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When Hironobu Sakaguchi started work on the very first Final Fantasy, he likely did likely thinking that it’d just be a successful one-off, maybe hoping he’d get a chance to make a sequel. It’s been 35 years now and the series still shows no signs of slowing down. It’s got sixteen mainline numbered entries in the series and at least as many spin-offs and direct sequels, giving existing fans plenty to enjoy, but also making the series intimidating to get into. After all, with so many games to choose from, where should one start? Which entries does one actually need to play?
These can be tough questions with some series, but that doesn’t need to be the case with Final Fantasy. Certain entries are more popular than others, and whether or not they’re really representative of the “Final Fantasy experience” will depend on who one asks. That said, though, new RPG fans looking to get a good feel for what the series is about could pick any of the following and feel confident going toFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthand whatever comes after.
Final Fantasy VI
If it weren’t for the monumental shadow cast by Final Fantasy VII,Final Fantasy VImight have been much more celebrated back in its day. The reason being its highly-refined ATB combat, intriguing setting, stellar music, well-written characters and legendary villain: Kefka Palazzo. Really, if series newcomers want to know what “classic” Final Fantasy was like, this is the game to play.
There are things about Final Fantasy VI that are dated now, the random battle system being a prime example. Getting stopped regularly to fight random monsters was always an annoying thing, and time hasn’t helped it. Even so, the combat is still easy to get invested in thanks to good music and cool attacks, so the battles aren’t boring at least.
Random-battles and flashy combat aside, though, what makes Final Fantasy VI a truly “classic” Final Fantasy experience is its world and the story. It’s set up as a typical “save the world” kind of tale, but goes much further than anyone unfamiliar with the game might expect. In the interest of keeping things interesting for those who haven’t yet played, just ask yourself this: “what happens if your plucky team of misfit heroes fails?” Answering this question is, perhaps more than anything else, the best reason to play Final Fantasy VI over other entries these days.
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X might be best known for hosting onegaming’s most infamous moments,but it’s still worth it for those looking to have a “quintessential” Final Fantasy experience. It’s not a carbon-copy of the earlier titles, but most of the hallmarks are there: fantasy world on the brink, odd mixtures of magic and technology, turn-based combat and a convoluted plot. It doesn’t get much more old-school Final Fantasy than that.
The story is a take it or leave it affair, but much of the main cast have gone on to become fan favorites. Tidus, Wakka, Yuna and Auron all hail from Final Fantasy X, and all have shown up in other Square Enix games likeKingdom Hearts.In other words, they’re not a bad bunch to get acquainted with, and players are certain to have developed at least a couple of attachments by the time the credits roll. Beyond the characters, though, combat and character development are the meat of this game, and Final Fantasy X shakes both up in a couple of important ways.
This game andFinal Fantasy XIIare the last entries in the series to use a combat system resembling those of the series' earlier entries and thus likely represents what most longtime fans say they’d like the series to return to. Does that make it more Final Fantasy-ish than all later games? Maybe, maybe not. That’s always going to be a matter of personal taste. Still, it does represent a beloved era in the series' history, so it’s an important one to play for anyone looking to get a good understanding of what these games are about.
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Before it came out, Final Fantasy XIII may have been the most highly-anticipated entry in the series since Final Fantasy X. Rather than going down as of of the series' greatest, though, it’s instead became one of the most divisive: a real “love it or hate it” kind of game. The reasons are many, but it mostly comes down to Square Enix waiting until almost the end of the first entry to really let players get full use of the “Paradigm” battle system. The result is a game that’s easily skipped nowadays, but the same need not necessarily be said about its sequel.
With Final Fantasy XIII-2, Square Enix did a lot to address many complaints fans had with the first game. Chiefly, it was not the endless progression of hallways that its predecessor was, instead allowing its players a fair degree of freedom to explore and take on whatever challenges they liked. This along with a pretty out there story of time travel, reunions and a maddened immortal bent on destroying the boundary between life and death did a good job of keeping the experience interesting if nothing else.
The real reason for any Final Fantasy newbie to give Final Fantasy XIII-2 a try, though, is its updated version of the “Paradigm” battle system. It functions more less like it did in Final Fantasy XIII, challenging players to direct the flow of combat by switching their party through different roles, but it comes with an added wrinkle of Pokemon-like monster collecting.
Players can (and indeed must) recruit lots of monsters to fill different roles in their party. Different monsters are suited to different roles, and all learn different sets of spells within that role. This means that players actually have a good reason to engage in battles and work towards collecting ever more powerful monsters to fill out their ranks and keep up with the difficulty curve. One can even just go full “gotta catch ‘em all” if they want.
While it’s almost certainly a good thing that Square Enix didn’t stick with this style of game for long, Final Fanstasy XIII-2 is still a fun departure from the Final Fantasy norm. Even if one doesn’t like most other entries in the series, this one is different enough that it could still wind being quite fun. So why not give it a try?
Final Fantasy XVI
It’s been almost ten years now since the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy concluded, and the series has yet to settle into a new normal when it comes to combat. After the more hands-off approach of the Paradigm system, Square Enix decided to take Final Fantasy into a more action-oriented direction. So far this has resulted in Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy XVI. Final Fantasy XV is, depending on who one asks, eithera flawed masterpieceor a poorly-realized first step into action-RPG territory. Final Fantasy VII Remake is the truest to the old style, but more on that later. As with Final Fantasy XVI, though, some don’t even consider it a proper Final Fantasy.
There are no hints left of turn-based combat left in Final Fantasy XVI. This is a full-on action RPG now, and it shows. Combat is fast and punchy, but still deep enough to allow meaningful customization of one’s playstyle. It’s not exactly challenging, but the battles are often involved enough to allow one to have their fun, and the “Eikon” fights dial up the hype even more. In terms of pure fun-factor, this is one of the better Final Fantasies one could choose to start with. It’d also come with the added benefit of preparing any series newcomers for what gameplay is going to be like in the coming years.
According to some longtime fans, though, this system represents a complete break from Final Fantasy tradition and thus new players won’t be getting the “real” Final Fantasy experience. Considering how differently all of these entries, each representing a different era in the series, play from each other, though, that doesn’t really ring true.Final Fantasy XVImay not be the same kind of game as Final Fantasy VI, but still immerses its players in a cool fantasy world and even goes back to the series roots in a way by returning to a more medieval setting where magic crystals are the main “technology” and no one’s ever heard of a “horse.” As with all of these, whether or not the game is “worthy” is going to come down to personal taste.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
If one is thinking that they’d like to give Final Fantasy VII Rebirth a try, then it’s only natural to play its immediate predecessor, yes? Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the complete version of the new Final Fantasy VII story up to this point, even including a side-story revolving around everyone’s favorite materia-hunting ninja: Yuffie. Its story’s connection to the upcoming game aside, this is just a solid action-RPG experience.
With Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Square Enix managed something that many were doubtful could actually be done: it successfully remade Final Fantasy VII for the modern age. Naturally, fans of the original Final Fantasy VII will get more mileage out of this fact than new players, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for a potential Final Fantasy newbie. If one isn’t weighed down by past nostalgia and expectations, they’re in a much better position to appreciate the game for what it is rather than what it is in comparison to the original.
What Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is is a visually stunning game filled with as many quiet character moments as it is with bombastic action set-pieces. Its combat system is arguably the most forgiving in the series to date, allowing players to slow down time and consider their actions and strategy carefully rather than relying on twitch reactions or juggling party strengths and weaknesses with knowledge of the enemy.
Mix in awesome music and a new, twisty story and you’ve got an RPG experience that any fan of the genre will be able to have some fun with. As one’s first Final Fantasy, it’ll do a good job of setting expectations for the series moving forward and likely get you ready to jump right into another tale.
Again, the Final Fantasy series being the way it is, one shouldn’t think that they have to play any or all of these games before playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth or one of the other entries not listed here. Rather, these can all either serve as good, individual entry points to the series as a whole, or taken together, help new players get a good, broad sense what the series is about.
