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

I've been loving these videos, can't wait to watch more

@gregtroyan

11 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'm glad you've been enjoying them!

Final Fantasy VII. Why am I not surprised?

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Because it's a really great opening that delivers great exposition for characters and world through an exciting and atmospheric action setpiece?

@jamesgravil9162

Жыл бұрын

@@gregtroyan I love VII, but I was hoping to be surprised this time (you always know which game is going to be number one). For me, VIII has one of the most memorable openings of any game ever. Still holds up well to this day. The pace of the opening is much slower after the cinematic, but I would have put VIII first and VII second. I guess it's a matter of taste.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@jamesgravil9162 VIII's opening is really cool in the way a great music video is really cool, but VII's intro offers all the bombast of VII's intro alongside far greater character writing and world exposition. VIII is basically all style and not that much substance, versus VII has a lot of style AND a lot of substance. But again, VIII ranked top 3, so it's definitely a great intro. One thing with my rankings is that I'm not afraid to pick the boring choices. A lot of folks try to pick games other than VII as the number one in an attempt to be interesting, but I don't want to be dishonest in my opinion for the attempt at getting cool points. My favorite band is The Beatles, and I tell people I think they're the greatest band ever, and people groan about my "predictable" opinion. If it's my honest opinion, I'd rather be honest than not. VII takes first in a lot of categories in this ranking, but not all of them, and there are even some where VII ranks towards the bottom. The great thing about doing a series like this is that the wide array of categories allows the games to shine in different ways. The problem with VII is that it just happened to excel in a bunch of the most important ones. : )

@SINGULAR-L

2 ай бұрын

It’s square’s magnum opus. It’s not his fault that the game is tops in the series in many regards

@gregtroyan

Ай бұрын

@@SINGULAR-L Literally this.

Cannot say I agree that pushing forward (i.e pushing a car with your boy band) is more riveting than a Shakespearean assassination start. But each to their own.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I like that XV gave us characters to care about in the intro. XII, for me, didn't give me a reason to care about the conflict. I love the bard and am down for Shakespearean aspects to writing, but I think XV's ending is far better example of something reminiscent of the bard than XII's intro, personally. Perhaps in prose, XII's intro is closer, but in terms of content and themes, definitely XV.

I love II’s intro

@gregtroyan

Ай бұрын

Me too!

I started this video like okay, while I'm not the biggest fan of the game, this is the one video in this series FFXII will do well in. The moment up to rex's death was a masterpiece before the ball was dropped with vaan's appearance. So here we.. ulp never mind 😂

@gregtroyan

3 ай бұрын

LMAO

Damn, haha hitting XII hard. I felt the same way when I first popped it in.

@gregtroyan

Ай бұрын

I only speak the truth.

Great list, i know FF12 intro is terrible but if you wait on the main menu it has a bad ass tailer that goes great with the crystal theme

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I do enjoy it's versions of the Prelude and Main Theme quite a bit.

I suspect the FF 12 intro was originally going to be a flashback sequence later in the game, but they couldn't find a way to work it in naturally so slapped it on the start of tne game. The first few hours of gameplay is pretty confusing too, but its a great game when it finally takes off.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I think it should just have been cut, imo. I might have had a better first impression of the game otherwise. It's a good game but the start is rough.

Thanks to the video, although I do agree with some (most) of your points, and although you signaled your definition of "opening" is very arbitrary, it gives some clear biases that favour some episodes over others: especially, why keep solely the intro movie for FF8 but take the intro + first mission with Reks for 12 for example? A more honest definition of the opening of 8 for me is the intro + the first part in the BGU + the hunt for Ifrit. And the only reason not to take those parts is because it's a pretty weak intro. As you rightly mentionned, the movie is probably here to hype the player before a dull sequence at the university. And as a big fan of FF12, I have to defend this opening for its grandiose atmosphere. Although we are not clear on the locations and all, the big picture is clear enough to understand how dire the situation is for Dalmasca and our characters. I agree it could be omitted, but it gives us a taste of the war the characters will talk about in the game, to make it feel more concrete for the player. Plus the twist of Reks death allows for an easy identification with Vaan's struggle, as we have been Reks in the moment of his death. We have felt Basch's betrayal (although the devs really spoiled this story when they told us Basch was one of the main party members). It feels to me much more compelling than an exam and a hunt in a cave. It's very bombastic and cinematographic (is that a word in english?) Similarly, I think the opening of 10 should include as well the first part in Zanarkand until Tidus is stolen by Sin, especially because I think it is as brilliant as the part you described and is as engaging. One of the best opening of the series and I would place it second behind 7 as well (I agree that 7, 10 and 9 are probably the best openings of the series)

@gregtroyan

3 ай бұрын

It's a bit hard to decide where the dividing lines in what I consider "intros" are. For me, it feels like the resolution of a certain thematic section. For XII, the extension into the Reks sequence makes sense because the intro movie remains furiously unresolved until the resolution of the Reks section, wheras in the case of FFVIII it really feels like we are moving into a completely different section after that intro movie. Same with FFX, where I feel that opening movie concludes in such a way where it feels like the Zanarkind bits are the next "section" after the intro, but one could easily argue it is also part of the intro. In terms of biases, I like FFX's Zanarkind section quite a bit, but I excluded it in the ranking because I considered it more of a separate section. So, it's not purely a case of me excluding VIII's intro at the school because I like it less than Liberali Fatali, but more because I genuinely consider it to be the next "section". With XII, because of the way the intro movie is structured, it really feels like the opening Reks gameplay arc is all part of the same intro. But I acknowledge how arbitrary it all is.

I didn't like much of anything about ffVIII, but that intro was awesome to me. For me, my favorite intros are 4, 8, 7, and 6.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

VIII, for all it's flaws, has a very cool intro.

XI really makes me want to play it, but can't justfy paying for it as well as XIV.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

They do have free login campaigns every few months or so. Just gotta keep an eye out for them. There are free private servers, but I love all the extra content in retail and have no desire to play on a private server.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Also, the KZread channel Korvana has cutscenes for all the expansions (minus the new storyline, "The Voracious Resurgence").

I think the intro is one of the reasons I prefer the 2d games in most cases, swift introduction then I get to play.

@gregtroyan

11 ай бұрын

That's fair. They are in fact video games. I'm less concerned with the length of an intro and more concerned with the narrative hook, but that's just me.

@gentronseven

11 ай бұрын

@gregtroyan I think a properly done narrative hook lets you play the majority of it, show don't tell type of thing. Games are definitely the perfect medium for it

@gregtroyan

11 ай бұрын

@@gentronseven I hear ya. I just don't know if I place as much importance on that necessarily. I think X's intro is one of the best, and it's just a cutscene.

❤

Here's mine of all I've played so far :) Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Final Fantasy Dimensions II Final Fantasy IV: The After Years Final Fantasy V Final Fantasy Tactics Final Fantasy Final Fantasy Dimensions Final Fantasy IV Final Fantasy X-2 Final Fantasy IX World of Final Fantasy Final Fantasy VI Final Fantasy XII Final Fantasy II Final Fantasy XIII Final Fantasy XV Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VIII Final Fantasy X

@rpgranked

2 ай бұрын

(bottom is best)

@gregtroyan

2 ай бұрын

@@rpgranked Observations: Kinda weird to see you played A2 but not Advance. Most fans have played Advance but not A2. Don't get me wrong, it's kinda cool to see something so out there, and in many ways A2 is better than Advance, but still a bit surprising. The hottest take on the list is seeing World of Final Fantasy so high on your list. That's a shocker for me. I've played every game on your list but the only one I haven't beaten is World of Final Fantasy (started it with the wife and she wasn't into it). I did like the intro to that game but I definitely wouldn't rank it quite as high.

@rpgranked

2 ай бұрын

@@gregtroyan yeah I need to play advance 😂 I played A-2 cuz my dad got it for me back in the day on the DS and I've never had a GBA so 😂 but I'll play it one day

@rpgranked

2 ай бұрын

@@gregtroyan I loved the intro to World of Final Fantasy! Great intro

@rpgranked

2 ай бұрын

@@gregtroyan and I really liked the FF12 intro hahaha 😅

FF12 is my second favorite FF but yeah I would agree lol the first 10 hours of the game is pretty slow and uninteresting in general and doesn't really pick up until you get all the party members and head to Raithwall's tomb

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

Yeah. The first time I played the game I quit before I got to that point because I was so bored with it.

Might be recency bias but XVI's intro>>> imo for intro of XII is pretty good not sure where i would place it but im gonna watch your vid first (bro ur poor wife you went Hojo on her ... lol) thats unfair XV's intro is Kingsglaive😆 it's also great the game doesn't even feel like it really started until the events ad Imsomnia happen anyways my good i have seen those FFXIV cinematics so much i just love them Bahamut devastating everything is one of the most epic things i have ever seen in a cinematic (but ARR is so slow and has so much padding throughout that i don't blame anyone for not putting it higher) as usual i feel nothing with VI ... had even forgotten parts of it don't care much abt the IX intro it was much more predictable than most the others i have bothered to comment on (except for that Garnet line i did not expected her to say that) definitely agreeing with FFIV having an amazing CGI intro i love it (the one in The After Years is awsome as well) as for the start of IV ... yeah out of the older games nothing tops what Cecil was used to do in terms of brutality didn't cared much about the OG XIII intro (Nora's death and the purge were an interesting concept that never really payed out but when its actually happening and you dont know whay will happen its not bad at all) but for me the XIII-2 intro and the XIII-LR intros were better not thematically but they were more exciting perhaps because they were sequels and had characters i already knew VIII's intro is kinda good but the game not living up with it sours it in retrospective (kinda like XV) X is the best after XIV imo maybe even better "listen to my story this might be my last chance" were the first Final Fantasy words we ever heard and they definitely had a great story to tell throughout the whole experience VII bombing mission ain't bad but it's even better in Remake like multiple times better i remember doing that demo like 70 times after seeing your whole list idk bro not really that interested in the subject but still worth watching and im not all that sure that XVI has the objectively best one right now anymore since there are so many epic ones (and i need that payoff before i can really choose) but with what i know XVI>>> maybe X is better because of the weight it holds and how it makes a promise and then delivers on it brilliantly and if we include Cinematics then each of the XIV Expansion Cinematics should be the best but imo so far XVI has the best one if we count the demo as intro followed by the VII-Remake demo

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I've been so busy trying to get these videos finished I haven't had a chance to look at the XVI demo yet. I'm excited to check it out the whole game when I have the time. : )

@Force-Multiplier

Жыл бұрын

@@gregtroyan it's good no need to rush it but i have only done that demo since yesterday its pretty much the only thing i want to do too

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@Force-Multiplier That's fair.

XV is probably my least favorite out of the post IV games (more story oriented, the first three are difficult to rank as they were more generic). I agree that XII is also pretty bad. I probably rank them like this: 1.-VII 2.-IV 3.-X 4.-IX 5.-VI 6.-VIII 7.-XIII 8.-XIV 9.-V 10.-XII 11.-XV

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I'm actually surprised you ranked the intro for XV below XII's intro. Not a Florence and the Machine fan? :P

@juanvalverde5245

Жыл бұрын

@@gregtroyan I like Florence and the Machines, but I didn't like to hear a well known song as one of the songs for a FF game. This had never happened before and felt weird. I remmeber my wife loving that version of the song. I just didn't care as much

@juanvalverde5245

Жыл бұрын

by the way..... after playing XVI's intro.... I think we may have a new champ....

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@juanvalverde5245 I haven't checked it out yet. Strong words, but I'm hearing a lot of positive things.

I love how you hate VI 😂

@gregtroyan

Ай бұрын

I really don't hate VI. I just don't think it's this flawless jewel with zero imperfections.

@Aries_Aria

28 күн бұрын

@@gregtroyan and FFVII is this flawless jewel with zero imperfections? Because it seems EVERY list I see of yours has VII at the top.

@gregtroyan

28 күн бұрын

@@Aries_Aria No, VII has plenty of flaws I regularly acknowledge. It just so happens that the really popular one also happens to be really good. You also are definitely skipping some vids because there are rankings where VII ranks lower than VI.

tl;dw FFVII was the first. Because of course it fucking was.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I mean, it's a really good intro.

And again I agree with most. I personally would have rated ff6 higher and ff13 lower but mostly agreed

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

I think XIII's intro is rad. Looking at it in a vacuum it's an exciting intro full of cool action, intrigue, and a fight with an awesome robot. I love it.

@Michael-----

Жыл бұрын

Greg really likes FF6, but he feels it gets a little too much love, thus he takes every opportunity he can to poop on it.💩

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@Michael----- I compared FFVI to a Beatles song. That's probably the highest praise I can give a piece of media. :P

@Michael-----

Жыл бұрын

@@gregtroyan Am I supposed to know what Beatles song you compared it to? I don't remember if you said it in any of the rankings. I will admit to not viewing all of them in full. If it was in the music ranking, I was so offended you ranked the soundtrack of VI at #12 that I had to turn the vid off. Hopefully it's not a Beatles song I hate that you compare to FFVI. Yes, there are really bad Beatles songs. 'Good Day Sunshine' for instance.

@gregtroyan

Жыл бұрын

@@Michael----- It's in this video.