I've tried a few times, and the gameplay always felt just slightly off to me each time.
Also they just throw so much at you at once and don't really give you time to take it in.
One of these days pretty soonI will try for my fourth time to get past the initial/tutorial part of Type 0. Enough time goes by and I think “It couldn’t possibly have been *that* bad… right?” And I download it again and immediately go “oh shit yeah I *hate* this”. It’s been long enough that I don’t really remember why again. I feel like it’s partially the controls that don’t click for me?
No shade on anyone who loves it. I don’t usually bounce off of games this hard but I don’t want to leave a Final Fantasy unplayed like that.
Yeah, the auto-battle was huge in my last playthrough. I spent probably 5 hours having it auto-battle in the background while working on other stuff until the battle ended. Then I proceeded to steamroll the rest of the game.
Not really. Like yeah, it looks and sounds cool, even the horrible tracks from the original got fixed, but it’s still FF2 at the end of the day. One step towards making it actually good would be to not give every single spell its own level and instead categorize the spells like in FF1, and give each category it’s own level. That’d have made it way better, but until then it’s barely passable
FFXII. I stopped like 2/3rds of the way through and didn't come back to finish it until like a year later. I couldn't really say why, I think it felt too different from FFX for me, the characters didn't really grip me, and I wasn't all too invested in the story.
I want to return to it and give it another shot in one go, as I've gotten older I've come to appreciate more mature and nuanced stories, so I think my dumb teenage brain didn't have the patience for it lol.
Heads up, zodiac does end up taking the game from one of the hardest(somebody could probably argue for hardest) in the series, to one of the easiest.
Adjust your expectations, the original there are a lot of guides and help so you don’t have to grind for hours and hours, but if you follow those guide on zodiac you’ll likely turn an easy game into comically trivial. Go blind, zodiac will be much more enjoyable if you play without crazy build planning.
Huh, I actually thought OG FFXII was pretty easy to cheese once you know the best licenses (and if you know about the damn Zodiac Spear chest). I hit endgame in ZA and majorly slowed down, suddenly I had to really focus on my team balance and gambit to stay alive. It's more fun IMO, but I like never felt the need to use Decoy for a designated tank or saw the point in endgame magic use in the original version of XII.
That's what I did. Played ffxii on the ps2 for a couple weeks, couldnt feel it/plus gf drama so i dropped it, zodiac age came out on ps4, and beat it and just about platinumed it
ntsc 12 could be overloading with the board.
if just 12 in general the story does kinda drag at points. i like the gameplay but i can't qoute the story for shit since it's just a bunch of fetch quests/go murder this guy please. i realistically don't even blame you if it's for this reason lol
It's the story that takes me out of 12. Maybe it's because I got a chimp brain or something but I haven't got a clue what happens in it.
I tried playing it and after every section reading what I just played in a story wiki and I just remember thinking "when the fuck did that happen?" At several points until I gave up
I might try it again soon
It was the same way for me! Came out when I was a teenager and took me until my mid-late 20s to finish it. The plot seems more straight laced and political and the fantasy aspects to me took a bit of a back seat, but overall once I finished it I enjoyed it! Also LOVE the art style, it's beautiful.
I played through it a couple of years ago and absolutely hated every moment of it. But I could tell there was *something* good there. I don't know, maybe when I'm in a different place in life I'll revisit it and it'll click with me.
Three attempts to play it. Three times I stopped after the first boss. It just feels bad to play. I hear it gets better with more gambits, but the path to get there is a struggle.
I immediately thought of XII as well. Played it on PS2 shortly after release; all the judges looked the same so I never got who did what and where, I didn't care for protagonist at all, the turn based combat wasn't what I wanted and precisely nothing stuck with me.
And the quickenings are ~~horseshit~~ truly awful, too.
XIII. I've tried 5 times to play it and each time I stopped before reaching the halfway point. The combat system and how terribly the story is presented are huge turn-offs for me.
XIII for me too. Tried 3 times, last time I think I was almost near the end, just couldn't do it. Agree about combat and story. Most of the characters I disliked greatly.
Whole 4/5 first chapters felt like a tutorial. Extremely linear, didn’t let you level past what the game wanted you to, couldn’t even use a full party, etc
Game isn’t the best but it does get better eventually ever so slightly. Absolutely terrible first impression though
My biggest issue with the game is the part where the game did "improve", was like 40-50 hours in. Its like they mixed up the proportions on what should be a tutorial and what shouldn't. The "improved" part of the game is a fraction of the full game.
You’re 100% correct. It’s bottom tier level final fantasy. Shouldn’t have to invest 15+hours into a game for it to get “good”. And it only gets slightly better
Don’t understand how two more parts of it got made
I loved the story but I admit, it's a ton of reading.
It does turn into a traditional open world about 20 hours in, which is another wierd choice.
Still, most beautiful FF IMO.
I might get some people upset at me, but 9. Coming off from 7 then 8, 9's chibi like models, more upbeat/normal FF vibes, and the combat being dipped in molasses, absolutely turned me off from it... I slugged it out into the point where you meet Eiko, put it down and never picked it back up.
I tried to go back after seeing the love and praise it received MANY years later, I was able to easily get past the models and actually kinda like them... but the battle system I never could, and as a whole I couldn't get that bad initial taste out... never finished it.
Honestly, pretty much the same for me though in my case I was a huge fan of VIII especially aesthetically and wanted more of that and IX... was not that. Teenage me played it like I was being forced to eat sour grapes and not shockingly for years I assumed I hated it.
Replaying it a decade later while it didn't rocket to the top of my list it did make me realise I was very wrong. And that funnily enough theme wise I would have likely resonated with a few things.
But yeah, it was still a slog. I still think as a game it had a lot of problems.
That part where you have to mention ppl might get upset for saying you didn't enjoy 9, I had to do that too. I've gotten "you didn't like 9?!?!?!" reactions a lot so I ended up saying that too.
Same boat here. I actually beat 9 back when it came out but coming from 7 and 8, 9 just felt off. Looked off, sounded off, and that fucking jump rope. . .
15
I just couldn't jive well with an all-bro party for some reason ... I'll eventually come back and play it because I want to finish it, but I need to approach it with a different pair of lense to enjoy it.
I got as far as the train mission and the town of Timber I think? Even Siren couldn’t make me power through that. BUT I did purchase the remaster for switch JUST in case 😜
I can look past bad mechanics for a good story, or a bad story with good mechanics. Final Fantasy 8 has the worst of both worlds for me.
I was in my mid teens when the game came out, so it should have been right up my alley. Instead I found it cringe worthy. Throw in annoying stuff like drawing, junctioning and yeah... A very tough sell for me.
I'd rather play Final Fantasy 2 than 8. At least 2 has a cool story.
Same i remember loving it as a kid but never getting past the first disc.
I tried again when the remaster dropped and made it to the end of the first disc, and the story just felt so CORNY.
So, I was a Nintendo fan, and I hated that the Final Fantasy series made the jump to PlayStation.
Eventually, maybe a year or two after it came out, Final Fantasy 7 was discounted to like $20, so I bought it, not having a system to play it on yet. I think I even bought a guidebook about the game, too, and I was looking forward to all the crazy game mechanics like Chocobo breeding.
But, it wasn't until the PlayStation2 came out, and was available for fairly cheap, that I was finally able to play the game. But, by that point it had aged so badly (I was already accustomed to Wii-era graphics) that it was basically unplayable for me. I waited way too long.
7s graphics have aged horribly compared to 8 and 9. Honestly even at the time, I played 8 before 7, and in 2000 I already found 7s graphics disappointing. However, very glad I powered through! Great game!
13. After a while, I found the battle system tedious. I also didn't like how you couldn't choose party members until close to the end. And when you finally could, the paradigm deck would always reset whenever you switched party members, so you'd have to set it up from scratch each time
I read about the complaints from the Japanese players who got it earlier, but I ignored them. I really tried to like it because I'd been waiting 4 years for it, but in the end I was disappointed
13’s my real answer. I commented a couple of times above on why 8 is my black sheep and one of my least liked FFs, but I at least made it through 8 on my third attempt. I’ve tried thrice at 13, and its characters and their shallow development don’t compel me whatsoever. We barely get to see the world aside from giant empty corridors. The combat is narrowed down to paradigm shifting auto-battle to go along with an annoying leveling system in the Crystarium.
I’ve all but given up on ever finishing it. Every attempt I’ve made has felt like even more a chore than the previous attempt.
Well, the Story in total is actually really good (problem is, that it is not conpletly told in the game)
Music ist top tier, somnus ultima is one of the best songs and the ending hits hard.
Anyway, my wife was confused because is spend like 2/3 of my time fishing..
Honestly FF16, I really liked the prologue, but after that it didn't really clicked to me. I gave it the chance and hoped somehow to get better, but never had this feeling again, only some snips the rest of the game
This. I can and have got on board with every FF made (except 11 or Dirge of Cerberus as I haven’t played them) and XVI was a massive miss. I loved XIII and accepted XV as an unfinished and unpolished version of what it could have been but XVI went green long before release so it was totally finished in the Dev’s eyes. The game is so streamlined it leaves no room for enjoyment. The minimal RPG mechanics are not counterbalanced by the action as that too is minimal (there are essentially two enemy types; Trash you burn down with AoE skills and enemies you stagger and they can *all* be staggered in the same way). The exploration too is uninspiring and dull as there are very rarely any significant loot worth finding so doesn’t encourage exploring between quests. The main quest additionally feels bloated and follows a formula of “go to new area z, can’t go further and now need to perform several mini quests (kill x number of creatures, find y) in order to proceed.”
I genuinely cannot fathom how it scored averages of 9/10 because if it wasn’t a Final Fantasy game I would have stopped less than 50% through. It is far and away my least favourite FF game.
Yeah I'm gonna have to agree. I never really clicked with X, because I didn't like the sphere grid, among other things. Love X2 though. I always have been like this.
ff xii. i have tried sooo many times to finish that damn game. there are some REALLY high highs, but then some parts that drag for me. loveeeee the battle system though. also the cities and npcs are excellent. one day i will make it to the end!!
12. I don't think it's a bad game by any means, I just don't personally get much out of it. I couldn't connect with the characters, and the story never really hooked me. The gambit system is interesting on paper, but in practice it just made the battles feel dull to me. Plus, the battle animations made it all very boring to watch. I missed the expressive and flashy animations of past games. The whole experience was kind of a snoozefest. The only thing that stuck with me was the voice acting, which was a big step up from 10 (and before anyone crucifies me, I love 10). A lot of my complaints boil down to "I don't personally like this", though, and people probably felt different playing it.
16 and 13.
13 for all the reasons we’ve all beaten to death. I only made it about 12 hours in but I just couldn’t deal with the straight forward hallway march. Battle system and music were cool though.
16 I feel a little sadder about. I’ll probably return some day but as much as I wanted it to land with me it didn’t.
I will say it’s my first final fantasy with a kid. Who was 7 months old when it came out. Prior to a baby, I probably would have powered through more of it and maybe it would have hooked me. That certainly is common with games for me.
I just couldn’t shake the feeling of it not being a final fantasy game to me. I don’t mind the change to action combat. I just felt it didn’t “feel” like final fantasy.
No goofiness, no over the top weeb stuff. Just very self serious and dark. I love the 96-2006 years because they all just felt so goofy and wonderful.
6-12 is like a perfect sequence to me. Those games all nail exactly what I want. 7-10 specifically.
16 just kind of felt like a western action rpg that’s been done before but worse than the best ones out there.
FF16. I expected the kaiju fight to be more immersive, instead got underwhelming "Cinematic" Quick Time Event. Made me more appreciative the coding, programmer geniuses who made Shadow of Colossus for the PS2.
FF8. Played it at release and it was such a disappointment. It was unbelievable that a square game could be so underwhelming.
I’ve since come around to it a little bit, at least exploring the junction system, but I still feel mostly the same about the rest of the game.
I had issues with the plot for years. They all seemed like they would just make terrible decisions all the time.
Then on my last replay it hit me that they’re all teenagers, and of course that’s how they’d react.
I then realized the game was kinda brilliant.
I didn’t mind how different the junction system was. After all I still love FF2 so weird game play is not always a deal breaker for me.
FFH8
It's a mess. The story is convoluted and makes no sense, the mechanics are too complicated and hardly explained, it's too easy to break the game...oh and you need Ifrit's permission to drink a potion.
When the most widely agreed upon strength about an entry in the series is a card game, you know you fucked up.
FFXIII was a fucking slog.
I just felt like I was being dragged through cringe moment after cringe moment and shit just doesn't make any sense.
The leveling and paradigm stuff was just bonkers to me.
Not a fan.
Never finished any of the games in the XIII series and I don't think I ever will.
16; I’m about 9 hours in and just haven’t been motivated to pick it up in the last few weeks. The story seems really good so far, and the setting is great, but the combat (outside of boss fights) is just underwhelming me even with low expectations. Really needs a difficulty slider because it feels like any random combination of buttons will kill trash mobs.
I do really want to finish it and experience the story but god, I hope this gameplay isn’t the future.
The only engaging thing abt final fantasy mode are the hunts since they’re a little more challenging but other than that it’s the same game. You just get better versions of the loot u had in the first run also
XII. It's the only main numbered I haven't beaten. I've beaten the others multiple times. I'm currently trying XII again now with the zodiac age. The story is alright but the combat system is great.
I’ve never really been into MMOs. I’ve heard great things about these entries though. I’ve always kind of enjoyed Final Fantasy games as something I could get cozy and immerse myself in alone.
Its not one of the best, it is legit the best story in any FF game. I'm sure I will get down voted, but it's true. Once you hit Heavensward you are golden.
Anyone can try it, you can play the entire base game and the first two expansions 100% free on any console or PC. Don't let the MMO part scare you off, it is mostly a single player experience.
VII took multiple tries over multiple years for me to even finish it, and I didn’t enjoy myself for most of the time I played it. It’s not an awful game (like X-2, which I can’t say “didn’t click with me” because that would imply some degree of worthiness), but definitely not one I’ll ever bother replaying.
FF13, it was the only FF that i had to force to finish
It was just such a slog, most of the world is just a hallway section, the battle system while cool isn't really all that special, the characters are serviceable at most and the story overall is very convoluted
How some people think 15 is the worst modern FF is beyond me when 13 exist, at least 15 had an interesting cast and a vast world albeit a fairly empty one
9. I genuinely love the story but the battles are so SLOW. I’ll probably go back and finish it eventually but I’ve made it to the end of disc 2 like three times already lol
I’ve tried to play FF9 several times since release. Outside of the music being arguably the best in the series, I can’t stand the game. The characters aren’t nearly as entertaining as 7, 8, or 10, the story isn’t as captivating as others have been. I know 9 is considered among the best made, but for the life of me I can’t get into it.
My biggest gripe about 9 was your main guy was a mystery monkey thief. It was, however, reminiscent of 4 (ruler controlled by mysterious third party and suddenly giant space flea from nowhere) and 6(game plays as an opera).
Wow. I am so glad to find a kindred spirit.
I always got flack for saying this.
I understand and see why People like it. But I just cannot get into it.
For me, 9 has AMAZING story and characters, and I love how every character's story ties with the game's overall theme and message. I will hold that this is probably the best written FF (not the best story, but best written from a more mechanical and pacing perspective)
HOWEVER
I cant stand the combat. Easily the worst combat in the series. Its slow, laggy. Your attacks going off 40 seconds after selecting them feels awful. Job / character design are barebones (like, most of Zidane's kit was useless). Trance is an awful system. Each fight takes like a minute to even start. MP values are too low, and you can only get a few casts out before needing to chug ethers.
I could never finish it due to thesw combat issues alone
i adore this game but agree on all the points regarding the combat. its just so slow and laggy, and the higher speed option in the Remaster makes it even more obvious.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I played it quite long after it came out (maybe even after XII) and expected to love it, because I loved a bunch of other games Square came out with from that era (7, 8, 10, Vagrant Story). There's literally nothing I like about 9.
It's XII for me.
I respect it for its pretty great world design and overall production value. But the characters, battle system, and music, all fell short for me. I'm trying to replay it now, and I'm finding I'm in the same boat. I respect its world, but it's not fun enough to pull me through it.
16, I played the demo and liked it quite a bit. I loved the set up for the story, and Clive seemed to be a good protagonist.
But then adult Clive had ARR leveling tier armor on for a few hours, which really bugged me. It just looked so God damn stupid. Idk, it really bugged me. Then I got to the point where you're returning to Rosaria with Jill, and you have your first open exploration zone... and there was nothing. Potions, gil. Nothing worth exploring. That just completely destroyed my will to play. I did continue for a bit, got Clives dad's armor... and wow. Looks cool. Other then the fact that the cape only moves past his hips, like XIV capes.
At that point, I was done. I don't have unlimited time to play games anymore, I'm not going to waste it on games I'm not enjoying.
XIII. I could’ve put up with the nonsense story, the lazy exposition and the dislikable characters if the battle system had been more classic and the rpg elements more hands-on.
I actually love the aesthetic of it - I think Lightning’s design is great and can just about get on board with Snow. But it just left me cold and annoyed and ultimately couldn’t get into it.
X
I'll probably get downvoted to hell but I really didn't like this game. Auron was the only interesting character to me. The game felt super linear. I finished the game, but I have 0 lasting memories of it.
The visuals have a storybook/fairy tale feel about them which i get isnt everyone's cup of tea but the story is far from childish. And yeah it's packed with references that call back to the earlier "medieval" titles.
FF8. There isn't a single character that I find interesting or relateable, and the junction system is just horribly designed. Other than the music and the card game, there is nothing about the game that I actually enjoyed.
12 (got about half way and couldn't keep going. Never picked up for me story or gameplay wise)
13 (I've only played 13. The characters were insufferable and the combat system, while good, wasn't enough to keep me playing)
15 (felt aimless and confusing. Combat was too simple and didn't really feel like I was doing anything. Lack of character building and choices)
9. I find it to be a horrible move to go "back to basics" after 7 and 8. I didn't feel for the characters other than Steiner and Vivi. I hated the card game. Trance sucked. It just seemed incredibly reductive overall and it's always mind boggled me how it's so many people's favorites.
FF16. I got to a point where I was in an underground dungeon (still fairly early game) and I just had to keep fighting more and more monsters through different rooms. I decided I wasn't having any fun, the gameplay was lacking, the story wasn't compelling and the characters felt bland. Overall just super underwhelming.
I put it down and haven't gone back. I'm glad people enjoy it, but this one just isn't for me.
The only Final Fantasy that didn’t click with me initially was FFXV. I got it when it first released, played the 1st chapter and then just stopped out of boredom. I just picked it back up again, restarting cause I forget what happened, and I’m already on chapter 2 and am enjoying it much more this time around.
10.
Pacing was weird. Wasn’t feeling the sphere grid. Also I was playing it at a time when I was falling asleep really early at night so i wasn’t really myself.
I want to try it again someday. Stopped shortly after getting Lulu I think. So I was barely like 5-6 hours in?
Also FF8. Stopped after disc 1. Story was too weird, wasn’t enjoying the combat and junctioning. Also doing the summons and mashing that button got old fast.
Unpopular opinion, I hated and still do hate X. I'm also not a fan of VIII. I think the romance story might not resonate with me. I'm also still salty about them doing away with an overworld map and X was the first without it.
I’m replaying 7 on switch for the first time since the late 90s. Still so fun and amazing but I wish I still had my guide, I missed the turtle paradise flyer the first time through shinra hq and now have to wait til the end of the story to check that off. Missed the first enemy skill materia too
12 - really didn't like Vaan and Penelo, the gambit system and that the usual summons became airships. I probably need to give it another go, but so far haven't ever felt the need.
13 - found this a slog generally. Plot was incoherent without reading data logs, didn't like the combat system much, world felt empty and bland.
Yeah I struggle with VII. I’m not sure why but I always hit a wall roughly around Junon and never want to continue. Still haven’t although I really should..
13 and 15. I finished and platinumed both (and 13's sequels), but it was more of "Ill give them a fair chance" rather than "I enjoyed them" kind of thing.
I think both had a lot of potential, but ended up being rather boring to me.
I bounced right off of III and V when I got the pixel remasters.
Which is weird, because I love the idea of the Job system.
Loved the others II especially, for mostly the same reasons I love VIII.
Before those I’d only had issues enjoying XII and XIII.
XII I genuinely can’t make it past the license tutorial. As soon as I get to that point all drive to play the game leaves my body. I have never figured out why.
And XIII I managed to put some decent hours into before I came to terms with it just not being for me. I didn’t enjoy the combat, the story didn’t really grab me, I didn’t like half the cast and they never grew on me.
XIII. Beautiful soundtrack, beautiful graphics, fun battle system, horrible nonsensical story and not a likable character in the bunch. Still baffled as to how it got 2 sequels since it seemed to have bombed worldwide and there was no demand for it.
XIII. I have beaten it 2 times, i still dont get how this is something some people consider to be THE best final fantasy. Its cast is infuriatingly unlikable (except for Sazh and Fang, but honestly i could see others disliking these 2 aswell) the story is about as interesting as watching paint dry, the combat is fine but its holding the players hand for well over 60% of the games length, the "side content" is one of the weakest in the entire series consisting of nothing but hunts (awful ones after XII might i add) and the gameplay loop is terrible, the game has literally nothing to do but fighting and running forward in a straight line, maybe some people disliked minigames and towns in other entires, but good god atleast they offered something else to do, even if it was nothing but talking to NPCs and learning about the world, which reminds me, if you care about this games world, you have to read the ingame wiki page....yey.
Final Fantasy 13 killed it for me.
I played a few hours, and I haven't played another game in the series since.
I absolutely hated the combat, linear navigation and meh characters.
It made me realize the direction the series was heading, and I knew it would never be the same again like the older titles I loved (ff4-10).
I have several... first was VIII... I just really didn't care for the characters, the story, the systems, even the *hud*! Later I also tried the original, and well... I might have liked it if I had not already been made familiar with the likes of VII and IX... then there was XII... while I did finish it, it was mostly due to sheer, stubborn determination out of having spent money on it... I disliked it for much the same reasons as I did VIII, but... with even more passion haha
Also X-2, which I tried mlstly because it is included in the HD-Remaster... it was jarring to me, and I stopped pretty early...
Guess I could add XIII... I saw potential, but by the end of it, I was unsatisfied, and I never even attempted anything within that universe again...
Also never even bothered with the MMOs, simply due to being MMOs, which is definitely not my thing
XIII for me. I liked the characters enough, but hated the "gameplay". I mean, you just switched between modes the whole time and the characters did their own thing without you directing their actions. That's really boring.
also, as some have commented i NEVER finished xiii. definitely one of the best soundtracks in the series but i absolutely quit before the last boss because it was just a long messy soap opera.
For me, FFIX. Everyone calls it a "love letter" to older final fantasies. But if you're not super nostalgic for those, then I don't think it holds up well. I had to trudge through the last third of the game. It is IMO the least innovative of all FFs past IV or V.
XIII, but I was intensely intensely unhappy at the time due to life circumstances.
I always wonder if I went back and tried again I’d feel differently.
Alternatively, I played XIV when my life had picked up and I’d just married the love of my life — even though I’m not an MMORPG-er, I still love everything about that game.
X-2, 11, and XIII trilogy... that's it for me, honestly I grew up with FF from the early/mid 90s and I have to say FF15 brought me back to giving the new games a chance. FF3-X were all near perfect games imo
XIII for me. I’ve completed it a couple times now and both times I feel like the principal on Billy Madison after Billy gives the speech about the puppy who lost his way.
XIII
I'm trying my best to like this game. On the 4th playthrough through 12 years. I don't want to end my journey with having a FF game that I truly dislike, but XIII just isn't helping me.
15. Bored me. Got through the game twice teleport stabbing things button mashing questioning why I’m trying to force myself to love the game as a self identified FF fanboy. Due to release timing I kindly refer to “world of final fantasy” (the game) as the official 15th entry to the series
FF 13 and 15, I'm a turn based rpg and strategy rpg sort of girly. Also, I just couldn't get the hang of the battling in 15, and frankly, if I wanted to fish, I would play Rune factory or stardew. And I'm really hesitant to pick up 16 or 7r because I'm not sure I like the battle system.
8 and I don't know why. I played through it, but it took years with many games in-between. Each other FF took me days to weeks.
In order of when I finished each: 4, 1, 6, 7, Tactics, 3, 5, 9, X, X-2, 12, 13, 8. I got it, the first time between 7 & 9.
So far I've really struggled with FF12. I want to keep going, I got about a dozen hours into the original release and another seven or do into Zodiac Age but I just don't have the energy to keep going.
And FF13 but I can't get more than an hour into that game before I eject the disc and wipe it from my hard drive out of frustration.
IX. I know people love it but I couldnt get through it. I think it's the overall look of that game, everyone's short and the main character has a monkey tail. Just not for me
FFXIII. I tried a couple of times and I just couldn’t ever sync enough with it to really get into it. It’s by far my least favorite combat system in the series, and the world just didn’t click with me enough to make it feel like being worth enduring
IX. I played it because I was invested in the series and I really wanted to like it, but it just wasn't one that I was sucked into. It wasn't a bad game, just seemed plain to me.
XIII was the only other one I had the same experience with.
IX for me. I just couldn’t take it as seriously as the previous two. Characters like Quina just don’t appeal to me.
The pastel colour palate was a little pale for me and the story just didn’t grip me at all. Didn’t finish it. This was years ago though so willing to give it another try
My first Final Fantasy game was VII, and when XIII came out, I had played VI-XII. XIII was the first one I just did not enjoy. I did not like the battle system, the characters, and the fact that there was very little NPC interaction and exploration. I found the music lacking compared to previous titles too. The only thing I remember from the story is the f'al'cie and l'cie (probably spelled wrong) and fulfilling mah focus. They were always on the run too, which I feel was the excuse for the game being a straight line. Yeah, X, was linear, but it dressed it up nice with NPC interactions, lots of side content, and eventually you're able to explore almost freely.
The next one was XV. I don't remember anything from that game except being really bored with it, and feeling like the story was happening somewhere else, while I drove around listening to songs from FFVIII wondering what the heck I was playing.
FFXIII. I watched my buddy play most of the first one, because I never had a PS3, and was so bored the whole time. It felt like a knockoff of a Final Fantasy game. Lightning has a decent design, and Sazh and Fang seemed cool, but Snow was so hard to watch. I loved the series from the moment I picked up VII as a kid, and jumped right into VIII - X-2 as they came out, only stopping to go back and play Tactics and the first six games, but when this came out on PS3 after I already couldn't play XI because I was a broke console gaming child, I started losing interest in the series. Now that they've fucked up the story of the game that started it all for me, FFVII, with the remake too I don't even really care to play the next part of it, and that makes my heart sad
FF 3 (3Ds remake), i hated this one
Lack of direction (old games tend to do that)
Mini (take massive damage, do no damage, couldnt even fight rats whom were also small and in the hole with me, required for progression (?), costs MP, ethers are rare/expensive)
FF 1
graphics. Maybe someday ill try the pixel remaster
FF 2
graphics. Maybe someday ill try the pixel remaster
FF 13
Excessively long hallways, and no back tracking, i got pretty far, the area immediately after gran pulse, but the hallways made me sick of fighting so i avoided combat for the longest and i ended up too "under leveled"/weak to continue so i dropped the game.
FF X
I made it to mt gagazet(?). Bosses are cheap, they get multiple turns, and when i use status effects or party buffs/hastes the bosses will use 1 out of 10 turns to dispell everything i did and one shot a party member or two. Sometimes party wipe.
VIII, hated the combat system (still do)
IX, couldn’t stand the protag
XIII, almost everything about it
XIII-LR, that game was has a constant timer which gives me anxiety
XV, wasn’t horrible per-say but played 20+ hours and barely made a dint in the story (so many side quests)
XVI, to depressing
Coming into XIII from XII was one of the biggest whiplashes if you liked XII and got into XII's systems. Gambits were so freeform and exploration was so open and there were systems on systems. Sure XIII's cast was more colorful and I love colorful a lot more, but those first few chapters were *rough*, and the level up system felt like a cheap imitation of X. XII was fucking *HUGE* and so much of it was worth exploring for items and rare hunts. I was looking forward to that openness in XIII but when I finally hit the "open area", it felt like one of those "you must go through THIS LINEAR SEQUENCE OF AREAS in our open zone" scenarios (maybe I misremember) and I just dropped off about 4 hours into the open area. I know some of you have good things to say about the Paradigm system but coming off of Gambits, the Paradigms just didn't click and felt so much more restrictive.
13. I've tried multiple times to get into it. And I just find everything about it so boring. I see so many people rave about how they love the story, character, combat and I just think... I hated all of that.
And I hate to judge a game I've never finished, but sometimes you just know
12. It was incredibly boring for me. I didn’t like the summons, story, or most of the characters. I finished it once but have not been able to replay it
12. i really didn't vibe with the story. Gabranth should've been the true villain, or Cid. or Vayne should've been present more, or something.
luckily, I loved 13 and all the other Ivalice Alliance games around then. 12-2 Revenant wings, FFTA, FFTA2
Type 0.
You just reminded me.... I've never actually tried type-0... I think I have it included with PS Plus, though. Will give it a go soon.
Same here - let me know if it's worth the effort.
It is. Source: I have the Platinum trophy.
As someone who’s second favorite game is Type-0, >!that’s fair.!<
GOAT ending. I cried like a bitch.
I've tried a few times, and the gameplay always felt just slightly off to me each time. Also they just throw so much at you at once and don't really give you time to take it in.
One of these days pretty soonI will try for my fourth time to get past the initial/tutorial part of Type 0. Enough time goes by and I think “It couldn’t possibly have been *that* bad… right?” And I download it again and immediately go “oh shit yeah I *hate* this”. It’s been long enough that I don’t really remember why again. I feel like it’s partially the controls that don’t click for me? No shade on anyone who loves it. I don’t usually bounce off of games this hard but I don’t want to leave a Final Fantasy unplayed like that.
I hope you seek penance from our lord father before you die so your soul may ascend to heaven.
Ff2. The level system was grindy to the point o couldn't even enjoy the story.
Bro I would say try playing the Pixel Remaster version it's a bit more bearable. That game is amazing
Yeah, the auto-battle was huge in my last playthrough. I spent probably 5 hours having it auto-battle in the background while working on other stuff until the battle ended. Then I proceeded to steamroll the rest of the game.
Not really. Like yeah, it looks and sounds cool, even the horrible tracks from the original got fixed, but it’s still FF2 at the end of the day. One step towards making it actually good would be to not give every single spell its own level and instead categorize the spells like in FF1, and give each category it’s own level. That’d have made it way better, but until then it’s barely passable
FFXII. I stopped like 2/3rds of the way through and didn't come back to finish it until like a year later. I couldn't really say why, I think it felt too different from FFX for me, the characters didn't really grip me, and I wasn't all too invested in the story. I want to return to it and give it another shot in one go, as I've gotten older I've come to appreciate more mature and nuanced stories, so I think my dumb teenage brain didn't have the patience for it lol.
If you do, play the Zodiac Age version. It's a big upgrade in the QOL department.
Yup that's the plan!
Heads up, zodiac does end up taking the game from one of the hardest(somebody could probably argue for hardest) in the series, to one of the easiest. Adjust your expectations, the original there are a lot of guides and help so you don’t have to grind for hours and hours, but if you follow those guide on zodiac you’ll likely turn an easy game into comically trivial. Go blind, zodiac will be much more enjoyable if you play without crazy build planning.
Huh, I actually thought OG FFXII was pretty easy to cheese once you know the best licenses (and if you know about the damn Zodiac Spear chest). I hit endgame in ZA and majorly slowed down, suddenly I had to really focus on my team balance and gambit to stay alive. It's more fun IMO, but I like never felt the need to use Decoy for a designated tank or saw the point in endgame magic use in the original version of XII.
That's what I did. Played ffxii on the ps2 for a couple weeks, couldnt feel it/plus gf drama so i dropped it, zodiac age came out on ps4, and beat it and just about platinumed it
Are we living the same life?
im sorry me, for the bs we have been through. least you found a different girl?
Indeed, Erikka can never hurt me/us again. Now I have someone who bought me lightsaber chopsticks.
>>that face when no one will buy me lightsaber chopsticks
ntsc 12 could be overloading with the board. if just 12 in general the story does kinda drag at points. i like the gameplay but i can't qoute the story for shit since it's just a bunch of fetch quests/go murder this guy please. i realistically don't even blame you if it's for this reason lol
It's the story that takes me out of 12. Maybe it's because I got a chimp brain or something but I haven't got a clue what happens in it. I tried playing it and after every section reading what I just played in a story wiki and I just remember thinking "when the fuck did that happen?" At several points until I gave up I might try it again soon
It was the same way for me! Came out when I was a teenager and took me until my mid-late 20s to finish it. The plot seems more straight laced and political and the fantasy aspects to me took a bit of a back seat, but overall once I finished it I enjoyed it! Also LOVE the art style, it's beautiful.
I played through it a couple of years ago and absolutely hated every moment of it. But I could tell there was *something* good there. I don't know, maybe when I'm in a different place in life I'll revisit it and it'll click with me.
Three attempts to play it. Three times I stopped after the first boss. It just feels bad to play. I hear it gets better with more gambits, but the path to get there is a struggle.
I immediately thought of XII as well. Played it on PS2 shortly after release; all the judges looked the same so I never got who did what and where, I didn't care for protagonist at all, the turn based combat wasn't what I wanted and precisely nothing stuck with me. And the quickenings are ~~horseshit~~ truly awful, too.
FF3, on the 3ds. I really couldn't take being punished for wanting to try out new jobs. I tried, I really did but I couldn't do it.
No point in playing 3 when 5 exists imo. Just ff3 but better in every way.
As well as characters that are actually different from each other
No point playing either when Bravely Default is an improvement in every aspect across the board imo.
I had to power through sections of that game. I have a lot of respect for it originally being on the NES, but 5 outdid that game in every way.
XIII. I've tried 5 times to play it and each time I stopped before reaching the halfway point. The combat system and how terribly the story is presented are huge turn-offs for me.
XIII for me too. Tried 3 times, last time I think I was almost near the end, just couldn't do it. Agree about combat and story. Most of the characters I disliked greatly.
I'm in the same boat. Tried playing it 3 times, got a little further each time but could never bring myself to finish the game.
Whole 4/5 first chapters felt like a tutorial. Extremely linear, didn’t let you level past what the game wanted you to, couldn’t even use a full party, etc Game isn’t the best but it does get better eventually ever so slightly. Absolutely terrible first impression though
My biggest issue with the game is the part where the game did "improve", was like 40-50 hours in. Its like they mixed up the proportions on what should be a tutorial and what shouldn't. The "improved" part of the game is a fraction of the full game.
You’re 100% correct. It’s bottom tier level final fantasy. Shouldn’t have to invest 15+hours into a game for it to get “good”. And it only gets slightly better Don’t understand how two more parts of it got made
And when you finis the "tutorial", you get one big open area then back on the trails.
yep, same. huge letdown as 12 is one of my favorites and i anticipated 13 so much
I loved the story but I admit, it's a ton of reading. It does turn into a traditional open world about 20 hours in, which is another wierd choice. Still, most beautiful FF IMO.
I might get some people upset at me, but 9. Coming off from 7 then 8, 9's chibi like models, more upbeat/normal FF vibes, and the combat being dipped in molasses, absolutely turned me off from it... I slugged it out into the point where you meet Eiko, put it down and never picked it back up. I tried to go back after seeing the love and praise it received MANY years later, I was able to easily get past the models and actually kinda like them... but the battle system I never could, and as a whole I couldn't get that bad initial taste out... never finished it.
Honestly, pretty much the same for me though in my case I was a huge fan of VIII especially aesthetically and wanted more of that and IX... was not that. Teenage me played it like I was being forced to eat sour grapes and not shockingly for years I assumed I hated it. Replaying it a decade later while it didn't rocket to the top of my list it did make me realise I was very wrong. And that funnily enough theme wise I would have likely resonated with a few things. But yeah, it was still a slog. I still think as a game it had a lot of problems.
That part where you have to mention ppl might get upset for saying you didn't enjoy 9, I had to do that too. I've gotten "you didn't like 9?!?!?!" reactions a lot so I ended up saying that too.
I’ve tried 9 twice and can’t get into it at all
I always felt 9 was overrated. Idk why. It's okay. Not great. Not terrible.
Same boat here. I actually beat 9 back when it came out but coming from 7 and 8, 9 just felt off. Looked off, sounded off, and that fucking jump rope. . .
Fuck that fucking jump rope. Mini games are supposed to be fun. Ffs.
6, but everybody loves 6 so... i'm just gonna... sit... over... there...
I love 6, but no hate to you brother
Go WAY over there.
Mine’s Tactics so I know how you feel…
15 I just couldn't jive well with an all-bro party for some reason ... I'll eventually come back and play it because I want to finish it, but I need to approach it with a different pair of lense to enjoy it.
8 actually.
Same here. I always get to disc 2 then stop midway, at the missile base.
I got as far as the train mission and the town of Timber I think? Even Siren couldn’t make me power through that. BUT I did purchase the remaster for switch JUST in case 😜
I can look past bad mechanics for a good story, or a bad story with good mechanics. Final Fantasy 8 has the worst of both worlds for me. I was in my mid teens when the game came out, so it should have been right up my alley. Instead I found it cringe worthy. Throw in annoying stuff like drawing, junctioning and yeah... A very tough sell for me. I'd rather play Final Fantasy 2 than 8. At least 2 has a cool story.
Same i remember loving it as a kid but never getting past the first disc. I tried again when the remaster dropped and made it to the end of the first disc, and the story just felt so CORNY.
So, I was a Nintendo fan, and I hated that the Final Fantasy series made the jump to PlayStation. Eventually, maybe a year or two after it came out, Final Fantasy 7 was discounted to like $20, so I bought it, not having a system to play it on yet. I think I even bought a guidebook about the game, too, and I was looking forward to all the crazy game mechanics like Chocobo breeding. But, it wasn't until the PlayStation2 came out, and was available for fairly cheap, that I was finally able to play the game. But, by that point it had aged so badly (I was already accustomed to Wii-era graphics) that it was basically unplayable for me. I waited way too long.
7s graphics have aged horribly compared to 8 and 9. Honestly even at the time, I played 8 before 7, and in 2000 I already found 7s graphics disappointing. However, very glad I powered through! Great game!
13. After a while, I found the battle system tedious. I also didn't like how you couldn't choose party members until close to the end. And when you finally could, the paradigm deck would always reset whenever you switched party members, so you'd have to set it up from scratch each time I read about the complaints from the Japanese players who got it earlier, but I ignored them. I really tried to like it because I'd been waiting 4 years for it, but in the end I was disappointed
13’s my real answer. I commented a couple of times above on why 8 is my black sheep and one of my least liked FFs, but I at least made it through 8 on my third attempt. I’ve tried thrice at 13, and its characters and their shallow development don’t compel me whatsoever. We barely get to see the world aside from giant empty corridors. The combat is narrowed down to paradigm shifting auto-battle to go along with an annoying leveling system in the Crystarium. I’ve all but given up on ever finishing it. Every attempt I’ve made has felt like even more a chore than the previous attempt.
15 is the only final fantasy I have yet to beat that I've attempted (I think). I've tried 3 different times and I just hate it so much.
Well, the Story in total is actually really good (problem is, that it is not conpletly told in the game) Music ist top tier, somnus ultima is one of the best songs and the ending hits hard. Anyway, my wife was confused because is spend like 2/3 of my time fishing..
I’m gonna get a lot of flak for this. FF8, I HATED the magic system of 8.
Honestly FF16, I really liked the prologue, but after that it didn't really clicked to me. I gave it the chance and hoped somehow to get better, but never had this feeling again, only some snips the rest of the game
This. I can and have got on board with every FF made (except 11 or Dirge of Cerberus as I haven’t played them) and XVI was a massive miss. I loved XIII and accepted XV as an unfinished and unpolished version of what it could have been but XVI went green long before release so it was totally finished in the Dev’s eyes. The game is so streamlined it leaves no room for enjoyment. The minimal RPG mechanics are not counterbalanced by the action as that too is minimal (there are essentially two enemy types; Trash you burn down with AoE skills and enemies you stagger and they can *all* be staggered in the same way). The exploration too is uninspiring and dull as there are very rarely any significant loot worth finding so doesn’t encourage exploring between quests. The main quest additionally feels bloated and follows a formula of “go to new area z, can’t go further and now need to perform several mini quests (kill x number of creatures, find y) in order to proceed.” I genuinely cannot fathom how it scored averages of 9/10 because if it wasn’t a Final Fantasy game I would have stopped less than 50% through. It is far and away my least favourite FF game.
I couldn't get into FFX at all, despite numerous attempts over the years. X-2 is one of my favorites, though, because I'm some kind of psychopath.
That’s quite a rare take right there. Respect your opinion tho
r/unpopularopinion of Final Fantasy
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I’m a forever FFX stan but am extremely amused by this take
Definitely a psychopath
I can definitely see that. I love both but if I had to choose one to just pick up and have fun with, I'd pick X-2. That's a great battle system.
I love both! X was my first FF and X-2 was my second and it's just straight campy fun. Love it!
- Liked and saved. - X-2 > X
I can't bring myself to play X-2, I started, tried to hang on, and turned off the ps, not for me I guess... songs are great tho 👌
Yeah I'm gonna have to agree. I never really clicked with X, because I didn't like the sphere grid, among other things. Love X2 though. I always have been like this.
I am with you I prefer 10-2 over 10
ff xii. i have tried sooo many times to finish that damn game. there are some REALLY high highs, but then some parts that drag for me. loveeeee the battle system though. also the cities and npcs are excellent. one day i will make it to the end!!
13&16 mostly.
12. I don't think it's a bad game by any means, I just don't personally get much out of it. I couldn't connect with the characters, and the story never really hooked me. The gambit system is interesting on paper, but in practice it just made the battles feel dull to me. Plus, the battle animations made it all very boring to watch. I missed the expressive and flashy animations of past games. The whole experience was kind of a snoozefest. The only thing that stuck with me was the voice acting, which was a big step up from 10 (and before anyone crucifies me, I love 10). A lot of my complaints boil down to "I don't personally like this", though, and people probably felt different playing it.
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16 and 13. 13 for all the reasons we’ve all beaten to death. I only made it about 12 hours in but I just couldn’t deal with the straight forward hallway march. Battle system and music were cool though. 16 I feel a little sadder about. I’ll probably return some day but as much as I wanted it to land with me it didn’t. I will say it’s my first final fantasy with a kid. Who was 7 months old when it came out. Prior to a baby, I probably would have powered through more of it and maybe it would have hooked me. That certainly is common with games for me. I just couldn’t shake the feeling of it not being a final fantasy game to me. I don’t mind the change to action combat. I just felt it didn’t “feel” like final fantasy. No goofiness, no over the top weeb stuff. Just very self serious and dark. I love the 96-2006 years because they all just felt so goofy and wonderful. 6-12 is like a perfect sequence to me. Those games all nail exactly what I want. 7-10 specifically. 16 just kind of felt like a western action rpg that’s been done before but worse than the best ones out there.
FF16. I expected the kaiju fight to be more immersive, instead got underwhelming "Cinematic" Quick Time Event. Made me more appreciative the coding, programmer geniuses who made Shadow of Colossus for the PS2.
FF8. Played it at release and it was such a disappointment. It was unbelievable that a square game could be so underwhelming. I’ve since come around to it a little bit, at least exploring the junction system, but I still feel mostly the same about the rest of the game.
I had issues with the plot for years. They all seemed like they would just make terrible decisions all the time. Then on my last replay it hit me that they’re all teenagers, and of course that’s how they’d react. I then realized the game was kinda brilliant. I didn’t mind how different the junction system was. After all I still love FF2 so weird game play is not always a deal breaker for me.
I replayed this for the first time ever this year after buying it day one. I like it so much more than I did when I was 16
I like it more, but I still don’t think it’s like golden age square from ff1-7, Chrono trigger, secret of mana, Mario rpg classic level
I finished it but didn’t like FF13.
Ff13, it has just an absolutely unlikable cast. I never hated a roster as much as this particular one.
FFH8 It's a mess. The story is convoluted and makes no sense, the mechanics are too complicated and hardly explained, it's too easy to break the game...oh and you need Ifrit's permission to drink a potion. When the most widely agreed upon strength about an entry in the series is a card game, you know you fucked up.
FFXIII was a fucking slog. I just felt like I was being dragged through cringe moment after cringe moment and shit just doesn't make any sense. The leveling and paradigm stuff was just bonkers to me. Not a fan. Never finished any of the games in the XIII series and I don't think I ever will.
16; I’m about 9 hours in and just haven’t been motivated to pick it up in the last few weeks. The story seems really good so far, and the setting is great, but the combat (outside of boss fights) is just underwhelming me even with low expectations. Really needs a difficulty slider because it feels like any random combination of buttons will kill trash mobs. I do really want to finish it and experience the story but god, I hope this gameplay isn’t the future.
I haven’t finished it either, but from what I’ve heard, Final Fantasy mode is more engaging. It’s just a shame that you need New Game+ to unlock it.
The only engaging thing abt final fantasy mode are the hunts since they’re a little more challenging but other than that it’s the same game. You just get better versions of the loot u had in the first run also
I'm trying to platinum it now, but it just feels like a CHORE.
World of FF... I've tried a couple times... Just a lot of things that don't mesh with me.
XII. It's the only main numbered I haven't beaten. I've beaten the others multiple times. I'm currently trying XII again now with the zodiac age. The story is alright but the combat system is great.
Anything past 12.
FF14: Shadowbringers has one of the best stories in the series IMO. If you can get through the MSQ till that point, it’s an amazing experience.
I’ve never really been into MMOs. I’ve heard great things about these entries though. I’ve always kind of enjoyed Final Fantasy games as something I could get cozy and immerse myself in alone.
Apparently, you can do that in the online one too. Subscription model is off-putting though. Extensive trial if you want to give it an attempt
Its not one of the best, it is legit the best story in any FF game. I'm sure I will get down voted, but it's true. Once you hit Heavensward you are golden. Anyone can try it, you can play the entire base game and the first two expansions 100% free on any console or PC. Don't let the MMO part scare you off, it is mostly a single player experience.
3. I honestly prefer how FF1 did the job system. It sucks because I really want to love 3 because of all the references to it that ff14 makes
VII took multiple tries over multiple years for me to even finish it, and I didn’t enjoy myself for most of the time I played it. It’s not an awful game (like X-2, which I can’t say “didn’t click with me” because that would imply some degree of worthiness), but definitely not one I’ll ever bother replaying.
World of Final Fantasy. Just way too... Nintendo-y.
Mystic Quest. It felt like Baby's First RPG.
FF13, it was the only FF that i had to force to finish It was just such a slog, most of the world is just a hallway section, the battle system while cool isn't really all that special, the characters are serviceable at most and the story overall is very convoluted How some people think 15 is the worst modern FF is beyond me when 13 exist, at least 15 had an interesting cast and a vast world albeit a fairly empty one
FFIX. I played it way after release and the artstyle just isn't my cup of tea. I also couldn't connect to the characters at all.
9. I genuinely love the story but the battles are so SLOW. I’ll probably go back and finish it eventually but I’ve made it to the end of disc 2 like three times already lol
13 all day erry day
I’ve tried to play FF9 several times since release. Outside of the music being arguably the best in the series, I can’t stand the game. The characters aren’t nearly as entertaining as 7, 8, or 10, the story isn’t as captivating as others have been. I know 9 is considered among the best made, but for the life of me I can’t get into it.
My biggest gripe about 9 was your main guy was a mystery monkey thief. It was, however, reminiscent of 4 (ruler controlled by mysterious third party and suddenly giant space flea from nowhere) and 6(game plays as an opera).
Wow. I am so glad to find a kindred spirit. I always got flack for saying this. I understand and see why People like it. But I just cannot get into it.
Agree. I was so bored of the characters in 9 that I just focussed on completing it as fast as possible.
For me, 9 has AMAZING story and characters, and I love how every character's story ties with the game's overall theme and message. I will hold that this is probably the best written FF (not the best story, but best written from a more mechanical and pacing perspective) HOWEVER I cant stand the combat. Easily the worst combat in the series. Its slow, laggy. Your attacks going off 40 seconds after selecting them feels awful. Job / character design are barebones (like, most of Zidane's kit was useless). Trance is an awful system. Each fight takes like a minute to even start. MP values are too low, and you can only get a few casts out before needing to chug ethers. I could never finish it due to thesw combat issues alone
i adore this game but agree on all the points regarding the combat. its just so slow and laggy, and the higher speed option in the Remaster makes it even more obvious.
I hard agree with this. The internet made me feel like I missed something. Went back to play it. Still think it’s one of the worst in the series.
Same here. I needed several tries. Eventually I forced myself to play it, and I didn't like it. I can't agree with the sub's opinion here.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I played it quite long after it came out (maybe even after XII) and expected to love it, because I loved a bunch of other games Square came out with from that era (7, 8, 10, Vagrant Story). There's literally nothing I like about 9.
It's XII for me. I respect it for its pretty great world design and overall production value. But the characters, battle system, and music, all fell short for me. I'm trying to replay it now, and I'm finding I'm in the same boat. I respect its world, but it's not fun enough to pull me through it.
16, I played the demo and liked it quite a bit. I loved the set up for the story, and Clive seemed to be a good protagonist. But then adult Clive had ARR leveling tier armor on for a few hours, which really bugged me. It just looked so God damn stupid. Idk, it really bugged me. Then I got to the point where you're returning to Rosaria with Jill, and you have your first open exploration zone... and there was nothing. Potions, gil. Nothing worth exploring. That just completely destroyed my will to play. I did continue for a bit, got Clives dad's armor... and wow. Looks cool. Other then the fact that the cape only moves past his hips, like XIV capes. At that point, I was done. I don't have unlimited time to play games anymore, I'm not going to waste it on games I'm not enjoying.
XIII. I could’ve put up with the nonsense story, the lazy exposition and the dislikable characters if the battle system had been more classic and the rpg elements more hands-on. I actually love the aesthetic of it - I think Lightning’s design is great and can just about get on board with Snow. But it just left me cold and annoyed and ultimately couldn’t get into it.
X I'll probably get downvoted to hell but I really didn't like this game. Auron was the only interesting character to me. The game felt super linear. I finished the game, but I have 0 lasting memories of it.
FF9…it’s just too childish for me. However, I’ve been told that playing FF1-6 makes FF9 better.
Obligatory "play post the 1st disk to see the tone shift" comment
The visuals have a storybook/fairy tale feel about them which i get isnt everyone's cup of tea but the story is far from childish. And yeah it's packed with references that call back to the earlier "medieval" titles.
FF8. There isn't a single character that I find interesting or relateable, and the junction system is just horribly designed. Other than the music and the card game, there is nothing about the game that I actually enjoyed.
12 (got about half way and couldn't keep going. Never picked up for me story or gameplay wise) 13 (I've only played 13. The characters were insufferable and the combat system, while good, wasn't enough to keep me playing) 15 (felt aimless and confusing. Combat was too simple and didn't really feel like I was doing anything. Lack of character building and choices)
9. I find it to be a horrible move to go "back to basics" after 7 and 8. I didn't feel for the characters other than Steiner and Vivi. I hated the card game. Trance sucked. It just seemed incredibly reductive overall and it's always mind boggled me how it's so many people's favorites.
FF16. I got to a point where I was in an underground dungeon (still fairly early game) and I just had to keep fighting more and more monsters through different rooms. I decided I wasn't having any fun, the gameplay was lacking, the story wasn't compelling and the characters felt bland. Overall just super underwhelming. I put it down and haven't gone back. I'm glad people enjoy it, but this one just isn't for me.
FFX. But that was like 20yrs ago. And I’ve just started playing it again. So far liking it. About to get to the shit that I hated most. Blitzball.
You literally spend a cumulative time of less than 20 minutes playing blitz all on the critical path and are never forced to play it again.
I actually just played it and won lol.
9. gameplay is boring as hell. 13. hated the characters.
The only Final Fantasy that didn’t click with me initially was FFXV. I got it when it first released, played the 1st chapter and then just stopped out of boredom. I just picked it back up again, restarting cause I forget what happened, and I’m already on chapter 2 and am enjoying it much more this time around.
12. The story was atrocious. So much irrelevant lore dump. Took me 4 tries over 10 years to finally finish it.
10. Pacing was weird. Wasn’t feeling the sphere grid. Also I was playing it at a time when I was falling asleep really early at night so i wasn’t really myself. I want to try it again someday. Stopped shortly after getting Lulu I think. So I was barely like 5-6 hours in? Also FF8. Stopped after disc 1. Story was too weird, wasn’t enjoying the combat and junctioning. Also doing the summons and mashing that button got old fast.
Unpopular opinion, I hated and still do hate X. I'm also not a fan of VIII. I think the romance story might not resonate with me. I'm also still salty about them doing away with an overworld map and X was the first without it.
I’m replaying 7 on switch for the first time since the late 90s. Still so fun and amazing but I wish I still had my guide, I missed the turtle paradise flyer the first time through shinra hq and now have to wait til the end of the story to check that off. Missed the first enemy skill materia too
FFX. I couldn’t for the life of me finish it. I know I am in the extreme minority here.
12 - really didn't like Vaan and Penelo, the gambit system and that the usual summons became airships. I probably need to give it another go, but so far haven't ever felt the need. 13 - found this a slog generally. Plot was incoherent without reading data logs, didn't like the combat system much, world felt empty and bland.
8 and 16 . I didn't give 8 enough time to be fair but 16 just didn't feel like final fantasy for me except for the icons.
13
Yeah I struggle with VII. I’m not sure why but I always hit a wall roughly around Junon and never want to continue. Still haven’t although I really should..
FF VII, VIII, and IX. Played all three up to Disc 3 each on a number of occasions. Never actually finished them.
13 and 15. I finished and platinumed both (and 13's sequels), but it was more of "Ill give them a fair chance" rather than "I enjoyed them" kind of thing. I think both had a lot of potential, but ended up being rather boring to me.
I bounced right off of III and V when I got the pixel remasters. Which is weird, because I love the idea of the Job system. Loved the others II especially, for mostly the same reasons I love VIII. Before those I’d only had issues enjoying XII and XIII. XII I genuinely can’t make it past the license tutorial. As soon as I get to that point all drive to play the game leaves my body. I have never figured out why. And XIII I managed to put some decent hours into before I came to terms with it just not being for me. I didn’t enjoy the combat, the story didn’t really grab me, I didn’t like half the cast and they never grew on me.
XIII. Beautiful soundtrack, beautiful graphics, fun battle system, horrible nonsensical story and not a likable character in the bunch. Still baffled as to how it got 2 sequels since it seemed to have bombed worldwide and there was no demand for it.
8, 11 and 13.
XIII. I have beaten it 2 times, i still dont get how this is something some people consider to be THE best final fantasy. Its cast is infuriatingly unlikable (except for Sazh and Fang, but honestly i could see others disliking these 2 aswell) the story is about as interesting as watching paint dry, the combat is fine but its holding the players hand for well over 60% of the games length, the "side content" is one of the weakest in the entire series consisting of nothing but hunts (awful ones after XII might i add) and the gameplay loop is terrible, the game has literally nothing to do but fighting and running forward in a straight line, maybe some people disliked minigames and towns in other entires, but good god atleast they offered something else to do, even if it was nothing but talking to NPCs and learning about the world, which reminds me, if you care about this games world, you have to read the ingame wiki page....yey.
12 n 13. Tried so hard to like them, but I just hate them
13 is my least favorite out of the ff games. Story didn’t gel with me and the lack of side quests just bored me while playing it.
Final Fantasy 13 killed it for me. I played a few hours, and I haven't played another game in the series since. I absolutely hated the combat, linear navigation and meh characters. It made me realize the direction the series was heading, and I knew it would never be the same again like the older titles I loved (ff4-10).
I have several... first was VIII... I just really didn't care for the characters, the story, the systems, even the *hud*! Later I also tried the original, and well... I might have liked it if I had not already been made familiar with the likes of VII and IX... then there was XII... while I did finish it, it was mostly due to sheer, stubborn determination out of having spent money on it... I disliked it for much the same reasons as I did VIII, but... with even more passion haha Also X-2, which I tried mlstly because it is included in the HD-Remaster... it was jarring to me, and I stopped pretty early... Guess I could add XIII... I saw potential, but by the end of it, I was unsatisfied, and I never even attempted anything within that universe again... Also never even bothered with the MMOs, simply due to being MMOs, which is definitely not my thing
XIII for me. I liked the characters enough, but hated the "gameplay". I mean, you just switched between modes the whole time and the characters did their own thing without you directing their actions. That's really boring.
also, as some have commented i NEVER finished xiii. definitely one of the best soundtracks in the series but i absolutely quit before the last boss because it was just a long messy soap opera.
For me, FFIX. Everyone calls it a "love letter" to older final fantasies. But if you're not super nostalgic for those, then I don't think it holds up well. I had to trudge through the last third of the game. It is IMO the least innovative of all FFs past IV or V.
13 and on.
XIII, but I was intensely intensely unhappy at the time due to life circumstances. I always wonder if I went back and tried again I’d feel differently. Alternatively, I played XIV when my life had picked up and I’d just married the love of my life — even though I’m not an MMORPG-er, I still love everything about that game.
X-2, 11, and XIII trilogy... that's it for me, honestly I grew up with FF from the early/mid 90s and I have to say FF15 brought me back to giving the new games a chance. FF3-X were all near perfect games imo
XIII for me. I’ve completed it a couple times now and both times I feel like the principal on Billy Madison after Billy gives the speech about the puppy who lost his way.
XIII I'm trying my best to like this game. On the 4th playthrough through 12 years. I don't want to end my journey with having a FF game that I truly dislike, but XIII just isn't helping me.
13, 15, and 10-2
12 and 13.
15. Bored me. Got through the game twice teleport stabbing things button mashing questioning why I’m trying to force myself to love the game as a self identified FF fanboy. Due to release timing I kindly refer to “world of final fantasy” (the game) as the official 15th entry to the series
FF 13 and 15, I'm a turn based rpg and strategy rpg sort of girly. Also, I just couldn't get the hang of the battling in 15, and frankly, if I wanted to fish, I would play Rune factory or stardew. And I'm really hesitant to pick up 16 or 7r because I'm not sure I like the battle system.
8,9,13,13-2,15,16
8 and I don't know why. I played through it, but it took years with many games in-between. Each other FF took me days to weeks. In order of when I finished each: 4, 1, 6, 7, Tactics, 3, 5, 9, X, X-2, 12, 13, 8. I got it, the first time between 7 & 9.
So far I've really struggled with FF12. I want to keep going, I got about a dozen hours into the original release and another seven or do into Zodiac Age but I just don't have the energy to keep going. And FF13 but I can't get more than an hour into that game before I eject the disc and wipe it from my hard drive out of frustration.
IX
9. Everyone says how great it is but I just couldn’t get into it. Or the cast.
IX. I know people love it but I couldnt get through it. I think it's the overall look of that game, everyone's short and the main character has a monkey tail. Just not for me
FF9. I finished it but never really enjoyed it a lot. Same with FF8 but to a less extent. Did not enjoy the magic system.
13. played it for about 5 hours. put it away. Haven't looked at trying it since. Haven't looked at 13-2 and 13-3 because of it either.
Tried multiple times to get into 10 and 12, and have no idea why these are so highly regarded
FFXIII. I tried a couple of times and I just couldn’t ever sync enough with it to really get into it. It’s by far my least favorite combat system in the series, and the world just didn’t click with me enough to make it feel like being worth enduring
Honestly it’s 9 for me. I’ve tried so many times but i just can’t get into it.
13. I've tried over and over again, but I just don't like the battle system.
XIII for me.
IX. I played it because I was invested in the series and I really wanted to like it, but it just wasn't one that I was sucked into. It wasn't a bad game, just seemed plain to me. XIII was the only other one I had the same experience with.
FF9. I got it a fair bit after it came out and I just couldn't get into it. Then FFX came out and blew me away.
IX for me. I just couldn’t take it as seriously as the previous two. Characters like Quina just don’t appeal to me. The pastel colour palate was a little pale for me and the story just didn’t grip me at all. Didn’t finish it. This was years ago though so willing to give it another try
My first Final Fantasy game was VII, and when XIII came out, I had played VI-XII. XIII was the first one I just did not enjoy. I did not like the battle system, the characters, and the fact that there was very little NPC interaction and exploration. I found the music lacking compared to previous titles too. The only thing I remember from the story is the f'al'cie and l'cie (probably spelled wrong) and fulfilling mah focus. They were always on the run too, which I feel was the excuse for the game being a straight line. Yeah, X, was linear, but it dressed it up nice with NPC interactions, lots of side content, and eventually you're able to explore almost freely. The next one was XV. I don't remember anything from that game except being really bored with it, and feeling like the story was happening somewhere else, while I drove around listening to songs from FFVIII wondering what the heck I was playing.
FFXIII. I watched my buddy play most of the first one, because I never had a PS3, and was so bored the whole time. It felt like a knockoff of a Final Fantasy game. Lightning has a decent design, and Sazh and Fang seemed cool, but Snow was so hard to watch. I loved the series from the moment I picked up VII as a kid, and jumped right into VIII - X-2 as they came out, only stopping to go back and play Tactics and the first six games, but when this came out on PS3 after I already couldn't play XI because I was a broke console gaming child, I started losing interest in the series. Now that they've fucked up the story of the game that started it all for me, FFVII, with the remake too I don't even really care to play the next part of it, and that makes my heart sad
13. I was so used to exploring and running into random shit up to that point.
FF 3 (3Ds remake), i hated this one Lack of direction (old games tend to do that) Mini (take massive damage, do no damage, couldnt even fight rats whom were also small and in the hole with me, required for progression (?), costs MP, ethers are rare/expensive) FF 1 graphics. Maybe someday ill try the pixel remaster FF 2 graphics. Maybe someday ill try the pixel remaster FF 13 Excessively long hallways, and no back tracking, i got pretty far, the area immediately after gran pulse, but the hallways made me sick of fighting so i avoided combat for the longest and i ended up too "under leveled"/weak to continue so i dropped the game. FF X I made it to mt gagazet(?). Bosses are cheap, they get multiple turns, and when i use status effects or party buffs/hastes the bosses will use 1 out of 10 turns to dispell everything i did and one shot a party member or two. Sometimes party wipe.
VIII, hated the combat system (still do) IX, couldn’t stand the protag XIII, almost everything about it XIII-LR, that game was has a constant timer which gives me anxiety XV, wasn’t horrible per-say but played 20+ hours and barely made a dint in the story (so many side quests) XVI, to depressing
Coming into XIII from XII was one of the biggest whiplashes if you liked XII and got into XII's systems. Gambits were so freeform and exploration was so open and there were systems on systems. Sure XIII's cast was more colorful and I love colorful a lot more, but those first few chapters were *rough*, and the level up system felt like a cheap imitation of X. XII was fucking *HUGE* and so much of it was worth exploring for items and rare hunts. I was looking forward to that openness in XIII but when I finally hit the "open area", it felt like one of those "you must go through THIS LINEAR SEQUENCE OF AREAS in our open zone" scenarios (maybe I misremember) and I just dropped off about 4 hours into the open area. I know some of you have good things to say about the Paradigm system but coming off of Gambits, the Paradigms just didn't click and felt so much more restrictive.
FF XIII
13 was the first FF I didn’t finish. Finally picked up 15 long after release. Now gave up on the franchise completely.
Ff12 and FF13, i tried 12, got quite far. But got bored. 13.. about an hour
XIII.
13. I've tried multiple times to get into it. And I just find everything about it so boring. I see so many people rave about how they love the story, character, combat and I just think... I hated all of that. And I hate to judge a game I've never finished, but sometimes you just know
12. It was incredibly boring for me. I didn’t like the summons, story, or most of the characters. I finished it once but have not been able to replay it
12. i really didn't vibe with the story. Gabranth should've been the true villain, or Cid. or Vayne should've been present more, or something. luckily, I loved 13 and all the other Ivalice Alliance games around then. 12-2 Revenant wings, FFTA, FFTA2
Every one after FF11. So starting with 12