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[Spiritwalker]

As far as "recent" FFs go I think XII has the coolest and most impressive world by far. It has an old, medieval-esque feel to it, but also features sophisticated technology like oil platforms and massive airships that almost look like they belong in the Star Wars universe. It has a really good blend of "medieval" (maybe not the right word here?) and modern technology.

FFXV had a really cool concept but half baked results. That world felt shallow and unfinished to me.

 

[jnWake]

VI's setting is perfect for me.

Yep, for me too. The mix of medieval setting with high technology is best of both worlds IMO.

VII's setting is also pretty cool tho.

 

[Barrel Cannon]

Medieval for me. I love Steampunk vibes though quite a bit.

 

[NintendosBooger]

Either one, but without characters who look and dress like they've been pulled from a Paris fashion show.

 

[Devilgunman]

I like FFXII/XIV theme the most. The mix between magic and machinery.

 

[Coinspinner]

I think I just prefer them to be weird. FF7's tech and art are all over the place, and it's great.

 

[BumRush]

If you think about it, FF very rarely does only one kind of setting. Really in the mainline series, only the first 5 are (almost) pure medieval fantasy. VI, IX and XII are medieval fantasy plus steampunk. VII is cyberpunk sci-fi, VIII and XIII are modern sci-fi, X is a mishmash of everything.

Only the online FF are like the first 5, high medieval fantasy. As you can see, making a new mainline (offline) FF with pure medieval fantasy will actually in fact be a breath of fresh air after all the experiments they've done for decades. Of course, I don't mind if they do more of sci fi setting, but we hardly get medieval fantasy FF in the first place. People acting like FF has always been medieval fantasy when it hardly has been.

Honestly though, I'm also keen on the idea of a FF set in contemporary world like Shadow Hearts. With a gothic fantasy twist, mix in historical events (alternative of course) and atmospheric/psychological horror element. That would be really interesting.

You're absolutely right. Almost all FFs since V blend elements. IX only barely counts because it happens so abruptly in the last 5-10% of the game (outside of some hints here and there), but it is in there.

 

[Fou-Lu]

I am going to parrot my idea of a Wild West inspired FF forever. Start as a band of train robbers riding chocobos, end up robbing a train you shouldn't have (whether it contains a crystal, a runaway princess or an ancient evil) and it results in the beginning of a quest.

I would also like to see them go full sci-fi one day, with planetary travel as a main element of the game. Maybe each of the planets in a solar system has a different crystal at its core that affects the world.

 

[Angelcurio]

I like the medieval setting mixed with techonology, like in FF IX. You have security in armor like Steiner and Beatrix, but you also have airships and modern towns like Lindblum.

 

[Unspoken90]

I prefer modern day/Sci-fi. I'm kind of tired of the medieval aesthetic that most fantasy stuff has.

 

[Star Orpheus]

I am going to parrot my idea of a Wild West inspired FF forever. Start as a band of train robbers riding chocobos, end up robbing a train you shouldn't have (whether it contains a crystal, a runaway princess or an ancient evil) and it results in the beginning of a quest.

I hate you because I love this idea and it's probably never going to happen.

As for the topic title I prefer the more modern ones. VII is my all time favorite and I quite like the modern take seen in XV.

 

[aett]

I am going to parrot my idea of a Wild West inspired FF forever. Start as a band of train robbers riding chocobos, end up robbing a train you shouldn't have (whether it contains a crystal, a runaway princess or an ancient evil) and it results in the beginning of a quest.

As much as I would love more Wild West inspired JRPGs, this sounds just like the opening to Wild Arms 3. (I guess I'm not complaining...)

 

[jstripes]

Pure medieval is so played out. FFVI and FFVII has the best settings, really. They struck a good balance of classic fantasy with a modern touch.

 

[luminous]

Despite IX being my fave I've always favoured sci-fi settings much more. XIII and VIII nailed that for me and it's part of why I'm really fond of them in a way. I'm kinda really tired of Medieval settings in general tho, not limited to FF.

 

[semiconscious]

I like FFXII/XIV theme the most. The mix between magic and machinery.

yep. the balance between fantasy & sci-fi. the over-emphasis on sci-fi in the xiii trilogy & ffxv has basically ended up killing the series for me. there's a reason it's not called 'final sci-fi' ...

 

[davepoobond]

Modern day sci fi is way more interesting. I'm not opposed to medieval if they make it more sci fi though.

 

[Cameron122]

So....... Final Fantasy Tactics?

Although they had actual magic, too.

Final Fantasy Tactics is my favorite one so yea

 

[OrionX]

Definitely sci-fi/modern. Gimme FF in space pls. I'd still be down for another full fantasy entry though.

Anyway, Besaid Island is my favorite place in all of FF so maybe idk what I want. lol

 

[Egida]

Definitely sci-fi/modern. Gimme FF in space pls. I'd still be down for another full fantasy entry though.

Anyway, Besaid Island is my favorite place in all of FF so maybe idk what I want. lol

You want a Star Ocean lol (with a FF budget).

 

[Raven117]

I tend to like the medieval period but with some weird twist (like steampunk in FF6).

 

[OrionX]

You want a Star Ocean lol (with a FF budget).

Yeah I guess so... and with characters I don't wanna throw out the airlock. It feels too unrealistic though. I can't imagine them doing the whole multi-planet exploration thing since these days they have trouble presenting one complete planet.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Would rather medieval they jumped the shark with this last one.

 

[Crankshaft]

I want Final Fantasy to ping pong between both styles. One game fantasy, one game sci fi. Back and forth.

 

[ZoronMaro]

Well 6 is by far the best so there you go. I don't normally go for steampunk, but there's absolutely no question in my mind.

I like all the old FFs, but to be fair I've completed almost none of them, it's just hard to go wrong with a classic fantasy setting, but anything going into future or tech shit is way too easy to get wrong.

FF7 is pretty good too, but anything after that is either a mixed bad (9) or straight up bleh (12).

 

[Jmille99]

Ill take both. I just hope that theres enough variety between the same settings to not make them "just another _______ setting FF"

 

[BigPete]

I prefer mostly fantasy with sci-fi elements:

FFIV: Fantasy world, but with Spaceships, Giant Robots, Huge computerized towers...

FFVI: Fantasy based steampunk with Magitek, Mechs, bio-magi-mechanical creatures, etc...

FFVII: More steampunk but with much more modern elements. Motorcycles, Trains, Guns, Robots, Rockets...

XIII was too much in the Sci-Fi direction and FFI was mostly pure fantasy (Dat warmech tho)

 

[BlueBadger]

Setting aside the obvious bias of the OP's first post (FF9 being the only game that aged well LMAO nice try sis, but not with that slow ass battle system and uncontrollable trance system), I prefer both. It depends on the game. FF8 is my favourite in the series, which is certainly set in a more sci-fi, futuristic time. However, I do really enjoy 9, which is more traditional (probably my second favourite in the series). My next favourite would be 10, so I guess I give a slight edge to the sci-fi stuff. Although I find 10 to be a hybrid between the two in a lot of ways..

 

[PSqueak]

I like the idea that the series is free to do either and everything in between.

My fave is a setting similar to Final Fantasy Tactics: Medieval after non descript event wiped out technology but some technological marvels are still around.

 

[Vital Tundra]

Really anything that isn’t 15 is fine by me. What a boring, boring world. A fantasy based on reality is a horrible theme.

 

[khaaan]

I like my mish-mash of things which might be why I like the setting of Final Fantasy 8 a lot. You have a quaint village, an urban city, buildings with lots of unique architecture, and plenty of dungeons with unique scenery. I was hoping Final Fantasy XV was going to be another one of those but it felt like modern day for basically the entire thing.

 

[TGO]

It has to be Modern/sci-fi
I liked XII but that was a mixture, couldn't stand IX
VII and VIII are probably the best example.

 

[Muffdraul]

I got into Tolkien's stuff and D&D as a little kid in the late 70s and was pretty much obsessed with it until about 1983. Then I burned out utterly and completely and I've never really been able to rekindle that fire. I played FFIV in 1992 and it bored the shit out of me. FFVI was the game that made me fall in love with the series, and at least a small part of the reason was that rather than having a pseudo-medieval motif it was more like pseudo-Renaissance/psuedo-Industrial Era. And I appreciated FFVII's pseudo-mid-20th century, FFVIII's bizarre baroque futurism and whatever the hell FFX was even more. I loved FFIX, but that was despite the back-pedaling in terms of setting/style. That irked me a bit. I was fine with FFXII's setting, though. *shrug* Anyway I think one of the main reasons I've never developed a taste for WRPGs is that so many of them are stuck in that tired old traditional style.

 

[Fbh]

FF? Modern, or a t least with modern elements. The world of VI with the magitek was great. I also really like the world and setting of VI.

But in JRPG's in general I have to say it doesn't get better as something like Chrono Cross.
What does that even fall under? It's more just plain fantasy than "medieval"

 

[PshycoNinja]

I wished FFXIV would choose a different pricing model instead of pay to play. Perhaps buy to play with microtransactions for cosmetic, and I would definitely give the game a shot. I'm not sure if I would like the mmo combat still, but the setting, the art style and character designs, and story intrigues me.

They already do that, along with other microtransactions with the game. They have no reason to not do the subscription model since they are making money off subscriptions and microtransactions. They don't have to give up either.

The story that definitely wouldn't be there if it didn't have a subscription model.

Polling indicates that the playerbase is satisfied with the pricing structure and would rather pay to play.

The story would still be there if it wasn't subscription based. They make a bunch of money off expansions that pay for all the patches and the expansions themselves.

 

[IncognitoPanda]

Since FFIX is my favorite, medieval/steampunky. Tired of machines

 

[TwilightPrincess]

I liked FF 6-9. So both styles are ok, if they are made good. Didn't really like 10 (that blizzball fanatism was cringy), 12 (Star Wars) or 13. FF 15 was an interesting mix, but too normal and all that gas stations..... The world was like a mix of Italy and US and the most visually intersting town was destroyed before you could set a foot in..