Topic: What do you consider the worst Final Fantasy game?

[Claimh Solais]

I was talking to a couple friends about this, and it actually makes for some interesting conversation. No "all newest games" or anything like that, just a particular FF game. What do you consider to be the worst entry into the Final Fantasy franchise in particular?

For me, it'd have to be Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII on PSP. Sure, I loved it when it came out, but I was 12-years-old, and I thought any game I played at the time was the best game ever. Having recently replayed the game, I couldn't finish it. The only thing going through my head was, "Holy crap, this game is so boring."

There are a lot of FFs I have problems with. Dirge of Cerberus, FFX-2, Mystic Quest, Lightning Returns, Crystal Chronicles, etc. But despite those games having wonky ass plots or questionable design choices, I at least found those games to be somewhat fun to play. But Crisis Core is just so boring. The gameplay is mind-numbingly repetitive, the overworld is bland and is simply glorified corridors, a huge chunk of the story, if not nonsensical, is simply a drag. The only parts I found great of the game's plots were the parts that were referenced in the original FF7. But even then, on some of them they had to hamfist Genesis into it, who is seriously one of the worst villains in gaming history.

Crisis Core is cool in concept, but damn, it falls short everywhere. It can be argued that it was held back by the limitations of the PSP, but come on. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep actually delivered a full Kingdom Hearts experience on the little handheld. That game was not only my favorite Kingdom Hearts game, but probably one of my most played games on PSP. That game proves that Crisis Core really didn't have an excuse to deliver such a shoddy game.

So I just wanted to know, what do you think? Agree or disagree with me? What's your "worst FF game"? Why do you dislike it?

[Super Waffle]

The XIII saga as a whole.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

I was gonna say FF XIII and its sequels, but I actually got to finish those, so I'm gonna go with FF IX on the basis that I lost all interest in finishing the game even before the end of Disc 1. It's one of those thing where people always tell me "OH! The game only gets good once you hit disc 2!" but here's the thing: a game has got to convince me far earlier than that, and for all its other faults, 13 wove a really captivating first act that ultimately paid off into a decent but not great story. I'll never really know if FF IX is really great, because I have no drive to finish the first disk.

So on THAT criteria, I find 9 to be the worst, though I cannot speak for 5 as I've never played it.

Kuja IS goddamn fabulous though.

[X]

What do I consider the worst FF game..? A good question. I've never played the majority of the games after 6. (7 & 9 were the only ones I gave a shot but I've not finished them. I don't believe I can give a definitive single title as being the worst because there are already so many titles that qualify for that contender. Equally I might add.

[BLOOD MONKEY]

Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2, or Final Fantasy 8.

[Shiroi Koumori]

Hands down it must be this one.
Final Fantasy: All the Bravest

[Mystic Myotis]

Counting only main installments?

It comes between I, VIII, and the XIII saga.

FFI has aged horribly, and unlike II doesn't have a decent story to compensate for that.

VIII doesn't have the excuse of being the first in the series to justify its horrific gameplay, unlike-able characters, and godawful love story.

While the XIII saga has okay gameplay compared to the other two mentioned, it easily has the worst story of the entire series in virtually every aspect (characters, plot, themes, etc).


I personally despise VIII the most, because I feel like VIII paved the way for the place the series is currently in.

[JR]

FFVIII for me. I've only played 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12, but 8 is definitely my least favorite. The main protagonist is unlikable (which seems to happen a lot in the series, but I digress), the Junction system just seems silly, Rinoa becoming Squall's love interest comes forcefully out of nowhere, and the whole orphanage twist midway through was incredibly dumb.

I mean, I still enjoyed the game overall back when I played it, but it was definitely the weakest for me.   

[Claimh Solais]

Hands down it must be this one.
Final Fantasy: All the Bravest

Oh jeez, I forgot about that one. I never played it but I'm aware how much of a disaster it was.

Counting only main installments?

Doesn't have to be only main installments. Just any of them in general.

----------------

That being said, while I knew the XIII trilogy would be picked a lot, it's strange that I honestly feel like I'm in the minority, since I find the trilogy to have a really good (not great, but really good) storyline. Well, the first two anyway. Lightning Returns was alright. I do, however, consider Noel one of the best FF protagonists in the franchise.

[KaZudra]

FF: All The Bravest & Dirge of Cerberus.
FXIII is the worst legit FF game.
FFXII-2 is bad mostly because it was a copy-paste compilation of other FF and KH games.

FFVIII I'll have to defend, there was plenty of good to outweigh the bad, Triple Triad, Leguna's Story, and the Junction System was unique to a point....

Sadly, Most Final Fantasy games I've played I can't really say "good" as the late game is pretty much spamming that most powerful move in your arsenal.

[Dracula9]

From the ones I've played, I really don't like 3, in any measure.

I should rightfully declare the XIII trilogy as worthy of the title of "worst," but I must admit I have a soft spot for it despite the numerous flaws present. Though I will say I think the series improved what it got wrong with each successive installment (usually creating another different problem in the process but that's another matter) and that Lightning Returns felt a lot better-composed than the other two. XIII was far too linear and laughably basic for the otherwise complex and grandiose story (which I actually really liked most of the time) it was trying to tell, and XIII-2 was roughly the equivalent of throwing Chrono Trigger and Kingdom Hearts in a blender and dropping a shit on what you poured back out.

But as I mentioned, I'm aware that my enjoyment of the trilogy is a bit of a guilty pleasure and that I fully acknowledge all the stuff it did horribly, horribly wrong. At least the final boss of LR was a fucking masterpiece.