Final Fantasy is one of the largest JRPG series in the world, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that most of you will have at least heard of one of these Square Enix games. However, the series has been around so long that it can be daunting for newcomers to get into.
Not including spin-offs and sequels, there are fifteen separate games with their own narratives. Outsiders looking in will have a hard time figuring out where to start. That said, the games aren't completely unfriendly to beginners. There are numerous games that serve as excellent starting points to dive into one of the most beloved JRPG series of all time.
8 Final Fantasy 15
"A Final Fantasy for Fans and First-Timers," Final Fantasy 15 proclaims at the very beginning. Is it successful in that regard? Well, it's sold over ten million copies - a feat that appears to have eclipsed even the lofty heights of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Does that make it an ideal starting point?
Yes and no. FF15's full party of four is introduced right from the start, but frustratingly, what ought to have been its opening act is confined to a CG prologue movie instead. There's a patchwork nature to the story, even with all the improvements in Royal Edition, that might give newcomers the wrong idea that Final Fantasy tends to tell incomplete tales, when that's almost never the case.
Yet when FF15 works, it really works. Fighting's fun, the camaraderie between friends is charming as all get-out, and there's plenty to do in its frequently beautiful open world.
7 Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
One of the best parts of the Final Fantasy games is the music. Regardless of which game you're diving into, the tunes are bound to be a treat for your ears, whether it's One-Winged Angel or Man with the Machine Gun. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a sprawling symphony of 500 fantastic tracks.
If your gaming tastes tend toward the audio quality of the overall experience, Final Bar Line does a standout job showing you why millions of fans pledge allegiance to the soundtracks of Nobuo Uematsu, Masayoshi Soken, and the rest. You may even come to rely on the tunes to decide which mainline Final Fantasy game to try out first.
6 Final Fantasy 14
If you've never played Final Fantasy but have a group of friends you love to game with on the regular, then there's no better place to start than Final Fantasy 14. This is an MMO that became so popular that Square Enix had to stop selling copies for a time to keep up with the influx of new players.
Final Fantasy 14 feel like a constant love letter to Final Fantasy on the whole, bringing over Square Enix's intriguing narratives, diverse classes, and excellent monster design into a new world. The only caveat is that you have to pony up a monthly fee to play.
5 Final Fantasy 6
While Final Fantasy 7 was what brought the series to the mainstream, Final Fantasy 6 remains one of the most beloved and most acclaimed games in Square Enix's repertoire. The narrative is excellent, featuring a world that abandoned magic and relied on machines. What happens when magic seeps its way back into that world? The pursuit of power soon plagues the planet, and it's up to the Returners to set it all to rights.
FF6 also includes arguably the best villain in the series. If you're a beginner ready to see what all the Final Fantasy fuss is about, and you've got a real heart for 2D 16-bit vibes, then the sixth mainline title is the hippest place to get happening. The Pixel Remaster's now available not just on PC and smart devices, but PS4 and Switch, too.
4 Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy 9 not only serves as a throwback to older Final Fantasy games but remains one of the best in the series. It includes all the iconography from previous titles while putting new spins on them. It's testament to how rapidly these games used to get made that FF9, the celebration of 'old-school Final Fantasy', came out in 2000 - that's a mere 13 years after the series put out its first game.
Here we are, well over 20 years later. Maybe it's time for an 'FF9-style throwback' title? Back to Final Fantasy 9, though; if you haven't played a Final Fantasy game, you'll still be enamored with the gorgeous, hand-painted locations, strongly written characters, and one of the best progression systems in a JRPG to date.
3 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
While the story in Final Fantasy 7 Remake can be a bit confusing at times if you haven't played the original, it remains one of the easier games to get into. Instead of a number-crunching, complex JRPG, the remake is more of an action game where you take direct control of Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith as they storm their way through Midgar.
Because the game is a complete re-imagining, it's very much its own thing, even if veterans will come to realize it has greater ties to what came beforehand than appears to be the case.. It is also the first part in what is planned to be a three-part series, meaning that it makes a good introduction tto an ongoing modern project.
FF7 Remake's got a rocking orchestral soundtrack, terrific graphics and animations (especially on PS5, where some muddy textures are largely cleaned up), and a party-based but single-character-controlled battle system is aleady excellent. We can't wait to see what FF7 Rebirth adds to the mix.
2 Final Fantasy 10
Final Fantasy 10 was Square Enix's big transition to the PlayStation 2. The graphical leap from the PS1 was astronomical, leading to a game that looked, sounded, and played great. Final Fantasy 10 was a bleeding-edge experience at the time, without sacrificing the story or gameplay. While it's hardly bleeding-edge today, the HD remasters have kept 99 percent of it looking gorgeous even into the 2020s. (The less said about the odd reinterprations of Tidus' face, the better.)
It's a much more traditional RPG, too, being completely turn-based. This means that newcomers will have plenty of time to get acquainted with the stellar battle system. Like Final Fantasy 7, FF10 is one of the main generational 'doorways' into the franchise. If you crave something prettier than ol' 7, and don't want to start with its Remake, the story of Spira is an inspired entry point.
1 Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7's epic journey is easy to get lost in. Cloud's rivalry with Sephiroth and certain late-game revelations therein have weathered the test of time, and yes, that one character dies, but even if you're aware going in, it might still hit you like a truck.
The graphics haven't aged that well, but the soundtrack, gameplay, and overall structure remain every bit as engaging as they were in 1997. Final Fantasy 7 was a fresh new phase, the first 3D game in the series, and the first international blockbuster JRPG. It's held in high regard for its memorable team and deep themes, and it's a fair way to start off your own Final Fantasy tale.
Fairer than FF7 Remake, though? We said what we said! Remake is the better fit if you really can't get past the original title's graphics, which, you know, fair enough. But you'll gain an even deeper appreciation of the new game this way, and you'll get to see some of the broad strokes of where the Remake trilogy may be headed, too.