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ign decides to rank FF series

A

AwakenedCloud

Member
I'm glad they appreciate X. It get's a lot of hate for its linearity, but I spent more time with it than any other installment aside from VII. There's just so much to do after the endgame. Having 'universal' characters that aren't stuck in one job is also a big plus in my book.
 
C

cartman414

Member
corrosivefrost said:
5 and 10 are way way too high.
6 should be top 3, but not number 1. top spot is 4 or 7. i'd argue for 8, but it's such a polarized game amongst fans that i can't reason it being top 3 overall. top 5 probably.

i wouldn't consider MQ or 11 as real final fantasy games, just as i wouldn't consider the tactics games or ff7 spinoffs a part of this.
Click to expand...

FF5 and FF6 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FF7
 
C

carlo6529

Member
Fimbulvetr said:
What does a final fantasy "feel" like?

Tell me, I want to know. :eek:
Click to expand...

Ok, I just want to get this out of the way, I don't want to get into a heated discussion here, and I don't want to offend anyone; this is just my opinion. I realize that saying "it just doesn't feel like..." is very vague. It is just something that a fan of the series know's. Like you know when your playing Mario , Zelda, or a Dragon Quest game, you just know.

FFXII felt more like a spin off. It is not one particular thing. It just did not posess a lot of the traits past final fantasy's had( I am mainly talking about 1-9).

I am pretty oldschool; I prefer turn based battle system, and will admit that ever since they dropped the turn base, I have lost a lot of interest in ff games, though I seem to be in the minority these days. I am open to action based but I am not a big fan of the "gambit" system. I don't like bots; it takes me out of the whole "i'm in control" feeling. It makes me feel like a program is playing the game for me.

I didn't care for the main protagonist. He was boring, lame and uninteresting and I know that is not what they were going for. He was overshadowed by almost everybody else. If people don't care about the protagonist, they are not going to like the story.

I didn't really feel the urge to explore the world like past games; I actually found that whole "monster slaying sidequests" to be fun, until I found out that they were not tied into the main story in any real way.

I need an airship that I control, that I can land where ever the hell I want, not one that acts like a teleporter/zone entrance.

As for the story, I found too much of it was narrated and was complicated for no apparent reason. It had a simple beginning and end, but the middle was not interesting at all.

The game itself used FFXI's engine which I personally think was a bad idea. It was beautiful and all, but how are you expected to take an engine that was intially designed for a mmporg and successfully turn it into a single player experience? I just found FFXI's battle system much more interesting then ffxii's.

I don't know man, I just really didn't find it fun at all, and that is the bottom line. I am sure if I replayed it again, it would be slightly better the 2nd time around, but I really do not have any interest in replaying it any time soon or at all for that matter.
 
C

cosmicblizzard

Banned
carlo6529 said:
Stuff
Click to expand...

I feel almost the exact same way you do. I thought I would like it if I gave it another chance so I tried to replay it, but I couldn't. You might be more successful than I was though.

As for the "feeling like a Final Fantasy" thing, I know what you're saying 100%. I'm not being biased because there are games in the series I don't like yet I can still acknowledge that they "feel" like an FF game. I hated 2 and didn't really like 5 that much, but both of them are clearly FF. XII felt more like a pseudo MMO spin-off that built off of the Tactics world. Ivalice just doesn't feel like an FF world to me.
 
L

Loxley

Member
Quick question, since VI is getting so much love, I was wondering if there was any other way to get it out outside of the GBA or PS1 versions (as in through PSN or DSiware)? I've wanted to check out one of the non-3D FF titles for a while but never figured out which one to go for, seems as though FF6 is it.
 
C

commish

Jason Kidd murdered my dog in cold blood!
Loxley said:
Quick question, since VI is getting so much love, I was wondering if there was any other way to get it out outside of the GBA or PS1 versions (as in through PSN or DSiware)? I've wanted to check out one of the non-3D FF titles for a while but never figured out which one to go for, seems as though FF6 is it.
Click to expand...

Pick up the gba cart, buy a micro. Perfect.
 
O

Odious Tea

Member
Loxley said:
Quick question, since VI is getting so much love, I was wondering if there was any other way to get it out outside of the GBA or PS1 versions (as in through PSN or DSiware)? I've wanted to check out one of the non-3D FF titles for a while but never figured out which one to go for, seems as though FF6 is it.
Click to expand...
GBA. All the way.
 
F

Fimbulvetr

Member
carlo6529 said:
Ok, I just want to get this out of the way, I don't want to get into a heated discussion here, and I don't want to offend anyone; this is just my opinion. I realize that saying "it just doesn't feel like..." is very vague. It is just something that a fan of the series know's. Like you know when your playing Mario , Zelda, or a Dragon Quest game, you just know.

FFXII felt more like a spin off. It is not one particular thing. It just did not posess a lot of the traits past final fantasy's had( I am mainly talking about 1-9).

I am pretty oldschool; I prefer turn based battle system, and will admit that ever since they dropped the turn base, I have lost a lot of interest in ff games, though I seem to be in the minority these days. I am open to action based but I am not a big fan of the "gambit" system. I don't like bots; it takes me out of the whole "i'm in control" feeling. It makes me feel like a program is playing the game for me.

I didn't care for the main protagonist. He was boring, lame and uninteresting and I know that is not what they were going for. He was overshadowed by almost everybody else. If people don't care about the protagonist, they are not going to like the story.

I didn't really feel the urge to explore the world like past games; I actually found that whole "monster slaying sidequests" to be fun, until I found out that they were not tied into the main story in any real way.

I need an airship that I control, that I can land where ever the hell I want, not one that acts like a teleporter/zone entrance.

As for the story, I found too much of it was narrated and was complicated for no apparent reason. It had a simple beginning and end, but the middle was not interesting at all.

The game itself used FFXI's engine which I personally think was a bad idea. It was beautiful and all, but how are you expected to take an engine that was intially designed for a mmporg and successfully turn it into a single player experience? I just found FFXI's battle system much more interesting then ffxii's.

I don't know man, I just really didn't find it fun at all, and that is the bottom line. I am sure if I replayed it again, it would be slightly better the 2nd time around, but I really do not have any interest in replaying it any time soon or at all for that matter.
Click to expand...


Few things:

1) FFVII didn't have many traits that FFI had.

2) Gambits were optional, the game gave you three ways to turn them off including one in the main battle menu.

3) I can agree on Vaan.

4) When have secret bosses in FF games ever been that related to the main plot? Even then the quests serve to flesh out the world, just read the bestiary once in a while.

5) I've never really cared for the world map so I won't argue on this one.

6) Too much narration? Did you play X? Too complicated? Did you play any non-2D? The middle of XII's story was flawed because it was nonexistant, not because it was convoluted.

7) What does its engine have to do with its battle system?

I'm perfectly fine with you not liking the game but, really?

cosmicblizzard said:
I feel almost the exact same way you do. I thought I would like it if I gave it another chance so I tried to replay it, but I couldn't. You might be more successful than I was though.

As for the "feeling like a Final Fantasy" thing, I know what you're saying 100%. I'm not being biased because there are games in the series I don't like yet I can still acknowledge that they "feel" like an FF game. I hated 2 and didn't really like 5 that much, but both of them are clearly FF. XII felt more like a pseudo MMO spin-off that built off of the Tactics world. Ivalice just doesn't feel like an FF world to me.
Click to expand...

You must not like your worlds when they are well written and fleshed out.
 
GhaleonQ

GhaleonQ

Member
IX>VI>XII>III>V>II>XI>VIII>I>X>IV>VII

My opinion is so much better, right?

But, seriously, IV rides nostalgia, period.
 
C

cosmicblizzard

Banned
Fimbulvetr said:
You must not like your worlds when they are well written and fleshed out.
Click to expand...

There's no way to explain it where you would be satisfied. It's just a feeling. I mean I could say it felt like a Star Wars rip-off, but so does XIII and that feels like a "real" FF to me from what we've seen and what I've played in the demo. Yeah, you can point to the animu crap, but the series didn't always have that and I never saw it as a defining trait.

I'm not saying Ivalice is a bad world by any means. I loved it in Tactics. It just doesn't feel like an FF world to me. Obviously I have nothing to back up my argument but I'm apparently not the only one that feels this way.

I don't want to start anything so let's just leave it at that. I'm not going to change anyone's mind with this and I doubt anyone would be able to change mine.
 
C

commish

Jason Kidd murdered my dog in cold blood!
GhaleonQ said:
IX>VI>XII>III>V>II>XI>VIII>I>IV>VII

My opinion is so much better, right?

But, seriously, IV rides nostalgia, period.
Click to expand...

Normally I'd agree with you; there are so many "great" games of yesteryear that are really terrible games nowadays. But FF6 is pretty great still.
 
G

genjiZERO

Member
I kind of like the list. Personally 6, 7 and 10 are my favourites of the modern FFs, and 12 and 9 are my least favourite. 1 holds a special place in my heart because it's what got me into gaming, but I don't think it's particularly fair to compare all of them, especially so far after the fact. I'm mildly indifferent to 2, 3, 4 and 5 - they are decent, but I don't like any of them as much as the ones above. Obviously, I never played 2 and 3 until way after they were released so I don't think I can critique them properly.

Personally:

6,7, and 10 > 1, 8 > 4 > 5 > 12, 9, (2, 3)
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Loxley said:
Quick question, since VI is getting so much love, I was wondering if there was any other way to get it out outside of the GBA or PS1 versions (as in through PSN or DSiware)? I've wanted to check out one of the non-3D FF titles for a while but never figured out which one to go for, seems as though FF6 is it.
Click to expand...
The GBA version has all the gameplay intact and the translation's great.. But it's a technical downgrade and I don't like that. The screen resolution is much less and the music, while a good GBA approximation, just can't compete with the original's SNES music. It's one of gaming's greatest scores and the SNES soundchip is a beautiful thing!

I reccomend the original version in some form. Either the original cart, the eventual VC version, or frankly... Emulation! Most emulators do a great job of approximating the SNES sound.

The PS1 is more or less an emulation of the SNES version.. But it's a bad one. Music sounds off. They can't get the "warble" right when a note is held, and somehow that's the trademark sound of this game's music.
 
I

iconoclast

Member
GhaleonQ said:
But, seriously, IV rides nostalgia, period.
Click to expand...

Agreed. FF IV was one of the first RPG's I ever sunk significant time into, and even nostalgia couldn't stop me from thinking the game was mediocre at best when I replayed it earlier this year.
 
T

TheExodu5

Banned
Loxley said:
Quick question, since VI is getting so much love, I was wondering if there was any other way to get it out outside of the GBA or PS1 versions (as in through PSN or DSiware)? I've wanted to check out one of the non-3D FF titles for a while but never figured out which one to go for, seems as though FF6 is it.
Click to expand...

Do you have a fast computer?

BSNES emulator with the RGB NTSC filter setting is about the closest thing to the SNES version I can get. It's awesome.

The GBA version is alright, but the music just does not compare at all. It's a shame, since the music is the best part of the game.
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
These lists only show how few people and particularly FF fans have experienced (sorry, first month/trial doesn't count) FFXI.
Many of you FF6 elitists and FF7 kids would shed tears of happiness if you had explored most of Vana'diel and most of all its story arcs.

But to be fair, the game improved a lot since release (not even talking about the awesome addons but all the stuff they added and changed, imo especially since the past 2(?) years as they made the game a bit more accessible and comfortable.

sadly, even only doing all the main missions and quest arcs is quite a timesink :/
 
T

TheExodu5

Banned
Here are some BSNES shots, for the person interested in playing the game the best way possible (besides using an SNES):

ff6b.png

ff6a.png
 
P

PantherLotus

Professional Schmuck
This gets a lot easier when we pretend that FF didn't exist before VI and we acknowledge that XI isn't a main line game.

1. VI
2. VII
3. X
4. IX
5. XII
6. VIII
 
F

Freyjadour

Member
I didn't read the article enough to know what was being ranked, but XI's story is actually pretty fantastic if you spend the time to get to the heart of it.

PantherLotus said:
This gets a lot easier when we pretend that FF didn't exist before VI and we acknowledge that XI isn't a main line game.

1. VI
2. VII
3. X
4. IX
5. XII
6. VIII
Click to expand...

I'd still have to consider V as well.

VI was a fine game, but had a lot of flaws and/or bad gameplay design (primarily the whole three party dungeon thing, no thank you). For its time it was pretty good though. I think that VII is the superior game between the two honestly.

I'm still partial to IX. It didn't necessarily innovate anything, but it felt so well rounded I didn't much care.

X and X-2 had amazingly fun Battle Systems despite the linearity of X. I really wouldn't have minded another 2 PS2 Final Fantasies using X's system.

1. V
2. X
3. VII
4. IX
5. VI
6. VIII
Meh. XII
 
M

Mileena

Banned
PantherLotus said:
This gets a lot easier when we pretend that FF didn't exist before VI and we acknowledge that XI isn't a main line game.

1. IX
2. VIII
3. VI
4. VII
5. X
6. XII
Click to expand...
fixed

(I don't care if you don't like 8. I do.)
 
M

MattKeil

BIGTIME TV MOGUL #2
XII way too low, X too high, VII waaaaay too high, but if they didn't put it way up there the kiddies would have a fit.

VI is exactly where it should be, so kudos there.
 
Lord Phol

Lord Phol

Member
The reason this kind of list never works and why everyone thinks differently is:
A. Because The Final Fantasy series is just that awesome, there's something for almost everyone.

and;

B. People who grew up/started with a certain game is most likely to favour that one over the others.

I would probably rank X, IX and VII at first place, and the rest of the games second, because those three had the most impact on me (also VIII kind of).
 
F

farnham

Banned
Lord Phol said:
The reason this kind of list never works and why everyone thinks differently is:
A. Because The Final Fantasy series is just that awesome, there's something for almost everyone.

and;

B. People who grew up/started with a certain game is most likely to favour that one over the others.

I would probably rank X, IX and VII at first place, and the rest of the games second, because those three had the most impact on me (also VIII kind of).
Click to expand...
Id think the main reason is that final fantasy isnt really a series in the traditional sense

you may like the job system

or you may like the story aspect of the series

or maybe you like the cinematic direction the series took

depending on this your choice would diverge...
 
GhaleonQ

GhaleonQ

Member
UraMallas said:
Bullshit comment to me. I play it yearly. There hasn't been a better FF yet.
Click to expand...

Obviously, everyone can like what they want. I still bet (the untestable theory) that the vast majority of those who have fond memories of it would be lukewarm if they replayed it today. I don't believe in dated video games, but I hold that it does nothing better than the other Final Fantasies. I mean, the game caters to me (paladin hero, white mage archer, lance dragoon, large cast, linear abilities system, et cetera) and I still think it's mediocre.
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
I really need to buy FFIV. I've never played it, and I really ought to.
 
Red Scarlet

Red Scarlet

Member
Fimbulvetr said:
4) When have secret bosses in FF games ever been that related to the main plot? Even then the quests serve to flesh out the world, just read the bestiary once in a while.
Click to expand...

Well, Dark Bahamut mentions the Ragnarok and Zemus before you fight him (Zemus fears its power or something, so it must be kept sealed). The Holy Bevelle Mausoleum/whatever the 100 floor dungeon is called brings a little bit of closure in a way..the bosses in there were I know Maester Mika, I think Yunalesca, and that Zaon guy. Not pivotal but connected in some small way.
 
O

Ourobolus

Banned
TheExodu5 said:
This is the best Junior post I've ever seen on GAF. If I had mod powers, I would promote you to General Leo. *salutes*
Click to expand...
I would immediately take it away for him incorrectly stating that you need Sabin to beat the game.

Beating it with Celes, Edgar, and Setzer was fun as hell.
 
S

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
Segata Sanshiro said:
At this point in time, my list is like (from most liked to least liked):

FF6 - FF5 - FF4 - FF9 - FF7 - FF10 - FF11 - FF2 - FF1 - FF12 - FF8 - FF3
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I'd /rank/ them, but my rough tiers are:
Best: FF6, FF7
Great: FF4, FF8, FF9, FF10, FF12
Decent: FF1, FF5
Meh: FF2, FF3
 
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