If you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out the other rankings in the series! kzread.info/head/PLXjn34wFCMP-6Kl56Fn2Ig3msOHqZAVhv

Can I just say I LOVE that you include Tactics in all your ranking lists. I'm so tired of lists excluding Tactics from the mainline titles just because of the reason of not having an arbitrary number attached to its title. It's so high in quality and a masterclass in storytelling that it deserves to stand right alongside with all the best of the rest. It's among the best and should be treated as such. I appreciate that you give it the respectful treatment.

@gregtroyan

3 ай бұрын

It was honestly a last minute decision as I was coming up with my initial rankings, before I started writing the scripts for these videos. The original idea was to do just the mainlines, but since everyone loves Tactics (myself included), I decided to just add it because I agree, it deserves a place of respect among the others. I figured it wasn't too much to make the scripts for each video a little bit longer and it is completely worth it to bring Tactics to the discussion. I'm so glad you appreciate it. Cheers mate!

I think 6 is fantastic, but I also feel that its ending is pretty unsatisfying. I used to do the thing you mentioned where I hated on 7, but I've come around on 7. My main complaint with 7 now is less with the game and more with how SE treats it. Not counting the original game or the remakes, there are 5 spin off games and 2 movies. After replaying the original 7, I loved it all over again. Its a fantastic stand alone game.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

If you haven't seen my video on ranking the endings, I talk about VI's ending being kinda mid. In relations to VII's spin-off media, I talked about that in the "Expanded Universe Content" ranking. Without spoiling that video, I'll say that I think VII is an amazing standalone game and think the spinoff media did not help its reputation in the slightest. I think it's very cool that you came around on VII and can look past the spinoffs to see how great the original game is without losing any love for VI. That's incredibly awesome to see. : )

I actually found out that Final Fantasy IV has outsold Final Fantasy VI and my numbers for sales figures I used didn't factor in FFIV compilations (like the Complete Collection and Final Fantasy Chronicles). If you factor those in, FFIV has outsold FFVI. Here's the ranking of the series by sales figures: 1. Final Fantasy VII (23 million) 2. Final Fantasy XIV (15 million) 3. Final Fantasy X (13.5 million) 4. Final Fantasy VIII (12 million) 5. Final Fantasy XII (11 million) 6. Final Fantasy XV (10 million) 7. Final Fantasy XIII (9.6 million) 8. Final Fantasy IX (9 million) 9. Final Fantasy III (5.8 million) 10. Final Fantasy IV (5.7 million) 11. Final Fantasy VI (5.1 million) 12. Final Fantasy I (5 million) 13. Final Fantasy V (4 million) 14. Final Fantasy Tactics (3.8 million) 15. Final Fantasy XVI (3 million) 16. Final Fantasy XI (2.8 million) 17. Final Fantasy II (2.3 million)

I think one thing that gets lost in a lot of the FF discussion is the one thing that separates the Squaresoft classics from almost all other games- the way that these games emotionally resonate with audiences. This is done by having not just great soundtracks, but tracks that map onto emotional moments in the story or great character moments. For example, while I actually agree with the opinion that FFVIII has the best soundtrack in the series, because the story and characters are so rushed and flawed, there are only just a handful of highly emotional moments in the game. You contrast this with say, Chrono Trigger, where not only are there god tier characters, stories, and music, but every character has their own theme and every one of those themes are packed with various emotions. In some of your other videos you did a great job covering why IV has such great characters and story. I couldn't agree more. But it's also the way it works in the soundtrack to hit those emotional beats just right that really elevates the game for me. Maybe ten years ago, IV was rightfully regarded as one of the very best but I think the reputation has lagged a bit thanks to a goofy looking handheld remake that loses all of the pixel art charm, and also the fact that the "simpler time" family values of IV seem corny and dated in today's world that has a far less less optimistic outlook than people in the early 90s did. Conversely, VI's story is melancholy as fuck, and so it feels a lot more in place with the current zeitgeist. And while the soundtrack in 7 isn't quite as good, it does a great job of complimenting the many different moods the game conveys. VII repeatedly gets you to feel things and grow attachment to the characters. I think this is why VII has so much cultural popularity, and why such a huge deal was made about it getting a remake, in a way you wouldn't expect to see from a X remake or a VI remake, despite both of them having more internet popularity. As for VI's popularity, I think it's pretty simple, it's the least flawed, most well rounded game in the series. In my opinion, it is better to rate things on excellence over perfection, but to the latter group, FFVI wins because it has the fewest flaws. I think it's definitely one of the best games of all time but I also think people who say it's obviously the best entry are overlooking a lot of factors to think that.

@gregtroyan

2 ай бұрын

I think your take on VI resonating more with modern audiences due to its melancholy nature would land with me a bit better if it weren't for the fact that VI was way more popular with fans and critics in the west back in the 90s. VI has always been more popular than IV among western fans, even during the more optimistic times of the 90s. I do think VII's combination of elements is what makes it so popular. It's lightning in a bottle, the right music, characters, etc. all at the right time, feeding off of each other for a pop culture explosion. I think internet popularity can be a bit overrated in terms of gauging what most people think about a franchise. In a lot of ways, money talks, and it's clear VII, X, and XIV dominate the franchise in that regard. I think your take on VI being the least flawed, most well-rounded game in the series is a better take on VI's popularity of your two takes in regards to that game. I think one could make a very good case it's the least-flawed game in the series, and whether or not that means best is a matter of a more spirited debate.

I really want to enjoy FF2 because I do like the story and Minwu, Prince Gordon, and Ricard are great characters but the dungeons and higher encounter rate about half way through just piss me off a lot lol

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, those are a bit much, I do concede that point. However, I was so overpowered by that point I didn't really care and just plowed through. I opted to make everybody monks so I never needed to buy equipment and just had a bunch of bare-knuckle brawlers who knew a couple essential spells just dominate through the game. Pixel remasters have some nice quality of life options, but I like the look and music less than the PSP version, and it's lacking the extra content. I think a mod of the PSP version reducing the encounter rate would be aces, but I still love it for what it is.

Great video. I love the final fantasy series!

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Thanks boss! What's your fav?

I can understand the ranking, because FFVI and FFIX are nearly perfected games for their systems. FFIX is full of love, even if I didnt saw it with my first attemps. My order is completly different, but I now there is a lot wrong with FFVIII, which is still one of my favorites.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

My order is very different too.

Although it makes sense since you are American, this is definitely more based on the western perspective than the Japanese one. Which I think is because of Dragon Quest and what games were released in Japan that the west didn’t get specifically FFIII and FFV. I think in Japan the more gameplay focused games are more popular, and the consensus for the single digit FF games would rank 1

@gregtroyan

10 ай бұрын

My list was primarily based on western fandom, but I do know that III is massively popular in Japan, and so that was one of my considerations of it ranking above the original FFI in my ranking here. II is also a lot more respected in Japan than it is here in the West, and I can definitely see why Japanese fans weren't as into XII, as it's arguably the most western of the mainline games, even moreso than XVI.

@thomasffrench3639

10 ай бұрын

@@gregtroyan I don’t know how accurate it is, but it’s my general impression from research on Popularity Polls, TV tropes and, a legends of localization article on Cloud being in Super Smash Bros. TV Tropes said that people preferred FFV because of the job system, and that FFVI was not as loved because it didn’t have a job system. The popularity poll had FFVI as the most popular 2D Final Fantasy game which is probably due to the influence it had on FFVII, and FFV was after most of the 3D games pre FFXI and FFIV was behind it. And the legends of localization article was pretty positive on Cloud’s inclusion, but when the Nintendo fanboys mentioned Final Fantasy IV and V but there was no mention of Final Fantasy VI.

@gregtroyan

10 ай бұрын

@@thomasffrench3639 In general, from what I've seen, VI being considered the best Final Fantasy is almost entirely exclusively a western phenomenon. I've noticed a lot of Japanese players are very much into V, including a lot of Devs, and again, VI's sales weren't that impressive compared to other games in the series. This list was largely made with the western audience in mind, of whom I have a pretty good finger on the pulse of, but I'll admit it's tougher to gauge the general feeling of Japanese fandom because I don't have years upon years of experience engaging in direct conversation with them.

@thomasffrench3639

10 ай бұрын

@@gregtroyan yeah you won’t see people calling it the best in Japan, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s considered the best 2D Final Fantasy by a lot of them. But yea it being the best is definitely a western phenomenon from almost exclusively people who are from the SNES generation, but I have seen others say so. I also think that part of it was Ted Woosley’s memes making Kefka more memorable, and him being the best villain is definitely something that even non-SNES fanboys agree on in a much more common opinion. So I don’t actually know what the consensus is, but Final Fantasy V is hugely popular in Japan. Although one thing I find really strange is that it’s Joey the Anime Man’s favorite Final Fantasy game, which is interesting because he speaks both Japanese and English. Like I would expect his favorite to be like FFIX or something. Maybe he ran in more western gaming circles, but it is interesting. I don’t know if you know much about him at all.

@gregtroyan

10 ай бұрын

@@thomasffrench3639 This is my first hearing of this Joey figure.

IMO, it should 9 -> 7/6 -> 7/6. I feel like they're more or less interchangable. 9's popularity is very recent and significantly less rabid than 7 or 6's fandom.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

The love for 9 has been going strong for a while as far as I can tell. Basically, by the time 11 came out I already saw the rise of 9 in the fandom. But that's just from my experience.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I do agree that 9 fans are less rabid.

What its worth, I'd rank the ones I've played, from best to not as good.... 1. XIV - yes, I am exactly part of the cult you described. 2. VIII - Related a lot to Squall, great gameplay and music 3. X - except I hate some of the later sphere puzzles 4 &5. VII & IX tied. Cant split them, both great games. 6. XII Bad start and finish but with a great middle section. Best world outside if XIV. 7, VI - a solid game, no real faults 8. IV - a bit dated but solid game 9. I- a good start but very much a NES game. 10. XV - only plaued about 20 hours. Boring combat and little direction. Looks good though. 11. XIII - only played about 15 hours, boring combat, no hook, but I so want to give it another chance as later game looks interesting.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

The XIV cult is fascinating to me because I know the extreme danger of me joining, hahaha. Solid list and one that makes sense, even if it's not to my tastes, I can see the grander narrative of what appeals to you in terms of vibe. I dig it.

@Terrordragonfly

Жыл бұрын

​@@gregtroyan... Join us...

FF9 is only recently more well received. In 2000 it was seen not as positively as 8. Some factors were the art style/character style, the late release on ps1, and how it compared to 7 and 8. I don’t think this justifies it being #2 on this list. I’d swap 7 and 9 here.

@gregtroyan

3 ай бұрын

That's a fair point, however, IX's reputation rose pretty quickly. By the time XII came out people had come around on IX being on of the best games in the series and it's popularity only continued to grow. While I think VII is overall more popular in the general gaming zeitgeist, there are sooooooooo many FFVII haters out there is why I ranked it where I did. I don't think VII's backlash is justified, but I think it's there, wheras IX seems to mostly garner praise aside from a few folks complaining about battle speed.

No tactics advance :(

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

In the intro video for the series, I mentioned that I was only doing the mainline games and Tactics. I like Tactics Advance a lot and mention it in a few of the videos. The video series ended up being 10 and a half hours worth of content just ranking the mainline games and Tactics, and if I included every single game in every category...it would have been an impossible project to complete, hahaha. So, Tactics Advance might not have gotten ranked, but there's 10 and a half hours of content on the series, and Tactics Advance gets some love in some of the other vids. : )

.......6 is soooo much better. 😊 What i love about FF (and other games) is they are art. We all see something different and have our own opinions. My list (just personal preferences) Tactics FF4 FF6 (tho, I swap 4 / 6 depending on the day) FF7 FF5 FF9 FF8 FF12 FF15 FF1 FF2 FF13 FF3 Haven't played FF11 or FF14, but want to play 14 someday.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Lol

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

lol to your first line of the comment, not to the newly added sentence. A big part of the appeal of the series is how different the entries are.

@soleil4332

Жыл бұрын

Where would you rank 10 I don't see it in the list

@gzsprout

Жыл бұрын

@soleil4332 good catch, prolly between 8 & 12. It'd probably beat 8 if it weren't for triple triad

I honestly can't see why you don't like ff6, it's literally a perfect game I can't even think of a criticism for. I don't think it makes any other game worse, ff6 is just the best game of that style and you prefer it or you don't. 2d, 10 and 15 are where it's at for me

@gregtroyan

11 ай бұрын

I like FFVI. It's not my favorite Snes FF (that's IV) but I do like it a lot. Did you watch my other videos in the series? I lay out the positives and negatives for VI in all of those rankings. Are there any specific criticisms of it I made in those videos you disagree with?

@gentronseven

11 ай бұрын

@gregtroyan I've watched almost all of them, I'd say the main criticisms I disagree with would be the music, the quality of the main character, the battle system. I pretty much entirely disagree 😀. It's alright, everyone has their own likes and dislikes and I still mightily enjoy the videos

@gregtroyan

11 ай бұрын

@@gentronseven 1. The music I stated was overall pretty good, but there are some major tracks I actively dislike, and a lot of stuff that I'm more in the middle on. I did state it had arguably my favorite track in the series, so I don't dislike the soundtrack overall, just some tracks I'm not as hot on. 2. The battle system thing is something I'm not too passionate on, honestly. It's ATB combat, so if you wanted to argue it's technically better than IV, V, VII or whatever, it's not a hill I'll die on. That category is kinda a wash for me. 3. I generally stand by my points about Terra being a weaker written character lacking much personality, despite offering some very excellent storytelling hooks. I don't dislike VI. I love Final Fantasy VI. I also think VI is a bit overrated and I think discourse around the game could afford to be more nuanced. And VI did rank pretty high in a number of categories, like Villains and Cast, and it did decently well in the Story ranking too, so it ranked high in some of the most important categories. I'm glad you're still able to enjoy the videos with my wrong opinions. ; )

@gentronseven

11 ай бұрын

@gregtroyan an opinion can't be wrong otherwise it's a statement of fact 😀 I think it's more interesting that you have a different opinion than that it's the same as everyone else's

@gregtroyan

11 ай бұрын

@@gentronseven Thanks mate. This particular video is basically just me saying, "And here's what everybody else thinks." Hahahaha.

XIII is too sublime to be that low😭 I love all the characters and every single storyline (except for Sazh's son, is too stoopid😂)

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I personally rank XIII higher.

@honella7146

Жыл бұрын

@@gregtroyan thankz for having that in common😊❤️

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@honella7146 You should check out my video with my personal ranking. Some nice praise of 13 there. 😊 It's on the playlist in the pinned comment.

Dad jokes need no junctionification.

so, you're peaking a lot on the s's. May want a filter or something for your mic.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

It's a cheap headset mic. I debated whether or not to make these videos at all because I couldn't afford a better mic setup, but I decided to go for it anyway. I'm aware of the quality issues and did my best to combat them in post.

XIII and XV deservedly gets the hate. They earned it :) 🤣

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Says the Steelers fan. 😜

@TheSteelers4190

Жыл бұрын

@@gregtroyan don't hate homie

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@TheSteelers4190 I mean, it's American football. I don't have a horse in that race. 🐎

FFXI isn't bottom 3.... just because you or others haven't played it means ppl dont care about it? wtf reasoning is that? lol u simply don't rank it on your list if you haven't played it or put in a enough time to actual judge it. And just because 14 is out now doesn't mean you completely disregard what 11 offered for it's time. Really poor analysis on XI it has nothing do with fan consensus.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Hi. I LOVE FFXI. I've beaten all the expansions and recently beat the new Voracious Resurgence questline. The video footage here is from my character. This ranking isn't my opinion on the games, but my assessment of how the FF community views them. Most fans ignore XI and in most list videos, they exclude the game entirely, so that's why it's ranked lower in this category. I encourage you to watch my other videos in this series and you'll see I have plenty of nice things to say about XI. XI, if I include expansions, is a top 6 FF game for me. Again, this video is about audience reception overall. XI fans love the game, general FF fans snub it. Not saying it's a good thing and I've become a big proponent of the game.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

When I say "fan consensus" I'm talking about overall reception in the grander FF community. Even if you love XI like I do, you have to admit most FF fans are sadly apathetic towards the game and won't give it a shot or even really think about it much at all.

@Zellos101

Жыл бұрын

@@gregtroyan I understand what you are saying but this would be the exact same case for XIV as well cuz half the FF fanbase haven't touched it either because just like XI both are MMOs most fans would snub both. The reasoning to rate either lower just because they are MMOs and rather skip them is a meaningless point. Anyone who has played XI highly rates it in most cases and that's the exact same for XIV and those that haven't well they don't care for them. If the players who have played XI rate it over the others in the series then it should be alot higher than suggested. I played XI and just like u I would rate it in my top 6. Ppl who haven't played cannot rate it therefore their opinion or ranking shouldn't be counted. Fan's reception to a game they haven't even played makes no sense.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@Zellos101 I gave my justification in the video as to why XIV ranked higher. There are a lot more people who tried it due to the free trial, it's easier to access, it's far more popular, and while a lot skip it, a lot also contend it's the best one. I personally like XI way more than XIV. As I said, this video isn't my ranking, but my commentary on the general fan consensus (FF fans in general).

Ive usually found 7 fans to be much more toxic than 6 😅 guess we are on different message boards 🤣

@gregtroyan

8 ай бұрын

I haven't seen a VII fan create a video game and trash on other FF games within that game. :P

@gregtroyan

8 ай бұрын

Btw, I like your channel and am glad you stumbled onto these vids. Hopefully you enjoy the rankings.

@rpgranked

8 ай бұрын

​@@gregtroyanhahaha yes I definitely haven't seen that, I hadn't heard of that game before tho, should check it out haha

this guys voice is so nasally i cannot watch it

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I hate his voice too. Terrible.