The most overrated Final Fantasy?

[Mattiechuu]

Spoilers I guess?

 

I played this game as a kid, and I didn't like it then. I thought maybe I was just too young and decided to give it another go, as the pixel remasters are extremely convenient and well made.

 

Well. Nope. Still not a fan. The gameplay is sound, the music and updated art are fantastic. The "story", however, is laughable. And this is an RPG, which you play to experience the story!

 

How can I get attached to any of these characters when they sacrifice themselves left and right after spending a whole 30 minutes with them? It's comical how often it happens, and it's always in the most stupid ways possible.

 

That also doesn't take into consideration the amount your party changes, so you have no idea if the person you are leveling is going to have any meaningful impact on your run, or you are just wasting time for them to sacrifice themselves yet again... or get kidnapped, or betray you, or fall off a boat, or get the flu. 

 

I'll platinum it, but sweet baby Jesus... This is such a chore. There is NO impact whenever it happens, and it always plays the same melancholy music, which is completely unearned and adds to the hilarity. 

[ThatMuttGuy]

No that title goes to FFVI. I really enjoyed 6, but good lord is it overrated. Kefka in particular really killed the game for me. 

 

IV on the other hand I really enjoyed. I'd probably rate the SNES ones V > IV > VI. Granted I still really enjoyed them and this is coming from someone that just played them all back to back for the first time ever. 

[DesmaBR]

I don't wanna be rude, but it's an early Super Nintendo game. Gaming stories weren't quite there in 1991

[Mattiechuu]

15 minutes ago, DesmaBR said:

I don't wanna be rude, but it's an early Super Nintendo game. Gaming stories weren't quite there in 1991

 

In fairness, Monkey Island 2 came out in '91 and has a good story. Then you have Final Fantasy V which debuted the year later and is leagues better than IV in the story department, but is often just forgotten.

 

Both were also early SNES games, so I don't see it as an excuse personally

[Burritoprime]

No, that goes to FFVII which I love but people make it sound way better than it actually is, FFIV is still an underdog.

[Zephrese]

VI and VII are both right there (especially the latter), though. I love both, but still. lol

Edited May 20, 2023 by Zephrese

[Xillynoc]

for my money the most overrated FF title is whichever one the person reading this likes the most. that popular thing? it's actually bad. why? because it's popular, and to hell with you for liking the thing. all my engagement comes from contrarianism

[Am4z1n9_AZ]

I do believe FFIV is slightly over rated, replaying it back too many sacrifice scenes for my liking and Kain's loyalty was played out. I still believe it's a good game but definitely not the best in the pixel collection that goes to FFVI.

 

If we're talking about the series as a whole FFVIII is definitely overrated which pains me to say because it was the first Final Fantasy I played and got me into the series. The plot holes in the story, bad drawing system which was unbalanced, unlikeable party members and randomly thrown together main antagonist late into the story like FFIV. I know some will say they were meant to be introduced late but I believe it's bad writing if there were not signs or hints in the beginning.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Am4z1n9_AZ

[XcaliBird]

I think FFVII is much overrated. I played it on PS One and I think that FFIX and FFX (on PS2) are much better. After FFX whole series went in the wrong direction (exception is FFXIV which is brilliant).

[ChouShirakawa]

It's not the best, but my favorite, because of:

- An enjoyable story.

- No bullshit system: you level up = you learn your spells and skills.

- FIVE party members, awesome. And by the story, your team keeps on changing quite often.

- An amazing soundtrack.

 

Between two job/class episodes, it was a vacation.

[Masamune_Riku]

I do agree as it was some's first FF title, so nostalgia really plays a factor. My first was FFVII, then FFVIII to FFX, I then decided to go back and try to experience the rest of the series... I think I might have had fun playing them, but not understanding much and asking my dad what some words were, like Relm saying "Fuddy-duddy" in FFVI thought it was a swear of sorts. But I really remember loving FFV the most of the past (before FFVII) games.

[AnghellicKarma]

Just finished this tonight. I love it.  

  

Yes, the multiple sacrifices were annoying, and yes Kain turning twice was played out by the second time. But these things we now look at as tropes were just emerging at the time. 

 

I can see the annoyance of leveling character(s) and then they are gone, that gripe does make sense and would have held up back then as well, for sure. But I still think it tells a fun story overall and really feels like they made the first FF here with actual characters with their own unique identities, and I definitely appreciate it. Like I said, it's just fun.

[Stargazer2600]

I say the most overrated Final Fantasy is VII

[sepheroithisgod]

Played 4 for the first time and definitely enjoyed it. I still think VI is the most overrated. I love Kefka, but damn, that cast of characters is just too big for its own good.

[Stargazer2600]

4 hours ago, sepheroithisgod said:

Played 4 for the first time and definitely enjoyed it. I still think VI is the most overrated. I love Kefka, but damn, that cast of characters is just too big for its own good.

It's literally double the number but 2 are optional and 1 is miserable. I'll admit it can be overwhelming but I also enjoy tactics and tactics advance so if 14 is to much, imagine 20+ lol

[starvar]

I played FF4(SNES) after FF5(SNES) about 30 years ago and enjoyed it then.

When I played it as an adult, I certainly think the story is overrated LOL.

As with all other old games, I don't think people who played it in the past and people who are playing it for the NOW first time can fairly rate it the same.

It would include nostalgia LOL.

However, i think the FF franchise has a lot of good games.

I think the FF series from the SNES era will continue to be my favorite.

[EqualityEarth]

All final fantasy games have some part of scene where in your mind you’re impulsively rewriting it because of cringe, or plot hole, or wrong music choice, or out of character moment. For final fantasy 4 (the first I played through) it is more or less similar to the other first era final fantasies in retrospect, 6 just has more moving parts in the mix. According to that 5 hour analysis of FF4 on YT (which I have no regrets watching), it was validating to hear that it, not FF7, was the start of the science fiction hybrid trend (just as 6 beat 7 to vocal piece integration).

The boss battle theme (old news that it’s a banger) for me is pretty much the anthem of medieval fantasy, and (barring kingdom hearts) of facing adversity in general. You know a composition was always good since the 90’s when the FF14 version of it results in a near divine creation.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19h2B2QjuNr6RrznJTK_sXWfVNAn6kH8wm0S9Sc205Sg/edit

In fact I liked it so much I dubbed it. The FF14 version also made me realize after all this time that the last 9 notes (excluding the “drum hits”) in the boss theme are identical (at least to my ears, I’m not a music professional) to the last 9 notes in The Lunar Whale. What a find ?

[Trigonometrize]

I agree with your story criticism. In Final Fantasy II, the heroic sacrifice was overdone there, and even though IV's story is step up from that game in a lot of ways, this remains its worst aspect. It's very human to not want to die, so when half your cast jumps on the opportunity to sacrifice themselves, it doesn't sit well. It would be different if it was explicitly a suicide mission and the audience understands upfront that the characters know this. But the willingness to die often comes out of nowhere, and from children no less.

 

However, I don't agree that it negatively affects the gameplay, as I really liked how your party was constantly changing.

 

On 5/8/2023 at 11:33 PM, AnghellicKarma said:

Yes, the multiple sacrifices were annoying, and yes Kain turning twice was played out by the second time. But these things we now look at as tropes were just emerging at the time. 

 

On the 2nd time around I almost figured he was faking it because that would've been 1) not annoying and 2) a clever thing for your co-lead to do instead of have the same self-critical scene again once its over.

Edited May 26, 2023 by Trigonometrize

[Pumpkin Head Cthulhu]

I would say 6 and 7 are the most overrated equally. Though I did enjoy 7, 6 I found to be ok.

[MidnightDragon]

Sorry, VII takes that crown.

[Xenoblast91]

Incredibly unpopular opinion here but definitely FFXI. The online game previous XIV. The game has been unbelievably awarded as the best MMORPG of all time since PS2 times, and amazingly for me, nobody talks about it. And it is ludicrously overrated. The game mostly unknown in the West but played to sickness in the East is one absolutely the top tiers in this thread. The game, being up for 21 years, is far away from shutdown and many people still play it consistently. Seriously.

 

Not a bad thing in my opinion, but reading all the comments seems to me that many of you are unaware of the past of gaming and the current state of affairs that affects many of us that take this from another perspective. 

 

Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/final-fantasy-11-not-shutting-down-despite-rumours

 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Xenoblast91

[JPtheNeurotic]

I don’t consider any FF overrated . They deserve their success and critical acclaim . 

[You]

On 5/5/2023 at 3:16 PM, Am4z1n9_AZ said:

If we're talking about the series as a whole FFVIII is definitely overrated which pains me to say because it was the first Final Fantasy I played and got me into the series. The plot holes in the story, bad drawing system which was unbalanced, unlikeable party members and randomly thrown together main antagonist late into the story like FFIV. I know some will say they were meant to be introduced late but I believe it's bad writing if there were not signs or hints in the beginning.

 

No you're exactly right. I'm not sure if FFVIII is the most overrated, but it was definitely the most hyped.

I mean after FF7, FF8 looked amazing, I even downloaded some MP3s of the game to hear the music and it sounded like fantastic, FF7 is probably the best RPG OST of all time and FF8 has great music too, I remember listening to the tunes a lot and just thinking wow, the world in FF8 sounds so amazing. FF8 fever was big.

I almost wanted to learn Japanese just to play the game, but in 3 months, that would have been impossible, so I just waited for the US release.

 

Then when I got it, it was great at first but then... didn't seem to go anywhere. I think thinking man when is it gonna get exciting.

And yeah, final protagonist appears like final 1% of the game and you're like wtf.

I also think the combat is interesting but just a bit weird, like, oh I need to draw 99 of Fire and attach it to strength but using magic makes me weaker? Well I guess I am not using magic much then. Drawing 99 of every magic in every area is so tedious, then eventually you throw 99 Fire you never used anyway because Firaga is now in abundance (or whatever the spells are called)

Game also triggers my OCD when I want too, need to use magic and now I have 98 or 97 of a magic and I want to get back to 99 again.

 

Game has 9 characters like FF7 but then 3 of them are locked away, due to bullshit story reasons, so you're basically stuck with 6. Pressing R1 with Squall is fun at first but then you're like ffs, just let me attack and not having to play One musical Note Rhythm. Legend Of Dragoon this game is not. I like Mr Cowboy because he is like Vincent, and has cool hair, but personality wise, he is such a dick.

 

Anyway, yeah FFVIII, I remember that fight sequence with Siefer intro on youtube watched it a million times. Well obviously it wasn't on youtube, I think I download a highres 10 MEG .mpeg file of it and it looked great at half screen window.

 

Shame the actual game was pretty dull.

[Tsundokuist]

Hot take but… I actually think FFIX is the most overrated. The character design (excluding Vivi) is pretty uninspired, the story (or rather the world) is unfinished. It’s not a bad game and the rumoured remake has the potential to be the best FF game ever if it redesigns the characters (maybe in the Bravely Default style) and expands/adds a little more to the second half of the game but, as it is currently, I don’t think FFIX is anywhere near as good as it’s regarded in the FF franchise pecking order these days.

 

FFVIII I didn’t enjoy at the time it released and haven’t touched since. It felt like they’d seen the James Cameron Titanic movie be a huge hit and tried to make a Final Fantasy version of that, I don’t remember much else about it today or have any desire to revisit it but it’s not really a game that’s highly regarded outside a small minotity of the fanbase so I wouldn’t call it all that overrated based on any discourse I’ve seen.
 

FFIV I’d actually say is the most underrated. It’s the best version of what those first five games (and IX) were trying to be. FFVI and FFVII are obviously bigger/more ambitious games but I think based on it’s shorter/tighter/polished experience FFIV has a strong shout for being the best game in the series after VI and VII/VII Remake.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Tsundokuist

[MysticDuskk]

Nah that title belongs to VII. VII is definitely good, but I’d rather play IV or V again over VII. I don’t wanna spend a single second more at the Golden Saucer