Most Under-rated Final Fantasy title?

[Caryslan]

Which game do you think is the most under-rated in the FF series? Please post reasons on why you think a particular game is under-rated.


For me, I think Final Fantasy III is probally the most under-rated game in the franchise. Aside from the DS remake, the game has seen little in the way of ports, remaining on the Famicom many years after Final Fantasy I and II and IV-VII saw releases on other consoles. Because of its obscurity, many people are unaware of what the Famicom version of Final Fantasy III brought to the franchise.

-Introduced Moogles to the series.
-Introduced the Job System
-Introduced job specific commands to the series.
-Introduced Summons to the series.
-First game in the series to graphically show hit points when a target is attacked or healed.
-Introduced Auto-Targeting to the franchise(As opposed to FF I and II where a character would miss if their target was defeated before they could act.)

The issue with Final Fantasy III is that even with the DS remake, its still probably the least known entry in the main series. Unlike Final Fantasy I and II and IV-VII, it was never ported to every system known to mankind or have compilations or sequels that expanded on the original game.

For years, it sat with a single version on the Famicom that was available only in Japan. It wasn't until 2006(Years after FF II and V were translated into English) that it finally saw an international release with the DS remake.

Even now, very few people are aware of what FF III brought to the table when it first came out on the Famicom. While never a hated entry, people tend to forget that FF III was a major milestone in the series when it came out, and is every bit as important to the franchise as IV, VI, VII or X.

It introduced concepts and ideas that are still used by the franchise to this day.

 

[Larryxninja]

Personally, I think the most underrated Final Fantasy is FFV. I bought it at Sears in the sale bin for $10 and ive loved it ever since. It was worth every penny. The job system allowed for more intricate gameplay than the previous installments. I found the story to be captivating and spent many school nights sleepless for more FFV time. Everyone on the forums seems to hate it such as Auron, but i think this game is great and is the most underrated Final Fantasy. FFIII wasnt underrated, it was unknown.

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

Final Fantasy IX hands down. I don't see why this game hasn't got as much attention as it deserves, it's fantastic. The design concept is brilliant and original, the battle system is great and the story is fantastic. One of Square's few masterpieces. So to me, FFIX is easily the most underrated.

 

[Gondor Reficul]

Probably Final Fantasy IV. It's probably one of the best old school RPGs in existence, but I don't feel like it really gets the recognition it really deserves. It has an amazing story, and great character development, and it may have it's flaws, but it's still a great game.

 

[MVP]

FFIX by farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Do people not give it a chance? I mean seriously, it's a great game. People need to go play it and experience it! Its freaking amazing! okay!

 

[idiotic idioms]

most under-rated final fantasy game ever? Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. A lot of fans of the series say that it's not even a real final fantasy game. In fact, it hardly even comes up in conversations at all anymore. You hear about every single one of the other FF games, 1-14, including x-2, DoC, Tactics Advance, Tactics, Dissidia, etc. but nobody really brings up Mystic Quest.

 

[L]

FFIX by farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Do people not give it a chance? I mean seriously, it's a great game. People need to go play it and experience it! Its freaking amazing! okay!

yeah, at first i though IX was gay because everyone was midgets, then i thought it was gay because memoria pissed me off with its constant random encounters with monsters that could actually kill me or give me a difficult time

Never beat the damn game, pissed me off too much.

I cant say anything about mystic quest, but ive heard it was shit, even by old-time standards.

of the games I've played though, I'd have to say that Final Fantasy Tactics is by far the most underrated FF. iirc, it's release was completely overshadowed by Final Fantasy VII.

It was a stupendous console game. A few more things here and there could've made it better, but I guess that's what the PSP version meant to improve on.

I guess that's my opinion pre-release of the PSP version of tactics, but now? I can't really say.

Seems like maybe VI, but around here it feels like every game gets a little bit of its own limelight.

 

[stinger]

III I guess is underrated because it's unknown, up until it's recent DS release very few people outside of Japan would have played it. Hard to call it underrated I suppose however as most people don't have any opinion due to never having the chance to play it.

IX however is well underrated. When you talk about the PSX games the two that come up are VII and VIII which are both fantastic games but IX is every bit as good as those to but just doesn't seem to receive the same acclaim. Can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it and finally play it right through.

 

[Sohryuden666]

I'd have to say FFIX. That game was wonderful (especially the plot). Yet, there really wasn't much talk about it or anything like that. I know Zidane appears in Dissidia, but I can't really remember any other characters being included anywhere else. It's like FFIX was released, people played it, then just forgot about it and left it to collect dust.

 

[Bambi]

IX. I know I didn't liek it at first, and I have absolutely NO excuse, I just took an instant dislike to it, I think it was a shock to the system after the sci-fi feel of VII & VIII, I was just like...this game's crap

I have however eaten my words since, its a brilliant little game, the plot the game play the characters, everything, but some people ( me included) ju st have this mentality that it's not a great game, when it is

So yeah, FFIX, underated yet one of the best

 

[Saga]

I've not even played the game all the waythrough but FFIX is easily the most underrated. I'm going by the simple fact of any competitions I've entered here.

SOTW/AOTW. if given the choice, most people use FFVII characters. Or sometimes FFX. Rarely FFVIII. FFIX is used SO infrequently. Also, when I see people make AMV's. They are ALWAYS about FFVII or FFX. These two titles outshine the others SO damn much and leave FFIX standing alone in the shadows with only FFVIII near to hand.

Yes, I also think FFVIII is underrated. People play the first five minutes and don't really give it a chance, thinking the junction system and everything is 'shit'. I don't even like half the cast of characters in the game yet, story wise, it is easily my second favourite with FFX BARELY beating it the post.

So for me. The top three underrated game from most underrated are;

FFIX
FFVIII
FFI

=3

 

[idiotic idioms]

and yet all those games are still more heard about and more played and more publicized than FF: Mystic Quest.

 

[Khadaj]

Hmm...a toughie.

They've all had a turn in the spotlight. I think VII can be eliminated from this list, though. What with the original, cameos, Advent Children, Dirge...it's quite out there

IV and VI weren't hyped about too much, since really the only gaming communication we had was a few gaming mags in those days. Though they're getting their well deserved DS remakes, so hypeage ensues. The rest have all had the spotlight at some point or another, though. V was brought to our shores with FF Anthology, so it got its due as well.

I'll also have to go with IX, in the end. A lot of people skipped IX and waited for X, which is their loss imo.

 

[Bambi]

and yet all those games are still more heard about and more played and more publicized than FF: Mystic Quest.

Doesn't mean it's underrated though, it might just be that it's shit, convince us otherwise and tell us why you think it's underrated

Cheers

 

[Khadaj]

FF: MQ actually wasn't too bad, if you took it for what it was. I don't really know if you can say it's underrated though, since it was before the time of FF uberness.

 

[Zerokku]

As much as I love IX and agree it's underrated I have to vote -

Other: Final Fantasy Tactics

It has the best and most interesting plot of any of the games in the series. People always talk about how they want a "dark" and "mature" plot for a game in the series, and yet they have it right in front of them. Some excellent and memorable characters all the way around from Ramza to Ovelia.

It also has some of the best gameplay, and it refined portions of the SRPG genre that are still around and copied today.

Yet it's largely ignored because it's not a numbered game.

 

[Summoner Yuna]

This might sound strange but I actually think it's FFXII. I really don't think FFIX is underrated because a lot of people like it and are very vocal about it. FFIX gets tons of love from the Final Fantasy fans.

FFXII, on the other hand, most of the comments that you hear is how underdeveloped the characters were and how the battle system is like an MMORPG. I really don't think this statements are true for various reasons. FFXII seems to be enjoyed only by a select few who don't mind drastic changes in the series' usual format of gameplay and storytelling.

 

[L]

I've not even played the game all the waythrough but FFIX is easily the most underrated. I'm going by the simple fact of any competitions I've entered here.

SOTW/AOTW. if given the choice, most people use FFVII characters. Or sometimes FFX. Rarely FFVIII. FFIX is used SO infrequently. Also, when I see people make AMV's. They are ALWAYS about FFVII or FFX. These two titles outshine the others SO damn much and leave FFIX standing alone in the shadows with only FFVIII near to hand.

Yes, I also think FFVIII is underrated. People play the first five minutes and don't really give it a chance, thinking the junction system and everything is 'shit'. I don't even like half the cast of characters in the game yet, story wise, it is easily my second favourite with FFX BARELY beating it the post.

So for me. The top three underrated game from most underrated are;

FFIX
FFVIII
FFI

=3

though in all truth FFX deserves its attention, it was a fuckign great game

I still have my copy, even after 4 years

IDK about VIII though. Was the First Final Fantasy I played. Of the choices I had (kind of like the beginning of pokemon ) were gun-slinging skanks, half naked guys killing things with swords and balls, blonde guy with blue eyes and a huge sword, and a non-japanime dog-haired looking guy with a sword that shot bullets.

So I rolled with FFVIII.

I didnt think the story and characters were absolutely horrible at all, but the gameplay became a bit dry. I think FFVIII is probably a wee bit underrated, but i cant say its really Square's best release.

FFVIII was quite a bit more than the mediocre releases like DoC, but now that I look back, all I really had to go on was drooling over the next CGI sequence and the story.

Just didn't feel like it had that 'synergy' between the gameplay and story that most preferred games have.

But undeniably, for it's time, the graphics were orgasmic.

Yet it's largely ignored because it's not a numbered game.

iirc Final Fantasy Tactics' Release was completely overshadowed by the release of Final Fantasy VII

 

[Ewan]

I voted for spinoffs, but Final Fantasy Tactics in particular. The story and characters were brilliant. It was very complex and I've heard that some people don't like that but honestly, screw them! It was such an engaging and dark story, I sometimes forgot it was a game. It just goes to show you that games can be a great way to tell a story, it doesn't have to be a film or a song etc.

A big shout out to FF9 though. Games like FF7 and FFX, while both excellent IMO, they didn't feel like fantasy stories, the kind you would expect to find in an 'ancient tome' lol. FF9 really ticked all the boxes for me.

Wow, I never write this much...

 

[Platinum_Lies]

Two Spin-Offs:

Crisis Core - being on the PSP and being a compilation title, Crisis Core is ignored by a majority of the FF fanbase. Although it has sold well for the PSP, there are many who refuse to play it becuase of being on the PSP or out of a rather blind and ignorant hatred of the compilation series. Only FFX has a more powerful story.

FFX-2 - I speak blasphemy... I know. But for some reason so many people have mislabelled this game as "girlie" and "Charlie's Angels" showing that they have probably not completed the first chapter. Really, once the main antagonist and his plight become even remotely focused, this game becomes quite dark. I also love how many people do not notice the commentaries on selling out a memory, the changing world, and religion.

Then there are those that hate FFX-2 simply because it took the epilogue of FFX and actually confirmed what most people already knew.

Spoiler

Tidus is "reborn". FFX-2 did not ruin the ending of FFX since the allusion to his fate is quite clearly made in FFX.

A few years ago, I would have voted for FFIX, but that is gained some momentum recently. Actually, both it and FFX and made large strides in knicking FFVII's "dominance" in the US (FFX already made the top spot in Japan). I have seen quite a lot of love for Zidane, Garnet, and crew.

Glad to see it. It is my second favourite mainline title (with Crisis Core probably tied in 2nd overall).