Have you been enjoying Dawntrail? With the launch of the newest Final Fantasy XIV expansion sparks (and tacos) are flying. Is it the best Final Fantasy expansion ever? Did it top Shadowbringers’ narrative? And then there’s the debate about whether the dungeons and trials are too hard. Or not hard enough.
Personally, I enjoyed every single moment of the expansion. That got me thinking about which mainline Final Fantasy game is the best ever made? We’ve got the answer, so let’s check out the best Final Fantasy games of all time. Because some titles have many releases and remakes, we’ll only consider their most accessible and playable version. Be sure to check out our complete list of the top Final Fantasy games at the end of the article.
#5. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (PS5)
Although I wasn’t a fan of the first FF7R game, the second installment firmly changed my mind. At first, I thought it’d have many of the same problems as in Remake. Would many narrative points be stretched out thinly, with little payoff? Starting out, that seemed to be the case. For example, the stories between the village of Kalm and Jueno collectively took only 30-45 minutes on the PS1. In this new version, it took three and a half hours (even if you skip sidequests) and in the end, all it got us were a few needless boss fights.
However, once chapter four of the story kicked off the improvements were noticeable. The new version breathed life into old characters and made every minute worth playing. Red XIII especially won my heart with how much of a glow-up he got. He went from a bland red wolf relevant for only two plot points to an absolutely curious and flamboyant goofball.
In addition, side quests felt rewarding. Instead of dozens of fetch quests, there are temple shrines to find, research towers to activate, moogles to play with, life springs to analyze, and an abundance of entertaining mini-games. Queen’s Blood is my addiction. Each of these aspects fleshes out the vision of FFVII beyond the dreams of the original PS1 game. Particularly with the origins of summoning material or several super bosses! As the narrative departs further from the original outcome of events and progresses to the ending, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth firmly cements itself as one of the best Final Fantasy games we’ve had in a long time.
J-List often has new merch from the immensely popular FF7. A fun example is this retro-styled figure of Cloud Strife, ready to ship from JBOX!
#4. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3/Xbox 360)
Since its release, Final Fantasy XIII-2 has been a favorite of mine. Thirteen years later it’s the sole reason I still have a working PS3 console for when I want to replay it every year. That’s because Final Fantasy XIII-2 took the criticism from FFXIII to heart and created an open-ended and nonlinear game. Maps and zones are diversely designed for exploration. Time travel further allows for a variety of interesting sub-plots and alternative endings.
Other positives include Caius, a sympathetic villain I felt sorry for and understood and FFXIII-2’s soundtrack. It’s possibly the most unique and catchiest in the entire series!
One negative aspect of FFXIII-2 is that its battle system saw almost no improvement from its predecessor. Also, the PC version crashes often.
#3. Final Fantasy XIV (PC/PS/Xbox)
While the quality of the story varies between expansions, the content for Final Fantasy XIV has been consistent throughout its lifespan. Today, FFXIV is the most active MMORPG in the entire world. Given its continuously growing player base, there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon.
Final Fantasy XIV’s most recent expansion, Dawntrail, was released earlier this summer. Although Dawntrail’s story wasn’t as well received as past expansions such as Endwalker or Shadowbringers, the dungeons, and trials are some of the best in the entire game.
#2. Final Fantasy IX HD (PC/PS/Switch/Mobile)
If there’s one word to sum up FFIX it would be: childish. I mean that in a good way. The game may come across as cartoony and immature, particularly in the beginning, but it does so in a way that brings you back to the wonderous feeling of experiencing a game at 8-year-olds. FFIX has all the classic high-fantasy elements you’d hope for. A princess locked in a castle longing to escape, magic, daring rouges, knights, and theatrical villains. Final Fantasy IX never tires, no matter how many times I replay it.
Its only flaw is that the mini-games and sidequests are sub-par and don’t add to the experience. Many of these are only available for a single level and are entirely missable. Except for the chocobo treasure hunting and frog collecting, there’s little worth in playing them outside the main story.
#1. Final Fantasy X HD (PC/PS/Switch/Xbox)
It was a tough choice, but FFX beats out every other game as the best Final Fantasy game in the franchise. Final Fantasy X was where storytelling peaked. The battle system was innovative. Every character had their own arc of development and self-improvement. The world of Spira is still one of the most unique and well-explored we’ve ever seen. Every location had its unique role, history, puzzle or mini-game, and a hidden secret that made Spira an immersive world. Surely nothing compares.
Best Final Fantasy Games: Ranking List
Here’s our complete ranking list of Final Fantasy games.
- Final Fantasy X
- Final Fantasy IX
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Final Fantasy XIII-2
- Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
- Final Fantasy VI
- Final Fantasy X-2
- Final Fantasy XV
- Final Fantasy IV
- Final Fantasy V
- Final Fantasy XI
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Final Fantasy II
- Final Fantasy VII
- Final Fantasy VII: Remake
- Final Fantasy I
- Final Fantasy III
- Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
- Final Fantasy VIII
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Do you agree with our ranking? Which is the best Final Fantasy game you’ve played?
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