Helping a friend pick his first Final Fantasy.

[AJ_Radio]

I would avoid Final Fantasy XIII (Final Fantasy 13) and Final Fantasy XV (Final Fantasy 15).

 

Final Fantasy VII is an all time classic of course, but it's rather dated at this point so I'm not sure your friend is going to like it or not. Final Fantasy X was pretty good when I played it back on the PS2 and I can definitely recommend that. Just be prepared to spend a LOT of time on it.

 

I haven't touched this series much at all over the past several years. I personally think it's an overrated franchise.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Spaz

[Cleggworth]

I voted XV. The game is terrible but it sounds like he's already decided and just wants your validation so he can have mine as well

[Dreggit]

Based off what is available for the PS4.... 

 

Final Fantasy Type-0: An action J-RPG focused around a large cast of 15 playable characters with unique playstyles. This one is a political drama and you play as faction sandwich between two enemy nations.

 

Final Fantasy VII: A classic to rival many a J-RPG. This one focuses on a dystopian society that lives off the life energy of the planet and the company behind it. The story cam be convoluted in parts but is expanded on in many titles....

 

Final Fantasy VIII (Soon): A PS1 classic RPG that is set to the tune of a military mercenary school. While the SEED missions can be kind of slow moving with a secondary story weaved throughout the campaign, this one can sometime be easy to misunderstood in its story. This title is best known for its hilariously broken junction system and the most popular fan card game, Triple Triad.

 

Final Fantasy IX: A J-RPG that goes back to its pure fantastical roots of fantasy. Weird creatures, lighthearted story, classic gameplay. This game features some of the series hardest minigames, and is best known for its Chocobo Hot and Cold minigame and Tetra Master.

 

Final Fantasy X HD: A J-RPG that is set in a post apoptalyptic world. Technology and religious ideals are brought to bear in this compelling story of loss and life. The main antagonist is seemingly a godlike force of nature embodied in a shell called Sin that punishes all who would partake in forbidden practices. This game is best known for Blitzball, having an abundance of superbosses, mostly voiced dialogue. This is the only game on the PS4 lineup that is truly turnbased.

 

Final Fantasy X-2 HD: The sequel to FFX. This game continues some time after X. The cast is a trio of three girls and uses a unique combat system utilizing dress spheres. The game is broken up into chapters and to fully see all aspects of the story a player might have to play the game several times over. One critism is that the game has one particular bit of stpry critical information locked behind a sidequest that is missable. This game is best known for its... costumes and the dressphere system. Additionally, it has a robust Fiend Arena feature.

 

FFXII-TZA: This title is JRPG revolves around a political setting of settling differences between nations and between nations and gods. This title is best known for having the most obscure side quests, the gambit system, and for its initially slow combat.

 

FFXIV: This title is a MMORPG set in the world of Eorzea. It is an epic of the Warrior of Light and their battle against the Empire and it's Allies. This game is now on its third expansion and likely has two more before it ends. This requires a paid monthly subscription to play and relevant expansions to play content. The main feature of this game is that the story is one linear progression from initial base game, through all of its expansions.

 

Final Fantasy XV: This is the latest of the franchise and the only one not ported from another system! Amazing! You play as a prince and his friends as they quest to acquire the favour of the gods and defeated the source of the scourge. FFXV is best known for its many many DLCs

 

Final Fantasy Disidia NT: A fighting game. I don't ]personally know much about it though.

 

Final Fantasy X Dragon Quest 30th Anniversary FORTUNE STREET Board Game: This title is not well known and might prove difficult to play. This is not exactly the name of the game though I felt it worth mentioning as it is a FF game on PS4

[DEMON]

As much as I love FFXV, it can give false expectations to what the rest of the series is like, and I know many who started with FFXV and won't even touch the others because they're not their kind of game, so I suggest to go with either FFVII, FFVIII (the remaster that's coming out sometime soon), or FFX like others have suggested if you want your friend to actually get into the series overall, they can always experience FFXV after those. Also FFXIV is great if your friend is willing to pay a subscription, but there is a free trial to it as well.

 

Also, just making a note, if your friend is looking for the best combat system, then FFXIV is it. When I say I love FFXV, it's mainly for the story. The gameplay of it actually isn't that great, the DLC gameplay is more defined, but the main game's gameplay is far too easy as well as boring in a way, there's nothing really interesting about it in that sense. FFXIV on the other hand has a variety of classes to learn the rotations of, all different mechanics to learn for surviving fights, when you get to Extreme/Savage content you'll definitely be getting into it in-depth.

Edited August 3, 2019 by DEMON

[WhiteDragonAura]

FFX, no question about it.  And I say this as one of the rare few who really enjoyed XV.

[ninjagirl657]

Final fantasy X was the first game I fully played of the series and the one that got me into buying the other FF game's. It was the one game that got me into the series, the last time I played was 20+ years ago when FF 3 was out on the snes. If your friend is basing things on graphics, fluid controls and don't like anything that's old, he would miss out on some of the greatest games and without them you wouldn't have half of the games out their already. Getting 100% in FFX would be a pride and joy of beating an old school game and hopefully get him in the series.

 

Personally I think he should try FFX and see if he can 100% it, if he don't you can laugh at him failing. Just because it's turn based shouldn't be a factor in it, he should open his mind to the older series, then relying on better graphics, just because FFXV has got better graphics, don't mean it's a good game. (based on the other people feedback, that FFXV is meh)

 

I know that their has been other recommendations, that most probably eclipse the fun factor of FFX, but unless you really try something older, you will end up missing out on what made the series great in the first place. In the end it's his decision, but he should try any of the recommendations that's been suggested and not play FFXV until he played an older version, then play FFXV and see what he liked better, his opinion may change. I've personally put FFXV, as last in the list of FF games to play and this is based on other people feedback.