For newcomers, the Final Fantasy series can be intimidating. It is one of the longest-running video game franchises ever, spanning several decades and multiple console generations.
A huge number of spinoffs for all three major console families, PC, and mobile have been produced as a result of the success of the Final Fantasy series, in addition to the numerous “main” Final Fantasy games.
How many Final Fantasy games are there? Please continue reading if you are interested in learning more about this subject.
How Many Final Fantasy Games Are There In Total?
By the year 2022, there will be 95 distinct Final Fantasy titles, including 15 from the main Final Fantasy series. In addition, two anime and five video releases are included in the overall franchise.
The majority of fans believe that there are primarily 15 Final Fantasy games—or 16 if you count X-2, the only direct sequel to the series’ first installment that has yet to be released. If you count the Final Fantasy 7 Remake as a separate release, that number could rise to 17. The remaining games are either spinoff releases, mobile games, or collections like Final Fantasy Origins.
Read More: Are All Final Fantasy Games Connected?
Main Series
There are 15 main-series Final Fantasy games, starting with No. 16 on the way in the summer of 2023. Although the initial Final Fantasy numbering conventions were inconsistent and frequently redundant, especially between the Japanese and Western versions, they are now more clear.
The games are organized into a wide range of genres, from the traditional turn-based JRPG to the action RPG to the MMO, and they are numbered from one through 15 using Roman numerals.
A few of the listed games also have closely related sequels and prequels. Final Fantasy X-2 is the follow-up to Final Fantasy X, while Final Fantasy XII: It is both a sequel and a spin-off to Final Fantasy XII, called Revenant Wings.
The After Years, an episodic prequel to Final Fantasy IV, was released on WiiWare and mobile platforms. The prequel Crisis Core was released for Final Fantasy VII.
Two direct continuations of Final Fantasy XIII exist Game titles Lightning Returns and Final Fantasy XIII-2: If these companion games are counted as part of the main series, Final Fantasy XIII, there are now a total of 21 games in the series.
Side Series
It’s almost impossible to keep track of all the Final Fantasy side games. Many of them, particularly mobile games, are Japan-only and have never been made available in the United States.
Final Fantasy Tactics, a turn-based strategy spin-off, Chocobo, which includes Final Fantasy Fables and Chocobo Racing, the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series, a collection of action RPGs for Nintendo platforms, and Dissidia Final Fantasy, which primarily appeared on PSP and mobile platforms, are a few of the more notable side series.
Famous standalone spinoff titles include Final Fantasy: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy a critically acclaimed rhythm game that features some of the best music from the series, as well as The 4 Heroes of Light, whose follow-up was Bravely Default.
Final Fantasy All the Bravest, a mobile game that received intense disapproval from fans, should be forgotten. The majority of the retro Final Fantasy games that have been re-released on mobile have received negative reviews from critics and players. The total number of spinoffs is hardly even touched by this list.
Which Final Fantasy Should I Start?
We are aware of your thoughts: Which Final Fantasy game should I play first given a large number of titles in the series? The games, unfortunately, have almost no continuity between releases.
Instead, they simply share common themes and characters or creatures, like Moogles or an engineer by the name of Cid.
We generally advise starting with the most recent core game available for whichever platform you own if you want to check out the Final Fantasy series for yourself. The most recent release as of 2021 is Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which can be found on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Although by no means a contemporary release, the original Final Fantasy VII is also accessible on previous-generation platforms.
Is There An Order To Play Final Fantasy Games?
There is no ideal order to play the Final Fantasy games because there is effectively no continuity in the series. All of them, with the exception of FFX-2, do something slightly different, but none of them continue the plot from earlier releases.
To start the series and follow its development, many players opt to start with the first game. As a result, they play through the remaining core games in order, starting with the first Final Fantasy game.
As massively multiplayer online games that depart from the standard single-player JRPG formula, they’ll also typically skip FFXI and FFXIV.
It takes a lot of work, but you can play through the core titles in this sequence to experience everything the Final Fantasy series has to offer:
- Final Fantasy (NES)
- Final Fantasy II (NES)
- Final Fantasy III (NES)
- Final Fantasy IV (SNES)
- Final Fantasy V (SNES)
- sold in the United States: Final Fantasy VI (SNES). as Final Fantasy 3, not to be confused with the NES release
- Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
- Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation)
- Final Fantasy IX (PlayStation)
- Final Fantasy X (PlayStation 2)
- Final Fantasy XII (PlayStation 2)
- Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3)
- Final Fantasy XV (PlayStation 4)
What Is The Best Final Fantasy?
Checking out the series’ best games makes sense if you want to experience the highlights of the Final Fantasy franchise. The best Final Fantasy game, however, is a topic of intense debate. However, aggregator review sites like Metacritic would argue that Final Fantasy 7 is not the series’ pinnacle.
The highest-rated Final Fantasy game, according to Metacritic, is FFIX, closely followed by FFVII. In this case, the GBA version of FFVI comes in at a close third and is placed just above FFX in fourth place.
As a result of FFVIII having a higher Metascore and Tactics Advance having a higher user score, they are effectively tied for fifth place.
All things considered, Final Fantasy 7 is typically regarded as the best. Simply put, more fans of the series prefer it, and there is unquestionably a much bigger fan base for it.
However, the PlayStation’s golden 32-bit era saw the release of FFVII, FFVIII, and FFIX, all of which are consistently rated as some of the best in the series. In a nutshell, any of these games could be cited as an illustration of the pinnacle of the genre.
What a series it is, too. In the world of video games, Final Fantasy is truly legendary and has produced some of the most successful JRPGs ever. Even though there are almost 100 games in total, any one of the series’ core 15 releases will be a good place for newcomers to start.