Best Final Fantasy

[Balipu]

This is what I keep telling people but no one will believe me.....

I believe you. It's just...Vaan is the point of view character.

[AlexionSkylark]

I'll just add the debate:

Final Fantasy VII is highly overrated and most people only list it as their favorite because they went "meh" for the SNES ones and when the series came on the PSX they went "OMG THE GRAPHICS, THE SUMMONS, IT'S 3D OMFG I NEED TO PLAY THIS", effectively making VII the first Final Fantasy for an entire generation. So, it gets all the nostalgia. Also adding to this effect it's the fact that the PSX was a much more popular system than the SNES, making FFVII the first Final Fantasy of everybody whose 1st console was a PlayStation (AKA a vast number of people).

That being said, FFVII is a nice game. However, it's NOT the "best Final Fantasy ever made. Not even close." story-wise FFIV and FFVI were much superior to FFVII, and gameplay-wise FFIX and FFX are also superior to VII.
Flame away.

[Lexarious]

Each to their own. I didn't think FF4 was anything special in terms of story(although its kind of unfair comparing) and that was the first one I started with. Overall I'd probably say 6 is my favorite out of the main series with 7 and 5 trailing behind it. FFT is my favorite FF game if you include non numbered FF's

[Artsiv]

Final Fantasy X - that's my choice!

[Yumi_umi]

I always loved the judges design in ffxii. When i saw lidia, nero etc i was like ooooooo. Then i saw the crocs from it too xD
Liked ffxii better than ffx.

Tidus was just meh, u so fake bro like dont even mann.

[MageBlack]

I'll just add the debate:

Final Fantasy VII is highly overrated and most people only list it as their favorite because they went "meh" for the SNES ones and when the series came on the PSX they went "OMG THE GRAPHICS, THE SUMMONS, IT'S 3D OMFG I NEED TO PLAY THIS", effectively making VII the first Final Fantasy for an entire generation. So, it gets all the nostalgia. Also adding to this effect it's the fact that the PSX was a much more popular system than the SNES, making FFVII the first Final Fantasy of everybody whose 1st console was a PlayStation (AKA a vast number of people).

That being said, FFVII is a nice game. However, it's NOT the "best Final Fantasy ever made. Not even close." story-wise FFIV and FFVI were much superior to FFVII, and gameplay-wise FFIX and FFX are also superior to VII.
Flame away.

I totally agree with you. FFVII is really overrated but it did have a decent progression system, combat system, and I loved the materia system. Golden Saucer was another great place to waste time and there were a lot of really memorable moments for me. So there are some legitimate reasons it can be listed among the top FF's aside from a poorly translated story for its day. I think a better translation and a remake with FFXIV style graphics would really do wonders for the game.

But as things stand and taking them as they were upon their original release (i dont judge any of these games on remakes or remasteries) FFVI and FFIV were much better story wise and overall presentation. Even for its day I didnt like the Popeye Arm graphics, at least the backgrounds looked nice. But to take the cake for the Best over all Final Fantasy, I think it should go to Tactics. It had the best character models, the best story, the best combat system, the best character progression, and the best hidden side stuff.

Just MHO though, flame away!

[TheEnygma]

For me it's gotta be VI, there's hardly any dead weight in the roster, no real lulls in the pacing and the OST is godly. I'd put IX here as well if the cast was as perfect as VI's

[Balipu]

snip

Actually VII was already over a decade old when I played it, so I get to avoid the graphics and the nostalgia stigma. I agree that the story of VII is not the best. It has a very rich backstory, but most of the time you are running from one place to another chasing Sephiroth. Gameplay wise I think it's still the best. Not necessarily combat (that would be either X or Type-0) but it had a very diverse gameplay with lots to do. In most of the games your options were combat or combat. VIII had triple triad, IX had tetra master (which I don't like) and X had Blitzball. In VII I speant hours after hours just with basketball. This is important for me. But I understand that not everyone has the same preferences and priorities.

[Renik]

But to take the cake for the Best over all Final Fantasy, I think it should go to Tactics. It had the best character models, the best story, the best combat system, the best character progression, and the best hidden side stuff.!

Don't forget the best job system, it's not present in all FFs but it's in most of them.

[Balipu]

Okay, we got to 100. It is still a relatively small number, but it is our first milestone. I will adjust a few answers after this, but won't reset again.

Sooo, after 100 answers:
VI has the best story A good 3 percent ranked VII as number one, but VI wins overall. The worst out of the main series is the XIII trilogy, just below Tactics and above Kingdom Hearts.
Apparently VII has the best combat. IX got the most number one votes but is overall only the fifth. The big looser is Final Fantasy XIII-2, ranked below Dissidia and above Kingdom Hearts, followed by Tactics.
XI got the most number one votes for progression and customization, but the overall victor is VII. The lowest ranking from the main series is XIV before the armory system.
XIV got the most number one votes, but the victor is yet again VII. For a change the worst numbered game is not an installment of the XIII trilogy, but XII.
Squall won the most number one votes, but the overall victor is Cecil, who was everyone's favorite heroine, before it was revealed that she is in fact a dude. Serah is the worst main series protagonist, slightly below Vaan.
Kefka won the most number one votes with an overwhelming majority for coolest villain, but lost overall to Garland (this compelled me to more clearly label him as the original FF I Garland). Nael is still the top rated FFXIV villain, while Lahabrea is the least cool main series villain just below Bhunivelze and Caius.
The fight list is dominated by Garland again, with Kefka, the majority number one vote holder, at third place below Sephiroth. Lahabrea is the loser yet again, ranked below Xehanort.
Terra is the leading lady both in terms of number one votes and overall. Prishe is still ahead of the Scions. Yugiri went from the highest rated from XIV to the lowest in the main series.
Cid Highwind is still the best Cid with 53.33% of the number one votes. Cid of the lufayne from Dissidia is the worst.
The Final Fantasy I version of Gilgamesh took the lead, with his adventures in Dissidia ranked the lowest.