Where to start?

where to start?

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VI
VII is good too if you are okay with an old 3d game being "ugly"

and afterwards just chronologically?

V.

IV, VI, VII and IX are the most beloved games by the most fans, and the ones I could easily recommend to anyone.
Out of those, I'd say 7 is a safe bet for a beginner. It was a huge phenomenon back in the days, and it's still very enjoyable, atmospheric and even comfy game. The gameplay-mechanisms are simple enough for rookies, but hard enough to master, soo it keeps even experienced players interested. There's also tons of optional side quests, minigames, etc.

After that, choose your poison. Since the stories and worlds are (usually) not connected in any way, you can pretty much shoot blind. Different things appeal to different people, and that's also why there's so much arguments about various titles in the series.

I for example really liked the FF XIII trilogy as a whole, but I know that many bash it as the worst blunder of the millennium and death of the series.

The ones I would personally recommend skipping are the NES originals (1-3) and the MMOs (11 & 14). I also wasn't too fond of VIII and XII.

Honestly the remake on the GBA for I&II aren't bad
after that fuck everything from III-V, play IV, then play VII, skip VIII and play IX and X

fuck I mean't play VI not play IV

If you want to start from the most representative: 9
If you want to start from the best: 7
If you want to start from the beginning: 1

everything before 10 is heavily outdated. i started the ff series two years ago and i started with 10. it was amazing, i dont regret skipping the other games at all. if you really care that much about the stories you cant watch some gameplay on youtube which is what i done for 7 and 9.

after 10 i recommend 13 and 15. skip the mmos there shit.

No, you stop.

>IV, VI, VII and IX are the most beloved games by the most fans, and the ones I could easily recommend to anyone.
Out of those, I'd say 7 is a safe bet for a beginner. It was a huge phenomenon back in the days, and it's still very enjoyable, atmospheric and even comfy game. The gameplay-mechanisms are simple enough for rookies, but hard enough to master, soo it keeps even experienced players interested. There's also tons of optional side quests, minigames, etc.

I second this, except don't listen to his advice on skipping 1-3. Play the PS1 version of FFI, it's pure D&D flavored kino, and the fan translation of FFIII on Famicom is pretty fun as well. They aren't everyone's taste, but there's something to be said for the "build your own party" approach that they completely dropped starting with FFIV. Skip II, though, it's hot garbage in every incarnation

No, you said well.

>everything before 10 is heavily outdated.
>watch some gameplay on youtube which is what i done for 7 and 9.
This is why we need wars: to purge the puss out of this planet.

This

>7
>best
>conflicting, ugly character styles, terrible combat/gameplay, plot that sounds like it was pieced together from 7 different stories all written by 12 year olds
No.

Hell, no FF game is that great, but 7 is the most abysmal pile of shit ever and the only reason today's "gamer" likes it is that it was released right when the nugamer late 90s boom hit that basically ruined videogames.

>PS1 version of FFI, it's pure D&D flavored kino
which is something I absolutely DON'T want from FF games.

Listen. You're not going to get a straight answer here, not even close.
Look at 6, 7, 9, 10 and choose whatever one you like the look of more. It really does not matter

Unlike 6 which was peak 2D at the time, 7 has not aged as well. People tend to forget even back in the day 7 looked silly with Popeye models and such.

IV

The first three are mind numbing grindfests that are a chore to play.

...

10 is actually a good starting point, very beginner friendly. After it you can then look into the older, more traditionally designed ones that might put you off if you start with them.

You definitely have to appreciate FF7's artstyle to get into it. I think it's pretty good super low-poly, which is a style I tend to really like.

FF4 was essentially where FF formula shaped proper and was hammered into perfection with FF6. It would basically take until FF10 for it to change significantly, or FF12 if you're less of a traditionalist.

9 is the best to start with.
Anything after 10 is just bad.

start with 5 if you want a really good gameplay
start with 6 if you want a really good story

after that you can try:
2 (PSP version), it has really unique gameplay
4 (also the psp version) is some nice story /presentation but pretty simplistic gameplay, still worth a playthrough

I wouldn't really recommend 1 or 3. Their gameplay /story is very similar to 5 but 5 does everything much better.

After that just play 7-15, every one of them worth at least one playthorugh (except 11, 14 because those are MMOs). 13 gets a lot of shit but if you enjoyed 4 you will probably enjoy 13 too.

If you're starting with FF7 you should be aware it's kinda easy out of the box provided you're not ten or so. I will hesitate against recommending something like The New Threat mod for your first playthrough, though.

>using graphics as the scale for "aging"
stop.

>People tend to forget even back in the day 7 looked silly with Popeye models and such.
I've not forgotten that at all, since I did play it past its prime days. However, the art-style of the game is great, with the pre-rendered BGs being atmospheric and / or comfy as fuck and packed with lots of detail. The chibi-style OW character models also do help you clearly spot and recognize the characters in all of that 240p glory.

ff4 has the worst gameplay out of the whole series

>Anything after 10 is just bad.
Negative.
FF Type 0 HD is arguably the best FF game since FF9, if not THE best, and the last two games of XIII trilogy were GOTY-tier JRPGs as well.

Well, the whole aging idea doesn't really apply to JRPGs in the first place because it's a static as fuck genre. Gameplay-wise you won't really have problems going from a JRPG released last year to FF6, for example.

OP, if you're still here, I hope you just look up some videos about each game on YouTube and make your decision based on that. There is NO consensus among the FF fanbase on which ones are worth playing.

FFXV

It’s the best one.

Pick any between 6 and 9, you can't go wrong.

This is the one true answer.

4, 5, 6, 1(PSP), 7, 9, 10, 12

Everything else is optional, though I would highly suggest adding Tactics somewhere.

Imagine having opinions this shitty

Watch this
youtube.com/watch?v=daCW46zW13A

Choose the one you like the look of most.

that's the worst picture of penelo's ass i've ever seen
delete it

What the fuck do you want then?

No.

imagine being this jaded nostalgia goggles moron who cannot recognize quality and fun where they're at.

well thought out, varied cast of characters, and crazy fantasy stories.

II exists

the ports mostly fixed 2 though
there is nothing inheretly wrong with it's gameplay it was just broken in the vanilla version

nothing can fix the lack of gameplay in 4 though

But certainly not bad. It set the groundwork for sequels. FF at its most basic.

Oh man, I thought these were lost forever when GT went under. Definitely seconding this, OP.

II is better than IV

>well thought out, varied cast of characters, and crazy fantasy stories.
Try FFVI, FFVII, FFIX, or FFX. They put the most emphasis on their characters.

There's nothing more varied than the Tower of Power.

Typo is a fucking shitheap and not worth playing. It waters down action gameplay and attaches watered down JRPG elements with a hackjob story by fucking Tabata of all people. Main cast is so big that all of them end up completely undeveloped and forgettable, only exclusions being Ace and whatever girls you find most fappable.

They're unconnected (until you really get into the lore), so you can play them in any order. You can't really go wrong per se, if you start with one of the following: IV-VII + X. If you've sworn to play every FF no matter what, start from I and continue in order. If you've sworn to play only one FF in your entire life, make it IX.

Beyond that, do you want:
Gameplay? III, IV and V. Later VI, VII, X, X-2, Lightning Returns, Dissidia Duodecim and World of Final Fantasy.
Story? VI, VII and X. Later II, IV, V, IX and XIII-2.
Combination of the above two? VI and VII. Later IV, V, IX and X.
More western style? XII. Later XV and Type-0.
Medieval? I, II, IV and V. Later III, VI, IX and XII.
Renaissance/Steampunk? VI and IX. Later XII.
Dieselpunk? VII.
Modern/Futuristic? VIII, XIII, XIII-2 and XV. Later VII, Before Crisis (if you could play it), Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core and Type-0.
Atmosphere? II, V, VI, VII and IX. Later III, X, X-2 and Lightning Returns.
Good graphics? III, VI, IX, X, XIII, XIII-2, XV and World of Final Fantasy.
Music? VI. Later super majority of the rest.
Characters? V, VI and VII. Later IV, IX and XIII-2.
Strong themes? IV, VI, VII, IX and X. Later II and VIII.
Humor? V, VI and VII. Later III, X-2 and World of Final Fantasy.
Seriousness? II, IV, VIII, IX, X and XII Later VI, VII, XIII and Before Crisis.
Weirdness? VIII.
Completeness? VI and IX.

Good luck.

>conflicting, ugly character styles
Aside from the models all looking like lego there's nothing conflicting about them.
>terrible combat/gameplay
7 has the best ATB to date.
>plot that sounds like it was pieced together from 7 different stories all written by 12 year olds
Was the last time you played it in 1997 when you were 7? There's nothing majorly wrong with 7's story.

>7 has the best ATB to date.
X-2 exists, user.

>Typo is a fucking shitheap and not worth playing.
Eat shit. It's the best FF and JRPG is decades, and worth at least 3 playthroughs.

King is the best Glass 0.

XIII-2 exists, user

The newer games unless you're into retro games. FFXV is better now than at launch. FFXIV has a free trial up level 35. FFXIII is dirt cheap if you like running down corridors. FFXII HD if you like politics, big dungeons/areas and Vayne Solidor did nothing wrong.

6-10 was the golden age of FF.

That's always a fun watch but also has too many spoilers.

You're off a game.
5-9 was the undisputed golden era.

Not really because portable nature rears its ugly head too many times in what should be a good game. It's more like the west was stuck with Lightning trilogy for the entire last generation while Type-0 took forever to get translated. Killer OST, though.

youtube.com/watch?v=4G50Gg2UxXA

5 was so shit that it wasn't even released in murrica.

actually it's from 4-10

>well thought out, varied cast of characters, and crazy fantasy stories.
You'll get none of that from FF though.

I-XV, obviously. This way you'll experience the evolution of the series.
I, II, IV, V and VI - GBA (IV-VI with sound restoration patches, check romhacking.net)
VII, VIII, IX - PSX/PS1
X, X-2 - emulate PS2 or just get the remaster for PC/PS3/PS4/Vita
XII - emulate PS2, IZJS with English patch or PS4 remaster or wait for its PC port (unannounced, but will most likely happen)
XIII trilogy - PC/PC3/X360
XV - whatever you choose

In my opinion FF12 was the next logical step between detailed zones and essentially hub overworlds with its interconnected areas. Shame idea was pretty much dropped.

Final Fantasy XVI when?

>until you really get into the lore
Pretty much the only ones confirmed exist in one universe is VII and X, unless you also count Dissidia. And maybe Gilgamesh.

Good job having such shit taste.

'murrica wasn't intelligent enough for it, so they got this game instead.

Forgot about III - I can't really recommend the NES version, so you can go with the remake - PC/DS/PSP/Android/iOS.

>I, II
>GBA
The only versions of I or II you should play are either the originals or the Wonderswan/PS remasters, anything else it's shit that changes the core gameplay.

the gameplay was fine, and the day / mission based chunks make it easier to follow and digest. There's a surprising amount of depth put into the story and mechanics.

I get that all the time from the series.

Listen to me:
anything from 1 to 6: only good for their historic/nostalgic value; completely worthless if judged by todays' standards.
anything from 7 to 10: the only true masterpieces of the series, good now as they were back then
anything from 11 to 15: commercial trash only made by exploiting the series' name and popularity

>2 (PSP version), it has really unique gameplay

You might as well skip FF2 and go straight to SaGa games because FF2 was essentially just a prototype for that series.

XII's connected areas worked because they scaled back the scope to a single continent. Can't imagine how it would work with an entire world like the older games.

youtube.com/watch?v=UVX0OUO9ptU

never ever

Any. FF games are different enough so whatever you start will be a new experience.
Newer games are easier to play, with modern gameplay convention and ergonomics, but clearly don't have the same appeal as the PS1 trilogy.

FFIX is quite frankly a great start. It's polished, beautiful and a bit more classical than VII or VIII gameplaywise, but millions of kids started with FFVII and had no trouble with it

>I get that all the time from the series.
You have really low standards then.

Yeah this. Play the SaGa series, and throw in Legend of Mana somewhere in between.

Both are correct. I particularly love how XIII-2 have not bloated numbers for HP and damage, and X-2's take on classic ATB.

I really don't.

>unless you also count Dissidia. And maybe Gilgamesh.

That's what I was referring to. I consider all FF universes to be surrounded by the Void and the Cleft of Dimension/Interdimensional Rift. I find it closing on undeniable at this point. I also consider Gogo and Lone Wolf to be dimensional travelers, but they're a minor case compared to Gilgamesh.

Don't waste your time with this shit series, there's one maybe two games that are good.

I imagine they would've tried to go down XII's path with XIII but the issue with a lot of SE Japan's early HD games was their tech. And well their management and lots of stuff, but FFXII took forever to make in part cause of all the shit they made for it. It released after the 360 dropped as a PS2 exclusive and there was no PS3 version when that dropped only a few months after the game launched.

Not only was the development pipeline for their games garbage back then, but then they needed to pivot to the 360 thanks to it doing much better than expected and the PS3 bombing. Then FFXIV 1.0 showed just how fucked things were inside SE Japan. Pic related is the FFXIII "World Map". Whether or not they could've actually pulled this off, I dunno, but you can see they may have had bigger aspirations than what FFXIII turned out to be. Not to mention those reports of an entire other game's worth of assets being scrapped just so they could ship XIII in time.

I think if you look at the FF14 reboot and FF15, you can see how a large "world" could be created. FFXIV ARR basically takes the template 12 established with zones and expands on it. With the addition of expansions it can feel like a huge world. FFXV also does a half decent job. Pun intended. If the second half of the game had the open world feel of the first half, it would really feel like a gigantic world you were in. Actually, I'm actually impressed what they were able to do with 15 given all the troubles it had.

Just remember the older games had a "world" you could explore, but it really wasn't that much real estate if you look at it closely. That's how it's always been. It's about making the illusion of a world.

>7 to 10: the only true masterpieces of the series, good now as they were back then

Sup Forums really loves to be a contrarian as much as possible

I liked XIII more than X overall.

1-6 were so shit they were never originally released in Europe & Australia.

If it's contrarian to hold incredibly safe opinions then sure.

The first one, you dummy. After all, it is the most basic game in the entire series, and it makes a pretty good start for any new player to Final Fantasy.
That or you can immediately start with the good shit like VI or VII.

Most people will recommend 6, 7, or 10 to start. I'd say it's probably safe to give all three a try (just look at some images and see which is most appealing) at the beginning.

If you liked FF6 and the pixel style the most, then give FF4 and FF5 a try. From there, if you're still fine with the older JRPG mechanics, then give FF1-3 a try and/or FF4: After Years.

If you liked FF7, then give FF9 and possibly FF8 a try. There's also Crisis Core, which is a spinoff of FF7.

If you liked FF10, then give FF12 and FFX-2 a try. If you liked either of those, you could give FF15 a try and/or the infamous FF13. You might also try Type-0 if you liked the sorta-action aspect of FF12 or FF15.

There's also Final Fantasy Tactics and the FFTA games, for more of a grid-based strategy RPG.

Any opinion which discards FFV is not an opinion worth having.

Be wary of spoilers but this is the perfect recap of the series. As many people have said, you will not get a straight answer here so you'll have to just research and decide on your own. If you choose from the rough stand outs, 6, 7, 9, 10, you cant go wrong.

7 and 9 are my favorites. I always recommend 7 over 9 because 7 is also a piece of gaming history. it's the game everyone knows and everyone talks about.

>FFIV-VI
>bad
>FFX
>masterpiece
>FFXI, FFXII and FFXIV
>trash
I mean yeah if you dislike MMOs in general then sure but otherwise go kill yourself.

No, FFV is still pretty good by modern standards.

7,8,9 and 10
forget the rest.

shit dudes, does this franchise get any good? i started with 4 and couldn't finish it, excellent story, music, artstyle, shit everything else, why the fuck am i underlevel for some fights, why are there random encounters, why is gameplay so shit?

Is the FFV Steam version good?

Don't listen to this man, the correct order after VII is X-2, The Last Remnant, Tactics Advance and Erhgeiz.

Good fucking god no. They butchered V and VI.

>play one game that came out nearly 30 years ago
>call the franchise shit
I don't want to assume you're an idiot. but you're an idiot.