What's the best entry point for someone who's never

>>389319201
Play VII.

>>389319321
VII for sure. It has some of the best gameplay, its mechanics are intuitive, and has one of the most interesting stories in the series

>>389319321
>>389319662

Yeah, this. Some hipsters will eventually show up and tell you to play V, and it's a good one too, but honestly, VII is the best starter I think. That or VI.

Here is an opinion that ISN'T someone telling you to start with their favorite FF or the first one they played:

Start with the SNES version of FFIV (called FFII) and play FFVI and FFV next in that order.
Now if you liked FFIV the most play FFIX next. (Both games mainly focus on their stories, have very linear gameplay and barely any optinons for character customization due to their characters being locked in their job classes)
Now if you liked FFV the most play FFVIII next. (Both games have a focus character customization and if you actually care about their stories it IS there but requires some exploration to fully figure them out)
Now if you liked FFVI the most play FFVII next. (Both games have roughly egual focus on story and character customization)

Still want more? Play through the other two games mentioned and FFX. You have now seen where the series reputation came from and what was so good in it. Now as for the NES games they are decent but unless you grew up with NES you probably aren't going to enjoy them.

>>389319201
As someone who started with VII I think it's an ok one to start with, you'll get a decent idea of what the series is like.

>>389320647
Why not the psp version of IV?

>>389319743
I wouldnt recommend VI to someone new to RPGs because if you dont perfectly balance your party you get super fucked over when you are forced to use characters you never touch.

>>389320647
I think I'd recommend 6 over 4. 4 is really story light and when I knew a guy who hadn't played an FF before tried it, he thought it felt grindy and had too many enemies to fight.

That said, my over all suggestion would be FFX. Available on PS2, PCSX2, on PC as a hi-res port, and on PSVita and PS4 (plus ps3 maybe?). I know a ton of people that weren't too much into FF games who really enjoyed FFX as a stand alone game.

>>389320647
>if you liked FFIV the most play FFIX next.
>if you liked FFV the most play FFVIII next.
>if you liked FFVI the most play FFVII next.
Are you intentionally trying to torture the poor OP?

>>389319201
Honestly, the games tend to be pretty different and it depends on where you stand on the old-vs-new spectrum of games. You could probably pick up any of them and just start playing. I've heard that Final Fantasy XV is good (despite what /v/ complains about) and at least, it should give you a good idea of how Square loves putting the focus on their story, on their graphics, and on making their systems as obtuse as possible.

If you want more of a "classic" Final Fantasy, then most people are going to recommend FF6, FF7, or FF10. (I'll leave figuring out the roman numerals to you.) FF6 is the most "old school" with the pixel graphics and originating on the SNES, just avoid the mobile port because that one is awful. FF7 is the first one using 3D graphics and while the the system and combat are still similar, it has a focus on a smaller cast and more interesting systems (materia). FF10 is perhaps the start of the "modern" Final Fantasy games, complete with voice acting and a lot of optional grinding if you want it.

And even with those, they're more representative of the agreed good titles rather than representing the series as a whole. Final Fantasy certainly loves experimenting, so you could find yourself enjoying just one title while disliking the others, or even absolutely hating one while loving the rest.

IV, VI, and VII are all equally good starting points depending on what you're hoping to get of the series to start with.

IV if you want a simple, story driven adventure
VI if you want a slightly more complex game than that
and VII if you want the same thing as VI but with PS1 graphics.

>>389321060

Ah that's true. I'm so used to that game that I know how to fuck everything six ways from Sunday with level 20s, but it would be harder for someone who's not used to RPGs.

Depends, it's changed so vastly between iterations that jumping between generations is confusing. I should know, I just beat them all for the first time last year I recommend playing III for old school JRPGs and the solidfying of FF's baseline formula, V or VI for the upgrade of this system, VII for the more experimental PS1 games, and XII for the modern JRPG version. You could also start with XV as I consider it the most accessible, but it's nothing like the other games

>>389319201
honestly any ff other than I, II, and III makes for a good starting point.
if you're planning on getting int the franchise fully, start with IV and work your way through release order

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I think I agree with this chart for the most part

A lot of people here suggesting FF7, and I'd probably agree. It touches on just about everything in Final Fantasy games, and while the polygon characters are blocky and ugly, the backgrounds and set pieces are still really enjoyable to look at and see.

>>389319201
Don't start with 1 or 2
Can't speak for 3-6
7's an alright entry point
8 is weak overall, play it later
9 is arguably the best starting point
10 is solid, though I don't know about it as a starter. All I'll say about 10-2 is don't go into it blind
12 kind of sucks
Can't speak for 13 or its sequels, or 15

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7, and then X.

If you're going to play 1, go with the PSP version.

>>389319201
I started playing FF games after being completely inundated by the style of post-Gen X games as a 20-year-old in 2012. This was a result of dating a crazy, suicidal qt who was madly interested in the games. I completed approximately 50% of 8 and 10% of 9 before I gave up on both. The games feature a great atmosphere and story (albeit a little melodramatic at times) as well as other elements, but the incessant turn based battles/grinding proved far too tedious for my sensibilities at that point in my life.

So to answer your question: there probably isn't an entry point if you're like me. Perhaps the older installments are rudimentary enough to enjoy without much investment, and perhaps the newer ones are sufficiently updated. But the titles circa PS1 are such a slog at this point.

1, 3, 5 have an easier to grasp job system while 7 and 8 have a little more complex freeform customization
4, 6, and to a lesser extent 9 and 10 have less party customization
The rest I haven't played

Just thought I'd give you some advice in case you wanted more story or more character customization

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>>389319201
Start with VI it has the best villian

>>389321428
I like how this chart associates 2 with the music, granted it has one of my favorite soundtracks in the series.

>>389319201
VI or VII are the best games in the series
V, IX are great games (though I never liked IX that much because pacing)
I, III and IV are decent (III endgame is trash though)

Everything else is just mediocre or shit, don't even bother
Never played XII so I can't say anything to this game (looks nice though)

so basically FF series is alive thanks to nostalgia and brand name

>>389320647

>Here is an opinion that ISN'T someone telling you to start with their favorite FF or the first one they played:

Stop projecting, man. I didn't recommend my favorite or my first.

>>389321809
>But the titles circa PS1 are such a slog at this point.
I always wonder how I have a pretty advanced case of ADD yet I have no problem with these turn based games that you guys seem to think is too much of a slog to handle. I mean ADD shouldn't be your issue since I have it, so what is your issue? Why can't you handle games like FF that have barely any grinding?

>>389321012
PSP and DS versionof IV is kind of hard for new players. SNES or GBA version of IV is a lot easier.

>>389321428
>FFIII
>Available on GBA instead of DS

>>389319201
Start with the original FF on the GBA or PSP
Do you like gameplay more? Then go onto III then V after you finish
Do you like story more? Then Go onto IV then VI after you finish

Avoid II, unless you like being punished for not looking up a guide before-hand.

Don't play the SNES FFII(FFIV), it's based on FFIV Easy Type and it's far inferior to the real game

Play the PSP Complete Edition, it's the full package, not the dumbed down SNES Easy Type