Before I start ranking Square's flagship series, let's lay down some ground rules.
1) We'll only be covering the single-player Final Fantasy games, because throwing in the online Final Fantasys is like comparing apples and chocobos.
2) Only games in the main series. No direct sequels, no spinoffs. That takes us down to a manageable number: 12.
3) Remember, this is my personal opinion. You are more than welcome to post your own rankings and/or get really angry in the comments. But this is just my personal order of favorites. Keep that in mind.
Onwards.
1. Final Fantasy VI
Sometimes I wonder how much different my life would be if I hadn't discovered Final Fantasy VI and realized that hey, holy crap, video games can actually make you feel things. When I think about my favorite gaming moments, my mind always moseys back to the sixth Final Fantasy: from 16-bit bellowing at the Opera House to the reunion between the wildling Gau and his insane father, the individual scenes of FFVI are all brilliantly crafted, combining to make one hell of an overall experience. And themusic! The music! RPGs don't get much better than this.
2. Final Fantasy IX
Most people think of the ninth Final Fantasy as one big homage to old-fashioned design, which is true, but it shines because it feels so unequivocally modern. Yes, you've got plenty of genre tropes here—wizards, knights, crystals, dwarves—but how many old-school RPGs tell the story of a person trying to deal with the fact that yes, he is a clone, and yes, he's going to die very soon? Final Fantasy IX has some great dungeons and a really interesting world, but it's the writing—and the impeccable U.S. localization—that makes this game stand out. "How do you prove that you exist...? Maybe we don't exist..."
3. Final Fantasy IV
This is one of those "I know this game isn't really that good, but I've played it to completion at least 20 times and it's got sentimental value and also if you want I can recite to you, off the top of my head, an exact play-by-play of everything that happens, which is kind of weird but whatever" picks. FFIV might not hold up so well today, but in the early 90s, there was nothing like it. We were so used to RPGs with shoestring narratives like "go find the ORBS and save the PRINCESS," it was mind-blowing to pick up the Super Nintendo and find a twisty, powerful story about actual human beings and their emotions: love, revenge, jealousy. Also you get to go to the moon.
4. Final Fantasy VII
Much has been written about the charms of FFVII: the eco-terrorism, the terrifying bishounen bad guy, the elegantly simple materia system. But my favorite thing about this game is that it never takes itself too seriously. Even while your characters are suffering identity crises and trying to save the world, there's always room for a slap fight, some cross-dressing, and Red XIII in a sailor suit, which isn't quite as cute as it should be.
5. Final Fantasy V
People generally remember Final Fantasy as a game where four heroes go around the world collecting elemental crystals, and Final Fantasy Vepitomizes that concept. You go around the world, fight through dungeons, get better equipment, unlock new classes for your characters, and eventually fight a giant demon tree. Even in the late 90s, when FFVfirst came to U.S. shores as part of a PlayStation 1 collection, this was all typical RPG fare, but there's still something really satisfying about the fifth Final Fantasy's class system and how you can use it to turn your characters into powerhouses of your own making. FFV also produced one of the most iconic Final Fantasy songs out there.
6. Final Fantasy VIII
Like many modern JRPGs, FFVIII starts off with a bang, then kind of fizzles when it turns out everyone had amnesia. But playing around with magic is really rewarding, the card mini-game is one of the best things you can do for fun in any video game, and you can fly a school. YOU CAN FLY A SCHOOL.
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