Here are all the mainline Final Fantasy games ranked from worst to best, without plenty of spinoffs and remakes. Let's get started!
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16. Final Fantasy 2
Final Fantasy 2 is a game with an interesting idea, but terrible execution. Most enemies are just way too overpowered, and the background music doesn't match the tone set by other installments. | © Square Enix
15. Final Fantasy 4
Final Fantasy 4 was a graphically stunning experience that went from 8-bit to 16-bit architecture. However, the narrative is limited, and you can't share experiences through the story. | © Square Enix
14. Final Fantasy 1
I couldn't rank the original Final Fantasy high simply because it's the original entry. Sorry. | © Square Enix
13. Final Fantasy 13
Final Fantasy 13 isn't terrible, but it's just completely different compared to other installments. The storyline is incredibly heavy, and combat is akin to Dark Souls. | © Square Enix
12. Final Fantasy 15
Final Fantasy 15 is not the strongest entry or in most people's golden 10. The bland cast completely messed up Luna as a character, while bizarre pacing ruined FF magic. | © Square Enix
11. Final Fantasy 3
While Final Fantasy 3 introduces the much-beloved job system to the franchise, it fails trying to bite off more than it can chew. The dungeon design is probably the best it's been though. | © Square Enix
10. Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 8 has some of the best visuals in the franchise (for its time) and an emotional story that is still debated generations after. However, it's not a beginner-friendly title like FF7. | © Square Enix
9. Final Fantasy 11
Final Fantasy 11 is not for everyone, as it takes full advantage of the MMORPG genre. It's worth it for the story, but it shouldn't be your first MMO because of the incredible difficulty. | © Square Enix
8. Final Fantasy 5
Final Fantasy 5 has quite a basic story and characters as for the FF title, but gameplay and jobs make it worth at least a single playthrough. | © Square Enix
7. Final Fantasy 12
Though this is a minority opinion, FF12 is one of the best games in the series. The game introduced hunts, and many players spent hours hunting hidden monsters to obtain better equipment. | © Square Enix
6. Final Fantasy 16
Final Fantasy 16 is the best non-MMO mainline FF game. The story was meh, but the battles were fun and mirrored the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. | © Square Enix
5. Final Fantasy 10
Final Fantasy 10 is a well-rounded FF game, usually praised just as "good". A great cast, with enough interesting spins and twists to make the story feel real, and the final battle is a killer if you aren't prepared. | © Square Enix
4. Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy 14 is an amazing video game that deserves all the hype it has gotten. This game is completely overwhelming: it will make you feel hyped, laugh your ass off, and tear up multiple times. | © Square Enix
3. Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 6 has one of the greatest narratives ever; it separates each character and interestingly explores their struggles and backstories individually, allowing you to get to know the whole crew intimately. | © Square Enix
2. Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy 9 was a fantastic experience back in the day. It had interesting characters, highly detailed cutscenes, a compelling storyline, and the best ending in the franchise. | © Square Enix
1. Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7 is one of the most influential games of all time; its exploration of personal identity combined with melodramatic gameplay hasbeen copied many times. The scope of the game blew players' minds back in the '90s. | © Square Enix
Here are all the mainline Final Fantasy games ranked from worst to best, without plenty of spinoffs and remakes. Let's get started!
