I Have Never Played a Final Fantasy Game. Which One Should I Start With?

[XPRTNovice]

FFIV cuz that's what I started on. And I also think that the SNES games are the ones that really brought Final Fantasy out. Mystic Quest was literally designed to introduce people into the genre, so maybe that one.

[Mirby]

Mystic Quest!

YES YES YES

Mystic Quest is awesome. Especially that music.

Though I suppose if you want a main series game, then any of the SNES ones are great (4, 5, or 6). 7 and 9 are also good, but there's a lot of references to past games in 9 that make it even more enjoyable when you understand them.

And if it was in English (or if you're good with Japanese) there's always Type-0 on PSP.

[theshaggyfreak]

My first Final Fantasy game was X and I hold a certain amount of fondness for it because of that. I played VII, VIII, and IX after that. I've played nearly all of the major releases at this point and I can't really think any one of them is a particularly good place to start. If I had to go back in time, I think I would still start with X, though.

[Red Shadow]

Final Fantasy Legend 3

[Doulifée]

SNES era was good with nice 2D sprites work.

4 and 6 storywise, i like 5 for the job system on itself. can be a bit confusing and overwhelming if you didn't play any FF before.

PSX era

FF7 and 9 are fun to play, the 8 system is a bit confusing at first, and i think the enemy level with you (if someone remember and can confirm this)

FF12 was the last one i played, i enjoyed it a lot, but the battle system is a bit different so you should start with a more standard FF for starter.

and as for the old ones 1 2 3, handheld port of those have made them more bearable and playable (even if i found the original 1 pretty fun for it's hardcore simplicity)

Like Annie Felis said check the story and characters, try to watch some battle video too, and pick one.

[Mirby]

Final Fantasy Legend 3

C'mon man, don't recommend a repackaged SaGa game to someone wanting to play a Final Fantasy!

[XPRTNovice]

FF7 and 9 are fun to play, the 8 system is a bit confusing at first, and i think the enemy level with you (if someone remember and can confirm this)

Confirmed. And annoying. But I like FF8 in spite of that.

[GravitySuitCollector]

Kingdom Hearts. Start with that one.

But if you want an actual FF (sort of suggested KH jokingly, but it wouldn't be bad to play), I do like FF IV a lot. I enjoyed the DS remake a lot, still haven't gone through the final dungeon to beat the final boss, though. Be prepared for jumps in difficulty near the end if you don't grind much. It's not too horrible, though.

Honestly, though, as long as you choose a good one, you won't be disappointed. Avoid XIII.

[Esperado]

just junction a bunch of ultima to squalls strength and ff8 becomes totally broken, no matter the level of the enemy. 100 ultimas on any characters strength equates to 9999 per hit. Just imagine the limit breaks for characters who hit more than once. 9999 X 6 = dead bosses.

[Meteo Xavier]

I do like FF IV a lot. I enjoyed the DS remake a lot, still haven't gone through the final dungeon to beat the final boss, though.

I don't recommend starting with the DS version of that either. That game gets EXTREMELY difficult much later, even for someone like me that has devoted much of his life to FFIV universe.

Start with either a Final Fantasy II ROM for the SNES or the PSP Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection.

[Annie Felis]

I don't recommend starting with the DS version of that either. That game gets EXTREMELY difficult much later, even for someone like me that has devoted much of his life to FFIV universe.

Start with either a Final Fantasy II ROM for the SNES or the PSP Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection.

Yeah, if you do a rom of FF6, do NOT do the Skyrender fan translation. It's awful. There's one out there that has difficulty tweaks so the game difficulty scales properly, and the translation is done much better. It's called StandGuard. Out of all the versions of FF6 I've played, I'd recommend that one the best.

FF6 is my personal favorite, but really don't let what I or anybody else like sway you. If you want an easy one, pick FF7. If you want a ballbuster, pick FF5. If you want to spend hours and hours to build that perfect team, pick FFT. I don't know your style of gaming and what you prefer.

[Argle]

The SNES ones have actually aged better than FF7. Oh god, those club hands.

[Garpocalypse]

Final Fantasy Tactics.

Seconded big time.

Get FFVII and Tactics together and you'll be set.

...until you hit FF10 and up. Then you'll be disappointed like the rest of us

[Swifthom]

Seconded big time.

Get FFVII and Tactics together and you'll be set.

...until you hit FF10 and up. Then you'll be disappointed like the rest of us

Apart from, for my money FFX is a thing of unparalleled beauty and FF12 is the best video game ever made.

[ocre]

Final Fantasy IV (GBA version should be findable). Then Final Fantasy IX.

Final Fantasy Tactics is great but... not exactly representative of the main series... at all.

(If we're gonna go down that path, PLAY THE FFTA GAMES!)

[Garpocalypse]

Apart from, for my money FFX is a thing of unparalleled beauty and FF12 is the best video game ever made.

Sorry you are right about FFXII which I enjoyed alot.

[SonicSynthesis]

Thanks for all the replies, they've been really helpful. I can't decide between XI and XII. I'm leaning towards XI, i enjoy SNES RPG's like Secret of Mana. Plus i've loved the stuff i've heard on Balance & Ruin and it would be cool to hear the originals in action.

On the other hand i've had XII on Steam for a while now but not got round to playing it. I know it's meant to be the big daddy that everybody has to experience at some point in their life and it's one that i am 100% going to play (i've payed for it after all).

I only really have enough free time at the moment for one of them, it's a tough decision

EDIT: I meant VI and VII

Edited November 20, 2013 by SonicSynthesis

[Mirby]

i think you mixed up X for V there, buddy

[SonicSynthesis]

You're right, i did. I'm tired

[Mirby]

No worries, I was just mildly confused when you said you really wanted to play XI (which is online) and that you had XII on Steam.

But yeah, glad we could help.

[BardicKnowledge]

I think that FFIV is the best entry point for the series -- it's linear, provides easy points of access for the series' main tropes (summoned monsters, job classes, etc). The PSP edition (available on Vita also) is my favorite edition, though I would recommend avoiding FFIV: The After Years (the sequel) until you have played at least one of the other first six games.

Avoid FF1, FF2, and FF3 until you've played one of the others unless you are old enough to have played either Wizardry or tabletop Dungeons and Dragons, in which case you can think of both FF1 and FF3 as emerging out of those systems instead. FF2 uses an Elder Scrolls-style levelling system unlike anything else in the series, so don't play it for an impression of what the franchise is like overall.

[Kenogu Labz]

Instead of just recommending a specific game, since that's already been done up and down the board, I'll just give a little of what to expect no matter which you go with:

• Prepare to get swept away in a great story! This is perhaps the primary reason these games are considered to be classics. Combat may vary in appeal or quality between games, but this is pretty much a constant, especially starting with IV and beyond.
  
• Leave suspension of disbelief and details nitpicking to the side until you've finished the game. You'll find you have a much more fun time if you just go along for the ride. The emotions and wonder of the worlds they build generally come naturally if you just play, even if the logical steps the story takes don't always feel that logical.
  
• Get ready for a fresh combat system with each entry! This series continually changes its combat mechanics with each new entry, which means that you get to learn something new every time. A lot of concepts, themes and mechanics remain, so you also don't have to completely start from the ground up.
  
• Tune your ears in to the gorgeous music! Each entry has its own unique soundtrack, fine-tuned for the story and setting at hand. As an added bonus, the more you play, the more subtle references you'll catch as the series progresses. IX is the best example of this, and not just in the music aspect.
  

If I were to recommend, I'd start with VI, simply for the tightest integration in the series between the characters, the music, the gameplay, and the world. This game, more than any other, has left the imprint of its story in my mind for years; it's told so simply, and yet so powerfully. Plus it's a blast to play, even if the system has some rather amusing flaws.

Then again, maybe you should hit it last so you end your tour of the series on a high note.

EDIT: Also, counting down the time until 'favorites list' -> locked

Edited November 20, 2013 by Kenogu Labz

[Mirby]

considering they plugged this thread on the twitter, i don't think this counts as a favorites thread.

[Native Jovian]

Thanks for all the replies, they've been really helpful. I can't decide between [VI] and [VII].

Fair warning, neither of those really fit the "standard" Final Fantasy experience in terms of hitting all the classic Final Fantasy tropes -- the setting, the classes, etc. They're both still good games (though I personally didn't much care for FFVI, a lot of people say it's their favorite in the franchise). I'd recommend FFIV and FFIX over VI or VII for your first foray into the franchise -- both of them have a much more typical fantasy setting, feature characters that embody the iconic character classes (white mage/black mage, dragoon, ninja, summoner, etc) rather than VI and VII's more free-form characters, etc. Their "this is a Final Fantasy game" vibe is just stronger than VI or VII's.

You won't go wrong with VI or VII (though keep in mind what people have said about VII's graphics showing their age), but IV or IX will probably serve you better if you want to "get" Final Fantasy as a whole, rather than just "play a Final Fantasy game".

[Kenogu Labz]

There is the caveat, Jovian, of IX being intended to represent Final Fantasy as a whole; it's even better after having played at least a few of the traditional entries. And Final Fantasy only had a 'uniform' setting for around five entries, only two of which really started reaching into true worldbuilding territory.

Also, while VI didn't have the traditional jobs, the characters did fall into sort of broad classes: Terra the Swiss Army Mage, Edgar the Gadgeteering Warrior, Locke the 'Treasure Hunter', Shadow the Ninja, Relm the Artistic Bard, etc. Just because they played with the roles doesn't mean they aren't there. Also, the magic mechanics here actually fit the story, which I personally find to be a fantastic feat on its own.

Edited November 20, 2013 by Kenogu Labz