Anyone who is looking for a good story in a video game needs to look no further than Final Fantasy, the landmark JRPG franchise that Square-Enix has consistently delivered compelling narratives that seek to break the bounds of what games are capable of.
I’ve always found Square’s ability to create new, exciting worlds every few years to be such a marvelously impressive feat, especially during the fifth and sixth generations. Square routinely takes a couple of years, then comes back with a huge new world that felt wholly unique to the last one.
So, while it may feel like inviting the curse of dark energy upon oneself, it’s time for me to invoke the sinister voices of the internet and rank some Final Fantasy games, but specifically, these titles are ranked based on their stories, the strength of their writing and their impact on the rest of the franchise.
Final Fantasy 11 and Final Fantasy 14 have been excluded from contention due to their status as an MMO. While they are fabulous games in their own right and deserving of praise, I don’t believe they offer the same kind of memorable single-player experiences that the other mainline titles offer. These games are ranked based on the strengths and concepts of their narrative, which is not really a factor in an MMO like 11 or 14.
14
Final Fantasy 2
Growing Pains
It’s hard to imagine telling a story with such a limited set of tools, as the artists and designers at Square didn’t have a lot to work with when they were developing Final Fantasy 2. All they had was 8-bit hardware, a depressingly small color palette, and the most quaint set of audio chips known to man, but they also had some big imaginations and an earnest sense of charm.
Like so many of the classic Final Fantasy games that dominated the 8-and 16-bit consoles of the 80s and 90s, the second iteration in the franchise relies heavily on classic genre tropes and concepts, as it features young warriors on a quest to destroy an ultimate evil.
Characters like Firion and Minwu remain some of the franchise’s most beloved figures, as their journey through FF2’s charming fantasy narrative is a treat.
Unfortunately, the gameplay systems and structure of the early Final Fantasy games leave a lot to be desired when compared to their contemporaries, and the stories tend to suffer as a result. Even so, FF2 has some engaging moments and is not a bad way to live in a traditional fantasy world if that’s up your alley.
13
Final Fantasy
The Fabled First Steps
The first Final Fantasy game was produced during a time when JRPGs were just starting to burst out into the mainstream thanks to titles like Dragon Quest, and while the story of the Warriors of Light felt remarkably similar to Erdrick’s journey, it did have its own sense of unique charm.
Final Fantasy sees the aforementioned Warriors of Light on a journey to defeat the four evil fiends and restore energy to their now powerless crystals, all while finding themselves enveloped in a unique time-traveling element that was rather novel for the era.
But while it’s steeped in high fantasy trappings and a sense of familiarity, what I genuinely love about FF1 is how dark it is, and how it establishes its villain, the diabolical Garland, as a frightening force to be reckoned with.
Final Fantasy may seem quaint now, and that’s because it truly, honestly is, but I believe it’s worth playing today for a number of reasons, and its story sits firmly at the top of that list. I love the pace, the feeling of dread that is mixed with hopeful adventure themes, and the true sense of despair that the final hours of the game create.
12
Final Fantasy 3
The First Truly Great FF Story
While Final Fantasy 3 is still tied to the eight-bit limitations that cursed the first two, it makes major strides in terms of writing and plot structure, sending players on a journey that adds up to one of the best JRPGs of its era.
As so many of the early Final Fantasy games do, the word of the day here is crystals and the expansive mythology that they hold within the franchise, as FF3 tasks four young warriors with defeating a powerful sorcerer and bringing the world back from the brink of darkness.
It’s a contender for the most compelling JRPG narrative of its era, and easily one of the franchise’s greatest tales, combining elements of heartfelt drama with humor and a cast of endlessly charming heroes.
Even as early as FF3, you could feel influences from outside sources that were affecting the way that the story was told, as elements like the Dark Warriors, implied to be parallel universe versions of the Warriors of Light, took the franchise into some uncharted territory.
It’s these bold writing decisions that would codify the strength and uniqueness of the series moving forward, making FF3 a hugely important and innovative story that would greatly influence the series.
11
Final Fantasy 5
A Story About Hate
As sad as it is, Final Fantasy 5 often feels like the most forgotten entry of the SNES-era, which is an outright shame considering how well-written and engaging its cast of characters is. And what I find so endearing about FF5 is that it feels less like a traditional high-fantasy story, and more akin to a classic adventure film one might have seen in the 1980s.
It certainly retains those elements, including crystals and an all-powerful god-like figure that young people defeat with the power of friendship, but it’s the way the story unfolds and how each character meets that feels different from the rest.
Final Fantasy 5 almost feels like a comedy in some ways, as Square makes excellent use of their tiny sprites in order to create cutscenes and story beats designed to make the player laugh.
The final hours of FF5 funnel the player towards one of the franchise’s most thrilling conclusions, as the nefarious Exdeath is revealed to be the manifestation of the world’s most sinister forces of evil. He is literally hate made whole, now brought to life in physical form, and his only desire is the complete eradication of life and to return to absolute nothingness.
I’ve always found this justification for Exdeath’s existence to be rather haunting, as it goes against everything it means to be human, and adds a sense of omnipotent despair to Final Fantasy 5.
10
Final Fantasy 4
Next-Gen Improvements
The leap from the NES to the SNES may have seemed to only be about graphics, as the ability to create larger, more detailed sprites was certainly an enticing concept for developers, but no team was able to take advantage of that more than Squaresoft.
I can’t express how remarkable the opening to Final Fantasy 4 is, as no game in the world ever looked or sounded like that before. Thrown right into the fire with no warning whatsoever, players take control of Cecil, a character who feels decidedly modern for the era.
It would be easy to sell him as an antagonist at first, as he doesn’t rely on the traditional heroic traits that defined previous Final Fantasy heroes.
More than any other entry prior to this, Final Fantasy 4 really is about character first and foremost. You can see it clearly with a character like Rydia, who leaves the party and comes back a completely different person, while other party members also go through direct and sometimes heartbreaking transformations.
9
Final Fantasy 15
Reclaim Your Throne
It took roughly ten years and saw an entire hardware generation go by in the process, but after a long wait, Final Fantasy 15 managed to make it out of the abyss and was released on PS4 and Xbox One in November 2016.
The franchise had been in an odd place for a long time, as previous entries had either been MMOs or the continuation of a single story arc, so seeing Square go back to a more fundamental story of young warriors on a road trip felt refreshing.
Telling the tale of Noctis, a forsaken prince who goes on a journey to reclaim his fallen father’s throne, Final Fantasy 15 is a game filled with emotion and heart. It’s the quieter moments, the ones where Noctis and the group are able to truly take stock of what’s at stake, that make the game worth every moment.
It may be a game about a guy with cool hair beating up giants with swords, but it’s also a game that develops the themes of found family in profound ways, as your journey is less about gigantic monsters and more about the way we can trust those we love in our own lives.
8
Final Fantasy 16
Accept The Truth
It didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels in love with Clive Rosfield and his emotionally charged quest, as Final Fantasy 16 feels like the culmination of everything that Square has learned in over three decades of the franchise.
It’s a slow burn, but one with immense payoff, as following Clive’s initial journey paints him as someone who is relatable and feels like an everyman. He doesn’t have the cool spiky hair or anime flair that other FF protagonists do, but he doesn’t need it.
As each step in his quest to uncover what happened to his brother Joshua unfurls itself, I just couldn’t fathom how well written it was. It almost feels like a prestige drama in a way, as characters with their own agendas and plot threads to discover weave in and out of the story gracefully. It is easily one of Square’s most successful stories.
7
Final Fantasy 13
Not Even Fate Can Stand In Their Way
Over the years, in spite of the critical reception it had at the time, the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy has gained a valuable and devoted fanbase within the community. And I firmly believe that faith is well-earned, as Final Fantasy 13 is a game that has so much to offer.
Themes of acceptance and forgiveness permeate the story, as evidenced by the relationship between Lightning and Snow. Final Fantasy 13 is a game about big feelings in the midst of big battles, something that the franchise has excelled at for years now.
Final Fantasy 13 also explored some pretty dark themes and concepts, as the Fal’Cie are displaced at the beginning of the game due to fear and distrust of someone who is different.
These themes carry throughout the entire story, as Lightning and the party are often at odds with those who wield unlimited power to oppress. It’s a story built on hope and the fight for a better, far more gentle future.
6
Final Fantasy 6
Tradition Meets Modernity
From the opening sequence, which sees a mysterious young girl named Terra approach the distant city of Narshe in a mech, all the way to the game’s climactic final battle against the power-hungry Kefka, Final Fantasy 6 is a dazzling exploration of life and finding a reason to fight.
Each character finds their own reason, and watching FF6’s steampunk-infused world crumble under the dark hands of Kefka as they find their true purpose is what drives the entirety of the game’s story.
The world of Final Fantasy 6 feels fragile, as each step the party takes sees Kefka get closer and closer to his goal of complete and utter destruction. Watching as Kefka tosses away life is truly harrowing, as he is someone not born into magic, but someone who will gladly sacrifice humanity in order to gain it.
5
Final Fantasy 10
A Next-Generation Masterpiece
For the first nine mainline entries, Square had to rely on the strength and power of the written word via text boxes. But with the power of the PS2 behind it and a cast of talented actors ready to give it their all, Final Fantasy 10 was a landmark moment for the series.
Following absolute chaos at a Blitzball game, a young man named Tidus washes ashore in a strange new land, meeting people that he’s never met before and embarking on one of gaming’s most brilliant stories of all time.
And this is what always stuck with me regarding FF10, was just how connected to Tidus’ journey you feel due to both of you being the proverbial fish out of water. His victories are your victories, his discoveries are your discoveries.
As Tidus and the party accompany a summoner named Yuna on a pilgrimage to Zanarkand in order to defeat Sin, it’s clear that Final Fantasy 10 is a story about how stories end, about the ending being something meaningful, and those are themes that have consistently and deeply resonated with fans over the past twenty years.
