X/XII are great choices for their emotional impact. XIII and Type-0 are good choices if you like fast paced combat (fair warning, it does take like 20 hours before the XIII combat becomes actually engaging). VI and IV probably have the best 2d stories, assuming you don't count Chrono Trigger as a Final Fantasy, I do count it as one though. XIV is great if you're looking to spend another 200+ hours playing and it's also one of the few FFs to make me cry
this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2025
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The best 2d story? That belongs to Tactics
I was too young and impatient to pay attention, I just spent all my time breeding black chocobos. The job system was a bit much for me at the time too, but it was fun.
If you've played Revenant Wings then maybe take a look at other games in the Ivalice Alliance series - XII may be the more appropriate choice as RW is its sequel.
Otherwise I'd consider one of the more turn-based ones to get a flavour of those FF games. FFX is probably going to be a top choice there and you're already looking at it, but there's plenty of good ones to decide from. My favourite is VIII but that doesn't mean it's the best for you. IX is a common favourite that you might also enjoy. And FFVI from pre-PlayStation era is another common favourite.
my favourite of the 2d ff titles and top "wish I could play it for the first time again" is still ff6 (ff3 in us/can when it first came out). Some of those bgm tracks still haunt me and I'll always remember the feeling of suplexing a pixel art train as if I did it myself with a real train.
Clair obscure: Expedition 33. Ok it's not a final fantasy but it's similar turn-based combat to FF/Persona with a lot of style and melodrama. Love it.
I've been watching someone play and it really does give big FF vibes. The dodge thing is brand new afaik and it turns it into more of a quicktime combat which I personally don't enjoy, but it's unique and pretty awesome and KILLER story so far. They're approaching the end of act 2 and I thought it was the end so I can't wait to see how it turns out.
FFX is my personal favorite
Take a walk down nostalgia road and get yourself a copy of FF8 and 9 (maybe even 7 as well) to have the peak PS1-Era experience!
FF X is my favorite one, best story.
1-6 are great