I Ranked Every Mainline Final Fantasy From Worst To Best

[@IvinationOTM]

I just finished VI for the first time, and it was amazing! So much better than it had any right to be! I would give it a 10/10 for sure

[@perfectman3077]

Why wouldn’t it have the right to be one of the greatest ever?

[@alucard8433]

VI is the best game in the entire series.

[@BLa-lq2bs]

Shocked to see 10 in your 8 spot. Especially since it usually ranks pretty high for people. So interesting how subjective these games are.

[@retrobrandon]

Well, like I said, this is one I would not be surprised at all to see higher, I just personally go back to these others more often. I do love X, though!

[@shisuna4030]

​@@retrobrandon I would be interested to see how the games would be rated today if they were released today. I think the nostalgia factor plays a role and games like FF7 would no longer be number 1 for most people. Of course, it's also because people expect more today and graphics are more important, and many things weren't possible in the past. I can imagine, for example, that you associate more with FF8 than with FFX and for me it's the other way round. But objectively, or at least based on the opinions of the majority, FFX is ahead of FF8. But fortunately this is not an objective list XD. Nevertheless, I believe that many RPGs from the past are still better than some of them today, or at least not much worse.

[@retrobrandon]

@@shisuna4030 I completely agree! I’m actually prepping a series of videos based on this issue that I see from myself and other content creators. I’ll be going back to games I haven’t played and others I have to challenge them as objectively as possible. But I absolutely agree, X is a better game objectively, I just personally go back to 8 more often. And that was one of the things about this video that I asked myself. Which ones do I actually go back to and love to play? It’s not that X isn’t on that list, I’ve just replayed the others so much more

[@shisuna4030]

@@retrobrandon and there's nothing wrong with that, I personally think Kingdom Hearts 1 is better than 2, especially better than 3, although the other parts are superior in almost every respect. Maybe it's because it was the first game, maybe it's because you've played it more or the others less. However, I think the vibes in the first part are much better, the feeling just gets broken bit by bit and maybe it's the same for you with the newer Final Fantasy parts.

[@Sephirothkingdom782]

@@shisuna4030that’s understandable, me personally I think kh2 is better in a pure game sense due to how absolutely incredible the combat is due to final mix changes.

[@brndn31107]

So awesome to see VIII and XII so high. Love both of them and replay them a lot as well. You really can't go wrong with the franchise for the most part as all games bring something great to the table. Nice list

[@LN-Lifer]

Ha 8 and 12 are two I played upon release but never did beat So recently I decided to play them both again Beat 12 (absolutely loved it this time around) and now I'm about 75% of the way through part 8

[@Dulkh4n]

Final fantasy XV was a gem in potencial. Bring the zones that are there but incomplete, re-use the old optional dungeons in the world of ruins and add more story to that section, help them rebuild before dealing with the bad guy. fix a few things with combat and you are done for a complete edition, you don't even need better graphics ( add raytrycing if you want), and put a few more deep to the story of lunafreya and his brother. and other side characters

[@ashm4938]

With 9, I agree, graphical revamp and slight battle mechanic changes. However, I would also happily welcome a little bit more character development for Amarant and Quina as well as a better wrap up to Freya's arc which just fell flat in the end. Even if it was a late game optional quest tracking down where Fratley went travelling around the world leading up to Puck finding him with no memory.

[@retrobrandon]

Totally forgot to mention those, but I completely agree on all fronts! Amarant and Quina end up feeling like forgettable side characters for sure, so I’d love to see more of that. And ABSOLUTELY Freya. Let’s hope we see it happen!

[@SubduedRadical]

@@retrobrandon Gizmaluke's Grotto/Freya's theme and Burmicia: Realm of Eternal Rain are two of the most amazing tracks to me in all of gaming history. I've listened to some amazing mixes of Burmicia (complete with rain sound), and I just love that theme so much. I think someone has one on KZbin called Burmecia: A Melancoly Tribute (or something similar) that's fantastic. That along with You're Not Alone and Chrono Cross' Theme of a Shore Bordering Another World (the world map music from Another World which is my number one RPG music piece of all time) are just so good.

[@pogethedoge]

I think quina is fine as she is. Some more Freya story would be dope tho.

[@IlliyaVjestica]

Can I just say this is best video on KZbin about the Final Fantasy series. You’ve got me hyped to play 12. Keep up the great work Brandon! Top stuff 👍

[@retrobrandon]

Wow, thank you so much! I put SO much into this video, I'm so glad to see the passion paid off with comments like this. ❤️

[@IlliyaVjestica]

@@retrobrandon I can tell it's a labour of love. I think your videos got recommended to me after watching Happy Console Gamer. Glad I found you, because your channel is a gem, not surprised if your channel it grows! You deserve it brother!

[@retrobrandon]

@@IlliyaVjestica Thank you so much!

[@partyinn3040]

I appreciate the FFXI shoutout. best MMO ever! 9, 10 and 11 was the sweet spot of the series for me

[@retrobrandon]

I couldn't pass it even if I haven't played it. I still dream of getting to it one day...

[@partyinn3040]

@@retrobrandon I hear you bro! I also wasn't lucky enough to play back in the day. I highly suggest the mammoth private server HorizonXI if you want that classic MMO experience.

[@OrbitGametv]

my first introduction to final fantasy was ff7 I was so young when I saw it and was fascinated by it. never got to finish the ff7 classic but got it on the ps4 and just finished it I'm inlove with it I got to get rebirth and crisis core

[@nickvareymusic]

Agreed with this list! I have to say FF10 took me by surprise… I loved it, amazing imagination, gameplay, and many poignant moving moments. I was surprised to see this low in the top 10, but that’s the beauty of different perspectives!!

[@retrobrandon]

Well, like I said, I wouldn’t bat an eye to see this higher on anybody’s list! Thanks for watching!

[@josiahbrake4547]

I wasn’t originally going to leave a comment, but then sephiroth intervened.

[@retrobrandon]

He’ll get ya!

[@F1rstWorldNomaD]

Sephiroth is THE most overrated villain of all time. One of the most bada$$ looking for sure and probably one of the strongest... But his story is flat as fakk. There is sooo little depth to him and there is basically no ambiguity. Compared to Edea, Kuja or even Kafka, hes an Amazing *_looking_* card board cut out.

[@Maninredcape]

​​@@F1rstWorldNomaDyeah he is I was expecting more honestly And in the majority of the game, it's just a fragment of jenova

[@MD97531]

@@F1rstWorldNomaDhe’s an amazing antagonist. When you first played FFVII he was just a sinister presence, mysterious and haunting the characters across Midgar and it was a long time until you finally saw him in your party in the calm flashback, with his awesome power. However since that game he’s just been seen too much and beaten too many times and it’s retroactively diluted his menacing factor, mystery and aura. Bit like Vader.

[@claudeyanly5356]

​@@F1rstWorldNomaDI think he's a good villain for the first half of the game but loses all personality and disappears almost completely in the second half until the end.

[@seabicuit7247]

As someone who generally puts VI around the 6 or 7 spot, I’m usually waiting for the bomb to go from the fan base. Especially when they hear IV, V, VII, and VIII are above it. Solid list. Mine differs a bit but always nice to hear differing opinions on entries I don’t hold as high.

[@retrobrandon]

Haha I'm not sure there is a list that would be good with the whole fanbase, so I'm always just excited to talk about the series and absolutely respect differing opinions on this one. Thanks for watching!

[@noellawson41]

FF 1 would be my number one and probably favourite game ever. I remember playing it on the PSP, it was the first video game I ever fully finished and to this day, I still go back and play it once a year. I just really, really love everything about it - Just getting lost in some fantasy world with a party and going on a sweet adventure? The nostalgia always gets me.

[@thesoffen48]

I love FF1 and have played it a ton of times. I think it was awesome that the Black Belt is so much stronger unarmed than with a weapon. FFT is also an amazing game that I have played multiple times.

[@IronMatty]

Wow - where to even start with this video, let’s first address the elephant in the room, how the hell are you only 2k subs??? That’s insane! The only quality and presentation of this video is on par with content creators with 100k subs+ it’s just fantastic! I was so impressed with the editing and your presentation of the whole video. I can see HUGE things in your future. It’s so so refreshing to see someone who can rank the final fantasy games objectively with their own true personal feelings and placing them where you truly feel they should be based on YOUR feelings rather than trying to appease the fan base and always have 6 7 and 9 top 3. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen any list place 14 in their top 3 and that’s criminal! It should always be in every top 3. I massively enjoyed this video and would absolutely love to see more final fantasy videos from yourself, maybe an entire retrospective video per game, breaking them down game by game, I’d watch every one! U earnt a new sub instantly from this. I’ve been a content creator for over 3 years and I can foresee you overtaking me very quickly! Keep up the great work.

[@retrobrandon]

Wow! Thank you so much! This was a massive labor of love for me but I know it can be a hot topic to not put games where people think they should go, so comments like this really make it for me!

[@SubduedRadical]

The nice thing about FF14 is that they've made it where you can do the entire MSQ with Trusts (except some 8 man fights, but they're even doing some of those). So they aren't SUPER far from it being single player-able if someone really wants to. Especially if you only play free trial, which is unlimtied (forever as long as the servers are up) and gets the level cap bumped 2 or so expansions back from whatever is current endgame for people paying a sub. So it's not really so bad for that even now.

[@retrobrandon]

Totally agree! And I'm more than happy with that for now and would absolutely recommend it. But the dreamer in me would still love a reimagining that was true single-player on disc or cartridge. It'll never happen, of course, but one can dream!

[@aztraeuz]

The problem is, the free trial is permanently locked if you ever give them money. You can't spend any money on the game, ever to access the free trial.

[@SubduedRadical]

@@aztraeuz Yeah, that part sucks. I feel like they should let you do the free trial stuff if you like, but I'm guessing it has some weirdness with if you have something over that level since they'd have to code locking you out of equipping weapons/Job stone for that Job. Which could get messy.

[@joeproovers4954]

Retro Brandon, I’ve enjoyed every minute of this 1,5 hour sit back nostalgia video. And after hearing you played maplestory and love nobuo’s music - I knew I wanted to let you know that your video really made my day. Thanks so much

[@retrobrandon]

Man, it's comments like this that make it all worth it. Thanks for watching and thanks for making MY day!

[@nicksmith128]

I was nervous seeing your ranking and having 16 up there. Then my heart melted when you put 9 on the top!!! It got me started on FF, and the story is unparalleled. I always go back to it.

[@retrobrandon]

Hahaha yeah, 16 being higher is my hot take. That and 10, apparently. But 9 is so so good. Thanks for watching!

[@PringleTheOne]

Earned my subscription sir! I'll be waiting for more of your stuff my dude!

[@retrobrandon]

I appreciate it! More to come for sure

[@michaelkarlsson5966]

Thank you for this! :) I had a similar waking up to rpgs as you. I did play and finish Faxanadu (on the Nes) but I never understood what that genre was called and so I never had the chance to look for other games like it. Fast forward to the end of the 90s. A great friend of mine was a real gamer and he played Final Fantasy and loved it. I didn't really understand what it was but he urged me to go and find one of the games at the game shop store where we lived and really invest time in it certainly I would like it. I went and found FF VIII at a low price sale, bought it, played it and loved it. FF VIII is the magic that I compare all other FF and rpgs against and I have since played all FF games (not finishing all of them though) with the exception of XI and XIV (and XVI yet). I deeply thank my friend for urging me into that door back in 1999 (?), I've had so many joyful times because of it :)

[@retrobrandon]

I love this! Thanks for your story!

[@Kiremaki]

Omg, I'm so happy FF9 is your nr 1! Because it's literally mine too!! Can't wait for remake.

[@retrobrandon]

Neither can I! Hopefully we’ll see it in the next couple of years or so. And man, I hope they don’t mess it up

[@Vayne_Solidor]

Easily my favorite franchise. My favorite is XII Zodiac Age, for the world and all the side content that adds to the freedom aspect. I also love XV. It has some flaws but the roadtrip feeling made it so addicting, I played it almost as much. VII is great, I prefer VIII though. From the Pixel Remasters, my favorite is V, easily. X is great and it was my entry into the series. XIII I really don't like, however its sequel XIII-2 is amazing. Currently in XVI, ha4d to rank for me, but it's definitely a lot of fun.

[@SketchyDoodle]

Haven't seen the entire video yet, but already big compliments on the editing ✌.

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you!

[@gabetafoya3936]

Very interesting takes! I really appreciate that your list is very different from most that I’ve seen. Also, thanks for putting the actual best final fantasy at the top. 9 will ALWAYS be my favorite!

[@retrobrandon]

Haha there are SO many takes on this series, I'm just one of the many. But thanks for watching! Love the 9 love!

[@BlueTomorrows]

This is a really great video! And I know it's a really great video because I disagree with most of your rankings but still liked it! You do a good job of explaining why certain games work so well for you

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you! I put a lot into this one, so comments like these are great to see!

[@theadamsapple5909]

Great video! I recently played through all the games for the first time. Mostly agree with you on everything. VI, XII, and VIII were the ones that really stuck with me

[@retrobrandon]

I love that VIII is one of those that stick with you! Thanks for watching :)

[@joeljoyagami8368]

Final Fantasy VI and VII are my favorites, equally, nice video keep it up !

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you! Those are some classics for sure!

[@johnfeng477]

FF11 indeed forged bonds but its style would not work in our era of MMO. I have played the since the release of the PC version for a few years. it emphasis strongly on teamwork and it is one of the most time consuming and memorable MMO I have played. I had a lot of fun, made many friends which I even met in real life. One couple I knew met and got married through the game. FF11 till date is still my fav MMORPG

[@retrobrandon]

I love to see this!

[@ZellierArtist]

I'm currently playing FFXI and it's really being an adventure, I'm really enjoying it and after having completed the second expansion yesterday, I think it could sneak into my top 5 favorite FFs if things get better

[@retrobrandon]

Ooooooh, you have me even MORE intrigued with at. I'll need to find the time at some point!

[@ZellierArtist]

@@retrobrandon Maybe it's because of FFXIV and its upcoming Vana'diel-inspired raid or maybe it's always been like this, but the game is full of people (not as crowded as FFXIV) (at least on the Bahamut server) the linkshell I'm in is always full of messages. Playing FFXI feels like playing a mix of FFI, FFII, FFV, FFXII and FFXIV FFI: Talk to the NPCs to find out how to continue the story or how to find a certain object or place. FFII: skills of weapons or magic types are leveled independently when used in combat. FFV: you have a main job and a secondary job that you can mix to create very crazy hybrid classes. FFXII:You can see enemies swarming around the map, the combat system occurs in the open world, without transition to a battle scenario. FFXIV: Many of the monsters and creatures from FFXIV share designs with those from FFXI, so you'll see familiar faces. FFXI maps are open areas similar to what we can see in FFXIV

[@christianliteratus]

FF9 is my all time favorite too!!! I hope the remake won't go too far from the original.

[@pogethedoge]

I'm pretty sure the remake is a myth but if they do it DON'T CHANGE THE STORY

[@lookhowshegobbledthat]

Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 raised me.

[@retrobrandon]

... So which parent do you most reflect? 😎

[@lookhowshegobbledthat]

​@@retrobrandon 9 with 7 a close second. 8 a close third because that was my first daddy too! The nostalgia for that one really hits, the y2k futurism vibes, the bright serene atmosphere in the beginning, the Erik Satie esque music, the familiar locations, the card game...

[@Kingofsoulsss]

11 got left out

[@lookhowshegobbledthat]

@@Kingofsoulsss Never played the online ones.

[@perfectman3077]

Not 6? I am sad for u

[@DashingDavid]

Damn good video, man. My list would be different (as would most people’s) but I can’t argue with the number 1 spot.

[@retrobrandon]

Haha yeah, that's the beautiful thing about these rankings. Thanks for the watch, appreciate it! :)

[@Buluen]

Great video Brandon! I never did finish FF9

[@retrobrandon]

Sounds like you need to get too it, my man! 😉 Thanks for watching, brother!

[@GracelessTarnished]

1. Final Fantasy VII 2. Final Fantasy IX 3. Final Fantasy VI 4. Final Fantasy VIII 5. Final Fantasy X VII is my personal favorite as it was the game that not only got me into the franchise but RPGs. But it goes deeper than that. It truly is a masterpiece with an incredible plot, unforgettable cast, fascinating villain, iconic soundtrack and pitch perfect pacing. Having said that, i feel IX is just as great of a game and one could call it Sakaguchi's magnum opus. It truly captures the spirit and heart of what Final Fantasy truly is. Where i feel IX trumps VII is world and town deisgn and i would probably give it a slight edge when it comes to the soundtrack. VI was probably the greatest game ever made at the point of release and certainly has one of the greatest casts in the franchise. So many iconic moments and one of the greatest villains. VIII was one of those games i adored as a kid but one the closer you look at the more its flaws become apparent. The first disk was fantastic but it quickly fell apart after that. The pacing dragged at times and the cast was not as memorable as the VII, IX and VI. The plot was also not as interesting with poor characterization and plot holes. The town design, however, was fantastic. And of course that incredible soundtrack. One of Uematsu's best. X is a game i would certainly recommend as the first game to try for anyone new to the series and the last true Final Fantasy. The franchise died in my opinion when Squaresoft merged with Enix. This game felt like a true Final Fantasy game despite its noticeable flaws like spikes in difficulty, godawful mini games, terrible puzzles and lack of a world map. Still, it has arguably the greatest ending of all time.

[@retrobrandon]

Love to see this, these are great takes!

[@kevmang7339]

Great video - love the detail you put in!

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you! This one was a massive project!

[@joetheno87]

XIV and IX in the top two...the list checks out.

[@PopFantasyGames]

What a great breakdown! FFXIV is the only game that ever drew literal snot tears from me on multiple occasions because of the incredible story telling and FFXIV Shadowbringers Soundtrack is always top in my playlist. Awesome job, you definitely gained a new subscriber!

[@LizzyLoves91]

I’m slowly making my way through the series, thanks to the Pixel Remasters. I have loved FFX since I was a kid (it’s my favorite game of all time), but only now am I truly loving the series as a whole! I’m going through chronologically and I’m currently on V, so I’m excited to watch the series as it progressed through time. I’m particularly excited to play the PS1 era games, all of which I’ve only played a bit of.

[@retrobrandon]

Love it! Have fun, it's such a great series! It's going to be so cool to see the evolution chronologically!

[@LizzyLoves91]

@@retrobrandon I’m excited, for sure! I’m particularly interested to play VII after just finishing Rebirth. I had played most of VII probably about 15 or so years ago and never finished, so I don’t remember much. The remake has given me a deeper appreciation for the story and especially the characters, so I’m interested to go back and see how the whole thing started! Just gotta get through V and VI first!

[@retrobrandon]

@@LizzyLoves91 Love it! You'll have to let me know how it goes somehow! Maybe ping me on Twitter/X or something, I'm genuinely interested!

[@TroySpencer-l5b]

I remember playing FF VI on SNES back in the 1990's. It was epic! I enjoyed it and played it several times.

[@retrobrandon]

Man, I still can't believe this flippin game was on the SNES! It's wild to think about!

[@servantofchaos9635]

great video. 11 is also the only one i havent played. our top 3 is similiar, except id probably put 10 up there instead of 7. subscribed

[@retrobrandon]

I appreciate the sub!

[@Paiste2002Fan]

The only changes I want to 9 would be fully orchestrated soundtrack, remastered visuals and cut the load times before battles.

[@OoogaBoog]

Moguri Mod. you're welcome :)

[@Xylus.]

I wish I had friends that even knew what Final Fantasy was to make fun of me for it. In a rural area around '99, most kids my age didn't have a clue.

[@Enharmony1625]

Yeah, you need to get to Vagrant Story, man!! It's amazing! One of the most unique games Square has made. That being said, it has some rough edges, mostly around the interface and how tedious it can get to swap weapons and manage inventory for crafting. A good remaster/remake would do this masterpiece wonders! Also, you will notice many references to Vagrant Story in FFXVI, as several of those devs also worked on it (and FFT). Not only that, Yoshi-P is a huge Matsuno fan.

[@retrobrandon]

Ah man, thanks for the insight here, I love it! I still need to track down the physical copy because I’m nuts, but I do have it on my Vita and just haven’t got to it. So it’s on the list! I’ll bump it up from this recommendation, though, thanks!

[@Enharmony1625]

@@retrobrandon Nice! Just be ready for a challenge. It's notoriously difficult. :)

[@TheMusicfan189]

A well earned sub from me! Incredibly well structured video and amazing analysis of a series that I am very very late to the party for. I probably started in completely the wrong place with the 7 remake, not long finished FFVII Rebirth, and I’m now a couple hours into FFVXI, I realise I’m only a novice, but I’ve already purchased FFX and FFIX ready to go for when I complete XVI!! 26 and only just deep diving into the entire series!

[@retrobrandon]

This is awesome! Enjoy it all!

[@GobiPup]

I’ll just say your #1 pick made me cheer! Subscribed. 😎

[@whiterabbit77]

Love the way you present your opinions, love the details behind the making of these games! Annnnd love this channel :D Would love to see a video about Square vs Enix and their merging X)

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you so much! Excited to keep it going! I do love that idea... I'm thinking I could do a specialty series on some of those unique industry events among RPG companies. Not sure yet, but love the idea! Thanks for watching!

[@joetypes]

So gels of your Players Guides' in the video. Also big love for the FF 1&2, IV, V, and VI releases on GBA! I love em' too. Still have my copy of IV!

[@Bevtone]

1. Totally agree about the preference for the old XII licance board vs zodiac age, although the job's system does bring balance to the overall party dynamics! 2. Thanks for not dumping on VIII 3. Should we start adding tactics to the conversation or does that open up Pandoras box? Great video and good work trying to be as balanced as possible throughout! Not easy to do when it comes this of all series.

[@retrobrandon]

Haha I'd love to talk about Tactics, but that'll be another video. I think 16 is enough to go through for one video 😉

[@paulhenri5902]

You talked so much about how much you love grinding, I was almost sure XII would be in the top 3 XII is my favorite especially because of the battle system and the ''drop system'', every area has enemies with amazing gear from the start, also it has my favorite cast of characters and story, and the best world of course. Yeah the pay-off is a letdown, but still a 10/10 game for me.

[@retrobrandon]

Top 4 is close enough! 😅 but yeah, absolutely love the game and can’t help but come back to it. I get that XII itch.

[@Geallach83]

FFXIV may not be for everyone for a variety of reasons, but for those with the time and sub money to spare, they will experience one of the best stories in the entire FRANCHISE of Final Fantasy. It also has the advantage of standing on the shoulders of giants in the FF series and applying their strengths to the game. Also, controller gang #1!

[@retrobrandon]

Heck yeah!

[@FF-tp7qs]

If you want to save money, I would recommend starting with the free trial and completing as much as possible of the main story and and side content that the trial provides access to which is everything up to the last patch before Shadowbringers and level 70. Then when you reach the roadblock you can get a free month of subscription time when you upgrade to the complete edition and make the most of it

[@riggedgame1189]

@@FF-tp7qsI second this. I joined in 5.3ish when the free trial was initially expanded. I spent 280 hours on the free trial alone, and that was before it included Stormblood. By the time I finished stormblood, I had 400 hours in the game- and I wasn’t even scratching the surface when it came to side content.

[@FF-tp7qs]

@@riggedgame1189 it also helps if you can rope in a friend who is already subscribed so they can invite you into parties as a way around the limitations if the free trial.

[@yuvalmagal9891]

I love seeing this list because its so personalized, I am so used to seeing the classic 3)X 2)VII 1)VI so this is a nice change of pace

[@retrobrandon]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@fabiol1107]

Except for final fantasy V which is ranked a bit too low for its phenomenal gameplay, I agree with every single entry in this video. The closest ranking to mine on KZbin. Great job!

[@JDarned]

Oh boy! Remembering now how difficult the first final fantasys were - i got final fantasy 4 for gba but never managed to get a thing straight lol and after some years i tried the ds version and fell in love x)

[@retrobrandon]

The DS version was so good! Square had my number with all those remakes. I just kept buying and playing em again 😅

[@JDarned]

And as a kid i was also confused with the spinoffs and different storys :D the tactics or later on bravely default are also amazing 😁👍🏾

[@wmen48]

Wasn't gonna comment BUT... this man is telling it like it is.

[@uppernimbus]

Uh oh, you won't like it that I've never played a Final Fantasy game either 😅 Your editing, humour, and intelligence is SOLID my man, what a fantastic video! 🎉

[@retrobrandon]

Well now you have a video to reference for when you DO decided to play, right?? ... Right? Haha thanks, brother!

[@uppernimbus]

@@retrobrandon Oh yeah, I'll be coming back here for sure 😉

[@billhanshaw8297]

Thanks so much for all your very helpful streams ' Yes I totally remember going through the very First FF1 both on the old NES and the enhanced version on The Final Fantasy Origens gamedisc do the PS1! I am still playing Final Fantasy Remake again because it's definitely the all time Best❤

[@whitecloud2002]

Something a lot of people don't know about Final Fantasy 3 (6) for the SNES version, it was the first and only 2 player none MMO final Fantasy game, Yes you could actually play with another player , each player would control two characters during combat scenes, unfortunately that was it, but holy cow the fact you could do it was amazing for me and my cousin!

[@SubduedRadical]

First, but not only: FF9 has that same feature. :D

[@retrobrandon]

My initial intro to 6 was doing multiplayer with a friend!

[@Aries_Aria]

FF5 had it too

[@thomascamburn6915]

i spent waaaaay too much time on blitzball. i failed to beat the game on 3 separate occasions because i got to blitzball and never moved on. i did eventually beat X though.

[@retrobrandon]

I'm glad SOMEONE liked it! 😂

[@Anayoth]

X is in a weird spot where the original creator was no longer involved, so fans ended up loving it or hating it with a passion.

[@retrobrandon]

@@Anayoth haha oh I loved the game, but I did not like blitzball 😅

[@cesarmaluco769]

I love your list! Very interesting and informative especially for me who wants to explore other FF games after finishing OG 7, the first one I played was 13 then I played 6 and 7 and now I think I’ll play 1-6 first. Since I wanna play through all of those before playing 9 which is an homage to them apparently and your list helped figure out which version for game I’ll play, I think for 3 I’ll probably play the psp version for example

[@retrobrandon]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it! I know lists can be controversial for storied series like this, but I hope I made it clear that this entire series is worth it, even if I personally prefer some over the others

[@ElAxel123]

Thanks for this awesome video ❤

[@LN-Lifer]

Edit- after I posted this and you said something else as well- "I refuse to call him Teedus" 💯 Every FF video you make you say at least one thing that literally makes blurt out loud "ME TOO" In this video that line is "I love grinding"

[@retrobrandon]

Haha glad you could connect with those! I recently started to revisit Rogue Galaxy and I'm enjoying some grinding in the beginning too. It's a problem that I'll own 😂

[@sindelio]

Ff9 is my favorite as well!

[@nerdycatlover8627]

FFIX is my favorite, too! I'm so glad to see that you agree!

[@retrobrandon]

All aboard the IX train!!

[@caityelizabethjoy]

An amazing list! 9 is my favourite game of all time, so nice to see it celebrated! I agree with your thoughts on a remake - please don’t touch the story, square! Voice acting would be amazing though!

[@seilaoquemvc2]

damn.... XII that high is really surprising... haha great video all around. I'm playing XVI right now for the first time (don't have a PS5 and got it in launch for PC) and I'm having a blast.... apart of really missing on the gear, as everything is just a stats boost, the game is super interesting overall and I'm loving it.

[@Duckman8213]

1) 6 2) 4 3) 9 4) 7 5) 16 6) 10/10-2 7) 5 8) 13 (Trilogy) 9) 12 10) 8 11) 3 12) 15 13) 1 14) 2 Haven’t finished 14 yet but it’s probably in top 3 when I complete the entire story across all expansions. Only started it a month ago. Binged all these games for the first time over the past year since the pixel remasters came out on PS5. That is when I first started Final Fantasy. Started FF14 after finishing all mainline games. I have gotten 100% completion on all mainline games with platinum trophy including 7 Remake/Rebirth, Strangers of Paradise (don’t like), Crisis Core, and Type-0. I judge mostly based on Characters and Story.

[@retrobrandon]

Love it! That's a great list and happy to hear you're diving into XIV! I imagine you'll be all in when you get through Heavensward. I loved ARR, but Heavensward was something else. And it just gets better! Thanks for watching!

[@Duckman8213]

@@retrobrandon doing an expansion then playing other games in between expansion. I am dropping everything and playing Metaphor ReFantazio and Dragon Quest 3 Remake when they come out.

[@retrobrandon]

@@Duckman8213 You and me both! Got get the new Zelda in there somehow too. I'm full steam ahead on tackling some retro games to make videos for... but DQIII remake sort of counts... maybe I can make that work 😂

[@Asagga03]

Wow…. Its the first time that youtuber put twelve above x and 8 and im agree with it, cause for me this is my first ff game and i love it so much, nice content btw

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you! Yeah, I know it's a hot take and the comments speak to the love for X. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE X. I just find myself going back to XII more and I really do think it's super fun to play

[@leaftune4427]

Haha, FF1 is still in my top 5. It's easily my most replayed Final Fantasy. Something about how simple and clean it is draws me back to it. The PSP and Pixel Remaster are definitely my favorite versions. (The pixel remaster ver can even be modded with an NES or PS1 difficulty mod which is a fun challenge.)

[@retrobrandon]

Yeah, I do really love one despite its low spot on the list for me. I’m also considering going through them 1 by 1 again and doing more in depth individual videos on them. The thought of going back to 1 is actually really exciting for me

[@GaymerKris01]

I know shadowbringers had massive connections to 3, but when I heard the music for 3 when he was talking about it... it finally clicked. I had massive nostalgia when I heard it cause I started 14 with Shadowbringers release. My heart 😢😢😢

[@retrobrandon]

Shadowbringers is so so good and how they utilize the old themes is amazing! I still get emotional listening to these soundtracks! Heavensward and Shadowbringers in particular get me good

[@ETHomerin]

There's so many good things about all these games. Like a lot of people VII and X were my favorites, but I'd put XII and XV up with them if XII had had less dialogue scenes cut, and if XV had been in all one piece between it's DLC and anime shorts. But development was shaky in the decade after the company merge, so it happens. IX has the most of that FF element. That journey went everywhere and it had perfect swan song effort from Sakaguchi. What a way to capstone PS1!

[@retrobrandon]

Agreed! Thanks for watching, I appreciate it :)

[@ETHomerin]

@@retrobrandon always happy to enjoy FF! More power to ya!

[@foxfire1112]

8 being that high is insane imo, especially higher than 10, especially with your complaint being 10 was tedious.

[@CucasNerdyCorner]

That's was a very interesting way to pronounce Zidane lol 😂

[@retrobrandon]

I refuse to give up my childhood pronunciation 😂

[@ogun6464]

Not a bad list. I rate XIII and VI a lot higher and X a LOT lower, but agree IX is the best game and Vivi is the best character in the whole series

[@DenHen-jh5hu]

Dunno why you guys hate X, it was peak story telling

[@curtsmats5727]

I've only played 3, 7 & 10. I've only beaten 3, so that's my fav.

[@Joel-yi9ju]

Such a great Video and specific list, you got a new sub :)

[@Friniskee]

I am so excited to see someone rank FFXII so high. Its in my top 3 for sure, but I often see it near the bottom of these types of lists. I love it so much though!

[@retrobrandon]

It’s so good! Thanks for watching :)

[@xFayth]

Absolutely amazing video ! But so sad to see FFX only on 8... it deserves so much better :(

[@retrobrandon]

Haha I know, so are so many others. I do love that game, I just find that I go back to it least often. But I'm thinking of hitting em all individually again and doing videos for each one to really dig in and get specific. Thanks for watching!

[@xelu01]

ff8 has the best OST in the whole series and top 10 in gaming history!

[@retrobrandon]

Oh my gosh the FF8 soundtrack is so freakin good. I don’t care what people say about the game, THE MUSIC

[@xelu01]

@@retrobrandon​​⁠the music is on anothet level, so engaging! I can't get enough of it after all these years.

[@Billyboy2288]

awesome video man i hope you get more subscribers!

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you!

[@Mindistortt]

it's hard to rate ff11 nowadays, since it's now soloable and you'll never get the same experience that was given back in the day, unless you play horizon XI, but it's classic ff11 75cap era, meaning you will take FOREVER to do simple stuff. I played it 10 years between 2005 and 2015. I gotta say the story is BRILLIANT specially on 2nd expansion and onwards

[@SubduedRadical]

Interesting list. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was my first ever RPG (my folks weren't big on D&D/magic/fantasy type stuff, to put it mildly), FF7 was my second. The first time I played it, my cousin had it on PC and we had a controller plugged in, so we decided who would control the characters as we unlocked them, and we'd each control our characters in battle. When I got home from the visit, I saved up money, bought myself a PS1 and FF7, and the rest is history. I loved 7, 8, and 9 (I was a fan of 9 before it was cool - at the time people hated it). X I always felt meh on. I didn't DISlike it, but I was pretty neutral on it. 12 I didn't like very much, because I hate mission based games (hunts) which feels like busiwork and padding to me (felt the same in games like Crisis Core, too), and kind of lazy design in the sense you're just going to places you already went. THAT SAID: To this day I remember the Sand Sea. It was such a wild thing conceptually to me, and FF12 has always reminded me of Star Wars. Balthier, Fran, Basch, and Ashe as Han, Chewie (complete with life debt), Obi-Wan, and Leia. The only characters that felt really out of place (and ANNOYING to me) were Vaan and Penello. In an alternate reality where Rex (Vaan's brother) lived and was the main character, or Basch, I might have really liked the game's narrative. It was also kind of hard to follow, even though I did beat it. FF7 was the first I ever beat, and my first game in the series, and 9 was the first I mastered, doing MOST of the bonus content (Ozma and Excalibur 2 aside). I...still haven't beaten 8, but I did play my cousin's copy a lot and bought it on Steam not long ago. The dungeons feel so much shorter to me 25 years older, lol. But I really do plan to. FF14 is my jam right now and my "get home from work or veg on weekends" game that keeps giving. I love the cyber/steampunk games, so 7, 9, and parts of 14 I like a lot (and 14 more generally because...well, you see where it is on your own list, so yeah! Enjoying Dawntrail, btw?) FF9 to me to this day is the most "fun romp around the world" entry in the series. It's just...fun. And while mostly lighthearted does have some good life lessons (some crazy stuff there involving death and loss as well as celebrating love and life), and it's one of only two that I think were natively two player - FF9 and FF6 in the menus you can set a controller for the different characters, either controller 1 or 2, so you can play with a friend where you control the different characters in battle WITHOUT having to swap the controller back and forth. And I know it was groundbreaking, but 10 was always kinda meh to me. Again, didn't DISlike, but was neutral on. I think Tidus kind of annoyed me as a teenager on the cusp of being an adult playing it. Felt so whiny and both Yuna and Auron were more compelling characters. That said, I did dodge 200 lightning bolts (I chuckled at the DT reference to that, btw. "I once knew a guy who thought you could dodge lightning bolts if you jumped right after seeing the flash..." from DT Zone 5), but I think the only other ultimate weapon I got was Tidus' (and maybe Auron's?) and the only damage cap I broke was his (from the first Summon, I think it was, though I genuinely don't remember much from that game). I also didn't hate 13 as much as most people did. Come to think of it, my views on 9, 10, 12, and 13 were different than the "mainstream" Final Fantasy fans of the time...) I do think 6 was a fantastic game, and it's definitely in my top 5, but I came to that one MUCH later than most. I really did like 4, but again, much later. Indeed, in a vacuum, I might be tempted to say 4 is the best of the games of the entire series specifically because it holds up extremely well even against much more modern entries, if you can set aside the death fake-outs. Cecil is one of the more compelling protagonists in the entire series, and the game's message is pretty upbeat, as well as the interesting and diverse cast and "guest star of the week" way of rolling through them. I think my own personal list would probably be something like 7, 14, 4, 9, 6 (all close enough it's more an ~= than a > between them, though I'd probably rank them in that order if pressed), my second tier is probably 8, 15, 13, 10, 12, in roughly that order, and the rest (1, 2 other than a brief bit at a friend's house with the PS1 version, 3, 5 other than a brief bit on an emulator, 11 other than trying out the free trial about two years ago [there's something wrong about an Old School MMO that has more or less stripped out all the Old School MMO elements - Trust and "Level to cap then come and talk to us" doesn't work in a game clearly designed around camping and grinding while meeting and chatting with new people in a living world; I bet the game was amazing in its prime, though, and from the people I've talked to who played it then, they agree with that sentiment], and 16) I have not yet played at the present time. Probably won't ever play the exclusive/timed exclusive titles (I can't dodge spoilers for literal irl years - I just watch a KZbin lets play, lol), but who knows.

[@retrobrandon]

I freakin love this comment. Thanks for all your thought put into this! I'm considering doing individual videos for each of these and revisiting them sometime in the future because there's so much I missed. Even your mention of 4. I don't think I mentioned it here, but I was so into the Dark Knight -> Paladin shift for Cecil that I was writing stories in middle school based on the concept. The one thing I hope comes across clearly in this video is the ranking is simply a video structure. I freakin love these games and saying one piece of gold glimmers slightly more than another doesn't mean we're not talking about gold! Thanks for watching!

[@SubduedRadical]

@@retrobrandon Oh yeah, there's so much you could go into for every one of these. That's true of stories in general, but FF has had some great ones. I didn't play 4 until well after I'd played a number of other ones, but that Job change was an EXCELLENT use of what my Freshman Composition professor always said in my 2 college classes with him: Show, don't tell. I LOVE when games USE GAME MECHANICS to tell story. It can be done so neat. Like the tidbit about Rydia not naturally learning the Fire spell in FF4 and how that was due to her childhood trauma of her village burning down so she kind of KNEW it, but had a mental block against using it. Other cases are like when Steiner goes into Trance in FF9 fighting alongside Beatrix in order to protect her. Some games (FF and otherwise) don't always get it right (Steiner doesn't become a combat god, necessarily, which the scene is TRYING to suggest he did in order to protect her), but it's always neat and I always give an approving nod when I see a game tell actual story through gameplay and game mechanics. Using the game world and even game CODE mechanics as an additional tool of the narrative is just something I'm a huge fan of.

[@ChannelRaznoff]

I wanted to love FFXVI. I love FFXIV and was really looking forward to FFXVI just based on their previous work. I even bought a PS5 just for the game and got the CE with the Ifrit and Pheonix statue. I didn't mind the action based approach even though I've been a fan since my cousin gave me FF1 on the NES when we were kids. I don't think that FF has to be turn based in order for it to be FF. That being said, I have some major issues with the game that spoiled my enjoyment of it. First, the RPG elements were poorly handled. You touched on exploration and I agree with what you said. I would add that the crafting system and quest rewards were also poorly implemented. There was a point in my first play through where I crafted a sword, went through a series of cut scenes and found that the blacksmith had a new upgrade available right after finishing them. I didn't even use the sword I had just crafted before upgrading it. My second major issue you also hit on in the video. There was a point towards the end where I started to question why I was even trying to save this world. The lack of whimsy and joy really did hurt the experience. FFIX is my favorite in the series and it's main themes revolve around coming to terms with death. It's a serious subject, but there's still a lot of whimsy and fun in the world which contrasts with the darker moments and theme. I think CBU3 could've have really benefited by adding in a reason for the characters to want the world to go on outside of merely persisting to live. My final big issue completely ruined the game for me. I loathe open endings. I think they're pretentious and unfulfilling and in a game where you spend 50+ hours getting to know characters, it's awful not seeing some kind of closure for them. It didn't have to be a happy ending. I love FFIX's bittersweet ending where you get to see the thoughts of a dying Vivi who never gets to say goodbye to his friend Zidane. I just need something that has a bit of closure for the characters I've been traveling with. I don't think it's a bad game. I just think it's disappointing and I wish it had turned out better. I probably won't run out and drop $1,000 to play the next game in the series, so at least I learned that lesson, right? lol

[@retrobrandon]

Beautifully said! I definitely agree with the ending by too. I walked away just making my assumption about what it all meant and I’m sticking to it no matter what anyone says because I also hate the ambiguous ending. ESPECIALLY when you’ve done the side quests for the characters and lore. Also, welcome back! I’m pretty sure I referenced you in this video with the FF7 part, so I appreciate your takes and comments!

[@Shanghai_cola]

bro nice video, you are an inspiration because you have similiar hairline to mine but still managed to push through and become successful. Keep it up

[@arrivalofdoom7449]

Finished my first Final Fantasy game ever and - come at me bro lol - yeah it's XIII . Coz accessible battle system , late enough in the releases for a decent vocal and huge lore. To be honest , I LOVED it - and Xiii-X2 is now queued up ready to start for later this year. I like the fact that square enix are getting round to remaking the classic titles so am sure a few more will be on my list before 7 Remake and co which Brianna is keeping me all up to speed on ❤

[@retrobrandon]

Hahaha not hate here, my friend! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Saying one piece of gold is shinier than the other doesn’t mean it’s not gold! I’m actually keen to revisit these again since I have em on the Steamdeck! Or if Squenix releases a compilation of the Switch or something, I’ll just buy it again again. Thanks for watching!

[@xdanielol4835]

Wow! What a great movie, haha, IX’s also my favorite and yeah, my personal favorite scene in all of gaming is Not Alone.

[@retrobrandon]

Hahaha it is a movie, isn't it. I didn't set out to make it this long... I just couldn't shut up 😂

[@chickenfillets]

I have not played the Japanese N-Gage exclusive "Final Fantasy Brandon".... Very surprised it's not on the list..... 😅 Great video my dude. Best FF for me will always be 7 but I do also love 8.

[@retrobrandon]

😂 well I’m SORRY I’ll just have to make an update video later. I’ll need to go get me a Bandai Wonderswan now! Haha seriously, thanks for watching dude, appreciate it :)

[@chickenfillets]

@@retrobrandon I expect a full apology video.... Hahahahaha

[@franzfabiana]

Best for me is FF9 - Having played almost all the first 10 Final Fantasy games (yes including the original Final Fantasy on NES, not the PS1 Origins remaster), FF9 truly holds something dear to my heart❣ It's the most "Final Fantasy" game for me, with FFVI a close second. I would love a remaster of both of titles especially FF9, as well as Final Fantasy Tactics which is the best Final Fantasy game for me even though its a spin-off (but in the same world as FF9).

[@retrobrandon]

Hey, there's that rumored 9 and Tactics stuff from that leak a while back. Here's to hoping! Otherwise, I might bust out the ol' PSP and run War of the Lions again for kicks. Thanks for watching!

[@nathandrake8451]

Final Fantasy IX is my favourite FF too!!!!

[@retrobrandon]

Ahhhh yeah!

[@emjaydesu]

Final Fantasy IX is not only my favourite FF game, but it's also my favourite video game of all times. I LOVE THIS GAME! I have it on every platform now :D

[@retrobrandon]

Me too! I bought it any chance I got! Oh, I guess except Steam. But that’s because I only have the deck and I already have it everywhere else. Though, now I’m tempted… 😂 Anyway, my madness aside, thanks for watching!

[@emjaydesu]

@@retrobrandon I forget about Steam... So I don't have it on Steam as well 😁 I have it on every console I have then. I saw on KZbin this Moguri mod for IX and it looks amazing and for this mod alone it is tempting to get it 😅

[@retrobrandon]

@@emjaydesu Yeah, I was just thinking about the mods. That DOES make it tempting... 😂

[@FelixS.]

Very good list. #1 is the only true option. Final Overrated X still a bit too high bt I am already satisfied seeing it not enter Top 5.

[@justsarahyt]

This was a fun walkthrough! For me FFXIV is my favorite, such an amazing journey!

[@retrobrandon]

It is absolutely an INCREDIBLE journey! Looking forward to Dawntrail!

[@midnight3630]

Love the list! That first is 👌

[@retrobrandon]

Thank you! I had a great time putting this together 🙂

[@chochopopstv3468]

Great video man! i enjoyed watching it all, but not including the FF7 Remake/Rebirth as seperate games from the OG FF7 is crazy man, especially FF7 Rebirth is propably one of the best games of all time, let alone one of the best FF standalone games.

[@retrobrandon]

Thanks! Trust me, there's more Final Fantasy content to come. I won't be able to help myself. I just wanted to focus on the main numbered entries and talk about the Remake series separately at some point :)

[@linceed]

XI is the one I've played the most. 20 years in, still coming back to it. Try the EdenXI private server a go!

[@retrobrandon]

Yeah, I've heard great things!

[@linceed]

@@ImmortalDraylo No

[@nizizumi]

On the topic of what a focused single player FF14 would look like, if I were to organize it, the focus should be on everything after the 7th Umbral Calamity all the way to the finale of Endwalker and call if something like, "Final Fantasy XIV: Design of Ancients" and release that as an 80 hour semi-open world campaign. Maybe have it be an evolved ATB system with and emphasis on movement and timing. Rough ideas, but that would probably be something that would work imo. I will probably never happen, but it would be cool.

[@retrobrandon]

👀 My friend, this would be AWESOME! Now I will pine even more for that which will never be...

[@vagrantender]

Goated list. Final Fantasy IX is the ideal Final Fantasy. It's also my literal favorite RPG of all time.

[@nezkeys79]

FF13 and the other two games are all S-tier combat tbh Also if you read the datalog everytime there is an update to it, it's impossible to not know what is going on

[@hayalmatnu9919]

Thank you so much for talking about 11!

[@pizzatime1901]

Based XIV placement that’s my favorite FF shadowbringers and endwalker made me cry

[@retrobrandon]

Cried like a baby. 100%

[@Spare_Ombres]

Hey Brandon, nice list, well mine is not complete, still need to play IX, X, XI, XII and XVI. I am sure that that 9 and 12 would be high on my list from what I play so far. but beside that from the one I like less to my best would be 3, 5, 2, 15, 8, 13, 1, 7, 14, 4 and 6. and you would think I don't like job system, but I love games like, FFT or Bravely default. I must say my first run for the 3rd one was on DS, did like the pixel remaster a lot more!

[@retrobrandon]

Hey, that's a great list! Definitely give IX, X, and XII a shot, despite any list placement, those are all fantastic! Awesome to hear you're giving the series a go!

[@Spare_Ombres]

@@retrobrandon yeah did play a good while into all 3, just never finished them for a reason or something more shiny appeared, you know…

[@retrobrandon]

@@Spare_Ombres Man, I STILL have that problem 😂

[@stinkystank6678]

Nice list