The better Final Fantasy game?

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 16-04-2011 4:24am #1

I recently got Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX.

I've played all three of them.

Mostly VII though i got as far as the last boss, yet to clear it.

I think IX comes in 2nd place for me as I've played it frequently and have gotten pretty far at the moment.

I haven't done much of Final Fantasy VIII though, I dunno what it is about it, but I just can't get into it as easy as I did with VII and IX.

I'll start with VII, first ever FF game I played, started it on February. So far it's my favourite, love the story and the characters. Didn't want to follow with what the critics said just yet until i played it myself and I must say, it is a gem to behold.

FFIX, love it at the moment. Pretty comedic as opposed to VII. (I'd love to see Steiner and Barrett have an argument lol.)

VIII, cannot -just, cannot- get myself going on this one. I don't know if it's the fact there's too much I need to memorize so early in the game compared to FF VII. But so far I've only gotten as far as

obtaining a vehicle past the start of the game

.

Anyway so;

VII: Unreal, enjoyed every second of it

VIII: Cannot grasp it just yet, I'll get there eventually though i suppose.

IX: I'm thoroughly enjoying this one more than VIII.

What's your favoured one out of Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9?

(I wouldnt mind as to hear some things about VIII that might help me like it more lol)

Discuss!

EDIT: I also got Final Fantasy I & II for my PSP, grinding the hell out of both of them regularly, nice little games to play I really like them.

Mindkiller · 16-04-2011 9:59am

VII is the best of the three. People don't like admitting it though.

You prolly don't like VIII because it's completely charmless.

Retr0gamer · 16-04-2011 10:08am

Well have to disagree there because I think FF9 is far and away the best of the 3. FFVII's story takes a bit of a nose dive after disc 1 and the battle system is kind of crap. FFIX's story might not be as serious but I think it's better told than FFVII and its battle system is way better. I liked FFVIII even though the story is absolute unadulterated scutter. The battle system there is good because it's so much fun breaking the game.

None of them come close to FFVI though.

scum01 · 16-04-2011 10:12am

yea have to agree FFVII is the best! as far as storyline and freedom goes its better than most of the modern Final Fantasy's too!

I had the exact same difficulty with FFVIII! took me a long time before i warmed to it but as soon as you do its a decent game!

Fighting the summon monsters to obtain them is pretty cool!

I'd say give it time!

FFIX i loved aswell! The change of abilities and being able to "learn" them was awesome! Vivi was a hero!

Mindkiller · 16-04-2011 10:13am

I think disc 2's story is hella cool. I don't think there is a single FF which doesn't jump the shark a bit in the story department, but at least VII did it with style.

Giant ass robots birthed by the earth sent up to wreck **** while a huge ass meteorite looms over the sky while Shinra build a huge ass cannon to blow up said robots.

VIII had

time kompression

and IX had that silly stuff

in outer space with monkey aliens or whatever it was

Retr0gamer · 16-04-2011 10:30am

FFVII in the second disc just went too Evangelion for me just like everything else coming from japan at the time and in FFVII's case it failed. The battle system is by far the weakest of the whole series since FF2.

megaten · 16-04-2011 12:26pm

FFIX has vivi so it has to be the best.

carbonkid · 16-04-2011 3:41pm

Its a very personnel thing...specially with FF7 as it was the first FF or even rpg game for most people of the PS1/PS2 generation.

The best game for me is IX by far...in fact its probably my favorite of all the FF games. VIII is alot of fun but the battle system is geared more towards junctioning large sums of spells and using melee attacks. I didnt mind the story, for me its more important i get to like my party members. I really liked the

the outter space sci-fi elements to VIII

VII is a good jrpg game for beginners...the materia system is very simple and easy to master.

Aurongroove · 16-04-2011 11:39pm

VII: Squaresoft's "Star Wars episode IV"
VIII: Longer, realer, colder, harsher,
IX: Warmer, Simpler, fantastical, traditional

the way I look at it is VIII & IX were sequils in the same way hopscotch tiles sometimes come in twos,

VIII took one half of the series and XI took the other half. I dont think anyone would have noticed if the actual games of VIII and IX were swapped by a time traveler or released at the same time.

my personal fav is IX, it has aged the best and although VIII was HUGH when it came out, it aged the worst. VII is somewhere in the middle of this "how good on first impression" vs "how well it's aged" Duality

Laika1986 · 16-04-2011 11:48pm

FFVII was my first ever game on the PS1. I loved it and recently downloaded it for my ps3 and enjoyed it just as much as ever the storyline is unique and characters are all class(although Cait Sith was a bit crap)

Aurongroove · 18-04-2011 1:41am

did just the same.

I rushed through and played the game at it's sort of "natural" difficulty.
It;s actually a nice challenge.

Once I finished it "straight" I am currently powering up to kill the weapons.

K.O.Kiki · 18-04-2011 5:11am

FFVII is held up by other people's nostalgia.

FFIX is clearly the best 32-bit FF title.

martineatworld · 18-04-2011 4:23pm

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

FFVII is held up by other people's nostalgia.

FFIX is clearly the best 32-bit FF title.

Why doesn't FF9 create the same nostalgic flustering of fanboys then, if it is clearly the best 32 bit title given that they were part of the same generation?

It's definitely aged the best of the three, in admittance. But to most it's just not the same rush as given by 7.

I've replayed both games since they came on PSN. 9 was better than I remembered. 7 was still more enjoyable for me though. That's basing them on my recent playthrough, not on memories of yonder. 9 may be better in terms of graphics, battle, story, whatever you want to argue, but 7 is greater as a sum of parts. IMO

Retr0gamer · 18-04-2011 7:03pm

It's because for most people especially in Europe it was their first RPG and was pretty much mind blowing because of this. It isn't the best JRPG ever and even at the time of it's release it wasn't the best but it was peoples first and those graphics were absolutely spectacular. People therefore have a lot of fond memories of it and it's faults and flaws kind of get glossed over because of nostalgia and what it means to some people. For people used to 16-bit games the story was way deeper than anything that came before. You have to remember that before FFVII we didn't have earthbound, chrono trigger FFVI etc. and even in america they weren't wildly popular. We did have Phantasy Star 4 and Terranigma but again not wildly popular. In hindsight the story of FFVII is very derivative of anime and has lots of problems but for a lot of people there was nothing that compared in videogames for them. Myself included at the time.

However I think the people that think FFVII is a terrible game are just as wrong as the people that think it's the best thing ever. It's still a damn fine game but not as good as some people like to make out.

seraphimvc · 19-04-2011 12:19am

i am still so impressed by the old Square, early1997-ff7, early1999-ff8, mid2000-ff9. they dominated my early high school life XD to me they are all equally great games. i have so many memories from 3 games. ps1's FFs are truly remarkable. I'm so going to let my children play them in future :pac:

RedXIV · 19-04-2011 4:38pm

seraphimvc wrote: »

I'm so going to let make my children play them in future :pac:

FYP

noodler · 23-04-2011 1:42pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

FFVII in the second disc just went too Evangelion for me just like everything else coming from japan at the time and in FFVII's case it failed. The battle system is by far the weakest of the whole series since FF2.

I actually tthink the 2nd disc was outstanding. My favourite 'disc' of any of the PS1 era FFs. Its like a reward after the slog of Disc 1.

1: FF7
2:FF9
3:FF8

FF7 is my favourite - and that is my opinion, uneffected by nostalgia despite what some bitter old Queens might tell you. No point getting into why

FF9: Its just amazing fun, I think it gets worse in the latter stages (like FF8 but NOT imo like FF7). The abilities system was great, the kindgoms and wars were great.

FF8: I loved the first disc and even the second but after that its tough to know what is going on. The character sprites in battles and in towns were sippointing because they had to be realistic. Drawing was an awful idea and at least two of the main 6 playable characters had no personality. Laguna and co were a great addition though - something I didn't really appreciate until I was older. I'd still give it 9/10 though but compared to the other two.

Can I just say, FFX would be up there with FF7 for me - what a game.

Retr0gamer · 24-04-2011 9:47pm

Just wait until you are older, wiser, bitterer and have better taste and realise some of the stuff you liked when you were younger wasn't all that great.

noodler · 24-04-2011 11:16pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Just wait until you are older, wiser, bitterer and have better taste and realise some of the stuff you liked when you were younger wasn't all that great.

Stop your condescending drivel please - you are just wrong in this case.

Aurongroove · 24-04-2011 11:47pm

LOL, ah now, there's a difference between being condescending and being wrong.

condecending? maybe.
wrong? not IMO

(if you'll excuse the double negative of being "not wrong")

Retr0gamer · 25-04-2011 12:06am

Noodler will realise in time and he'll also reject his favourite band N-Dubz :P

seraphimvc · 25-04-2011 12:35am

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Just wait until you are older, wiser, bitterer and have better taste and realise some of the stuff you liked when you were younger wasn't all that great.

that's life, retro

i am not sure what will my future children think of these FFs after they played them, maybe they will think they suck or they will love them to death - the important thing here is the experience. i was there and these FFs brought me so many unforgetable memories - i am going to at least let them try these FFs out!!

(and no, i will never let them touch 13)

noodler · 25-04-2011 11:19am

martineatworld wrote: »

Why doesn't FF9 create the same nostalgic flustering of fanboys then, if it is clearly the best 32 bit title given that they were part of the same generation?

It's definitely aged the best of the three, in admittance. But to most it's just not the same rush as given by 7.

I've replayed both games since they came on PSN. 9 was better than I remembered. 7 was still more enjoyable for me though. That's basing them on my recent playthrough, not on memories of yonder. 9 may be better in terms of graphics, battle, story, whatever you want to argue, but 7 is greater as a sum of parts. IMO

Great point - read that Retr0.

Aurongroove wrote: »

LOL, ah now, there's a difference between being condescending and being wrong.

condecending? maybe.
wrong? not IMO

(if you'll excuse the double negative of being "not wrong")

What are you even talking about?

Retr0's thought system:

1) I have one opinion

2) Other people don't agree - in fact many don't)

3) There must be some logical way to dismiss their opinions as I can not be wrong

4) DING DING DING Nostalgia! That'll do it. Yous only like it because yous played it when you were young!

Retr0gamer · 25-04-2011 12:41pm

Aw noodler I was clearly joking. If you can't take some slagging then don't give any.

noodler · 25-04-2011 1:28pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Aw noodler I was clearly joking. If you can't take some slagging then don't give any.

You aren't joking - don't lie. You have said the same thing for around 3 years everytime the topic comes up.

I know you've got Cloud Strife duvets and Barrett Wallace PJs.

Why do you persist with this charade?

Aurongroove · 25-04-2011 1:31pm

Sorry Noodler I wasn't trying to confuse you or make you angry.
at the very least it's no reason to spoil the thread.

Mindkiller · 25-04-2011 1:35pm

Only reason Retrogamer likes FFVI so much is because of nostalgia. There.

Anyway, I play these three games regularly today and VII still stands out as the better title. IX is a little cloying. VIII is like, the opposite of that.

IX also suffers from having a stupidly slow combat system. VII and VIII are quite zippy in comparison.

People say that VII's materia system is derivative but IX's equipment system thingy has far more in common with VI's esper system than any other game. Not that that's a bad thing or anything.

Aurongroove · 25-04-2011 1:35pm

noodler wrote: »

You aren't joking - don't lie. You have said the same thing for around 3 years everytime the topic comes up.

I know you've got Cloud Strife duvets and Barrett Wallace PJs.

Why do you persist with this charade?

:D you guys have a strange relationship. Retro knows how to goad you it seems.

:pac:<vomiting chocobos>

seraphimvc · 25-04-2011 1:35pm

lol i take that as retro is joking! (thats the way he jokes anyway)

Aurongroove · 25-04-2011 1:38pm

i played all the "previous to VII" ones on a sort of quick flurry when they were released for PSX.

I now have no idea:

which was the one I only started
which was the one I finished
which was the one I didn't get to play (III I think)
which was the one I got to the end of but didn't finish
which was the crushingly unfair one
which was the one I can't remember at all. (probably II)

noodler · 25-04-2011 1:42pm

Yeah, great joke by Retr0.

Except its his opinion EVERYTIME someone says a positive word bout VII.

So, it isn't really a joke.

People on this board must have really short memories.

The better Final Fantasy game?

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