Top 5 Thursday: Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy is arguably the most well-known RPG series in the world. When people mention JRPGs, it’s generally the first series that gets mentioned. However, not all of the games are shining examples; they are just the best the series had to offer at a given time.
This list is concerned only with the ones that truly stood out, the crystals in the rough, so to speak.
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5. Final Fantasy IX: While the three games prior to its release shied away from the series’ roots, Final Fantasy IX embraced them instead. The game featured not only nods to iconic character class designs, but also brought back little touches like the original Fanfare.
While the game got ignored by much of the fanbase, it was nice to see Squaresoft hadn’t completely forgotten their roots.
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4. Final Fantasy XII: Unlike Final Fantasy IX, this game tossed just about everything that made the series out the window, leaving only a few reminders as to its lineage. However, it presented players with a world that had only briefly been touched upon through the Final Fantasy Tactics series, giving it a new life.
While it could be argued that the game doesn’t deserve to be a main title in the series, due to its vast differences, it is no less a great game.
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3. Final Fantasy: This is where it all began, and where it almost ended as well, as Final Fantasy could have been the first and last of its name. The aptly named title, of course, succeeded and went on to spawn a legacy. The title would also mark a long lasting relationship between Squaresoft and Yoshitaka Amano, who still designs all of the series’ logos.
Final Fantasy is the most remade title in the series, with roughly eight version of the game spanning various platforms.
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2. Final Fantasy VI: The last major Final Fantasy title to grace a Nintendo system, and the birth of a new age in Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy VI was the first title to forego many of the series’ defining elements, while still staying true to the spirit. The biggest difference was that characters only had one specialization, and through the use of Materia could master just about everything else. This fact made the game very customizable, allowing players to evolve characters in almost any way they chose.
The game also featured the most nihilistic and maniacal Final Fantasy villain, Kefka Palazzo, whose iconic laugh still haunts fans.
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1. Final Fantasy IV: This is the game that, despite all the advancements the series has made, will forever stand as a shining example of what makes not only a great Final Fantasy title, but a great JRPG. Everything from the story, the characters, to the setting and music all mesh perfectly into a beautiful spectacle.
This greatness was carried on in the game’s sequel, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, which continues the story as well as the excellence of the original.
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Agree? Disagree? Tell us what your favorite Final Fantasy titles are!
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