We knew taking on the task of deciding which classic Final Fantasy games were the best would end in more broken relationships. Carl practically had to referee our impassioned discussions. Samuel believed Final Fantasy VI was indisputably superior and cited fact with religious intensity. Marcus got bogged down discussing the technical aspects of how each game pushed their hardware further and would never stop talking about engineering elegance. Joe tried desperately to tell the rest of us that VII was overrated and how the earlier entries were better than everyone gave them credit for. Timothy had no nostalgia for any of them and belched out blasphemous takes nobody wanted to hear simply because he played them for the first time as an adult. Still, after weeks of yelling at each other over Slack and Joe having a full on breakdown over whether Kefka or Sephiroth was a better villain during a Zoom call, we settled on these six games.
Final Fantasy launched on the Famicom in 1987 and basically wrote the playbook for how Japanese Role Playing Games would function for years to come. We gained turn based combat that actually mattered. We gained a job system that allowed us to build our party any way we wanted. We gained stories that actually existed. And most importantly, we gained music that Nobuo Uematsu was crafting these fantastical orchestral masterpieces on hardware that shouldn’t have been capable of producing something more complex than Beep Boop Benny playing a recorder.
What started as a niche Japanese import series became a cultural phenomenon, changing the way the West viewed gaming along the way. By the release of Final Fantasy VII in 1997, the franchise had sold 10 million copies worldwide and permanently shifted what the industry believed JRPGs could be. But the explosion that was Final Fantasy VII wasn’t created overnight. Each game paved the way with risks that honestly paid off.
Quick Rankings
Final Fantasy (1987) – The cartridge that started it all.
Final Fantasy II (1988) – Radical stat growth experimentation.
Final Fantasy IV (1991) – The Active Time Battle system changed everything.
Final Fantasy V (1992) – Twenty-two jobs and infinite character combination builds.
Final Fantasy VI (1994) – Fourteen characters and a world that actually ends.
Final Fantasy VII (1997) – 3D combat that would make games for generations to come.
RANKINGS
1. Final Fantasy VI (SNES, 1994)
Genre: RPG | Developer: Square
Final Fantasy VI introduced fourteen playable characters. Not just playable characters. Fourteen different personalities with their own motivations and history that tied back into the world as a whole. There was a distinct split in the game world before the world fell and after. The aftermath of their actions actually drove the second half of the game. A premise so wild most games didn’t touch it. What if everything you knew was gone? What if there was no objective metric to know you were making progress? It dared to ask you that, and then did it.
Esper magic replaced job classes. Each Esper taught them magic as opposed to found spells or learning them through leveling up. It was less flexible than previous iterations, sure. But Final Fantasy VI tripled the cast. It needed something simpler. The magic system felt intuitive. You earned each new spell through force of will rather than grinding for hours to get that one spell you wanted.
Every character’s arc was satisfying. Defeating Kefka didn’t feel like the game saying “We beat the bad guy so now everything is okay.” Each fight mattered. Each character had something unique to say. Final Fantasy VI was the culmination of everything great about 2D RPG storytelling.
Samuel was first to go down this hill. “This is my hill. This is where I die. Final Fantasy Six is not only the best game in the series, it’s the best 2D RPG ever created. Period.” Marcus reclined in his chair. “Look, I’m not going to argue Final Fantasy VI is somehow a bad game. But it’s also seventeen years of developer budgets. It’s after they’d already learned everything they could about the medium. Of course it was going to be amazing.” Both of them are right about their opinions.
What makes it untouchable: Characters. The biggest strength is also its biggest cast. Every character you play mattered and had something unique to offer the party both mechanically and story wise. Operatic scene. No other RPG on this list has an actual opera scene in it. World of ruin. Literally the world is crushed and there’s ruins everywhere. Kefka won. He’s your villain. He destroyed the world and proved your heroes wouldn’t save everything. Magic System. Esper system forced you to grind magic like the older games but actually felt rewarding. Uematsu. It’s always going to be Uematsu but listen to the opera scene. Listen to the Celes theme. Listen to the final battle. Listen to the ending. Game knows how to be sad without being unhappy. Let you take the second half in any order you want. Anyone who disagrees obviously didn’t play it properly.
Does it still hold up? It’s arguably the best 2D RPG you can pick up today. There are pacing issues and not all of the character work lands. But at its core—traveling across a broken world, slowly piecing your party back together, learning that hope is important even when it’s not logical—still works. Final Fantasy VI told you 2D games could be this big right before everyone started shifting to 3D.
Read Samuel’s passionate defense of Final Fantasy VI as the franchise’s creative peak →
2. Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation, 1997)
Genre: RPG | Developer: Square
Final Fantasy VII launched on four CDs at the perfect time. PlayStation was still new. 3D graphics still felt foreign. And RPGs were still niche. Then along came this freakishly huge game pushing every button it could—full cinematic FMV cutscenes, plot points we could actually relate to, Cloud’s iconic spiky hair, and goddamnobs that made previous games feel like small towns.
It sold 10 million copies. Before VII, sure the brand was big. But it didn’t go mainstream until this game. After this game, JRPGs were real. Mainstream gaming in the west took notice and things would never be the same. Console gaming would shift to cater to this. Final Fantasy VII isn’t the best game on this list. But what it did was indisputably important.
“I’m tired of trying to explain why VII didn’t suck,” Joe said finally. Timothy raised an eyebrow. “This is where we have to agree to disagree. What VII did was important, but not because it was the best.” He shrugged. “It sold 10 million copies. People remember the story because it was the first JRPG most of them played. But VII wasn’t the best—it was the right game at the right time.” We came to an agreement. This game was the gateway JRPG for an entire generation. But there’s plenty of good games that serve as gateway genres. VII wouldn’t have been possible if its predecessors didn’t take chances.
Materia slotted into your weapons and armor. Each materia could grant spells or enhance your characters abilities. You had flexibility here. Joe was right about that. It wasn’t perfect, sure. But nothing about VII was; it was still amazing. You were free to experiment. Play it straight or hack the game gods out until your character is breaking stuff.
What makes it untouchable: Legacy. There’s an intangible thing about FFVII that can’t be discussed because you have to experience it for yourself. That moment. EVERYONE remembers that first time they saw Midgar. The soundtrack is impeccable. Uematsu showed the world 32 bit hardware was capable of mastering orchestral arrangements. Video game characters were on magazine covers. Boss battles evolved as you played bigger and deadlier. Story didn’t shy away from getting weird and philosophical at a time most games didn’t dive into either. Magic system allowed for flexibility and experimentation. FFVII is completely beatable if you decide to cheat and mess around.
Does it still hold up? Played today, the camera angles feel cramped. Some dialogue hits heavy. Story feels needlessly convoluted towards the ending. But the foundation of this game is stellar. Characters have more personality than you remember. And that world… its bigger than you remember. Final Fantasy VII showed JRPGs could capture the mainstream without selling themselves out.
Read Joe’s Final Fantasy VII historical analysis →
3. Final Fantasy IV (SNES, 1991)
Genre: RPG | Developer: Square
Final Fantasy IV was called Final Fantasy II here in the states due to some strange localisations mix up. The Active Time Battle system made its debut here. Characters didn’t take turns in order anymore. You had a gauge depleting while you picked an action. Your character’s speed determined how quickly it refilled. Your positioning actually mattered in fights. RTT: if your healer dies you’re pretty much screwed. Simple as that. This game changed RPG battles.
Cecil’s journey from Dark Knight to Paladin is something people still talk about. Your party rotated on and off continually throughout the game. Some of them you would lose permanently. Death had consequences in FFIV. Rydia lost her home. Yang died. Tellah made the ultimate sacrifice. They stuck with you long after they stopped playing.
“The SNES was already running near max capacity with what it could output graphically,” Marcus started. “Yet FFIV pushed everything it could. Technically, the soundtrack is what blew me away.” Timothy nodded. “Amazing soundtrack, didn’t realise how much they were pushing that S-SMP chip.” Another silent nod. “Musical limitations made them be creative. I loved that.” “Don’t get me wrong,” Marcus said. “It’s not the best game on this list. But FFIV knew what it was. And it proved games like this could be art.”
What makes it untouchable: Active Time Battle system influenced 30 years worth of JRPGs that followed. Story had stakes. You actually felt the despair these characters were going through. Future games on this list wouldn’t have been possible without FFIV laying the groundwork. Cecil. No other character’s transformation is quite as satisfying as his. Pacing. It built to an epic scope that very few games dared to before this. Lunars. Seriously, the moons were a constant reminder that everything hinged on this world. Combat made you care about your party. If one of them died fighting you were truly emotionally invested.
Does it still hold up? Only issue I have is some of the SNES background effects make it hard to see what’s happening during battles. Even today, FFIV keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s brilliant. Story can be melodramatic. But FFIV is a classic for a reason.
Read Marcus’s ode to FFIV and its technical ingenuity →
4. Final Fantasy V (SNES, 1992)
Genre: RPG | Developer: Square
Final Fantasy V didn’t arrive in North America until 1999. If you were reading this and got a SNES growing up; odds are you slept on one of the best entries in the franchise. Jobs. Twenty-two jobs at your disposal. Each one could be mixed and matched to create the perfect build your heart desired. Want a mage that can kick butt with martial arts? FFV got you. Knight that casts white magic? You can do that too. Seriously stopped me in my tracks the first time I played.
“Twenty-two jobs,” Timothy gasped. “You are not locked into one job your character starts as. FFV wanted you to experiment. Learn the system and then break the freakin’ system.” Joe smiled. “I spent the last half of the game with a completely broken party I made. Swordmaster/Dancer Hybrids. Magic missiles that one job combination wasn’t supposed to be able to access. The game laughed at me and said ‘okay’.” Timothy nodded enthusiastically. “That right there is beautiful game design.”
Final Fantasy V’s story was lighter than IV’s. It was okay to just have fun with this one. Not every game has to destroy your soul.
What makes it untouchable: Job system. If you’ve heard that this game had one of the best job systems you’ve heard correctly. It gave you the option to approach every situation in multiple ways. Boss fights would adapt to your play style which kept it fresh. As long as you played smart you couldn’t exactly fail FFV. Ability point system. Separating your characters’ learning abilities from their base job classes opened a ton of doors. Freakin’ 22 jobs.
Does it still hold up? Yes and no. In depth you realise how much faster you can move through this game the second time. But that’s the beauty of FFV. It encourages you to experiment. Story won’t blow your mind but it’s charming. World feels lived in and FF fans deserve more love than this game received.
Read Timothy’s breakout essay on just how deep FFV’s Job system really is →
5. Final Fantasy (NES, 1987)
Genre: RPG | Developer: Square
This was Final Fantasy on the Nintendo before Nintendo decided to slap their branding on everything. It released on the Famicom in Japan back in 1987 and sold about 50,000 copies its first year. That’s not a lot by any means, but it was enough for Square to stick around. Enough for them to realise they could make more games people actually wanted to play.
Basic. FF handled most things you came to expect from Dragon Quest but with their own spin. Uematsu was crafting wizard level symphonies on hardware that shouldn’t have been able to make pleasing buzz sounds.
“I found my copy at the parking lot of a KFC my parents took me to.” Samuel smiled nostalgically. “Cartridge. Plastic case. Instruction manual. Everything. Opening up that instruction booklet is something I’ll never forget.” Everyone nodded in understanding. “Do you know how many games released after Final Fantasy said ‘RPGs’?” asks Samuel. “None,” Carl answered. “That’s the point.”
What makes it untouchable: Fundamentals. This game taught you the fundamentals of RPGs as a genre. Matter fact… a lot of people learning to game grew up on this. Character sprites actually had personality. Encounters didn’t hold your hand they taught you how to play the game. And Uematsu… God damn it if hearing that opening track doesn’t get you every time.
Does it hold up? Interface is awful. Have to run all the way back to town to heal? Great. But there’s something rewarding about FF. It knows what it is. No nonsense cutscenes. Get stuck? You figured it out on your own.
Read why Final Fantasy is the foundational masterpiece it is →
6. Final Fantasy II (NES, 1988)
Genre: RPG | Developer: Square
Square took a wild risk with FF2: no experience points. Leveling up happened behind the scenes based on what you did as a character. Use a sword enough and you gain HP. Cast Fire magic frequently and you get better at Fire magic. Basic premise was weird and it’s also the reason FF2 didn’t see international release until decades later.
Characters felt like they actually existed. It didn’t hurt that as a player you actually got fleshed out backstory as you played. FF wanted you to know there was something larger at stake.
“I feel like everyone forgets about FF2.” Joe stated. “It’s forgotten FF in between a classic and a huge franchise that defined a generation of gamers.” Timothy popped his bubble. “I first played this in 1999 and remember being pissed. ‘WTF? Where are the levels at? What the hell is happening?’ Then it clicked. We, the players, were leveling up. I kept learning and improving as I dug deeper.” “Exactly!” Joe replied. “Foreign concept for RPGs in ’88.”
Leveling up was scaled behind the scenes based on your play style. It was clever and unfortunately a contributing factor as to why FF2 never made it out of Japan.
What makes it untouchable: It took chances. You learned magic through finding casters willing to teach you. A massive casting library at your disposal allowed for some crazy magic combinations. Story was weak? Sure. Did it charm you and get you to play through some awkward pacing? You bet your nerdy ass it did. Game was weird for 1988 and it showed.
Does it hold up? Kind of sucks you have to grind to level up but FF2 is charming as hell. Stat growth can feel wonky at times and some of the character designs are weirdly dated, but FF2 proves that you could make an RPG breaking all the rules others set before you.
Read why Joe thinks FF2 is secretly one of the best games in the series →
The Games That Almost Made the Cut – And Why We’re Still Friends
If we chose seven we would have given Final Fantasy III a spot. FFIII gave us four jobs to play with and introduced us to a colorful cast of amnesiac adventurers. Final Fantasy VIII had draw and junction magic systems and experimented with a story that got weird real fast. Final Fantasy IX was basically a love letter to everyone that grew up playing these games. Chrono Trigger isn’t a Final Fantasy game, but SF gave us that someday. Final Fantasy X brought the series into the next generation with voice acting and beautifully animated 3D.
Fact: Samuel got smacked hard about how culturally significant FFVII was and couldn’t hear us complain about VI lived beyond its prime. Joe thought FFVII was gross and kept trying to downvote anyone who said otherwise. Timothy had absolutely no right saying what he said about this list and we’re still friends because of him. Marcus got so caught up in the technical specs of each entry he forgot what we were arguing about. On more than one occasion Carl had to mute people from speaking.
At the end of the day, these games perfectly encapsulate what made the classic era of Final Fantasy so great. Not only are they quality games that stood the test of time, they each impacted gaming and showed future developers what JRPGs could be.
Still pissed your favorite didn’t make the cut? Play some damn games. Fine we understand, FF gave us several classics for a reason. This was a tough list to narrow down simply because so much of this series was foundational to gaming as a whole. So post your thoughts down below. Can’t handle the truth? We’ve already spent months yelling at each other about this list. We can take it.
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