The best Final Fantasy games, ranked from best to worst

Far and away the best mainline Final Fantasy game, 1994’s Final Fantasy VI is an absolute triumph in every sense. Originally released in North America as Final Fantasy III (yes, it’s confusing), Final Fantasy VI was the last 16-bit mainline entry. It featured a stellar cast of more than a dozen characters and ushered in the steampunk-style world design that would carry over to the PlayStation games in the late ’90s. This is where high fantasy became the stuff of legend, and magic was replaced by scientific advances and the burgeoning technology from the Second Industrial Revolution. Perfectly paced, Final Fantasy VI achieved such high levels of narrative impact because of its setup. The first half introduces the cast, from the compelling starting protagonist, Terra Branford, to the rebel treasure hunter Locke Cole — all of whom want to take down the Empire. The linearity of the first half allows these characters to grow, to let you build connections with each one — an impressive feat considering there are roughly a dozen major players on your side. But the back half of the game opened things up, allowing you to complete objectives and dungeons in a nonlinear order. This level of freedom was astonishing at the time. Robust customization features, including unique magic spells, a modified summoning system, and a wealth of weapons, made the traditional active time battle system feel like a constant joy. Everything in Final Fantasy VI, from the story to the combat systems to the world, is made for a nearly flawless Final Fantasy experience. This was Square at its absolute best. While it may sound bad that Square hasn’t bested Final Fantasy VI in the 25 years since its launch, it’s really a testament to FFVI’s staggering greatness. Final Fantasy VI may very well be the best turn-based RPG ever made. You can play it now on PC, Android, and iOS.

Arguably the most iconic entry in the series, Final Fantasy VII‘s has a brilliant and transgressive story, featuring some of the most deservedly beloved characters, both good and villainous, in series history. The active time battle system wasn’t new, but finely tuned here and worked perfectly with the incredibly deep Materia systems. Every inch of this massive game felt deliberate, but also like you were discovering something meant to be hidden. This really felt like a massive adventure, and being the first 3D entry meant it could actually deliver a world that felt as real as our own. There’s no denying that this game earned its esteemed reputation and legacy.

After years and years of waiting, Final Fantasy VII Remake released with the consensus that it did the impossible and not only reimagined the beloved original but was somehow good enough to stand beside it. Aside from looking incredibly impressive, the new take on combat that combined more modern action with the ATB system of the original was a balancing act that could’ve gone terribly wrong but somehow landed perfectly. When your Buster Sword is swinging at full speed, there are few games that feel as visceral and satisfying as Final Fantasy VII Remake. The only slight downside is that the game is broken into three parts, with Rebirth still on the way, so it could be quite a few years before this new take on the story is complete.

Revisiting Final Fantasy XII via the HD remaster for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch revealed an understated truth about the 2006 PS2 classic: It’s a modern masterpiece. The first mainline, non-MMO to drop random battles in favor of real-time combat, Final Fantasy XII was divisive amongst fans. Since it played so incredibly different, it was hard to compare Final Fantasy XII to any other Final Fantasy game. More than a decade later, Final Fantasy XII remains incomparable, and that’s why it’s so high on this list. The wondrous world of Ivalice is filled with interesting characters and richly detailed environments. The combat, formally known as the Active Dimension Battle system, was incredibly deep thanks to the gambit system and modified Limit Break system called Quickenings. The License Board added further nuance to the leveling system, similar to the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X. Admittedly, Final Fantasy XII‘s opening handful of hours don’t excite as much as some other top-tier Final Fantasy games, but once the world opens up and you get used to the radical battle system, the world of Ivalice houses one of the deepest and most rewarding Final Fantasy experiences around.

This game goes to show that not all creative risks pay off initially. The truth is that the overall experience felt distinctly un-Final Fantasy-like, and there’s a heavy western RPG element here. Final Fantasy XV is an open-world action RPG that entirely drops random encounters in favor of a real-time battle system. Superficial glitz aside, the battles lack the same nuance FF fans have come to expect over the years and don’t feel quite right. The main characters, a group of stylish adolescents, speak and act like real friends on a road trip, lending a sense of groundedness the title relies on. The world itself is well-crafted and interesting to explore, but the story lacks punch, and while the DLC expansions do rectify many of the flaws, it was arguably too little too late. While Final Fantasy XV isn’t the worst game of the franchise, it’s certainly not anything to write home about.