With dozens of mainline entries, and even more spinoffs, the franchise as a whole has hundreds of stories to tell, but what is the best Final Fantasy story? While there are so many Final Fantasy games, some are frankly better than others, especially when it comes to narrative.
We’ve listed the best Final Fantasy stories in any game below so you can experience the cream of the crop, rather than wading through some of the less enjoyable games in the series. Starting with…
Credit: Square Enix
Final Fantasy Tactics takes a unique approach to telling the story of its game by having an in-universe historian attempt to tell the story. It doesn’t shy away from character death, with many prominent characters in the story dying or being killed. And it deals with the machinations and plots of noble houses and royalty, giving this a Game of Thrones feel years before that series was released. A very unique story for the Final Fantasy series and one of the most compelling.
The last of the traditional pixel Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy VI story remarkable for how in depth it goes into each of the main party members’ stories. It gives many of them their own solo sections of the game, and dives into their history and backstory. Then it takes these well-developed characters and gives them an almost unbeatable foe in Kefka, meaning players must struggle to keep the party they’ve fought with for hours alive in battles that really feel meaningful.
Read also: Best Games like Final Fantasy
Credit: Square Enix
Dealing with heavy themes like the nature of existence, and the meanings of life and death, combined with dramatic set pieces like the play and heist, Final Fantasy IX adds wonder and joy to heavy dialogue. These dramatic themes are contrasted with the more cartoony style and really ends up giving weight to the story beats as character like Vivi and Kuja grapple with the nature of their mortality.
One of the most popular Final Fantasy entries also has one of the best stories as Final Fantasy VII offers a more hopeful and sentimental story than many of its cousins. The story is really a big introspective look at Cloud as he struggles with his true identity. You’re faced with an unreliable narrator in Cloud, who really doesn’t remember things the way they actually happened, and is trying to be someone else. As a result, Cloud ends up emulating Zack for much of the game. To find out how it ends, we recommend playing it yourself, but it’s definitely worth the price of admission.
Credit: Square Enix
Final Fantasy XIV offers hundreds upon hundreds of hours of emotionally charged story, all interconnected and with high dramatic stakes. With lovable characters, memorable villains, and dramatic story moments sure to make your tear up, this is one of the most compelling stories in all of Final Fantasy. It should be said that Final Fantasy XIV is a MMO, so perhaps this isn’t fair comparison, because the game has been running for over a decade and FF XIV player counts have remained strong due to its amazing storylines. Still it’s one of the best narratives in the whole of gaming, and a good portion of it can be experienced with a free trial.
Read next: Which Final Fantasy Should I Play First?
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