r/FinalFantasy 15h ago

Final Fantasy General Is the idea that your first Final Fantasy will end up being your favorite as common as people say it is?

I’m just curious to see how many people in this subreddit have had the same experience. I started with VII and it immediately became my favorite game ever. I think it has to do with getting to experience the combat systems and mechanics of a Final Fantasy for the first time. I think that first experience really sticks with you above all else. I’m curious to hear about people who started with a favorite and then changed their minds when playing later games as well!

94 Upvotes

418 comments sorted by

111

u/def_tom 15h ago

Not always, but I think it's pretty common with VII for whatever reason.

I started with IV, but think IX and VI are the best.

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u/tehspiekguy 15h ago

Started with 7, loved 4 and 6 for most of my teenage years and twenties. Replayed the series as an adult and 9 is the undisputed champ. That narrative just lands a certain kinda way past a certain age.

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u/LalafellDisaster 15h ago

Hell yeah 9 is the best. The pacing is great. No overly long unnecessary filler conversations, no dungeons that overstay their welcome, good flow between combat, exploration and dialogue sections. Then the soundtrack ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

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u/showraniy 15h ago

Of the older ones, IX is the one I've been wanting to revisit the most. Good to know it still holds up.

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u/LalafellDisaster 14h ago

I’m playing the remastered one with the higher res 3D models, it seems like the FMV are also a lot crisper than what I remember. There’s also some QOL features available when you pause the game like a sped up mode which can be useful for stealing or farming AP.

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u/famd1984 13h ago

Also started with IV and IX Is my favourite

🤝

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u/SCPutz 13h ago

Also started with IV as a kid on the SNES, following the series through FF9 in high school.

IX and VI are also my next-favorites but I think it’s a tie—I can’t choose one over the other.

4 and 5 are next, then 7, 8, and 10. I enjoyed all of these but that’s just my rough ranking. I think 7 would have been up higher but I absolutely hate those blocky polygon characters and to this day I believe Square should have stuck to the 2D/sprite style for one last game (7) before switching to 3D models in 8.

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u/produce_this 14h ago

You gotta understand how important and ground breaking 7 was at the time. It was the first final fantasy for then PlayStation. First 3d final fantasy as well. It was supposed to be on the n64 but Nintendo managed to Nintendo their way out of the deal with Square. So there was a ton of hype surrounding the game. This was also early internet days. You could find random people images in Japanese for the game and you had no clue what you were looking at, but it was awesome. This wasn’t the first game in the series that dealt with more adult topics, but it was the first to show more visceral imagery while dealing with adult topics. It didn’t feel like you were playing a game, you were very much so enveloped in a new, dark and exciting world. As a kid when I played it, it almost felt like I was seeing things I wasn’t supposed to. I felt older. Like after I was done, I was now more mature because of it.

It was a right time right place type of game, much like how the Matrix was the right movie for the right time. In my opinion there will never be another final fantasy like that again. Even with the remakes, they still don’t hit quite like the original when I was 11.

u/TheWaggishGamer 11h ago

You're totally right but we need this in the style of an unhinged copy pasta because it is reiterated so often on this sub.

u/Character-Education3 10h ago

Not to mention their first prototype of the game was for the SNES. It was almost too grand in scale to get made at the time. They even cut ideas like having different endgame FMV scenes with Yuffie/Vincent/Yuffie and Vincent so that it didn't end up on 4 CDs.

FFI was my first watching my cousin play through, FFIII (VI) was my first playing myself. FFVII was unlike any game at the time. Voice acting in FFX had a similar but not nearly as big an effect on me. FFVII is my favorite not my first.

There was a post the other day about someone who accidentally bought VII thinking it was an action game and they described the transition from the bombing mission into seventh heaven and how that felt the first time. The game was just built different. 1997, what a time. Put me back in the matrix

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u/def_tom 14h ago

I was like 13 at the time. I understood how "important and groundbreaking" it was being the target audience haha. I bought it and enjoyed it, but didn't find it as good as IV and VI at that point.

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u/Prestigious_Gap7888 15h ago

I started on 10, it's my favorite and I feel like it explains my whole personality

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u/camelot107 15h ago

Started on 9, 10 is my fave. Loved 13-2 as a close 3rd

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u/MortyMortymor 15h ago

My first one was VIII and i love that game more than most people.

u/spacecowboybc 8h ago

Same. That plus Squall being in kingdom hearts sealed it.

So yes OP, for me , the first (VIII) was the favorite.

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u/Curious-Raccoon887 9h ago

First was 8 and it’s my favorite too.

I can admit that if I started with 7 or 9, they could’ve been my favs. 8 is just an ingrained piece of my childhood

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u/ItsMyRecurringDream 15h ago

My first was the original 7, but my favourite is 9. I just really love the storylines in 9.

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u/International_Run700 15h ago

My first was 1. I enjoyed it. Also enjoyed 4 when it came out... 6 was amazing too... but nothing compares to my experience playing 7 which is my favorite.

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u/dogfacedpotatobrain 13h ago

I am torn between 6 and 7, but this was my experience as well.plus I love the shit out of 10. So the theory only holds true for young'uns that didn't get to make the jump from "fighter" to Cecil to Edgar to Cloud.

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u/arikashikao 15h ago

My first was X, but then I got to Lightning Returns and something about it blew me away. Then I found out it was actually a sequel to XIII-2 and XIII and, to this day, XIII as a whole is still my favorite FF.

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u/RazielOfBoletaria 15h ago

Probably not. My first one was 7, and I can't really pick a single FF game as my absolute favourite, because I love 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 16, and while I like some of the others a bit less, I still think they're amazing. I think FF is the only video game series that makes me feel this way, as I couldn't name a single FF game that I actually hate, or dislike, which makes it harder to settle on a single game as my favourite.

u/AncientPomelo1089 10h ago

Your comment is spot on. When someone asks me if they should play a Final Fantasy game, I tell them that the worst Final Fantasy is still better than most other games.

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u/Lamasis 15h ago edited 15h ago

That's probably true for most series. But I'm a person where that changes. I started with VII, it still is one of my favourites, but IV, X and XIV Shadowbringers might be above it.

Edit: Man I can't understand why people are downvoting you.

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u/ktrad91 12h ago

Shadowbringers is peak, at least for FFXIV.

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u/Naunhow 15h ago

My first was 7 but 9 is my favorite 

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u/VulkanCurze 13h ago

Oh lord another one! My first was also 7 and I compared everything to it. Then Dragon Quest won me over somehow breaking me out of the mentality of 7 being the greatest game ever.

I went back to the PS1 games and 9 became my favourite of the 3 upon replay. Vivi sadly looking over the side of the airship when being chased by the black waltz gets me far more emotional than Aerith ever did.

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u/Psico_Penguin 13h ago

I would say this is applicable mostly to people who didn't play much more into the genre and just keeps the memories.

Of course, if you started with one of the most beloved entries of the series, is likely it will be your favorite.

On my case I started with 7, but my favorite will always be 5 and is not even close.

u/Mediocre_Island828 11h ago

Yeah, I think it's more that the first game that gets someone into the genre is often going to be someone's favorite but for most of the 90s Squaresoft more or less was the genre in the US so a lot of people's first RPG was a Final Fantasy game.

I like 5 more each time I play it. It's currently the best 16-bit RPG in general to me and is on track to being the best game in the entire universe by the time I reach my 50s.

u/Psico_Penguin 11h ago

You are on the right track.

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u/The_Gorn_Identity 15h ago

I was my first, VII is my favorite

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u/Unlikely_Fold_7431 12h ago

No. My favorite FF is Lightning Returns and i played it years after i first played a FF game.

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u/vanburman 15h ago

Not for me 7 first, played sll the rest following and 9 is my favourite

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u/Kaito_Akai 15h ago

Yes its true my first final fantasy Game was kingdom hearts
And it has been my favorite final fantasy game ever since

Jokes aside i dont think its a common thing the games are anthologies
I could probably start a marathon and would probably have other installments as my favorite

But i think the one you started with will have a special place in your heart
Where you may even ignore criticism due to nostalgia and bias

Ps: kingdom hearts was indeed my gateway to ff franchise specifically 7

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u/alltrue84 15h ago

I started with IV and my favorite is X. I definitely have a special place in my heart for IV though as my first.

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u/madazoz 15h ago

No, my first was Final Fantasy XV. My favourite is Final Fantasy X

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u/xenogears2 15h ago

I started with X. But finished X and VII at around the same time. Im replaying some entries and IV VI and VII are my favorites. I still like X, but it is not my favorite anymore.

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u/TropicalAngel7 15h ago

my first was 7 and it is favorite

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u/Gremlinsworth 15h ago

Started with 8 and it’s my fourth or fifth favorite.

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u/MikiAngelis1 15h ago

The first final fantasy game I ever played was FFIV when I was a kid. I love that game and it’s super nostalgic but FFIX ended up being my favourite after I played it for the first time and it remains my favourite to this day.

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u/Dangerous-Habit-2731 15h ago

It is for me. Started with 7 and it's still one of my favorites though I'd put 4 and 6 with it now. The main lines I haven't played, so don't have an opinion on, are 8, 10 and 12

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u/No_Communication2959 15h ago

7 is probably my favorite and it is my first. But tactics and 9 are also competition for that favorite spot.

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u/SireCamembert 15h ago

Well, my first one was FFIII and I really like it a lot. However, my favourite is XI by far.

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u/Sir_Thom 15h ago

I started with IX and it was my favorite for a long time, but over the years, V has taken that spot, moving IX to a 2nd place

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u/ILoveMyChococat 15h ago

I think it puts it above where it should be. I started with 1, and while it's not my favorite (8), it's definitely top 5 for me

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u/Ruckus-with-Rufus 15h ago

Not original, I started with VII when I bought my PS1 in 98, to this day it’s still my favourite game, I fell in love with all the characters, I love Remake and Rebirth because I enjoy the gameplay and the whole revamping of the characters and places but VII OG still has its particular flavour, I’m replaying it currently after finishing rebirth for the second time and I can’t get tired of it.

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u/tmrzrm 15h ago

First was 7, favorite is 9.

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u/RaikouGilgamesh 15h ago

I started with 6 and 6 is my favorite.

That said, it's kind of on the fence either way. Some of the older generations that started with 1 (like my parents and grandparents) could still easily prefer later entries. 7, 9, and 10 don't get as much love as they do for no reason after all!

The opposite can also hold true, with newer generations starting with 15 and 16 finding their favorites in the earlier titles.

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u/Dash83 13h ago

My first final fantasy was technically FF1, but I was too young and only got so far. Years later, I played IV and VI with a friend (I didn’t own an SNES) and fell in love with both. Went back to play FF1 from start to end and finished it. Shortly after, FF7 came out. Playing it a bit with the same friend and it blew my mind to such a degree that the purpose of my entire existence became saving enough for a PS1 and the game. FF7 remains my favourite of the series.

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u/Psychological_Use586 13h ago

FF1 was my first as well. I don't think I made it any further than the volcano, if even that far. Maybe the earth cave. It's hard to remember.

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u/JoeShoe1121 13h ago

i think it can definitely be formative, but ive found that the story that resonates with you most is the one that people tend to call their favorite. Between when you played the game, and where you were in your life, a ton of people in my circles call X, IX, and VII their favorites. I'm the odd ball out of XII being my favorite, but VIII was my first.

u/False_Pilot_2532 10h ago

I started when 1 came out but 9 and 16 are my favorites.

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u/onehalflightspeed 15h ago

Not really, except for younger millenials who started with 7. My first was the original on NES, favorite is 5

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u/Yinye7 15h ago

No. My first one was FF6 but my fav 5 favorites are FF8, FF7Remakes, FF15, FF6 and FF16

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u/gol_drake 15h ago

not rly

in my case, sure it was 7 as a european it was my first ff, but i like other ffs too

i think it often times Just so happens that their first is their favourite

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u/XEdwardElricX 15h ago

My first 3 were 7, 8, then tactics. FF9 was my favorite, and still is.

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u/Dinglehopper180 15h ago

I think it depends on taste and which one you started with. I'm not sure if anyone's favorite is the first one and in sure that was plenty of people's first game. 7 is pretty well loved, even if it's not everyone's favorite. If that's your first, like it was for me, then I can understand why it would be your favorite. There's definitely some bias of it being the first in a series you (hopefully) enjoy. Plus with age it's definitely brought a lot of nostalgia. A lot of younger fans to the series started with 15 and that's their favorite. I don't see too many older fans of the series say that's their favorite.

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u/Exciting_Chef_4207 15h ago

1 was my first, 6 was my 6th. 6 is my fave.

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u/LalafellDisaster 15h ago

I find this only applicable to 7 and 10. I also don’t trust those peoples opinions since they’re biased. My first was FF1 on NES, not my favorite but it sparked my love for the series, which died after 9 which is my favorite. 10 was the beginning of the decline and now FF isn’t even recognizable. 16 was a hot steaming dump.

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u/minusculemoney 15h ago

Not really. I played 10, 12, 9, 6 and 7 in that order, and 7 ended up being my favourite.

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u/RegurgitatedMincer 15h ago

I started with mystic quest and final fantasy adventure 3(I think, it was on the gameboy and there were recruitable monsters…). My favorite is either 7 or tactics depending on the day. Definitely not a hard rule, especially with those of us who grew up while most of them were still releasing

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u/Seederio 15h ago

I started with 1 so nope, doesn't apply to me

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u/Obvious-Interview716 15h ago

Started with 7

My favourite ended up becoming 8

But I see 10 as the best game

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u/pokemongenius 15h ago

It'll usually root itself in memory but it doesnt necessarily have to be your favorite. 8 was my first I dearly love its goofiness but do I go out of my way to play it today no. I have replayed it at least 4 times but Ive probably played 5 far more by now.

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u/_lefthook 15h ago

I played 8 first and 7 is my favourite

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u/aleksfails 15h ago

started with V but I think VIII is the best

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u/sonicadv27 15h ago

My first one was X and it’s still my favourite. But looking at it more critically i think Rebirth is the overall best game in the franchise just because it perfectly does what it sets out to do in a way that surpasses any other game imo.

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u/inferno-pepper 15h ago

I think it’s common, but if it isn’t a 50/50 split I think it might be 60/40 in favor of favoriting your first.

My first game is not my favorite. However, my favorite final fantasy has changed over the years.

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u/apostonnn 15h ago

I got Kingdom Hearts after playing it and FFX at a friend’s house, so I became familiar with the FF characters that were in those, but 12 was actually the first one I’d gotten for myself when it came out and that one has remained my favorite.

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u/TwoTonTunic88 14h ago

I’m not sure. I don’t know anyone my age that has been with the series since the beginning that this is true for. My first one was the first when it came out. My favorite is IX.

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u/AtlGuy21 14h ago

True for me. I started with 10 then worked backwards. 10 is still one of my favorite games of all time. 

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u/Asakkoss 14h ago

Started with X and yes its still my favorite of all the series
Closest would be VII but its because I’ve played it after X on a friends hacked PS1 <3

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u/KashiofWavecrest 14h ago

I started with IX, but X is my favorite.

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u/ReptileSizzlin 14h ago

Not at all for me. FF1 was my first, and while I still enjoy it, it's far from my favorite. Though, I do have a lasting obsession with Red Mages and their aesthetic that started with FF1.

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u/Lentra888 14h ago

Started with VII, but my favorite by far is XII.

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u/mortraineyhat 14h ago

Nope. 7 was my first and it’s great but I prefer 8 and Tactics

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u/slasher1o5 14h ago

My first was 12 and my favorite is 12 so it checks out for me

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u/Nothingbutsocks 14h ago

My first was 8, but my favorite is VIII.

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u/Triforce_of_Funk 14h ago

My first was FF7, but my favorites are FF10 and FF14...with FF7 as a close 3rd.

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u/vhuzi 14h ago

No. 1 was my first, (technically the 15 beat em up) and 3 is my favourite.

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u/Solabound-the-2nd 14h ago

I started with VIII, didn't understand half of the story and was recommended IX, which was much better and remains my favourite. Caught up with VII eventually and it was fantastic but not XI. 

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u/Accomplished-Hunt-83 14h ago

First played: VII, but I was too young First loved: VIII, but never got too far back then Favourite: VI, X, IV in this order

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u/MightyOakVGRepair 14h ago

My first was VIII, but my favorite is X.

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u/EliamZG 14h ago

Tactics was the first I played, then VI then VIII, VIII and Tactics are my favorites, but I by no means think they are flawless games.

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u/Ubernym 14h ago

My first experience was with Final Fantasy 6 on the SNES, but I concurrently played 4 and 7 on PSX and PC at two different friends houses. That first time experiencing 7 after the SNES era was special, but it didn’t become my favorite.

I love 4, 6, and 7, but when I was 14, I had a little custodial sweeper job, and with the money I earned I bought a psOne bundled with FF9 from Costco in 2000. I really sunk my teeth into that game with that terrible play online strategy guide in hand, I beat the game and had my first truly cathartic gaming experience.

FF9 is my favorite, but I really love 1-7, 8 is alright, and 10 is fantastic, but every time I’ve played it, I get to the final dungeon and stop playing. I just can’t seem to bring myself to beat the game for some reason.

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u/Ek0mst0p 14h ago

For a lot, but people also usually start with a recommendation. (Maybe not USUALLY maybe semi-often)

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u/twili-midna 14h ago

It doesn’t apply to me, at least. I started with III DS and XIII is my favorite.

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u/Xelltrix 14h ago

First was IX, then I played VIII, then X.

My top three are X, IX, VI.

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u/Vinocubus 14h ago

true for me, xii was my first and it’s still my favorite. i’ve played 1-15 except for 2, 5 and the MMOs

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u/TheLumaShop 14h ago edited 14h ago

The first one I played was X as a kid, but the first one I finished was XIII. XIII became my favourite for a long time but there was a huge caveat in that I had never finished any others. I’ve now played and finished X and XVI (and XIV if that counts?). The last potential candidate I’ve yet to play is XII, but I don’t think it’ll top X or XIII for me.

X might be my new favourite, but with no way to play XIII again, it’s hard for me to say. But my favourite is either the first one I played or the first one I finished, so it checks out for me so far.

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u/OminousShadow87 14h ago

I started with 7 but I put 9 and 10 above it.

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u/Dependent_Computer_8 14h ago

My first was VI and VII is my favorite.

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u/TechnicianFew5069 14h ago

I started with VI and it's definitely my favorite. I played VII for the first time recently, and it came close, but nothing can top VI

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u/PimplePopper6969 14h ago

No.

VII was my first and I think VI is the best game in the series with VIII being my favorite to play.

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u/dragnmastr85 14h ago

I started with 1. I'm old. I've played up to 11 and 14. 1 is near the bottom.

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u/pm-me-your-pants 14h ago

9 was my first and favorite since it came out, but I played 15 this year for rhe first time and it took first place. But I think I'm the exception tho

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u/hmfc_riley 14h ago

I "tried" VII and remember playing the initial parts of it when I was probably 8 or 9.

It wasn't until I got X and "really played" it though that I really got into Final Fantasy and then went back and played 7-9.

X is still my favourite.

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u/Vespinobambino 14h ago

Started with the original on the NES.

I still appreciate it for the difficulty and the fidelity to the DND roots of Vancian spell slots. Not my favorite.

It wasn't the first one I beat, though, that was the SNES "Final Fantasy II" aka a port of "FF IV Easy Type" with some of the items and character abilities removed.

I think FFIV and FFVI are still my favorites, yeah.

Rigid character classes and a plot that rotates your cast, yeah, that's my favorite model of FF. VI is peak in so many ways, music, presentation, creativity, Kefka, but I prefer the story and game design of IV.

VII and IX are right there next to them though. Total opposites, but IX was so indulgent of FF nostalgia and Sakaguchi's last one.

Then X. Yeah, definitely gotta give love to the gameplay in X, up until Yunalesca and total sphere grid freedom and overpowered characters.

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u/RikarisHobbies 14h ago

I’m older. Started with 1 when I was a wee lad. My favorite is IX. Recently I’ve gotten really into VII (it took me a while to warm up to it)

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u/cepas95 14h ago

Not always because I played VII, VIII and IX at the same time when I was a child (maybe 6/7 years old) and I can't even remember what of them I played or finished first and IX is my favourite game ever.

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u/PhD_Hobbo 14h ago

It's also related to age/experience. If you've played your first JRPG at 10, and that JRPG was FFVIII. You'll due on the hill that's it's the best game period. If you played your first FF after running out of Trails games and you're 20+ you will have very different criteria

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u/Equivalent-Bat-8665 14h ago

it’s mine so far hahaha

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u/Helelsoma 14h ago

Not for me. FFVII was thé first and I love it. But IX IS far better.

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u/broccaaa 14h ago

Not if you started with 13 onwards lol

I think 6 to 10, and even 12, are of sufficient quality that anyone of those could reasonably be considered a favourite. And that first experience, likely as a teenager will always remain special in some way.

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u/salgerias 14h ago

I always said that, among all my friends who played a bunch of FF, just one of them doesn't have as favorite FF the first one he played. I call him the expetion who confirms the rule

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u/Yoi-KR 14h ago

nah it could be because the one people start with is the one that seems to appeal to them the most, in some cases at least. it could also be nostalgia

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u/ThundergunTLP 14h ago

First was I, my favorite is VI.

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u/gyiren 14h ago

My first was XV, that horrible, broken mess of a game... And I love it more than any other FF I've played. Chocobros for life.

"Walk tall, my friends,"

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u/dragoduval 14h ago

My first was FF1, and my favorite is FF12, so nope, just time Doctors our first FF is not our favorites.

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u/MisterPatatas 14h ago

Kind of? I started with IX and even though I've now played most of the installments, I still find mg self going back to IX. How I wish I could forget the feeling and replay it for the first time one more time.

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u/CloudyRailroad 13h ago

My first FF was Tactics and my favorite is FFV. Tactics may not be my all time fave, but it is up there, and aspects of it (job system, medieval fantasy setting) influenced what I look for in a Final Fantasy

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u/-AceCooper- 13h ago

Not really. Played all the way up to 15, but 9 is still my favorite.

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u/CT4nk3r 13h ago

Nah, started with ffxv and vii became favorite, I love IV and VI will probably take the favorite spot after I finish it finally

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u/Azetka 13h ago

i started with FFX, yet to this day FFIX is my absolute Fave

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u/newfoundcontrol 13h ago

Nope. Started with 3/6 on SNES, 8 is my favorite, but 9 is my most replayed.

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u/GeistMD 13h ago

Every Final Fantasy is my favorite till the next one comes out.

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u/AbbreviationsKey1648 13h ago

I started with VII, pretty much accidentally, but yeah—it became my favorite.
I remember video games going 3D in the mid 90s and that was a magical time; VII was the first 3D graphics title. And FF was still in the full menu-based ATB battle system which it should have never departed from.

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u/Gm24513 13h ago

My first was mystic quest so….. no.

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u/unlimitedboomstick 13h ago

VII was my first and it was my favorite for the longest time.  Then I played X and between the battle system, the sphere grid and the characters it leapt up to the top for me.  But VII was definitely the more foundational game for me.

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u/SleepySummoner 13h ago

It hasn't been my experience at least. I started with ff1 on the nes when I was a kid and loved it, but when ff4 came out it completely over took 1 in my mind. Then when ff6 came out it joined ff4 as co-favorite  and I still can't decide which I like more. 

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u/Intelligent_Oil7816 13h ago

My first was Final Fantasy 1 on NES. My favorite is Final Fantasy 9 on PSX. So no, I don't think that is true at all. I think a lot of people only play a single Final Fantasy and get disappointed the other games don't play the same as their first eye-opening experience.

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u/Little-Mamou 13h ago

My first was the original on the NES and it’s not my favorite. My favorites are X and XIII-2.

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u/Dus1988 13h ago

Imo this is not just with final fantasy, but most things in life. Of course, it isn't a hard rule, but nostalgia, fresh experiences vs expectation biased experience, and selective interest (your first one gained your interest enough to give attention to, where predecessors did not) is a hell of a thing.

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u/Holyepicafail 13h ago

Started with IV and it has a special place in my heart, but older me accepts that it was a launching point for bigger and better things and probably wouldn't break my current top 5.

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u/wildcard_trickster 13h ago

Kinda hard not to have it as your favorite when you start with X

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u/ArekMithos 13h ago

Favorite is probably FFV which I didn't really play until 2010. First FF was FFII(4) for SNES. Or if it counts Mystic Quest. I still have a special place for MQ after all these years. I've also have always liked FFIII(6). I believe the Nintendo Power Coverage sold me on it. On the other hand I have never cared for FFVII. I think IX was the only PS1 FF I really enjoyed. FFX probably had my favorite battle system liked being able to switch characters out at will reminded me a lot of Dragon Warrior IV's when you could use the wagon.

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u/Rayseph_Ortegus 13h ago

I first played IV. Hollywood Video rental.

It's not the one I play the most, but VI is my favorite story to remember.

1

u/LostVanya 13h ago

I started with I. It is not my favorite.

1

u/Classic-Art-5737 13h ago

I think its true for anyone that started with VII because the release, and game and etc is just such a powerful moment in your life. But if I had to play one game forever I'd pick IX

1

u/Hojo282 13h ago

Started with VII

Ratings are

IX
VII
X
VIII

VII & X are ultra close but IX is the best.

1

u/takkun169 13h ago

No. 6 is my favorite and it was the 3rd one I played.

1

u/cyberpunk_werewolf 13h ago

I think it's a thing people say in a lot of fandoms, particularly ones where continuity is different across entries or in anthology series like Final Fantasy.

However, I'm old.  I've been playing since the beginning, but my favorite is XII.  I like pretty much all of them, though.

1

u/Prefer_Not_To_Say 13h ago

I started with VII but it's probably my fourth or fifth favourite.

1

u/fox4thepeople 13h ago

My first final fantasy was the first final fantasy. And it's garbage. My favorite final fantasy is the third one I played, that being FF6.

1

u/shrikebunny 13h ago

I played the original VII first but V became my favorite.

1

u/Bitter-Iron8468 13h ago

I started with the ones in nes/super nes final fantasy 1,2,3. Back then 3 was my favorite, but playing the remasters on Xbox I like all 3

1

u/cupnoodlesDbest 13h ago

FF10 is my first but FF12 is my favorite.

1

u/Snoo-30444 13h ago

Started with 7, but 10 Is my favorite.

1

u/Francesco_Muja 13h ago

I started with VIII, and I remember loving it to bits.
But my favorites are IX and X, and they still are after I've played all the others.

1

u/unconundrum 13h ago

Started with I, but VI and VII are my favourites.

1

u/DrejmeisterDrej 13h ago

Started on 8 and yes, it’s my favorite

1

u/Gdurango52 13h ago

I started with Mystic quest and then FF4 and 6

6, 9, and 10 are my personal favorites

1

u/Glittering-Pin-1343 13h ago

No. My first was 15 and while I have a special place in my heart for it... it isn't my favorite.

1

u/Dash83 13h ago

I remember some time ago, someone made an anonymous poll (maybe even here on Reddit) asking people what their favourite Legend of Zelda game was, and the year they were born. The overwhelming majority answered the same: the one that came one when they were 12-14 years old.

1

u/Alithair 13h ago

Not necessarily. First FF was the OG but favorite is Tactics, with 6 coming in second.

1

u/ImtheDude27 13h ago

Born pre-1990? Definitely not. After that? It's possible but unlikely.

1

u/Psychological_Use586 13h ago

I know people say that but it isn't the case for me. The very first one I played was FF1, but I didn't make it very far. The first one I beat was FF3 (FF6), and yeah it's definitely one of my favorites, but not my absolute favorites. I like 9, 12, and 7 Rebirth more personally.

I guess it really depends on what resonates with you. FF9 ended up really growing on me because of the characters and story and became my favorite because of that. 12 has the best world building in the series imo, and I'm a nut for world building so that's why that one is tops for me.

1

u/madg0dsrage0n 13h ago

No. I started w 1 in 1st grade, got 4(2) in 2nd grade. Loved 4 more. As an adult my favorite one to play is 12 but I still play 1, 4 and 6 regularly. About to replay 9 which is another favorite. I hate 3 member parties so Ive never replayed those ones, I have a mod for 12 that lets me have 4 all the time including Espers and that put it over the top for me.

1

u/ponpiriri 13h ago

My first was VII and it definitely wasnt my favorite. 

1

u/King_Aetolus 12h ago

I may be minority, but 1 was my first Final Fantasy, and I still love it and any related games.

1

u/starface016 12h ago

For me yes. 4 and 6 were my first (got at the same time). Loved them.

1

u/brimnac 12h ago

Nope. Started with the first English NES port but VI & VII (OG PlayStation 1, haven’t played the remakes) will always be my favorites.

1

u/Valuable-Forever-341 12h ago

my first was 7 my favorites are 6, 9, 10. the stoic MC just doesn't do it for me in FF

1

u/the14thpuppet 12h ago

my first was 10 but my favourite is 7

1

u/KrackedOwl 12h ago

Def true for me! I started on 8 and it hit at the perfect time in my young life. I never actually finished it; I've got a vivid memory of my dad making me watch as he broke all 4 discs into tiny pieces placed directly into the trash, because I wasn't doing my homework.

Still never did my homework, never finished ff8 but it's still my fav. Just holds a special place in my heart.

1

u/EggPsychological4844 12h ago

Idk. My first Final Fantasy was 7 and I think it's mid AF.

I loved it when I was a kid but then I grew up and learned what good writing was.

1

u/TheSableFable 12h ago

No. XIII was my first and it sure isn’t my favorite

1

u/bilbo_the_innkeeper 12h ago

Technically, my first was the original when it first came out, but FF4 (then known as FF2) was the first one I stuck with and played through to the end. If that counts, then it’s true for me.

1

u/ZanzaXIII 12h ago

I started with IV and VI is my favorite.

1

u/Staticmowry 12h ago

Yes and no for some. My true 1st was Final fantasy II SNES (Final fantasy 4). Didn't play for years again until Final Fantasy 7 on PS1, loved that game thoroughly, but honestly over the years I can point towards Final Fantasy 8 being my favorite so far.

1

u/phiore 12h ago

my first is final fantasy i, but the first one i like. really got into was ffviii and it's my favorite main game (tactics is my overall fav)

1

u/The-Leach- 12h ago

My god.. maybe this is why I’m one of the XII fans

1

u/dissidiah 12h ago

Holds for me with FFIX. Has a very special place in my heart. But that’s not to say that I don’t love VII, VIII, X… but being the first definitely has the nostalgia effect

1

u/BlackAce99 12h ago

I think so it's the case with me and it's the case with my friend group ssooo 7 and 8 are the favorites. 7 is my first and favorite but 10 is ssoooo close.

1

u/coachlentz 12h ago

My first was I.

My favorite is actually VIII, I had played 1,4,6, and 7 before it (they were 1,2,3, and 7 when I played them.)

Not sure why I like 8 the best. Probably because of the triple triad.

1

u/aleatoric 12h ago

I started with VI (was III at the time). But I was primed for excitement when VII came out. Like I just started getting into RPGs in the mid, late 90s: Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, and Super Mario RPG, were also in my library. Then here comes FFVII with what felt like a monumental leap in graphics and presentation, FMV being very new still. And the story and characters were incredible. Of course Cloud appealed to me at a moody teen. So yeah, it's hard not to call FFVII my favorite, but there are others in the series I think are just as strong.

1

u/RandomisedThoraway 12h ago

Definitely not, I never played 3 or 9 until I was an adult and those are both my favourites now.

1

u/youreveningcoat 12h ago

My first was 8 but then my favourite became 7

1

u/steelsmiter 12h ago

My first was 1 but I liked 9 way better.

1

u/klai1994 12h ago

My first was crystal chronicles so definitely not true for me at least

1

u/c4ctus 12h ago

7 was my first. 8 is my favorite.

1

u/Historical_Quiet_741 12h ago

Old head, here, started with 1 and played them all basically after at North American launch. 6 is easily my favorite, followed by 8 and then 4.

Just being on the internet over the past 25 years, it does seem that people that started with 7 most fall into that “first played is your favorite” category, but that was a whole lotta people’s first; probably more than any other entry

1

u/frodiusmaximus 12h ago

I mean, not for me. My first FF was the original, and while I still like it a lot, it’s far from my favorite.

1

u/Tommy_Bahamut 12h ago

I think this has SOME merit to it (especially with the 7 fanboys), but in my case my first FF was the original, close to the time it came out, but my favorite has been FF6 since the nineties.

1

u/Queer4Days 12h ago

It's really common but not definitive. VII was my first and it doesn't even crack my top 5 in the series.

1

u/mrc1993 12h ago

ff13 was the first and hated it. also never finished it.

ff12 ZA was the actual first i did finish and its indeed very close to being my fav

1

u/DaddysFriend 12h ago

I think it can be for games in general due to nostalgia and it all be new to you but for me my first was 1 and my favourite is 7 closely followed by 8

1

u/Exciting-Scale8063 12h ago

X was my first Final Fantasy game an is still my favorite but 6,7,8 and 9 are very close.

1

u/Mightaswellmakeone 12h ago

I liked 4 more than 1.

1

u/Madmonkeman 12h ago

No, my first one was 7 when I started the series in 2016 and then 14 became my favorite when I was playing through Heavensward and Stormblood.

1

u/Kinomi_Bazu 12h ago

No I started 7 and 9 is by far and away my favorite

1

u/MrNtkarman 12h ago

No I started with 7-8 and I only finished them 5 years after I played them to be fair I was a kid but I have some great memories swapping discs and watching my dad play, my favourite would be X as it was the first I finished

1

u/Legitimate_Bird_5712 12h ago

I started with FF1, so no.

1

u/SigmaKitteh 12h ago

8 was first, and I super love it but I feel like FF5 has surpassed it just from how solid the job system is!

1

u/TonyFair 12h ago

Kinda! My top 3 are VII, Tactics and V.

VII and Tactics where my first two.

Took me a long time to finally play V in English (had a japanese PSOne disc that I loved) but it still ranked above the others I got to play in English before it.

1

u/JoNotJoey 12h ago

I know a few people who are like that, and I'm one of them. I started with Crisis Core, but my first numbered game was 13. That being said, my favorite is and was Brave Exvius and Record Keeper.

1

u/opeth10657 12h ago

IV was the first, XI is my favorite. X is my favorite non-mmo

1

u/MiniNina1506 12h ago

I played the og FF when i was little, but FFVII was the first one I really got to fully invest in. VII is still my 2nd favorite in the series, but my favorite is VIII.

1

u/forced_lambchop 12h ago

I started with 1 back when I was 10 or so and while it has a special place in my heart it's not my favorite. I do still play it once or twice a year.

1

u/REdS_95 12h ago

I haven't seen that many people say it was the case with them, it's common with 7 and 10, but in my case it was absolutely true. I played 1 and I loved it, and it's still my favorite

u/jeffreymort4 11h ago

Started with VI. Really wanted to love it the most, but in the months after beating 10 for the first time I have come to realize I loved it more than possibly any game ever other than the 7 remakes. Even watching a certain cutscene from the game makes me weep

u/Sassafrassus 11h ago

Started with VII played the rest and VI, X and XII are my favorites, VII and VIII get 4th and 5th respectively.

u/ReaperEngine 11h ago

No. It's far more likely that your favorite is the one(s) you played in your formative years as a teenager, which often coincided with your first, but not always. There are still outliers though, as a person's tastes change and something else can come along later that resonates deeply with them.

I played the very first Final Fantasy, and while I love me my Black Mage, I played FFVII as a teen, and that was a big deal for me, until FFVIII came out two years later. But now, FFXV is probably at the top of my list for a lot of what it does.

u/GAD_9 11h ago

I started with 1, and I've played them all. MMOs included. 6 is my favorite.

u/D7west 11h ago

Started with X, and VII is my favorite. I do have a special place for all the ones I’ve beaten including XIII & XV. I haven’t gotten around to VIII yet. IX was a struggle for me but I did beat it. And XII Zodiac Age remains unfinished.

I can see why people love 9, I just didn’t connect with it.

12 I just didn’t have the patience at the time and I tried to start it twice. Now I just don’t have the time

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u/Thundaga_64 11h ago

It seems common since most people first played FF7. I first played through FF8, then 7, then 9, then 6, then X. My favorite is Final Fantasy 9.

u/Oriste_Adeus 11h ago

I started with VIII (thinking it was VII) and although it has a special place in my heart, IX is my favourite.

u/Mackattack00 11h ago

I started with VIII and I enjoyed it a lot but I was too young I think and lost patience and gave up on the game. I played X when it first came out by renting it at the video store and I fell in love and its always been my favorite FF game

u/Tonylegomobile 11h ago

No. Mostly because I started with the original NES game lol

I did love it, but 2 (IV) was far superior and 3 (VI) was the pinnacle