Final Fantasy

… franchise is on Steam sale.

I've never played any of them (not fond of JRPG's in general, especially the style), but maybe I should give one or two a try? If so: which one(s).

pibbur whose knowledge of the franchise is restricted to knowing the name

The earlier ones are my favourites, hands-down. The first six are well worth playing, and if they are all on sale, you really cannot go wrong with any of those. The latter ones can be hit or miss, I've played them all except the online one and the fifteenth game. My suggestion would be try some of the early games, see if you like the genre and combat style/progression, and go from there.

FF IV might be a good start to see if you like the older games. You can't get FF 1&2 on Steam, and FF III is very average imo.

FF IV, V, and VI were sort of the golden age for FF games. FF VII is good as well. If you want something more modern, go for FF XII.

FF11 and FF14 are mmos so skip that trash. Ignore mmo shills.
FF13 (all of them) are singleplayers but they still suck.

FF 9, 10 (and 10-2) and 15 are fun. Buy those.
About FF1 - FF8 I know only how those look. And all look as Nokia 3310 snake. If you just have to buy, buy them on phone, not on PC.
FF12 dunno nothing about so can't say anything.

Well, I don't mind MMO trash, but I don't need yet another one (already have and play LOTRO, ESO and one I refuse to mention).

FFXV has a demo, so I'll try that. Maybe I should look into FFIV as well. Not particularfy fond of the (childish) graphics style, but it's cheap, so maybe I'll give it a try.

pibbur who says thanks

Originally Posted by pibbur who
FFXV has a demo, so I'll try that. Maybe I should look into FFIV as well. Not particularfy fond of the (childish) graphics style, but it's cheap, so maybe I'll give it a try.

FF IV is really good for a JRPG, but unfortunately the Steam version replaces the original hand-drawn graphics with rudimentary 3D graphics that look terrible imo. In fact I believe it's actually a port of the Nintendo DS version. I'd recommend using an emulator to play a different version if you're familiar with using those.

Originally Posted by pibbur who
Well, I don't mind MMO trash, but I don't need yet another one (already have and play LOTRO, ESO and one I refuse to mention).

FFXV has a demo, so I'll try that. Maybe I should look into FFIV as well. Not particularfy fond of the (childish) graphics style, but it's cheap, so maybe I'll give it a try.

pibbur who says thanks

Good suggestions - I started my FF play on the GameBoy Advance with FF 1&2, and have played a good number of the games … but pretty much all on handhelds or iPad. My personal fave is FF VI, and agree with JDR13 that IV-VI is the real golden age, even if VII is most popular.

Originally Posted by JDR13
FF IV is really good for a JRPG, but unfortunately the Steam version replaces the original hand-drawn graphics with rudimentary 3D graphics that look terrible imo. In fact I believe it's actually a port of the Nintendo DS version. I'd recommend using an emulator to play a different version if you're familiar with using those.

That's too bad. I'm not familiar with emulators. I'll probably go for V or VI, then.

pibbur who thinks it's time to try a few classics.

PS: BTW: FFX/X-2 Remastered looks very good. Hmmmm. DS.

Something important about the series that I think Pibbur knows but some lurkers might not: it's barely a series at all. Each game stands very much on its own. Your characters don't continue on. There is no story arc covering the entire series. A lot of monsters pop up in each game, money is always called "gil", there will be a friendly person named Cid somewhere… but there's no reason to play the games in order.

In general, 6 and 7 are considered to be the best. However, they're also mighty old.

8 is just about to get an HD remake and some folks like it quite a bit. It's more of a love story, though.

10 is a pretty good choice, IMHO. It's not the best of stories but it's pretty good, especially once the two love birds get their dance in the pond done. Even in HD, it doesn't have the most flashy graphics, but they are very much survivable. (I haven't even tried 10-2 yet. I really liked the ending to 10 so I've been pretending 10-2 doesn't exist.)

12 is the game that taught me what "grinding" was. However, the game has been through a bunch of changes since I played it, not to mention a graphics update. I'm not so sure I can even comment on what it is now.

13 is blah. They say that Lightning Returns isn't bad but I've got better things to do than to find out.

I only played the demo for 15 and didn't like it much. Very pretty, though.

I'll just jump in here really quick and make a small note since Final Fantasy is actually my favorite collection of games, and if you wish to play them, I'd like to give a bit of insight as to which versions are the best.

Many long time fans will says that IV-IX were the golden age of the FF games, and I would agree. After VI, you start to dip into the Playstation games that may or may not look aesthetically pleasing to most people, as 3D models aged pretty poorly. You'd have to decide whether or not that bothers you.

The older games like IV, V, and VI are fantastic. However, being able to play them on a proper platform (the intended versions or versions that stay true to their original design) is tough unless you emulate. IV is best played on the PSP/Vita as the Complete Collection, V can be found on the Playstation Network (you can also find it on Steam, but uses redrawn graphics that don't quite fit the aesthetic of the original), and VI can be found on the SNES/Playstation Network (you can also find this on Steam, but again, uses redrawn graphics that detract from the feel of the original).

Unfortunately, there aren't really any good ways to play V and VI in modern times, since they haven't been remade/remastered much outside of the Steam/mobile versions. Everything else has been a port from the Playstation/SNES versions, which suffer from bugs or massive load times. Usually the SNES versions are the way to go, which is why I say that an emulator is your best bet.

I think IV, VI, VII, and IX are all great. Each of them have a wonderful cast of characters with great music, atmosphere, and character development, and cover themes of sadness, loss, self reflection, and understanding of the self, each in their own way.

Seeing as I'm biased, I can't fairly recommend one to you. However, VI and VII are often regarded as the best, with IV and IX right behind them. VI is my personal favorite, so naturally I'd say that one.

Zloth pretty much nailed it in regards to VIII, X, XII, XIII, and XV. I liked the story of VIII and X. XII's story is a little all over the place, but the combat is pretty fun. Admittedly, I never played XIII or XV because they never really appealed to me. I've seen people play them, but I have a hard time wanting to play them. They're so different from what Final Fantasy was always best at.

I'm currently doing a new game plus on Final Fantasy Four, and it's been a total blast every single day that I fire it up. Like others have said, it may not be the number one FF game, but it is well worth playing.

Recently started playing FF8, and FF5 along with replay of 7 on the PS VITA!

really enjoy each for good moments and adventure for everyone.