The Quest to Play Through all the Final Fantasy games

On 03/15/2013 at 11:02 AM by trefingers

philo

How do, PixlBit?

For the past 6 months or so, I've been on a quest to play through all the Final Fantasy games, in order. I got into gaming via Final Fantasy 1 on NES, and the series has always been one of my go-tos. Though I've played all the main games, this time around, I wanted to do something special with them. As such, I set myself some rules, and resolved to do a piece of writing on each one. Here are the rules:

Golbez - Amano 1) Play in order of US release date (e.g. FF VII gets played before FF V)

2) Play each game on system of US origin (I have broken this rule in a few cases, which I'll note below)

3) Only main series games (no X-2, Tactics, etc.). I am omitting XI, because I haven't got the time to seriously invest into an MMORPG; however, I have played it, extensively. If I finish my graduate degree or win the lottery and quit my job, I may relent on this rule. Until then...

4) Games need to be reasonably complete (super bosses vanquished, main game completed, all best gear/spells acquired)

5) Writing should be focused more on my emotional response to a game, as opposed to mechanics. Not so much a rule as a suggestion for a starting point. Some games I'll get into mechanics, some I won't.

A note on systems: I make every effort to play these games on their system of US origin; however, I am making some exceptions for my sanity. I'm playing the PS1 Final Fantasy games on my PSP, since they are direct ports, and because, being an adult and all, it makes it a lot easier to level up your characters before bed, rather than spending useful time doing it. I also chose to play Final Fantasy V on my Game Boy Advance. I cannot handle the slowdown on the PlayStation version, it's excrutiating. That being said, I do own copies of all the originals...

Current status: Recently finished FFVIII, and I'm at the end of FFV. All jobs, all legendary weapons, just need to level up some to spank the superbosses. IX is on the docket.

Final Fantasy 1

Why am I doing this?

Why not? I like writing, and I like playing Final Fantasy. This project helps me pay attention to games that I've learned to tune out through repetition. In the future, I hope to do the same thing with the Dragon Quest series, and to do an overall comparison of the two. I came to DQ as an adult, so my opinions aren't quite as colored by nostalgia as they are with its cousin.

I hope to put out a new blog every Friday, we'll see how it goes.

Questions, comments, concerns? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

-Chris

Aboboisdaman

03/15/2013 at 11:07 AM

Trefingers! I'm looking forward to reading about your adventures! For Final Fantasy anyway. I never could get into the Dragon Quest series. FF V is the only one that I have yet to beat. I didn't realize the load times were that bad on the ps1 version. I remember them being utterly atrocious on the ps1 version of IV and VI though lol. I wouldn't even want to change my equiptment it was so bad. Chrono Trigger too.

trefingers

03/15/2013 at 11:28 AM

Oh man, Chrono Trigger's gimping was a real shame! That game is like butter for RPG lovers, and the PS1 version was womp womp. A replay of Chrono Trigger on SNES is on my radar; last time I played it was when it came out on DS...

Final Fantasy V is a great one, but I'll admit I hated it the first time I played it. It took me some time to get the Job system, and once I realized I could turn my peoples into samurai/whitemage/blackmage/beastmaster/ninja super warriors, I was hooked. The story's a trip, too, in a kitchy kind of way. Perhaps the only one that doesn't take itself seriously.

Glad you're reading, and thank you for the follow! :)

Matt Snee Staff Writer

03/15/2013 at 11:24 AM

a noble quest, and not one that I think I could vanquish. But I wish I had that sort of commitment.

I'll be here, reading your blogs!

03/15/2013 at 11:31 AM

Commitment is the key! If I get too burned out on playing Final Fantasy, I'll cleanse my palate with a run through of DuckTales or a MegaMan game. I'm trucking through the last stages of the Dark World in Super Meat Boy right now as well, but those aren't really a palate cleanser... more like a boilermaker!

Very glad to have you following along and I look forward to your future comments/thoughts! Thank you!

transmet2033

03/15/2013 at 11:27 AM

I look forward to it. While I have played each of them to some degree, i have only beaten vii.

03/15/2013 at 11:37 AM

Sweet! I dig VII, but I wasn't on the original gravy train. Too much of a Nintendo fan boy to get a PlayStation. I played it on PC originally, which just wasn't the same. Finally came around when PS2 came out and my then-girlfriend bought me one (in retrospect, amazing that she spent that kind of moolah on a high school boyfriend). Thank you for following!

03/15/2013 at 11:42 AM

the weird thing is that i have put the most time into ff iv, but never beaten it.

Jamie Alston Staff Writer

03/15/2013 at 11:51 AM

Oh, this is going to be fun. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Final Fantasy. So far, I've only completed the first game in the series. I have FF7, but I haven't played it all the way through yet.

I clicked that "follow" button so I don't miss it.

03/15/2013 at 12:07 PM

Glad to have you along for the ride! Though Final Fantasy is the starting point, many of my blogs will likely steer off in to more emotional/response territory, as opposed to the nitty gritty of the game. More so in the older ones, since I have a soft spot for them...

Thank you for following; can't wait to see where this goes!

leeradical42

03/15/2013 at 12:04 PM

Well I hope you gat about 4 years to play cause there all huge and alot of secrets you may be playing on my 50th birthday lol, but really thats very ambitious of you, I still like VII and X the best the new ones XII XIII werewell way different but good I will have to get them again since I traded them a while back.

03/15/2013 at 12:11 PM

Before the Quest began, I would have said my personal favorites were I, IV, IX and XII, but I've got a different appreciation for each this time around. More thoughts to come on that!

Once I wrap up V (probably tomorrow), I will be halfway done (minus XI). Of course, the second half has such monsters as IX, X, XII and XIII, so I'm not getting too excited just yet.

Thank you for commenting; hope you follow along as we go.

03/15/2013 at 01:01 PM

Oh I will very interested to know your thoughts on them as you progress

Ryan Bunting Staff Alumnus

03/15/2013 at 12:09 PM

FF1, 2, and 3 (Actual 2 and 3, not U.S. 2 and 3) are going to murder you horribly, they're incredibly difficult, so that first hump is going to be a real pain. 4, 5, and 6 will be pure joy. 7 is going to show you how poorly PS1 has aged, and 8 will remind you that pissy main characters are annoying. 9 is bad, 10 is worse, 11 is an MMO, so derp. 12 is fun as a game independent of the FF series, but as a part of the series doesn't quite come through. 13, while I haven't completed it, isn't very good so far - Eidolon ("Summons") battles are a pain in the ass and stupid, and the characters are so annoying (Vanille's voice actress is fucking abhorrent) that you'll want to make sure you hide all the sharp objects in your game room before powering through it.

03/15/2013 at 12:18 PM

I've already put the smack on FF I, IV, VI, VII, and VIII. II and III should be interesting... I played through those in college when my state of mind was far more... shall we say, enhanced? (more like de-hanced, amiright?) than it was now. My patience should be enough to get me through it though.

My cat jumped on my NES when I was a little more than halfway through FF I, and it shut off the game, erasing my save file. If I can pick it back up and power through after that, I'm not too worried ;)

I'll save my detailed thoughts on each version for the actual blog, but I will say that the PlayStation era does crawl compared to 8 and 16 bit. My loyalties lie with the NES and SNES though, so who knows?

Thanks for following and especially for commenting!

03/15/2013 at 12:21 PM

Oh, I should add that I've already played through all the Final Fantasy games to completion when I was younger. This will be my second time for II and III, but more like 10th or 20th for many of the others. This time around, I want to generate some good writin' from it, rather than just go through by rote.

Coolsetzer

03/15/2013 at 12:29 PM

Sounds cool. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. My secret shame (public now I guess!) is that I never played all the way through the first 3 titles. Everything else I have, though. I wish they would come out with ports for those that aren't horribly boring to play through. heh

03/15/2013 at 01:13 PM

Ah, you shouldn't be ashamed! Nostalgia almost completely powers my love of the original Final Fantasy (foreshadowing of next blog...). I couldn't imagine going backward if I had started in the SNES or PS eras. Thank you for commenting, and hope you follow along!

angelfaceband42

03/15/2013 at 01:49 PM

Looking forward to reading more about Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. I'm most interested in the emotional responses to games now anyway, because for me my favorite games at this moment are the ones that evoke that emotional response the most...despite problems with the game.

Anyway admittedly I've only played through 75% of Final Fantasy I on my psp and 50% of X but I enjoyed them both. Dragon Quest IX is the only entry in that series that has got any love from me :) There just isn't enough time to play all those rpgs.

03/15/2013 at 02:14 PM

Dragon Quest IX is what sold me on the DQ series. That game blew me away... Like someone took everything I ever wanted in an RPG and crammed it all in. I went back and started playing the others after that one, and have been a fan since.

There's so much quality writing out there about the mechanics and history of games, but I think the emotions games provoke and why we play them in general are two topics worthy of discussion. Sometimes, I feel professional writers on the internet are afraid of seeming overly earnest, so they keep that distance between themselves and what they write. I have modest hopes of bridging that gap a bit... I'll probably talk about games in the meantime, too ;)

Thanks for commenting and I hope you follow along!

True Gamer At Heart

03/15/2013 at 03:50 PM

Sweet! I also look foward on this adventure with you. I am a rpg nut and have not beaten any final fantasy but 7..So yeah lol. I also plan to play rpgs that are considered the best there is..And see what I think of them!

03/15/2013 at 08:46 PM

Awesome! Any particular RPGs that are your faves? I like a pretty eclectic mix; these days, they come in just about any variety you could hope for.

Thank you for the comment and the follow!

Super Step Contributing Writer

03/15/2013 at 04:00 PM

I think despite not being a JRPG gamer, and never really playing a Final Fantasy game (I rented FFX, 'bout it) I might actually still be interested in these, regardless. Mostly cause of your focus on emotions, rather than nostalgia (I'm interested in the stories and characters, but not necessarily the gameplay).

Also, I need to go and get my graduate degree. I think seeing all these posts by people who are is making me feel I need to go back.

03/15/2013 at 08:44 PM

Fair warning, sometimes nostalgia *is* the emotion to be discussed ;) Final Fantasy is an interesting series in that there's a trade-off back and forth between mechanics and story between installments... Some are better for one, some for the other.

I can't say I recommend the graduate degree. It's ok and all, but the school part almost invariably feels like you're getting screwed. Depends on what you'd go for, I suppose. At this point, I just need to finish the thing...

Thanks for commenting and for the follow!

ThatKidOverThere

03/15/2013 at 05:55 PM

Nice. Looking forward to this and to your blogs.

I own a lot of the Final Fantasies, but I haven't beaten most of them so this will be interesting!

03/15/2013 at 08:45 PM

Sweet, man! I hope I can give you a reason to crack into a few of them...

Thank you for commenting and following!

smartcelt

03/16/2013 at 12:09 AM

Like you,I had to pass on XI. Strange thing is,I don't feel I missed a thing. Failed experiment on their part. If I wanted to play that type of game I'd be playing World Of Warcraft! This is a great idea you have. I look forward to your account of the ones I haven't taken on.

03/17/2013 at 07:20 PM

I played XI right until I got to the part when you have to party to level up or get anything done (~ level 12). I enjoyed the game, but waiting around to find someone who will party with you is pretty annoying, all things considered. If I had friends who played MMOs, I could see getting into it, but otherwise, meh. Thank you for following and commenting!

Halochief90

03/16/2013 at 02:16 AM

I've played and beaten every main game in the series. However, I'm really only following your rule #3. I can't imagine playing the games the way your doing them. Quite a few of them I barely made it through! It's a great series though, so it's worthy of celebrating.

03/17/2013 at 07:27 PM

This time around, I reached that "barely made it through" point with VIII. Couldn't do it, so I took a break and came back later and womped through the last 3 or 4 hours as fast as I could. I was ready to be done with that game, for real. Thanks for commenting!

Travis Hawks Senior Editor

03/17/2013 at 10:11 PM

I am also trying to play all of the Final Fantasy games... for the first time. I'm not as committed as you are. I'll be sure to read your experiences, though.

03/20/2013 at 05:02 PM

There are definitely a couple that I had to power through on commitment/nostalgia alone. It's not that they're bad games, just that there are better games to play. If I were coming to the series fresh and wanted to play all of them, I'd go in numerical order, because, generally speaking, the game design improves with each iteration. There are some dips, but they get better. Then you get to Final Fantasy XIII... ;) Just kidding, I dug Final Fantasy XIII, and I hope to offer it a small measure of redemption when I get to it on the quest. Glad you're following along, and thank you for commenting!

PixlBit

The Quest to Play Through all the Final Fantasy games

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