Which Final Fantasy should I play next?

[Thin Crust]

So the choices are, ff7-ff9.

Final Fantasy 7 is the favorite for many people. The gameplay is great, but leveling is a pain in that game.

Final Fantasy 8 has the most complicated junction system, but I've mastered it by now and it's easy to cheat the system. Just use Siren’s life magic recovery refine ability and refine 20 curagas from one tent. Then junction it to HP or STR for an incredibly large head start at the beginning of the game. Also, FF8 is the only one where I got every character to lvl 100. It's pretty easy using the Island closest to Heaven/Island closes to Hell. Just have Quistis at low health and initiative and have her degenerate the enemies and get a level up every battle. But the bad thing is, enemies level up as you do. That means that you can be at lvl 70, and yet there is no monster that you can easily defeat in one shot unless you have something like str+60% or something like that equipped.

Final Fantasy 9 holds the best story for me. The level up system is also in my opinion, the best one of the series. Even if it does take forever to level up. However, the synth shops make it so that you can't sell your old equipment because you might need it to form newer and better items. This sometimes leaves you with a shortage of money. Also, you gain abilities as you level up with your equipment. That means that if you get a really cool item, you can't just simply equip it. First you need to fully learn the abilities on your present equipment before you should equip your newer, better stuff.

Other final fantasy games I own are: FF1, which I don't feel like playing right now, FF2, which I didn't care for in the first place(personal opinion), FF6, which I am currently playing on my DS(it's a gba game, I know), FF10, which I have done to death and if I have to listen to those guado's bad voice actors again, I will throw my ps2 out the window. FF10-2, which I have no desire playing. I got halfway through before deciding I don't like it. And FF12 which I am finishing up right now. I am currently at lvl 72 and I didn't even get Reddas yet. I want him to be at the highest possible level before I continue because he doesn't improve.

So, what do you think?

[Avatar of Justice]

I find it odd that leveling is such a big concern for you. I've never played an RPG where as long I didn't run away 95% of the time while playing through the game, I'm always whatever level I need to be or higher in order to get through the game. I honestly like being a little lower than whatever is recommeneded just to make the battles challenging.

[Kanthos]

Levelling isn't a pain in any of the PSX-generation Final Fantasy games. I agree that it's completely unnecessary, particularly in VIII, where the enemies level as you do and all you need to do is junction the right magic and you'll be fine.

My recommendation is IX. VII is a great game too but is extremely easy (I did a no-materia game without dying once or having any trouble), and VIII is even easier. IX also has a story that you can actually follow in its entirety, and I like their ability system best. As for being short on cash, it's a non-issue if you either fight a bit more to level or make note of what you need and what you don't for synthesis, and pay attention when you sell stuff off.

[Arek the Absolute]

Really depends on what you feel like doing, especially if it is between those three.

If you are craving a game where every character essentially is the same, giving you the ability to literally create any type of character you want, play ff7. The materia system in that game makes it so that any character could be anything in it, which makes it so that you only need to really focus on your favorite characters in order to clear the game without any problems.

If you are in the mood for a hardcore stat game, then ff8 is the way to go. Levels are not the big thing in this game, considering I beat the game one time when I was really bored with everyone being level 15. The thing about ff8? Stats stats stats. Like ff7, any character can be anything, except this system focuses on obtaining and leveling GF's as well as farming magic as your main focus.

If you are into the more "old school" feel, then ff9 is the road you need to take. Out of 3, ff9 is the most "simple". Leveling is no problem at all. I went through the game once as a challenge with me not being able to level grind at all and had almost no problems. The ability system is a bit more interesting, focusing on equipment farming to gain abilities, but since you get almost every essential piece of gear through chests you find while staying on the main story, this is really no problem.

So there you have it really.

[Penfold]

bad voice actors

"HORNLESS HORNLESS!"

"BlasphEEmer!"

Ahh, good times.

Anyway, don't think I can really help with your question, as I had only played FFVII out of those 3 and it wasn't quite my cup of tea. Without playing the other two, I'll go ahead and say you should play IX.

[avaris]

It sounds like you want to play FFIX the most. Have you ever played tactics? If you like chess play tactics it's chess on steroids. Also it was made by the same people who made FFXII.

The battles in FFVIII can get pretty long bc you have to summon the damn monsters all the time...overkill on the fx.

FFVII is really easy if you use the materia right. I beat the game with my guys really low level. It was 7-8 years ago so I don'y remember their levels. HP up materia FTW.

[Fishy]

I think 9 is classy and classic. It's a very polished RPG, and I don't find myself hating any of the characters. For a casual play through its a great choice, but its not much of a challenge.

[Thin Crust]

I like the chocobo in 9, though it is pretty much nonexistent in 8, and the scary part about 7 is, you have to level them up! Dispite all the comments I made about leveling up, I really don't like doing it. I just feel that it is necessary. I can't say that I have ever gotten past lvl 60 on 9, or 70 on 7. But the loophole on 8 is just too easy. It's too easy to cheat the system on 8. Oops, gotta go.

[Evilhead]

Um, play something other than Final Fantasy? It seems like you've already played most of them anyway. Try something else. If you are looking for something from the 8 bit era, try Golvellius or Phantasy Star, for the 16-bit era, try Phantasy Star IV, Landstalker, or the underrated classic Illusion of Gaia. 32-bit era, try Alundra, Xenogears, or Final Fantasy Tactics. For more recent games, Disgaea is a must-play, as well as it's sequel.

[Arek the Absolute]

Or lufia 2.

[Red Shadow]

play dark cloud

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

Final Fantasy III for the DS. 'Nuff said.

[Hawkwing]

My vote is for Tactics

[Red Shadow]

or how about earthbound

[!Nekko!]

play dark cloud

2. You don't need 1 and they fix everything wrong with the first one.

[The Orichalcon]

Don't worry about money in 9. There's a gil technique that you can do to nab 65,000 gil with just a little running back and forth between two adjacent shops.

[Bahamut]

Final Fantasy III for the DS. 'Nuff said.

I hated that game with a passion - it embodies just about everything I hated about RPGs.

[DragonFireKai]

Well, if it's just between the three, My vote goes for VII, can't go wrong with VII. I would heartily suggest several non-FF games to try though. For the PS1, Xenogears, Chrono Cross, Breath of Fire 3 & 4, for the SNES, Lufia 1 and 2, Illusion of Gaia, and Breath of Fire 1 & 2.

[Arek the Absolute]

i gave non biased reasons for each

from then on this thread is and has been fail

[Thin Crust]

I think it's because I have no where to find the other ps1 games. That's the oldest system I have btw. The only game shop around here is a really crappy shop, and another two about 12 miles away that also don't have anything. I was thinking about picking up chrono cross, but I have a feeling I would have to play chrono trigger first, and unless it's emulated onto the gba or ds, there's no way to get it. I have heard from many people that it is the best game ever made. Well, I think I'll go look for Xenogears somehow because I have heard that it is blasphemy for a gamer(especially an rpg gamer) to not have played it.

[avaris]

Xenogears

http://www.amazon.com/Square-Enix-9741-Xenogears/dp/B000038IFX/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4550762-4032653?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1179252453&sr=8-1

Chrono Cross

http://www.amazon.com/Square-Enix-6-62E%2B11-Chrono-Cross/dp/B00004TC6E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4550762-4032653?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1179252490&sr=1-1

FF1,2,4,5,6 and Chrono Trigger on PS

http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-Classic-Collection-Trigger/dp/B000F7W916/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-4550762-4032653?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1179252490&sr=1-2

[Penfold]

I think it's because I have no where to find the other ps1 games. That's the oldest system I have btw. The only game shop around here is a really crappy shop, and another two about 12 miles away that also don't have anything. I was thinking about picking up chrono cross, but I have a feeling I would have to play chrono trigger first, and unless it's emulated onto the gba or ds, there's no way to get it. I have heard from many people that it is the best game ever made. Well, I think I'll go look for Xenogears somehow because I have heard that it is blasphemy for a gamer(especially an rpg gamer) to not have played it.

You could get CT for Playstation on eBay for not too much. Given they pad the shipping cost, but I wouldn't say it's a bad deal overall. The only big problem with the Playstation port is the lag when going into battles.

EDIT: Oops, beat me to it lol.

[Raenok]

Don't worry about money in 9. There's a gil technique that you can do to nab 65,000 gil with just a little running back and forth between two adjacent shops.

I was thinking of trying to actually beat that blasted game this summer. I must know this.

[The Orichalcon]

I was thinking of trying to actually beat that blasted game this summer. I must know this.

There's a walkthrough on gamefaqs that covers it. I'm too lazy to check, but I usually read the biggest walkthrough in filesize, so try whatever that one is.

It basically involves buying 99 of some item in Dali. Then buying 99 of some item in Lindblum and Synthing them in Lindblum, then selling the resulting item. basically the sale price is twice the cost of item 1 + cost of item 2, so you get double your money back. It just takes a while to run back and forth synthing and selling the items, since synthing also costs money which stops you from doing it all in one go.

Once you've done 99 times and have the 65,000 gil though. You can run back to Dali and buy another 99 of the items, come back to Lindblum and do it again all in one go to get another 65,000. Repeating as many times as you want. I only do it once or twice when I go through though, since you just don't need that much money in the game. Most of the best items you can buy can be stolen from enemies in the game. And you should be stealing as often as you can so you can beat that bookworm thing in Alexandria on Disk 3 far easier.

[Arek the Absolute]

oh like the tea trick in lufia 4

thats pretty cool