Every longtime gamer has a series or two that have wormed their way into their heart for life: the ones we've probably bought the special editions for, collected the merchandise, and maybe even stamped our skin with through commemorative tattoos. For me, those series would probably have to be it Resident Evil and Final Fantasy.
8 Best Final Lines in Final Fantasy Games
The Final Fantasy games sure know how to wrap up their stories with a powerful final line, with these being among the most effective.
One thing that sets Final Fantasy apart from many long-running series, in my eyes, is the fact that it largely isn't about maintaining a broad, connected and increasingly confusing narrative. Each major release is primarily a stand-alone affair, helping Square Enix explore a range of evolving mechanics and differentiate the games. Players can meanwhile return to their favorites again and againwhich is exactly what I do with the following game.
Final Fantasy 7
There is always something new to try with Materia
I'm a huge fan of the RPG genre, and Final Fantasy 7 was the game that really started me on that path. It wasn't my first Final Fantasy game, but it was the first one I owned for myself, and it was definitely one of the biggest gaming purchases I've ever made. Perhaps the most beloved game of the series, the saga of the ever-popular Cloud, Sephiroth, Meteor, and whether or not the planet ultimately likes humanity is the stuff of legend.
The first two installments of the remake trilogy will understandably have made it very difficult for many to return to the original, which is woefully ugly and more than a little clumsy by comparison. Still, I try to make it a point to enjoy a full review every year. Sometimes I'll aim to make it harder for myself with rules like initial gear only, and other times I'll try to be as overwhelmed and survivable as I can reasonably make myself. I can engage in every side quest in one long run, or simply blast through the main story as fast as I can. Theming characters around job classes is also a common way to twist the deeply customizable Materia system into interesting new forms.
Final Fantasy 3
Luneth And Company's Endless Career Changes
In terms of job classes, this mechanic was critical of the first games in the series in particular. Assigning a job class determines all possible parameters for a party member, including their stats, abilities, the type of equipment they can use, and the magic spells they can learn. The available job classes and ways to acquire them differ from game to game, but i Final Fantasy 3they are bestowed by the crystals at pivotal points in the story (after dungeons usually). Carrying the elements of Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire, each crystal gives the player a new crop of jobs, allowing them to be assigned to different party members.
8 strongest jobs in Final Fantasy, ranked
Not all jobs in Final Fantasy are created equal. Here are the strongest, ranked.
It was the Nintendo DS version of Final Fantasy 3 which I fell in love with, and I've played through it many times since its release. The freedom to switch between job classes allows Luneth, Arc, Refia and Ingus to fill completely different roles in battle each time. My favorite unconventional pick is the Viking, a defensive tank that can taunt enemies into targeting them. You can then build on this with other characters whose role is to heal the Viking, further strengthen their defenses, and so on. While some party setups are far less practical than others (as is common in a turn-based RPG, things can be a lot tougher without an effective healer), the freedom to experiment means combat tactics can have a completely different experience each time. My favorite class is the Ranger, an unconventional damage dealer with access to various types of elemental arrows. At roughly 30 hours for an average playthrough according to How Long To Beat, the game's dungeons engage without overstaying their welcome.
Final Fantasy 8
Embrace the Junction System
There are many more unique intricacies Final Fantasy 8. Some, like the infamous Junctioning system, have a profound impact on how the game is played. I've been playing through this title a lot, and I think I'm getting a lot more comfortable with it over time. During my first playthrough when the game was new, I struggled a bit, with an odd few different spells in Draws and no particular understanding of the difference between support abilities, command abilities, and so on.
A dozen trips through this epic adventure later, though, and I'm much more attuned to how to distribute GFs among my party, making it clear to Junction which stats and items to prioritize acquiring through Card Mod to get the best stack of spells. The story of Squall and his companions' fight against Edea (and ultimately Ultimecia) is a complicated one, and there are some who simply cannot enjoy the game, but there is still a huge amount of content to enjoy here for those willing to make the most of its unique mechanics. It's a different game I try to approach with a new party build every year or so.
Final Fantasy 9
My favorite game of all time
Yes, with this post I have included the entire PS1 trilogy on this list. That's because these three games, and the original PlayStation system more generally, helped define my childhood. It's that intense nostalgia that, almost three decades later, keeps me replaying these great games. Of course, no game (and none of us gamers) can age around thirty years without showing it, and they certainly pale in comparison to today's best RPGs and JRPGs. Nevertheless, Final Fantasy 9 is still my number one favorite game of all time, and I still get the same buzz from it that I always did, from the opening movie right through to the end of the closing one.
8 Final Fantasy Games with the Best Gameplay, Ranked
When measuring gameplay alone, these Final Fantasy games stand out from the rest even when stripped of their story and graphics.
The soundtrack is sublime, and the CD box that Nobuo Uematsu signed for me at a Distant Worlds concert is one of my prized possessions. Melodies of my life you could say. There's a sort of whimsical magic about the artwork too, from the background scenes to the character models. As its creator envisioned, Final Fantasy 9 captures the spirit of the series' classics, from the blue and white dialogue boxes to the wonderfully melodramatic villains. It's both a hopeful story and an exploration of the first-hand horrors of warfare, and it also features the protagonist Zidane who never gives up, as well as Steiner, my favorite character in the series.
Teatrhythm Final Bar Line
As much Final Fantasy Magic as any other entry
Sure, this pick is a bit of a curveball, because it is one Final Fantasy spin-off rather than a main entry. The reason I've included it, though, is that it struck me (and continues to strike me) exactly as its creator intended: as a fantastic tribute to Final Fantasy the series and everything it stands for. As the aforementioned signed soundtrack CD probably made clear, the music in the series is one of the key elements that made me fall in love with it in the first place, and this is a great way to experience that music.
It's a shame that again neither Stenier nor Zell were made playable characters here, but a huge number Final Fantasy legends were, and the fact that they are so different in their stat spreads and abilities makes it all the sweeter. Teatrhythm Final Bar Line is a rhythm game where you can simply cut the difficulty and enjoy the sublime music, but you can also shoot for high scores in the harder difficulties, carefully craft your party to its summon abilities and so on to achieve it. There is a huge amount of depth and even more content in this excellent package, and the multiplayer is also a lot of fun. There have been some excellent ones Final Fantasy spin-offs, but none as rich and replayable as this one.
Which Final Fantasy Spin-Off Games Are Worth Playing in 2025?
It's no secret that Final Fantasy has racked up tons of spin-offs over the years, but some are worth prioritizing over others today.
