I Ranked Every Mainline Final Fantasy From Worst To Best
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- Was I crazy to try this? Yes. This is a celebration ranking video for both fans and newcomers. I ranked every single Final Fantasy (except XI, though I talk about it) and included retrospective elements for a more in-depth look at each of these beloved titles. Thanks for watching!
Huge Shoutouts to the following channels for gameplay footage:
@worldoflongplays
@IGN
🕒 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Unranked
04:03 Number 15
07:05 Number 14
12:22 Number 13
16:12 Number 12
20:22 Number 11
24:33 Number 10
29:22 Number 9
33:40 Number 8
38:08 Number 7
44:08 Number 6
49:11 Number 5
54:32 Number 4
1:00:15 Number 3
1:07:54 Number 2
1:15:24 Number 1
1:23:10 Where to Start?
Disclaimer: These links are affiliate links where I'll earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. I've added these to provide an option for you all and to help invest in the channel. Thanks!
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Switch Global: amzn.to/49R28Rq
Final Fantasy VII + VIII Remastered Switch: amzn.to/3W8yDaP
Final Fantasy IX Remastered Switch: amzn.to/4aPP4gy
Final Fantasy X Remastered Switch: amzn.to/3w5bn2S
Final Fantasy X Remasted PS4: amzn.to/3QfWtgW
Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age Switch: amzn.to/3JxrVDD
Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age PS4: amzn.to/3QgpObh
Final Fantasy XIII PS3: amzn.to/3QgpObh
Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360: amzn.to/4aEQRFf
Final Fantasy XIII-2 PS3: amzn.to/49TGHzn
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Xbox 360: amzn.to/3UfXx5T
Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Returns PS3: amzn.to/3UchH0y
Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Returns Xbox 360: amzn.to/3JCYNuA
Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition PS4: amzn.to/4aNPCng
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🎵MUSIC USED
World of Wonder - Final Fantasy XV
Ambuscade Battle Theme - Final Fantasy XI
Prelude - Final Fantasy I Pixel Remaster
Town Theme - Final Fantasy I Pixel Remaster
Eternal Wind - Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster
The Crystal Tower - Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster
Pandaemonium Theme - Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster
Rebel Army Theme - Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster
Valse di Fantastica - Final Fantasy XV
Apocalypsis Noctis - Final Fantasy XV
Menu Theme - Final Fantasy XV
Sunleth Waterscape - Final Fantasy XIII
Saber's Edge - Final Fantasy XIII
Ahead On Our Way - Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster
Battle on the Big Bridge - Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster
Main Theme - Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster
Zeromus - Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster
Calm Before the Storm - Final Fantasy X HD
Fight with Seymour - Final Fantasy X HD
Control - Final Fantasy XVI
Find the Flame - Final Fantasy XVI
Don't Be Afraid - Final Fantasy VIII Remaster
Man with the Machine Gun - Final Fantasy VIII Remaster
Boss Theme - Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
Terra's Theme - Final Fantasy VI Remaster
Edgar and Sabin's Theme - Final Fantasy VI Remaster
Dancing Mad - Final Fantasy VI Remaster
Dalmasca Eastersand - Final Fantasy XII
The Phon Coast - Final Fantasy XII
Cid's Theme - Final Fantasy VII
Boss Battle - Final Fantasy VII
One Winged Angel - Advent Children
Heavensward - Final Fantasy XIV
Shadowbringers - Final Fantasy XIV
Vamo' Alla Flamenco - The Black Mages
You're Not Alone! - Final Fantasy IX
Fanfare - Final Fantasy IX
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Игры
Can I just say this is best video on RUclips about the Final Fantasy series. You’ve got me hyped to play 12. Keep up the great work Brandon! Top stuff 👍
Wow, thank you so much! I put SO much into this video, I'm so glad to see the passion paid off with comments like this. ❤️
@@retrobrandon I can tell it's a labour of love. I think your videos got recommended to me after watching Happy Console Gamer. Glad I found you, because your channel is a gem, not surprised if your channel it grows! You deserve it brother!
@@IlliyaVjestica Thank you so much!
I just finished VI for the first time, and it was amazing! So much better than it had any right to be! I would give it a 10/10 for sure
Shocked to see 10 in your 8 spot. Especially since it usually ranks pretty high for people. So interesting how subjective these games are.
Well, like I said, this is one I would not be surprised at all to see higher, I just personally go back to these others more often. I do love X, though!
@@retrobrandon I would be interested to see how the games would be rated today if they were released today. I think the nostalgia factor plays a role and games like FF7 would no longer be number 1 for most people. Of course, it's also because people expect more today and graphics are more important, and many things weren't possible in the past. I can imagine, for example, that you associate more with FF8 than with FFX and for me it's the other way round. But objectively, or at least based on the opinions of the majority, FFX is ahead of FF8. But fortunately this is not an objective list XD. Nevertheless, I believe that many RPGs from the past are still better than some of them today, or at least not much worse.
@@shisuna4030 I completely agree! I’m actually prepping a series of videos based on this issue that I see from myself and other content creators. I’ll be going back to games I haven’t played and others I have to challenge them as objectively as possible. But I absolutely agree, X is a better game objectively, I just personally go back to 8 more often. And that was one of the things about this video that I asked myself. Which ones do I actually go back to and love to play? It’s not that X isn’t on that list, I’ve just replayed the others so much more
@@retrobrandon and there's nothing wrong with that, I personally think Kingdom Hearts 1 is better than 2, especially better than 3, although the other parts are superior in almost every respect. Maybe it's because it was the first game, maybe it's because you've played it more or the others less. However, I think the vibes in the first part are much better, the feeling just gets broken bit by bit and maybe it's the same for you with the newer Final Fantasy parts.
I wasn’t originally going to leave a comment, but then sephiroth intervened.
He’ll get ya!
So awesome to see VIII and XII so high. Love both of them and replay them a lot as well. You really can't go wrong with the franchise for the most part as all games bring something great to the table. Nice list
FFXIV may not be for everyone for a variety of reasons, but for those with the time and sub money to spare, they will experience one of the best stories in the entire FRANCHISE of Final Fantasy. It also has the advantage of standing on the shoulders of giants in the FF series and applying their strengths to the game.
Also, controller gang #1!
Heck yeah!
Haven't seen the entire video yet, but already big compliments on the editing ✌.
Thank you!
Wow - where to even start with this video, let’s first address the elephant in the room, how the hell are you only 2k subs??? That’s insane! The only quality and presentation of this video is on par with content creators with 100k subs+ it’s just fantastic! I was so impressed with the editing and your presentation of the whole video. I can see HUGE things in your future. It’s so so refreshing to see someone who can rank the final fantasy games objectively with their own true personal feelings and placing them where you truly feel they should be based on YOUR feelings rather than trying to appease the fan base and always have 6 7 and 9 top 3. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen any list place 14 in their top 3 and that’s criminal! It should always be in every top 3. I massively enjoyed this video and would absolutely love to see more final fantasy videos from yourself, maybe an entire retrospective video per game, breaking them down game by game, I’d watch every one! U earnt a new sub instantly from this. I’ve been a content creator for over 3 years and I can foresee you overtaking me very quickly! Keep up the great work.
Wow! Thank you so much! This was a massive labor of love for me but I know it can be a hot topic to not put games where people think they should go, so comments like this really make it for me!
Great video! I recently played through all the games for the first time. Mostly agree with you on everything. VI, XII, and VIII were the ones that really stuck with me
I love that VIII is one of those that stick with you! Thanks for watching :)
I remember playing FF VI on SNES back in the 1990's. It was epic! I enjoyed it and played it several times.
Man, I still can't believe this flippin game was on the SNES! It's wild to think about!
Thanks for this awesome video ❤
As someone who generally puts VI around the 6 or 7 spot, I’m usually waiting for the bomb to go from the fan base. Especially when they hear IV, V, VII, and VIII are above it.
Solid list. Mine differs a bit but always nice to hear differing opinions on entries I don’t hold as high.
Haha I'm not sure there is a list that would be good with the whole fanbase, so I'm always just excited to talk about the series and absolutely respect differing opinions on this one. Thanks for watching!
I’m slowly making my way through the series, thanks to the Pixel Remasters. I have loved FFX since I was a kid (it’s my favorite game of all time), but only now am I truly loving the series as a whole! I’m going through chronologically and I’m currently on V, so I’m excited to watch the series as it progressed through time. I’m particularly excited to play the PS1 era games, all of which I’ve only played a bit of.
Love it! Have fun, it's such a great series! It's going to be so cool to see the evolution chronologically!
@@retrobrandon I’m excited, for sure! I’m particularly interested to play VII after just finishing Rebirth. I had played most of VII probably about 15 or so years ago and never finished, so I don’t remember much. The remake has given me a deeper appreciation for the story and especially the characters, so I’m interested to go back and see how the whole thing started! Just gotta get through V and VI first!
@@LizzyLoves91 Love it! You'll have to let me know how it goes somehow! Maybe ping me on Twitter/X or something, I'm genuinely interested!
Great video - love the detail you put in!
Thank you! This one was a massive project!
Very interesting takes! I really appreciate that your list is very different from most that I’ve seen. Also, thanks for putting the actual best final fantasy at the top. 9 will ALWAYS be my favorite!
Haha there are SO many takes on this series, I'm just one of the many. But thanks for watching! Love the 9 love!
Final fantasy XV was a gem in potencial. Bring the zones that are there but incomplete, re-use the old optional dungeons in the world of ruins and add more story to that section, help them rebuild before dealing with the bad guy. fix a few things with combat and you are done for a complete edition, you don't even need better graphics ( add raytrycing if you want), and put a few more deep to the story of lunafreya and his brother. and other side characters
Love the way you present your opinions, love the details behind the making of these games! Annnnd love this channel :D
Would love to see a video about Square vs Enix and their merging X)
Thank you so much! Excited to keep it going! I do love that idea... I'm thinking I could do a specialty series on some of those unique industry events among RPG companies. Not sure yet, but love the idea! Thanks for watching!
Agreed with this list! I have to say FF10 took me by surprise… I loved it, amazing imagination, gameplay, and many poignant moving moments. I was surprised to see this low in the top 10, but that’s the beauty of different perspectives!!
Well, like I said, I wouldn’t bat an eye to see this higher on anybody’s list! Thanks for watching!
I disagree with a few things, especially 10 and 6, but overall, great list.
A curiosity: When I played 12 during its release, I absolutely hated the game and never finished it. I only got back to the game when the zodiac remaster came out in the Ps4. I loved it, even got the platinum, and now it's in my top 5 as well. I think it's a complex game that hits different when you're a kid and just don't understand how the game really works.
lol yeah. You really shouldn't trust your opinion as a kid on anything xD
great video. 11 is also the only one i havent played. our top 3 is similiar, except id probably put 10 up there instead of 7. subscribed
I appreciate the sub!
Ff9 is my favorite as well!
Thank you for this! :) I had a similar waking up to rpgs as you. I did play and finish Faxanadu (on the Nes) but I never understood what that genre was called and so I never had the chance to look for other games like it. Fast forward to the end of the 90s. A great friend of mine was a real gamer and he played Final Fantasy and loved it. I didn't really understand what it was but he urged me to go and find one of the games at the game shop store where we lived and really invest time in it certainly I would like it. I went and found FF VIII at a low price sale, bought it, played it and loved it. FF VIII is the magic that I compare all other FF and rpgs against and I have since played all FF games (not finishing all of them though) with the exception of XI and XIV (and XVI yet). I deeply thank my friend for urging me into that door back in 1999 (?), I've had so many joyful times because of it :)
I love this! Thanks for your story!
FF6 is just so grand and amazing. I just finished beating it again and it's amazing. The characters may not be the most developed, but they do get enough screen time to make you like them somewhat. The games final battle with Kefka is the most grand and epic final battle in any FF game. It's like all these friends get together to take down this insane evil god. I think the characters in FF6 are the most powerful out of all the Final Fantasy titles. They just slaughter enemies like crazy and there's SOOOOO many enemies to fight in FF6. Such a 16 bit masterpiece.
Haha I know, right?? Giant crazy Dinosaur? CHAINSAW! 😂
I did and do absolutely love this game. Especially the pixel remaster with those sweet remastered tracks. SO Good!
Great video Brandon! I never did finish FF9
Sounds like you need to get too it, my man! 😉 Thanks for watching, brother!
An amazing list! 9 is my favourite game of all time, so nice to see it celebrated! I agree with your thoughts on a remake - please don’t touch the story, square! Voice acting would be amazing though!
FF11 indeed forged bonds but its style would not work in our era of MMO.
I have played the since the release of the PC version for a few years.
it emphasis strongly on teamwork and it is one of the most time consuming and memorable MMO I have played.
I had a lot of fun, made many friends which I even met in real life. One couple I knew met and got married through the game.
FF11 till date is still my fav MMORPG
I love to see this!
Easily my favorite franchise.
My favorite is XII Zodiac Age, for the world and all the side content that adds to the freedom aspect.
I also love XV. It has some flaws but the roadtrip feeling made it so addicting, I played it almost as much.
VII is great, I prefer VIII though.
From the Pixel Remasters, my favorite is V, easily.
X is great and it was my entry into the series.
XIII I really don't like, however its sequel XIII-2 is amazing.
Currently in XVI, ha4d to rank for me, but it's definitely a lot of fun.
With 9, I agree, graphical revamp and slight battle mechanic changes. However, I would also happily welcome a little bit more character development for Amarant and Quina as well as a better wrap up to Freya's arc which just fell flat in the end. Even if it was a late game optional quest tracking down where Fratley went travelling around the world leading up to Puck finding him with no memory.
Totally forgot to mention those, but I completely agree on all fronts! Amarant and Quina end up feeling like forgettable side characters for sure, so I’d love to see more of that. And ABSOLUTELY Freya. Let’s hope we see it happen!
On the topic of what a focused single player FF14 would look like, if I were to organize it, the focus should be on everything after the 7th Umbral Calamity all the way to the finale of Endwalker and call if something like, "Final Fantasy XIV: Design of Ancients" and release that as an 80 hour semi-open world campaign. Maybe have it be an evolved ATB system with and emphasis on movement and timing. Rough ideas, but that would probably be something that would work imo. I will probably never happen, but it would be cool.
👀 My friend, this would be AWESOME! Now I will pine even more for that which will never be...
Damn good video, man. My list would be different (as would most people’s) but I can’t argue with the number 1 spot.
Haha yeah, that's the beautiful thing about these rankings. Thanks for the watch, appreciate it! :)
Wasn't gonna comment BUT... this man is telling it like it is.
awesome video man i hope you get more subscribers!
Thank you!
I wanted to love FFXVI. I love FFXIV and was really looking forward to FFXVI just based on their previous work. I even bought a PS5 just for the game and got the CE with the Ifrit and Pheonix statue. I didn't mind the action based approach even though I've been a fan since my cousin gave me FF1 on the NES when we were kids. I don't think that FF has to be turn based in order for it to be FF.
That being said, I have some major issues with the game that spoiled my enjoyment of it. First, the RPG elements were poorly handled. You touched on exploration and I agree with what you said. I would add that the crafting system and quest rewards were also poorly implemented. There was a point in my first play through where I crafted a sword, went through a series of cut scenes and found that the blacksmith had a new upgrade available right after finishing them. I didn't even use the sword I had just crafted before upgrading it.
My second major issue you also hit on in the video. There was a point towards the end where I started to question why I was even trying to save this world. The lack of whimsy and joy really did hurt the experience. FFIX is my favorite in the series and it's main themes revolve around coming to terms with death. It's a serious subject, but there's still a lot of whimsy and fun in the world which contrasts with the darker moments and theme. I think CBU3 could've have really benefited by adding in a reason for the characters to want the world to go on outside of merely persisting to live.
My final big issue completely ruined the game for me. I loathe open endings. I think they're pretentious and unfulfilling and in a game where you spend 50+ hours getting to know characters, it's awful not seeing some kind of closure for them. It didn't have to be a happy ending. I love FFIX's bittersweet ending where you get to see the thoughts of a dying Vivi who never gets to say goodbye to his friend Zidane. I just need something that has a bit of closure for the characters I've been traveling with.
I don't think it's a bad game. I just think it's disappointing and I wish it had turned out better. I probably won't run out and drop $1,000 to play the next game in the series, so at least I learned that lesson, right? lol
Beautifully said! I definitely agree with the ending by too. I walked away just making my assumption about what it all meant and I’m sticking to it no matter what anyone says because I also hate the ambiguous ending. ESPECIALLY when you’ve done the side quests for the characters and lore.
Also, welcome back! I’m pretty sure I referenced you in this video with the FF7 part, so I appreciate your takes and comments!
A well earned sub from me! Incredibly well structured video and amazing analysis of a series that I am very very late to the party for. I probably started in completely the wrong place with the 7 remake, not long finished FFVII Rebirth, and I’m now a couple hours into FFVXI, I realise I’m only a novice, but I’ve already purchased FFX and FFIX ready to go for when I complete XVI!! 26 and only just deep diving into the entire series!
This is awesome! Enjoy it all!
I love FF1 and have played it a ton of times. I think it was awesome that the Black Belt is so much stronger unarmed than with a weapon. FFT is also an amazing game that I have played multiple times.
You talked so much about how much you love grinding, I was almost sure XII would be in the top 3
XII is my favorite especially because of the battle system and the ''drop system'', every area has enemies with amazing gear from the start, also it has my favorite cast of characters and story, and the best world of course.
Yeah the pay-off is a letdown, but still a 10/10 game for me.
Top 4 is close enough! 😅 but yeah, absolutely love the game and can’t help but come back to it. I get that XII itch.
To rouch on FF16 side quests real quick...
I thini that narratively they are wonderful. So many amazing character and world building moments come from those side quests, and they are super worth experiencing! It just sucks that every single side quest in the game boils down to "Go place, kill thing / collect thing, talk to person" on loop. It makes it really tiresome to actually do the side quests, and most of the time the only thiny keeping me going was the though of wrapping up that little story and seeing the cutscene.
I TOTALLY agree. I can't imagine getting what I got out of XVI without the side quests. But I do understand why some people aren't interested
There's so many good things about all these games. Like a lot of people VII and X were my favorites, but I'd put XII and XV up with them if XII had had less dialogue scenes cut, and if XV had been in all one piece between it's DLC and anime shorts. But development was shaky in the decade after the company merge, so it happens. IX has the most of that FF element. That journey went everywhere and it had perfect swan song effort from Sakaguchi. What a way to capstone PS1!
Agreed! Thanks for watching, I appreciate it :)
@@retrobrandon always happy to enjoy FF! More power to ya!
Finally XVI getting the love it deserves! One of the most (if not THE MOST) underrated final fantasy games
It’s so good! I don’t know why it gets so much hate!
Is Ff16 a FF game? For me it's part of a secondary title, good game but shouldn't be in the main line
As you stated, I wish FFXV Royal had a mode that automatically played the DLC in the intervening moments they feel most necessary. Despite owning the DLC immediately, I thought it best to play the main game first not knowing the importance of the DLC.
As a side note, I don’t like the multimedia approach to storytelling BUT when I play FFXV again, I’ll gladly immerse myself in as much of it as possible because this is the only FF game that does it, for better or worse. 😊
I totally agree. I think it's a fine line with a multimedia approach. Having side stories or backgrounds can be good, but if you need to immerse to understand how everything fits together... that feels like a storytelling problem. But I can't complain too much, because I still did enjoy it overall! Thanks for watching!
1. Totally agree about the preference for the old XII licance board vs zodiac age, although the job's system does bring balance to the overall party dynamics!
2. Thanks for not dumping on VIII
3. Should we start adding tactics to the conversation or does that open up Pandoras box?
Great video and good work trying to be as balanced as possible throughout! Not easy to do when it comes this of all series.
Haha I'd love to talk about Tactics, but that'll be another video. I think 16 is enough to go through for one video 😉
The only changes I want to 9 would be fully orchestrated soundtrack, remastered visuals and cut the load times before battles.
Moguri Mod. you're welcome :)
Yeah, you need to get to Vagrant Story, man!! It's amazing! One of the most unique games Square has made. That being said, it has some rough edges, mostly around the interface and how tedious it can get to swap weapons and manage inventory for crafting. A good remaster/remake would do this masterpiece wonders!
Also, you will notice many references to Vagrant Story in FFXVI, as several of those devs also worked on it (and FFT). Not only that, Yoshi-P is a huge Matsuno fan.
Ah man, thanks for the insight here, I love it! I still need to track down the physical copy because I’m nuts, but I do have it on my Vita and just haven’t got to it. So it’s on the list! I’ll bump it up from this recommendation, though, thanks!
@@retrobrandon Nice! Just be ready for a challenge. It's notoriously difficult. :)
I feel like most of these games are biased to your nostalgia.
But nah.. who am I kidding... FF9 is my favorite game of ALL TIME even outside the series because it was during a really dark place in my life and it resonated with me a lot so I guess I'm using nostalgia too lol.
Haha show me a list that isn’t biased to nostalgia! I don’t think it exists 😂 But thanks for watching!
finally, someone who know the real value of ff9
i spent waaaaay too much time on blitzball. i failed to beat the game on 3 separate occasions because i got to blitzball and never moved on. i did eventually beat X though.
I'm glad SOMEONE liked it! 😂
X is in a weird spot where the original creator was no longer involved, so fans ended up loving it or hating it with a passion.
@@Anayoth haha oh I loved the game, but I did not like blitzball 😅
I appreciate the FFXI shoutout. best MMO ever!
9, 10 and 11 was the sweet spot of the series for me
I couldn't pass it even if I haven't played it. I still dream of getting to it one day...
@@retrobrandon I hear you bro! I also wasn't lucky enough to play back in the day. I highly suggest the mammoth private server HorizonXI if you want that classic MMO experience.
I was going to give you grief about calling this the "ultimate" mainline ranking despite excluding one of the mainline games, but your segment on XI at the beginning was good enough where I'll give it a pass, hahaha.
If I'm ranking base XI, it's towards the bottom of the mainline games. If I'm ranking all of FFXI, it's towards the top. I made a 2 hour overview of all of XI's expansions you might want to check out, as it's a good overview of the whole story without major spoilers. I played XI for the first time 2 years ago so I'm not a veteran of the game, just a fan of the series like yourself.
I did 10 hours of video essays ranking the games, but long story short, my top tier games are VII, IX, IV, X and XI (if we include all expansions). I like the controversial games (II, VIII, XIII, XV). I'm mixed on VI. XIV and XII are my least favorite of the mainline games, though I've only beaten ARR up to this point, whereas I beat all of XI.
I'll definitely check it out! Yeah, if you love XI after the expansions, you have to give XIV expansions a go. Heavensward, the first one up, is one of my favorites, but everything from then on is amazing! Thanks for watching and I appreciate deciding against the grief! haha
I have not played the Japanese N-Gage exclusive "Final Fantasy Brandon".... Very surprised it's not on the list..... 😅 Great video my dude. Best FF for me will always be 7 but I do also love 8.
😂 well I’m SORRY I’ll just have to make an update video later. I’ll need to go get me a Bandai Wonderswan now!
Haha seriously, thanks for watching dude, appreciate it :)
@@retrobrandon I expect a full apology video.... Hahahahaha
So gels of your Players Guides' in the video. Also big love for the FF 1&2, IV, V, and VI releases on GBA! I love em' too. Still have my copy of IV!
I'm currently playing FFXI and it's really being an adventure, I'm really enjoying it and after having completed the second expansion yesterday, I think it could sneak into my top 5 favorite FFs if things get better
Ooooooh, you have me even MORE intrigued with at. I'll need to find the time at some point!
@@retrobrandon Maybe it's because of FFXIV and its upcoming Vana'diel-inspired raid or maybe it's always been like this, but the game is full of people (not as crowded as FFXIV) (at least on the Bahamut server) the linkshell I'm in is always full of messages.
Playing FFXI feels like playing a mix of FFI, FFII, FFV, FFXII and FFXIV
FFI: Talk to the NPCs to find out how to continue the story or how to find a certain object or place.
FFII: skills of weapons or magic types are leveled independently when used in combat.
FFV: you have a main job and a secondary job that you can mix to create very crazy hybrid classes.
FFXII:You can see enemies swarming around the map, the combat system occurs in the open world, without transition to a battle scenario.
FFXIV: Many of the monsters and creatures from FFXIV share designs with those from FFXI, so you'll see familiar faces. FFXI maps are open areas similar to what we can see in FFXIV
Nice list
it's hard to rate ff11 nowadays, since it's now soloable and you'll never get the same experience that was given back in the day, unless you play horizon XI, but it's classic ff11 75cap era, meaning you will take FOREVER to do simple stuff. I played it 10 years between 2005 and 2015. I gotta say the story is BRILLIANT specially on 2nd expansion and onwards
Very good list. #1 is the only true option. Final Overrated X still a bit too high bt I am already satisfied seeing it not enter Top 5.
Anyone who is a massive fan of the franchise should seriously consider getting a switch. The entire franchise up until ff12 is available on it physically. + Crisis Core and World of FF games run very good on the system as well. Not to mention Sephiroth and Cloud are playable in Smash bro’s. And I have a strong feeling we’ll get Remake on switch2 also. Ofcourse if your budget is limited to 1 console, get a ps5. Rebirth is 🔥
1000000% agree! I would be surprised if the Switch 2 didn't get some of these higher fidelity games. My hunch is that we'll be seeing XII trilogy, XV, maybe even XVI? And the remake series. My DREAM would be XIV to come on Switch 2 for handheld!
@@retrobrandonDo you mean the XIII trilogy or is there a actual trilogy of FFXII?
Have to agree though, really really hope we see these modern games on the next Nintendo console and hopefully it stays a hybrid, litterally only use the handheld mode lol. Something else i would like to see is duodecim Dissidia Final fantasy on modern platforms, either as straight ports or with upgraded graphics, everything else should stay the same. This was one of the most fun fighting games in single player with a ton of content.
The physical version of the pixel remasters is quite rare and pricey though.
@@brotbrotsen1100 Yeah, sorry, that was a mistype! Though there is technically a XII sequel on the DS called Revanent Wings. But totally meant XIII trilogy! Yeah, I'd love to see Dissidia come over!
@@brotbrotsen1100 Yeah, the was Square handled that was nuts
While I would play the heck out of a 1:1 remaster of VII, the Remake project (especially Rebirth) has surpassed the level of enjoyment I would have gotten out of a straight nostalgia trip.
But why not both?? Haha I do love the remake series, though
@@retrobrandon Oddly enough, some thought that Ever Crisis might be that other 1:1 although people were annoyed it was a mobile game. Clearly it's something else entirely as well. The sad truth is they simply won't put in the time to do both, and as the devs said in interviews way back when it was first announced...the OG is always there for people to play. It's not the best answer to the problem for people who really just wanted a 1:1 remaster with better graphics and voice acting, but it's all there is.
Hey Brandon, I really enjoy your videos including this one. I always look forward to you uploading!
I wanted to ask, is there a reason why your game journey through 2023 video was taken down? I really enjoyed it and re-watched a couple times.
Hope you’re doing well and I look forward to the next video!
Hey! It’s still up, I just changed the title and thumbnail to see if it would get some traction again! Sorry for the confusion! But thank you!
@@retrobrandon thanks man! Yup just found it haha. Hope you have a great day!
Uh oh, you won't like it that I've never played a Final Fantasy game either 😅 Your editing, humour, and intelligence is SOLID my man, what a fantastic video! 🎉
Well now you have a video to reference for when you DO decided to play, right?? ... Right?
Haha thanks, brother!
@@retrobrandon Oh yeah, I'll be coming back here for sure 😉
FF13 and the other two games are all S-tier combat tbh
Also if you read the datalog everytime there is an update to it, it's impossible to not know what is going on
XIV and IX in the top two...the list checks out.
Hiromichi Tanaka did not come up with Edgar and Sabin, Soraya Saga (she also worked on Xenogears along with her husband, Tetsuya Takahashi) did. As far as I am concerned, Tanaka didn't write any of the characters for FF6. I think you should put this into the notes/subtitles, as this is clearly wrong information. Other than that, I have only watched it up till the FF6 part to comment on this. But so far, it's overall a good and enjoyable video. I'll keep watching, thanks for making this!
EDIT: Celes also learns magic naturally through level ups, just like Terra. She merely gets different spells.
Hey, I really appreciate the info! I'm absolutely happy to update the description if any info is incorrect. Haha and I knew that about Celes, but I realize that definitely sounds like Terra can do what she could not. That wasn't intentional.
Anyway, for the above about Takahashi, it's my understanding that they were made by Soraya Saga, whose real name is Kaori Tanaka, came up with it. So I went with her real name. Admittedly, the more familiar name would have been better. So I believe it's still accurate? Unless I said Hiromichi Tanaka by habit. In which case, I'll update the description because that is indeed a mistake!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Let me know if that makes sense and if I mispoke!
They'll release a single player version of FFXI when players finally beat the remaining master trials :p (There is still an undefeated boss fight after 3 months and like complete mad lads, they're releasing another extremely difficult fight in a few days)
Haha well one can dream! It's amazing to hear it's still rolling like that, though 😂
Thank you so much for talking about 11!
I've only played 3, 7 & 10. I've only beaten 3, so that's my fav.
Great video. I appreciate these high quality deep dives into the games' history whilst ranking them
We seem to disagree on a lot but one thing we don't disagree on is that FFIX is the absolute goat lol
And I’m cool with that! There’s a lot of love for this series with so many different opinions. That’s what can make these conversations enjoyable :) Thanks for watching!
Great video man! i enjoyed watching it all, but not including the FF7 Remake/Rebirth as seperate games from the OG FF7 is crazy man, especially FF7 Rebirth is propably one of the best games of all time, let alone one of the best FF standalone games.
Thanks! Trust me, there's more Final Fantasy content to come. I won't be able to help myself. I just wanted to focus on the main numbered entries and talk about the Remake series separately at some point :)
I'm still mad at the pixel remaster that did'nt include the extra content in all the games =/ I'm still waiting for the final edition of final fantasy VI
Oh boy! Remembering now how difficult the first final fantasys were - i got final fantasy 4 for gba but never managed to get a thing straight lol and after some years i tried the ds version and fell in love x)
The DS version was so good! Square had my number with all those remakes. I just kept buying and playing em again 😅
And as a kid i was also confused with the spinoffs and different storys :D the tactics or later on bravely default are also amazing 😁👍🏾
Best for me is FF9 - Having played almost all the first 10 Final Fantasy games (yes including the original Final Fantasy on NES, not the PS1 Origins remaster), FF9 truly holds something dear to my heart❣ It's the most "Final Fantasy" game for me, with FFVI a close second. I would love a remaster of both of titles especially FF9, as well as Final Fantasy Tactics which is the best Final Fantasy game for me even though its a spin-off (but in the same world as FF9).
Hey, there's that rumored 9 and Tactics stuff from that leak a while back. Here's to hoping! Otherwise, I might bust out the ol' PSP and run War of the Lions again for kicks. Thanks for watching!
Since you like the job system of FF, have you tried Stranger of Paradise? Hopefully you liked it if you have. If not, try it one day
I have it! But haven't got to it yet. I've heard it's a lot of fun and does a great job with the job system. So I'll check it out!
I think what people prefer is generational. I grew up on Final Fantasy IV, VI, VII and VIII. IX came out right around the time I began college. My main problem with it was Tetra Master and Jumping Rope. The former had no purpose and the latter is just painful. And if you ever saw the Prima Strategy Guide for that game that came out around the time, it was unbelievably bad. It was a lot of pictures and then URL's to actually get the information. Awful guide design.
I think Final Fantasy IV, VI and X are my favorites. I also liked III and V a lot (played III pixel remaster about a year and a half ago for the first time, and was surprised at how good it was). I agree with your assessment of XV. I didn't play the Royal Edition, but played all of the other DLC. A lot of that content needed to be in the base game. Episode Gladiolus and Prompto were not great, but Ignis and Arden were much better. I have not played XII or XIV, the latter because I can't handle MMO's. Playing in moderation is not a thing for me. My sister loves it though.
Absolutely, and that’s true for me as well. Thanks for watching!
FF9 is my all time favorite too!!! I hope the remake won't go too far from the original.
Hey Brandon, nice list, well mine is not complete, still need to play IX, X, XI, XII and XVI. I am sure that that 9 and 12 would be high on my list from what I play so far. but beside that from the one I like less to my best would be 3, 5, 2, 15, 8, 13, 1, 7, 14, 4 and 6. and you would think I don't like job system, but I love games like, FFT or Bravely default. I must say my first run for the 3rd one was on DS, did like the pixel remaster a lot more!
Hey, that's a great list! Definitely give IX, X, and XII a shot, despite any list placement, those are all fantastic! Awesome to hear you're giving the series a go!
@@retrobrandon yeah did play a good while into all 3, just never finished them for a reason or something more shiny appeared, you know…
@@Spare_Ombres Man, I STILL have that problem 😂
I’ve just recently took a shot at final fantasy with VII remake, about to finish rebirth. I’m looking to try a turn based FF, which game would you suggest for someone with very little turn based experience?
Hey, that's awesome! I still need to finish rebirth, but these darn retro games keep me distracted...
Haha my suggestion would be to go with one of the widely agreed upon best. So if you want to go pixel, go 4 or 6, 6 being widely considered the best of the pixel era, and if you want to go 3D turn-based go VII or IX. I personally love IX the most, obviously, but it might be fun to play through classic VII if you haven't already!
@@retrobrandon The 7 remakes are my first FF games, but they triggered a big interest in the FF universe for me. I recently picked up IX, and VII since they were on sale. I’m thinking I’ll try IX since it seems to be the favorite for most tier lists.
Good luck on rebirth! I’ve put way more time into it than I thought I would, definitely got my moneys worth.
I am so excited to see someone rank FFXII so high. Its in my top 3 for sure, but I often see it near the bottom of these types of lists. I love it so much though!
It’s so good! Thanks for watching :)
Nostalgia aside, FF XII is the best overall for me. I would even most of the modern RPG now are templated from it.
That's was a very interesting way to pronounce Zidane lol 😂
I refuse to give up my childhood pronunciation 😂
Tierlists are always about iffy to me because it depends on what the focus is. If its story focused then you can end up with games that have good combat in lower tiers. If it's combat focused then you could end up with games with decent stories in lower tiers too. Doing an "overall" tierlist doesnt eradicate this issue either.
My tierlists are combat/gameplay focused, but it just so happens that those titles also have great stories and endings. The exception being 12 which has S-tier gameplay but average story/ending. If one element is so good then it doesn't need the others tbh. That's why 12 is in my S tier despite me thinking the story and ending are B-C tier
I've been playing through all of the games and so far FF13 is easily my favorite and really hope it's gets a trilogy remaster similar to X/X-2 with some graphics updates and quality of life stuff the sequels brought
I’d honestly love that!
This video is just more proof that the most underrated mainline game in the franchise, is FFXI.
1:47 “sweet sweet Sakaguchi Saw an…(Sakaguchi San) I see 👀 what you did there….!
Yeah I think the only place IX's story really fell kinda flat was with the final out of nowhere villain.
Yeah, I didn’t mention, but I do think they could do some tightening up with the story in a remake, especially for Amarant, Quina, and Freya. But still love it!
original ff11 was the ultimate mmorpg that had absolutely zero respect for your time 😂 the tradeoff was that any progression you made had such massive weight to it. It may be a dead idea currently, but needing a proper party to do literally anything is the truest form of an mmorpg.
unpopular opinion but as im playing ff14 right now, i prefer both the menu-style combat and the levelling style of original ff11. id rather grind difficult regular mobs with a full party in the open world then grind instanced levelling roulette dungeons 😅
Hey, happy to hear the hot take! That’s one of the best things about this franchise and its fans! To be fair, in XIV, you can always go chase some hunts as well, but I hear you!
Ff8 is number one for me. I think it was over alot of ppl's heads tho
This was a fun walkthrough! For me FFXIV is my favorite, such an amazing journey!
It is absolutely an INCREDIBLE journey! Looking forward to Dawntrail!
Yes! Someone who appreciates XII!
I think 12 is pretty universally appreciated...
15 lower than 13?? Oh wooow! Didn’t expect this
I got some HOT takes! 😂
I find it based. 13 has actual story, despite it being a hallway. 15 isn't even a hallway. It's like really a glorified room... with conflicting lore... and a pretty pointless "story".
13 just has polarizing issues with it being a bit convoluted . But it's because it was altered last minute from Vanille being the main character... to Lightning.. which heavily ruined the story telling and the player perspective.
15... 15 is just...a mess.😂
@@unbothered5240 I'm biased, the room was one of my favorites and I hated the corridor.
@tonigrondahl4465 A lot of people liked the systems in 15 compared to 13 and the ability to explore the large "room" trumped the long hall that was 13.
But I do think in overall quality 13 just... kinda destroys 15 in content. Though personally they're my least 2 favorite xD
Hello! Until when do you think Square will keep supporting FFXIV on PS4?
PS3 support ended in 2017 after a 2013 release, but there wasn’t this cross gen kind of period like we’re seeing with the PS4/PS5, so my guess is it has some life yet. I’d be surprised to see support cut any time soon
Oh wow, I've been saying Yuna is the main character from FFX for so damn long, glad to know you see it too! Loved the video bro :)
Absolutely! Thanks for watching!
21:04 “…kicking against the fate of a predetermined path.” Just like the players.
I kid. I think XIII gets a lot of unnecessary hate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a great game, but it’s not nearly as bad as a lot of the fans of other games make it out to be.
Zingers like that make me rethink my ability to make a video. Too good. 😂
I completely agree. It's pretty low on the list for me, but I enjoyed my time with it. Heck, it was the reason I committed to a PS3.
@@retrobrandonNah man, this is a great video. I may not agree 100% with your order, but it’s your list, and I love seeing other opinions on my favorite game series.
FF16 is my Final Fantasy! It’s my number 1
That tracks! Haha I loved it! Thanks for watching, Clive
11 is probably my fave, but its time is over. If you didnt experience it in its heyday you missed the boat. It was an amazing experience and no game has come close imo. Nothing lasts forever though.
I just treated it like getting bald. I just let it go in the end instead of choosing the comb over lol. I didn't want to be eternally trapped there grinding for ultimate weapons either
FF12 is quite close as a "single player version of FF11"
FF3 starting class is Freelancer though, not Onion Knight? And the pictures you used look like the mobile phone version (they were higher resolution than the DS)
I'm currently replaying the DS version. It's good, but obviously not as good as 5 or 10-2 for job systems. Disagree about it being a skip as people who play a lot of class/job rpgs will probably enjoy it. The transition phase is one of my only complaints about the game
As for classes I found that Whm + Blm x3 works really well for a lot of the game, as during the mini/toad sections phyiscal attacks do 1 damage. Targetting enemies elemental weaknesses is cool too (even though melee classes do get some weapons that cover this too). One of the three blm can be replaced with a melee dps/tank though, but if you overlevel you probably won't need one
7, 10, 8, 13, 15, 16, 9, 12.
Swap 9 and 7, also swap 6 and 12 I would agree with you list
FF12 is so under appreciated. Such a great game.
I completely agree!
It's a masterpiece but I always say: do the side content. The hunts and secret Espers are a blast to find and fight.
Every Mainline Final Fantasy Ranked (Except the best one)
That is like being a RE fan like......."Hey, I gonna play all the RE's except 2....."
XI was the most profitable FF game for a reason kids, do the work or turn in your FF card, simple.
You know, i think you're right, I'm kind of done with seeing remakes of great games, they are great for a reason, FF15 deserves a remake, it had so much potential, it has on of my favorite stories (when i think about it, not when i play it exactly) and if in five or ten years we can achieve what we saw in those initial trailers (leviathan battle) and they can refine and consolidate the fractured story into a cohesive thing, then i think it deserves a remake more than any of the other FF's (except 11 maybe)
I like the effort put into this. I don't think mine would be terribly different, with one or two exceptions (V and XII).
N/P - Not played - XI and III
14 - II ; I can't stand the grind or progression system, but it's still a fine game.
13 - I ; fun enough, don't have much to say.
12 - XIII ; a decent game, just ho-hum by FF standards, though the cast can be rather irritating.
11 - XV ; sliver better than above, doesn't do enough to earn the response it wants me to have from some story beats (even having seen all the peripheral animations / movie), but does in others. Gameplay is underwhelming though.
10 - IV ; I feel bad seeing it this low because it's probably quintessential FF, just others hold my attention more these days and the story hasn't aged as well.
9 - XII ; mixed feelings, story kind of doesn't know what it wants to do after the first big chunk, gameplay and customisability fairly fun, some areas a bore to get through, but hunts are good...its ability to hold my attention yo-yos so much.
8 - VIII ; combating nostalgia on this one, but I think most of us agree it's a great game in spite of its flaws which have been documented exhaustively at this point. It's a very odd game, but the style is too cool.
7 - XVI ; a big departure, but I appreciate the laser-focused narrative and direction, it actually knows what it wants to be which can't be said of most modern FFs. Better side content would elevate it.
6 - X ; it's a game I find hard to replay because of the slow pace, and the x character beats y enemy random encounters for the majority of the game, but it's by far one of the most memorable FFs with a masterful story which sounds like complete nonsense on paper but is stunningly beautiful in practice.
5 - VI ; I'll share the burden of your controversy :P . It is absolutely great for sure, especially at the time it came out, it just slips a bit because I'm not keen on how very few of the character's unique combat traits mean anything in the long run, the pacing is a bit off, and actual world-building / story setup is surprisingly slim even if it does go all in on the devastation that occurs. But absolutely a top tier game.
4 - V ; I will die on this hill, because it's super replayable and fun with its job system. The story gets an unfair rep because it's almost as dark as VI, and would be if it focused more on the characters; many places just get wiped off the map. Challenging but not unfairly so. Most under-appreciated soundtrack. V supremacy.
3 - XIV ; those who know, know. Once clear of the baggage of the failed release, when the team got to add their own touch to the game with the expansions this became easily one of if not the greatest stories in the franchise, using its unfair MMO longevity / expansion powers to do so. It also does a great job of making your main character feel more than just a puppet that gets events moving.
2 - VII ; firstly, Uematsu's magnum opus despite the funny and oft-used oboe sound. Secondly, no matter how much its popularity influences peoples' thoughts on it, whenever I settle down and it's just me and this game, it's always a fun time. Another out-of-the-park story, a fun and flexible battle mechanic, absolutely unforgettable.
1 - IX ; what he said. IX is a funny one for me, because I don't think it's really got the best gameplay, but the sum of its parts just makes it difficult for me to not like it the most. The world map treasure hunt is great fun, and there are so many little easter eggs. And the SCRIPT, oh my goodness the English script dialogue for this game is a witty, charming, and genuinely entertaining triumph. Very relatable themes. If the combat was just a tad more exciting and it had Triple Triad instead of Tetra Master it would be utter perfection.
I absolutely LOVE this! Thanks for watching and thanks for this epic comment!
Wow am i the only one that thinks and says that he looks like James hetfield the singer from Metallica i cant be the only one right btw that is ment as a compliment btw Metallica rules
Holy smokes, I DO look like him! Haha maybe we're some distant relation. Either way, I now know where to look if I'm considered longer hair or different facial hair configurations 😆
@@retrobrandon 👍🏻😉