reasons to hate it... Like deciding they had to grind 99 levels at the beginning of the game, because the option was there. Or drawing 100 of every spell because the option was there, and completely ignoring refine/crafting → which is not only a much easier, but superior way to get pretty much every spell in the game outside of certain boss battles; and, to be fair, if you're drawing rare spells from a boss, it's generally a gamble, not a grind, because you could get killed for it... but, I should point out that the game doesn't mandate getting those rare spells (and there are other ways to get them too). It's kind of like the early RPG haters who would complain because they didn't feel like equipping new gear...

However, at the same time, that's only paying attention to a small niche of social media hate-fan circle jerkers (and me being gross enough to actually pay attention to them 🤢). Looking at the wider picture, FF8 probably has one of the largest fanbases in the franchise, and it is one of the highest selling RPGs of all time (today is the third highest FF game of all time after FF7 and FFX/X2 combined with their re-releases). Add that nowadays, the FF7 remakes have taken the hate-thunder off FF8.

So FF8 isn't my answer...

At least in the first 12 games (the ones I'm primarily familiar with), I'd actually say FF2 on NES. It was an experimental game, that still had a lot of the primitive bits of FF1, but improved in most ways, and IMO was a fairly good evolution of the franchise from FF1. FF2 is the one on the pixel remasters I had the most fun with from the NES era. Prior to the Pixel Remasters, the game had most people hating it, out of the few people who even paid attention top it. But, I found it to be the most rewarding experience before FF4.

The GBA version of FF1 replaced the spell charge system with MP in an effort to modernize it and make it accessible to players who were familiar with the mp system. The thing is, that old magic system was very interesting in that you could budget how you were going to use spells.

Example: like around the Earth Cave or Fire area → Level 1 and 2 spells could be used at any time on the journey without worry. Level 3 and 4 spells save for emergencies and the final boss. Or something approximating that.

Anyway, I was very happy the Pixel Remasters restored the game to its original mechanics.

As a note: I've probably written some stuff that can be perceived as negativity toward the game, but that's mainly to emphasize the growth of later games in the franchise. It doesn't even mean I dislike the game; it's one I've replayed many, many times as it has that element of putting together a party and adventuring to see how they do (or how I can do with them). I don't think there is another game franchise that gives that kind of experience, except maybe Wizardry games; and, it's fun.