Current Events > What is the "Best Final Fantasy to start with" in the FF series?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've said it once and I'll say it again. FF8 did a lot of things wrong, but the majority of us agree that the Final Dungeon wasn't one of them. Best Final Dungeon in the FF series goes to Ultimecias Castle and Time Compression.
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I went with the first 10. They are the most popular.
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Best first to play due to how easy it is? Best first to play because it has fantastic story and characters? Best first to play because of simple Combat mechanics? Less grind? You decide, pick a vote, and you feel so inclined... tell us why :)
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Best Final Dungeon: Ultimecia's Castle & Time Compression via FF8
Runner up: Kefka's Tower via FF6

Best Job Class: Dragoon and Red Mage via Multiple FFs (2-Way Tie)
Runner up: Blue Mage via Multiple FFs

Best Character Theme: Terra's Theme via FF6
Runner up: Aeris's/Aerith's Theme via FF7

Best Victory Pose: Lulu via FF10
Runner up: Cloud via FF7 (By 1 vote)

Best Final Boss Theme: Dancing Mad via FF6
Runner up: One Winged Angel via FF7

Best Protagonist: Cloud Strife via FF7
Runner up: Zidane Tribal via FF9

Best Boss Battle Theme: Battle of the Big Bridge via Multiple FFs
Runner up: J-E-N-O-V-A and Those Who Fight Further via FF7 (2-way Tie)

Best Regular Battle Theme: Blinded by Light via FF13
Runner up: The Man with the Machine Gun via FF8

Worst Final Boss: Necron via FF9
Runner up: Orphan via FF13

Best Rivalry: Cecil and Kain via FF4
Runner up: Squall and Seifer via FF8

Best Romance: Tidus and Yuna via FF10/10-2
Runner up: Zidane and Garnet/Dagger via FF9

Worst World/Setting: The World via FF13 Series
Runner up: The World via FF8

Best NPC: Gilgamesh via Multiple FFs, but specifically FF5
Runner up: Ultros via FF6

Worst Side Quest: The Celestial Weapons via FF10
Runner up: Chocobo Breeding for Materia Gains via FF7

Best Summon: Bahamut via Multiple FFs
Runner up: Knights of the Round via FF7

Worst Status Effect: Confuse via Multiple FFs
Runner up: Petrify via Multiple FFs

Best Status Effect: Haste via Multiple FFs
Runner up: Aura via FF8

Worst Translation: Words and Phrases via FF7
Runner up: <

FF4. Just not the DS port.

The first one.

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And I have to go with FF9 personally. 8's Junction system has a nasty learning curve. 7 would be my other first pick since it actually WAS my first final fantasy. That materia system though to a complete newcomer might also be a bit over the top.

9 feels classic, the system works, has a great story outside of the final boss plot twist, fun side quests...it's a great game.

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6 got me into the series. It's fairly easy and provides players with a good idea of what Final Fantasy is all about.

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4 was what got me in.

4 and 7 are both good starting points but I feel like if you start with 7 you won't go back for the SNES ones.

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You people who put capital i's in your name in place of L's...keeps throwing me off.

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The great irony of FFMQ, is that it's a terrible way to start into the franchise.

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Questionmarktarius posted...

The great irony of FFMQ, is that it's a terrible way to start into the franchise.

Why?

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I just now realized I voted 7 but meant to vote 9. Whoops

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Questionmarktarius posted...

FF4. Just not the DS port.

Ha, DS version of 4 was my first FF game. Wtf is wrong with it? I loved it and it got me hooked on the franchise.
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Mystic Quest was my first one, and it's a decent starting point for RPGs, but not a one for FF.

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Voted 4 here. it's where Squaresoft really started to nail the balance of world, gameplay design, story, and characters. The first 3 games were structurally barebone and hard to recommend to a completely new person. Get invested in the series first, then go back to see how it started.

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DoGCyN posted...

Why?

It's a bad "representative" of the franchise, at least back in the SNES era and deep into the PS2 era.
It's also way harder than it presents itself as being, despite the "death penalty" only being minor annoyance.

Mystic quest lmao

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Either IV, V, or VI I'd say.

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What is FF9 starting group?

Zidane, Vivi, Steiner and Garnet?

EDIT: I misread thought you meant starting party for some reason lol. Difficult that one then... as I would say one of the PSX ones but then I'm not sure if you could go back to the SNES ones after that... I'll probably go for 4 as that was the first "really good" FF game then you can move to the others and see how the games progressed. Issue with going for the best game is what's the point of playing the others as they will all feel like a step down. .

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lilORANG posted...

Ha, DS version of 4 was my first FF game. Wtf is wrong with it? I loved it and it got me hooked on the franchise.

I'm curious too. On that note, I've started the DS version (even had a topic), but have put it on a temporary hold. It's going to be hella fun though, I can already tell.

Also, Kain's Voice Actor is actually good.

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lzual posted...

What is FF9 starting group?

Zidane, Vivi, Steiner and Garnet?

EDIT: I misread thought you meant starting party for some reason lol.

To answer your question though, yeah.

FF7: Cloud Barret Tifa
FF8: Squall and Quistis OR Squall Zell and Seifer

Now wondering if this would be a good poll.

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DoGCyN posted...

I'm curious too. On that note, I've started the DS version (even had a topic), but have put it on a temporary hold. It's going to be hella fun though, I can already tell.

Also, Kain's Voice Actor is actually good.

FFIV is my favourite game in the series. I beat the SNES version at least twice, the PSX version once, the JP hardtype once, and played most of the way through the PSP and GBA versions of the game. FFIV DS is my favourite iteration of the game. I've beaten it 4 times.

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lilORANG posted...

Wtf is wrong with it?

It's just not as "fun" as the GBA or PSP ports. The game is completely sadistic with status effects and missables, and the augment system requires a spreadsheet to get any decent results.

DoGCyN posted...

To answer your question though, yeah.

FF7: Cloud Barret Tifa
FF8: Squall and Quistis OR Squall Zell and Seifer

Now wondering if this would be a good poll.

I liked it as it made me think for a second and, to me, came to an obvious conclusion about which ones I liked the best. I'd probably add it at some point.

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Questionmarktarius posted...

and the augment system

Yeah I might be using a guide for this haha

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i'd say 4 and continue the series from there

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lzual posted...

I liked it as it made me think for a second and, to me, came to an obvious conclusion about which ones I liked the best. I'd probably add it at some point.

I would need some help with this one. Mainly the first 6 FFs.

4 I have (Either Kain and Cecil or Cecil and Rydia).

Someone PM me so i can write it down lol

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My first was 8. I dont know what would be a good first. It would probably depend on if someone likes retro games or not.

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I think FF4. Parts 1-3 are too primitive, and at this point should only be a spot for players to go back on if they enjoyed everything else they tried. And while 5-10 could all be perfectly fine starting points, I feel like it would be best to play the games as they progress and add more features to the games.

FF4 is a basic enough game for a first time RPG player with a good story. I think its the best starting point, and have used it as a starting point for friends as a recommendation myself.

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The Popo posted...

Parts 1-3 are too primitive

FF2 is too intricate for its own good.

Relient_K posted...

My first was 8. I dont know what would be a good first. It would probably depend on if someone likes retro games or not.

Holy fuck is PSX retro now?

God I'm old...

EDIT: I mean it's probably been Retro for awhile. Still doesn't feel like it to me though.

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DoGCyN posted...

Holy fuck is PSX retro now?

PS2 is retro by this point, and PS3 will be boarding on that territory fairly soon.

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The Popo posted...

PS2 is retro by this point, and PS3 will be boarding on that territory fairly soon.

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I Was referring to the original games when I said retro. Playing them in order would be my preference.

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FF4 is the best entry point for newcomers as it consolidates all the different tropes used in the NES games into one big "epic story" that has since become the final fantasy standard.

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Hastily voted 6 thinking this was the Final Dungeon poll. >_>

Still, as an entry point, it's between 5, 6, and 9. Not sure which is more suited for beginners between having 4 characters, but figuring out how job kustomization works, or preset jobs, but 8-14 characters to mix n match.

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I started with 9 and got hooked but I think 10 objectively might be the most noob friendly

I voted for 7, I figure if you haven't gotten into it yet you might as well start out with the most critically acclaimed entry. I almost wanted to vote for 9 but I figured that if you enjoy 7 then 9 would probably be the second best to play right after whereas if you start with 9 you might find going back to play 7 with its dated character models/animations pretty jarring.

4 is the one you should start with. It has the basic format the entire series should have taken but kind of branched off after X-2. The only game I do not recommend playing are 2 and 3 for the NES. 8 isn't excellent, but the first disc is really really good.

VII is such a bad starting point. The graphics are so bad, if you didn't get into gaming around or before the PS1 era you probably will not be able to get into it. I hate how everyone just votes for VII for no reason.

IV and X are the best ones for a newbie.

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Probably IV. Any version of the game has the fundamentals of the series, while also having enough QOL improvements over the first 3 to be tolerable.

And I can understand someone struggling to enjoy the SNES version due to the dated graphics, so 4 for DS/Steam is probably the best choice overall.

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I think 9.

It's not the best in the series, but if you're a complete FF noob, I think it's a good representation of the series as a whole. Good soundtrack, a hint of a job system with sometimes the party being fixed and sometimes the party being freeform, romantic subplot with an epic cutscene or two.

4 by modern standards is a soap opera and a little too "on rails" and 7's materia system doesn't translate well enough into subsequent games. X is also a great candidate imo, minus the pokemon-esque random battles
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Also OP idk why you keep excluding the latter FFs in these polls and have separate options for FFs 1 2 and 3. I get that on Gamefaqs it's unpopular to like 12 13 and 15 but I doubt most people could even play FFs1-3. You should've have just grouped FF1-3 in one and used the other option for FF12-15 at least

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Obstacle2 posted...

Also OP idk why you keep excluding the latter FFs in these polls and have separate options for FFs 1 2 and 3. I get that on Gamefaqs it's unpopular to like 12 13 and 15 but I doubt most people could even play FFs1-3. You should've have just grouped FF1-3 in one and used the other option for FF12-15 at least

Doesn't the fact that other has 3 votes make this a non-issue?

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Overall, I'd say 9. It's a modern enough game with most of the ideas of the series present. The big caveat is that they should probably play with a mod that speeds up battles. Turn based RPGs can feel slow to people new to them, and FFIX is one of the slowest within that category.

I had a mod where you could tune the speed. +50% is where it actually felt like it was moving at a halfway decent pace, +75% is where it started feeling a little fast, and +100% finally felt fast, but surprisingly controllable.

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How many votes do FF1, 2, and 3 have?

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