Every Mainline Final Fantasy Game Ranked

An obscure release outside of Japan, there is a strong case to be made for "Final Fantasy 2" being the weakest link in the series. Writing for Kotaku, Jason Schreier referred to the game as the "black sheep" of the series, for a variety of reasons. The game's unusual character building system does not feature experience points or traditional levels. Instead, stat gains are largely determined by player actions and heavy degrees of random number generation. Bizarrely, this results in a system where attacking your own party members might be one of the most efficient forms of grinding to maximize stat gains.

The story, while solid for its time, is largely unmemorable when compared to many of the franchise's later outings, despite its relentless grimness. The game chronicles the advance of the ruthless Paramecia Empire, an aspiring hegemony willing to use monsters, poison, and brute force to subjugate other nations. The four main characters — Firion, Gus, Maria, and Leon — are a fairly forgettable quartet (though still more distinctive than the Onion Knights from the following game).

Despite these shortcomings, "Final Fantasy 2" still has its redeeming qualities. It was the first title in the series to introduce series mainstays, like the recurring character named Cid and the lovable Chocobo mounts. Above all, the game established the tradition of reinvention and risk-taking that appears in every game in the series.

As noted by Otaquest, "Final Fantasy 13" and its direct sequels are particularly "polarizing" titles among franchise fans. One source of controversy was the cast of characters. While some of the game's heroes, like Lightning and Sazh, were well-liked, Hope, Snow, and Serah are some of the most poorly-received characters in the annals of "Final Fantasy."

Many fans also took issue with the game's dense battle mechanics. The Paradigm Shift battle system required players to rotate between a number of party roles, limiting their available commands at any given moment. The designers' intent was to create a more action-forward fighting system, and despite its controversies, the influence of "FF13" is evident in subsequent titles, particularly in "Final Fantasy 15" and  "Final Fantasy 7 Remake."

Another handicap is that "Final Fantasy 13" by itself tells only one third of protagonist Lightning's story. Other "Final Fantasy" titles that have sequels (such as "FF10," "FF7," etc.) typically stand by themselves as complete narratives, their sequels only serving to add onto what's already there. The game's storyline also features the most pronounced sci-fi elements of any "Final Fantasy," and received a mixed reception for its complexity.

Given the franchise's rich worldbuilding and emphasis on character customization, a "Final Fantasy" MMORPG seems like an obvious formula for success. Despite this seemingly easy target, it took Square Enix a couple tries to really nail the concept, starting with "Final Fantasy 11."

Set in the world of Vana'diel, the game's narrative suffers from several classic MMO storytelling pitfalls. It could be argued that the "Final Fantasy" series is at its strongest when iconic characters take the lead, and players adopting the role of an anonymous adventurer neuters the game's personality.

Despite these shortcomings, "Final Fantasy 11" and its expansions make up the most financially successful entry in the game's main series, according to IGN. Originally launching in 2002 and serving as the world's first cross-platform MMORPG — with cross-play between PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and PC — the game is now only available on PC, and development on future expansions has halted. That said, the title continues to run to this day, and publications like PC Gamer have praised it for offering a truly unique experience.

"Final Fantasy 5" is another entry in the series that does not get a great deal of recognition, possibly because its return to the Warrior of Light narrative leaves something to be desired in the wake of the thrilling character-driven heights of "Final Fantasy 4."

That said, it features perhaps the strongest iteration of the classic Job System in the main series, featuring a staggering array of character classes — several of which only appear in "Final Fantasy 5." This version of the Job system laid the groundwork for the character customization seen in future games such as "Final Fantasy 11" and "Final Fantasy Tactics." Additionally, "FF5" introduces several more conventions to the series, including the recurring mini boss Gilgamesh, as well as the skill-stealing Blue Mage class. 

The game has received various re-releases with quality-of-life tweaks over the years, but the title has aged less gracefully than its direct predecessor and sequel. This is mostly because the characters are comparatively unmemorable. As noted by Kotaku, Bartz — known in some unfortunate translations as Butz — lacks the gravitas of other lead characters in the series, and is overall one of the weakest characters in the cast.

Not only does "Final Fantasy 8" offers one of the series' most memorable romances, but its CGI cutscenes were jaw-dropping at the time of release, outpacing even the major strides made in "Final Fantasy 7." Squall Leonheart is arguably one of the series' most widely recognized protagonists after Cloud Strife and the story nails a number of affecting emotional beats. 

The plot is ultimately uneven, however, featuring contrivances such as group amnesia and a convoluted final act. The game's almost surreal quality has kicked off a number of fascinating fan theories, including the idea that Squall actually dies at the end of the game's first disc. While the theory has since been debunked, it is a testament to the depth of the game's narrative that players can develop unique readings of the story. 

Mechanically, the game's character building mechanic, known as the "Junction system," is completely unique throughout the series. However, it has been subject to some harsh criticism from fans. Players must acquire magic from the environment (a concept revisited in "Final Fantasy 15"), but they must be "junctione"' to specific character attributes. Some fans feel this system is entirely too convoluted when compared to the other games' stat-building, while others have found it to be a breeze.

The fifth best "Final Fantasy" to date is arguably "Final Fantasy 4," a title that is still influencing gaming to this day. This is the first game where players catch a glimpse of the sort of sprawling, character-driven storytelling that has come to define the franchise. 

The game features a more human take on the premise of "Final Fantasy 2." The intense story of a violent empire trying to conquer the world is grounded through the character of Cecil, a soldier who grows a conscience and seeks redemption.

Part of the reason the game's cast was so well-received was that each character had a distinctive identity shaped by their own specific mechanics. As Jason Schreier notes, the mechanics in the game directly play a role in its narrative. This is seen when Tellah fails to cast the spell "Meteo," only to later use his dying breath to cast the spell. 

Unlike other early entries in the series that allowed players to swap out characters' jobs and party roles, the characters in 'FF4" had (mostly) fixed roles and abilities. From the game's bold opening scenes, Cecil's journey of redemption and self-discovery remains the best 2D execution of the series' recurring "four elemental crystals" premise to date.

After a series of sci-fi/magical mashups, "Final Fantasy 9" was intended as a return to form, set in a whimsical, medieval world. The game serves as something of a soft-retrospective for the franchise, with numerous subtle nods and references to earlier titles in the series. Its mechanics borrow from the best of the preceding entries, providing characters with a balance of distinctive abilities and robust customization.

The super-deformed character art remains a topic of serious discussion and debate among fans, but the excellent writing and localization makes for one of the franchise's most endearing casts to date, with familiar faces like Zidane Tribal, Vivi Ornitier, and Garnet "Dagger" Til Alexandros XVII. 

The game's story is by no means straightforward, but it is arguably one of the storytelling high points for the franchise as a whole. It makes sense that this is the entry poised for an all-new cartoon adaptation. "Final Fantasy 9" was a fitting send-off for the series' tenure on the original PlayStation, which is one of the most beloved eras for the franchise.

While "Final Fantasy 7" is more widely recognized, it owes an incalculable debt to the successes, breakthroughs, and triumphs of "Final Fantasy 6." As noted by TheGamer, the debate continues to rage over which title reigns supreme, but "Final Fantasy 6" takes the crown for its mix of epic storytelling, compelling turn-based combat, magi-punk worldbuilding, and its role in establishing the franchise as a household name.

Though none of its individual members are as widely recognized as Cloud from "FF7," the game's ensemble cast has a delightful chemistry, distinct identities, and moving personal stories. Like Sephiroth after him, Kefka Palazzo is one of video gaming's greatest villains, primarily because he succeeds at his evil aspirations to become a god and lay waste to the world. Furthermore, "Final Fantasy 6" introduced more pronounced sci-fi technological elements to the series, which certainly shaped the aesthetics of subsequent entries.

As evidenced by its numerous re-releases and modernizations, the gameplay holds up surprisingly well in contemporary times, and its pixel graphics have aged more gracefully than many subsequent titles in the series' history. It's memorable cast employs a mix of distinctive, character-specific abilities, from Sabin's fighting game-style monk inputs, to Edgar's arsenal of brutal gadgets, to Strago's signature swordplay. The game even introduced the series' Limit Break mechanic, albeit in the subtle form of randomized desperation attacks.

For these reasons, "Final Fantasy 6" still stands as the zenith of the "Final Fantasy" franchise.