But that doesn’t mean we can’t ride some other chocobo, so to speak.
There are tons of other great Final Fantasy games you’re free to play on PC right now.
It helps to keep Final Fantasy fans on their toes.
But that’s reductive.
It deserves better, is what we’re saying, and is absolutely worth revisiting.
Sure, its cast of characters is a somewhat mixed bag.
But its greatest triumph is the active time battle system.
A feature that is still cropping up today in JRPGs.
I can’t tell you what the plot is about (crystals?)
A dude called Gilgamesh is trying to find the sword Excalibur (what?).
It features an antagonist called “Exdeath” (huh!?).
The “Job” system introduced fresh roles to the turn-based battles, see.
The Beast Master, Samurai, Blue Mage, Berserker, and loads more.
You could even see which character’s turn would come next!
Don’t scoff, it was cool.
And you could be glad it did.
Final Fantasy V was an underappreciated turning point for the series.
The perceived wisdom being that the sixth instalment was the moment the series truly blossomed.
But Final Fantasy V’s influence is unequivocally pivotal.
One for the FF historians.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIVis anexceptional comeback storyin the video games industry.
Indeed, we called it “one of the greatest FF tales of all time” in ourEndwalker review.
Despite this, it’s still one of our favourite games in the series.
When you get down to it, there is no greater depiction of laddish companionship in the series.
They riff off each other’s attacks in battle, and chat incidentally as they amble through the countryside.
Hot damn, that Fat Chocobo Triple Decker sandwich looks tasty.
and, “Actually, it’s not bad!”
Storywise,Final Fantasy XIItramps around in the middleground of the series.
There’s a war, an empire and a princess.
Crystals, knights and monsters.
Perhaps the only distinct thing about this tale is that you aren’t playing as a very important person.
Vaan and his pal Penelo are just two street kids who get swept up in a larger story.
It’s oddly refreshing, as is the fighting system.
For the first time, Square threw away their standoffish system of menus and little white gloves.
They filled the overworld with enemies to batter in real-time.
Number 12 here ought to be appreciated for branching out and throwing off some stale Final Fantasy traditions.
Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
At long last, a version ofFinal Fantasy VIthat’s worth playing on PC.
Yes, the Pixel Remaster fonts aren’t brilliant, but hey, this is a PC game.
You think we can’trustle up a few mods to fix that?
It remains one of few Final Fantasy games to really put its iconic summon monsters centre stage.
Ah, Final Fantasy.
From fairytales ye have arisen and to fairytale ye shall return.
The battle system, the world map, the potion shops…
There was a peculiar satisfaction to mapping the different scenes in your head.
But our hero Tidus has just enough personality, history and curiosity to carry you along.
When he’s asking about monsters, so are you.
Okay, maybe not that last part, but you get the point.
Also: you are a pop idol now.
Just go with it.
You start as a half-hearted eco-terrorist, fighting against a vile, planet-sapping corporation.
Then you fight for revenge.
Then you fight because there’s a bad man in a long cloak.
Then some terrifying otherworldly force comes to… destroy the world?
Oh god, it’s nonsense, isn’t it?
But psst, here’s a secret.
So let’s appreciate the atmosphere of VII, if not the daftness.
Let’s remember wandering around the steamy, dirty, semi-robotic city of Midgar.
Its factories and slums, its skyscrapers, tunnels and highways.
It’s the kind of reimagining you wish Square Enix would give all the PS1-era Final Fantasies.
Even if doing so wouldprobably take decades.
We are not immune to those feelings.
So let it be known:Final Fantasy VIIIis the best Final Fantasy game.
We do not apologise.
If you want to dispute our decision, grab your gunblade and we can settle this Squall and Seifer-style.
Final Fantasy VIII is often labelled as the lovey-dovey one.
It’s simplistically told, a teenager’s tale.
Yet it’s far more affecting than character development elsewhere in the series.
It’s full of stand-out moments away from the romance too.
You get chased through a town by a giant mechanical spider.
You go into orbit and annihilate a spaceship’s worth of alien dinosaurs.
The combat system isn’t too shabby either.
The ability to ‘junction’ summons and magic spells to individual characters makes battle planning personal and thoughtful.
But it’s also the best and we love it.
