Final Fantasy Megathread

[MasterEn]

They should have called it brutal difficulty cuz thats what it is.

did you beat that version?

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

did you beat that version?

Yes I never quit a game unless its BS , beaten chaos on level 35 around 10-12 days of playing amounted up to 25 hours I think.

My strategy was simple warrior carries the team thief finishes off wounded enemies and uses potion if needed , black mage spams attack boost on warrior and thief and white mage heal and casts protect/holy.

Money is hard to get early on I tried to fight as many pirates as possible as each grants 120 gil.

Pretty difficult game considering you can encounter 9-12 enemies in a row.

 

[MasterEn]

Yes I never quit a game unless its BS , beaten chaos on level 35 around 10-12 days of playing amounted up to 25 hours I think.

My strategy was simple warrior carries the team thief finishes off wounded enemies and uses potion if needed , black mage spams attack boost on warrior and thief and white mage heal and casts protect/holy.

Money is hard to get early on I tried to fight as many pirates as possible as each grants 120 gil.

Pretty difficult game considering you can encounter 9-12 enemies in a row.

hmm... sounds like fun. i played through the gba version. the extra dungeons felt like they were hard.
did you ever come across war mech?

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

hmm... sounds like fun. i played through the gba version. the extra dungeons felt like they were hard.
did you ever come across war mech?

Yeah its an alright game save for when you encounter mind flayers....

No I don't think I encountered something like that all I remember is giga monsters being punchy , zombies stunning you endlessly unless you cast fire 2 annihilating entire squads of them , water enemies who are annoying in fact very annoying.

 

[MasterEn]

Yeah its an alright game save for when you encounter mind flayers....

No I don't think I encountered something like that all I remember is giga monsters being punchy , zombies stunning you endlessly unless you cast fire 2 annihilating entire squads of them , water enemies who are annoying in fact very annoying.

i do remember the mind flayers. i've been replaying the gba version on my phone. ran into those monsters near pravoka; got a few levels ups before stopping.
war mech is in the floating fortress, in the hallway before the wind crystal. it's something like a 1/1000 chance of encountering it. it has stats about on par with chaos and half the health.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

i do remember the mind flayers. i've been replaying the gba version on my phone. ran into those monsters near pravoka; got a few levels ups before stopping.
war mech is in the floating fortress, in the hallway before the wind crystal. it's something like a 1/1000 chance of encountering it. it has stats about on par with chaos and half the health.

Well I played every single FF game on epsxe on phone so far would be strange to play them with mouse and keyboard on pc

Yeah mind flayers are devastating just run really no need to fight them.

I can't remember that monster I do remember I got lost in the wind crystal chamber trying to figure where to go I just got it right by chance lol

 

[MasterEn]

Well I played every single FF game on epsxe on phone so far would be strange to play them with mouse and keyboard on pc

Yeah mind flayers are devastating just run really no need to fight them.

I can't remember that monster I do remember I got lost in the wind crystal chamber trying to figure where to go I just got it right by chance lol

i had a chance to play the game on my ps1. borrowed the game from a friend.
yeah, the wind place was confusing, and the ex dungeon that opens up after it is also confusing. the ex dungeons have bosses from 3, 4, 5, and 6 if i remember correctly. the psp version has their respective battle themes if i remember correctly.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

i had a chance to play the game on my ps1. borrowed the game from a friend.
yeah, the wind place was confusing, and the ex dungeon that opens up after it is also confusing. the ex dungeons have bosses from 3, 4, 5, and 6 if i remember correctly. the psp version has their respective battle themes if i remember correctly.

The whole the warriors of light go "!" Every time something happens

That's the only sort of communication they learned.

That sounds pretty dope tho

 

[MasterEn]

The whole the warriors of light go "!" Every time something happens

That's the only sort of communication they learned.

That sounds pretty dope tho

at least in the psx and on. i played some of the original, they didn't do that at all. dead silent, no emotions.
there's also some sort of extra dungeon in the psp version with a boss that changes difficulty depending on how well you did in the dungeon and has about 8 different forms. didn't really check it out very much but that's what i read on the internet.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

at least in the psx and on. i played some of the original, they didn't do that at all. dead silent, no emotions.
there's also some sort of extra dungeon in the psp version with a boss that changes difficulty depending on how well you did in the dungeon and has about 8 different forms. didn't really check it out very much but that's what i read on the internet.

Hmmm since the only version for PS1 is called origins I assume we both played the same version they do get surprised each time they do a boss fight meaning the 4 fiends and chaos.

I gotta say the boss fights are better than 2 at no point I felt very capable of beating the fiends just barely.

One epic gaming moment is when I fought the lich the team was low on health and healing my black mage (leo) casts fire 2 incinerating the lich was epic 10/10 moment.

The fire fiend was not that memorable.

Kraken was hella strong with melee and him spraying ink at you I was like "OH MY GOD DID YOU JUST SPRAY ME WITH INK" I do have to mention the placement for the lower levels of the water temple is lame I didn't see it first who places the door for next floor on top left? There is the center way more visible.

Taimat was I think resistant to melee that alone made him tough nut to crack after the fight I read he is weak to petrify I didn't even have that spell

Chaos was also quite strong took me 3 tries to get him.

 

[starseeker300]

I just beat omega mk.II in ff5 advance. i was technically underleveled, (i was level 64, reommended is 80) but used a strat that caused it to be unable to do anything. I made sure my character were at specific speeds so they would go in a certain order and just did this romeo's ballad, attack, romeo's ballad, attack, etc. until it died. specifically rapidfire flare spellblade as the attack, oh and everyone had ribbons, black garb, and hermes sandals as their equipment.

now all thats left is the 2 other superbosses, and i guess the 2 other rgular bosses i have to fight to unlock the last superboss as well

 

[MasterEn]

Hmmm since the only version for PS1 is called origins I assume we both played the same version they do get surprised each time they do a boss fight meaning the 4 fiends and chaos.

I gotta say the boss fights are better than 2 at no point I felt very capable of beating the fiends just barely.

One epic gaming moment is when I fought the lich the team was low on health and healing my black mage (leo) casts fire 2 incinerating the lich was epic 10/10 moment.

The fire fiend was not that memorable.

Kraken was hella strong with melee and him spraying ink at you I was like "OH MY GOD DID YOU JUST SPRAY ME WITH INK" I do have to mention the placement for the lower levels of the water temple is lame I didn't see it first who places the door for next floor on top left? There is the center way more visible.

Taimat was I think resistant to melee that alone made him tough nut to crack after the fight I read he is weak to petrify I didn't even have that spell

Chaos was also quite strong took me 3 tries to get him.

originally the level cap was 50, so as long as you leveled up at a steady pace, the boss will always feel intense. i think you can beat the game at level 30, which is about 5-7 levels higher than mega man x command mission.
there are way less bosses in ff1, unlike ff2 or command mission. so quality is top priority. i remember the fiends quite well, but only like 2 bosses from ff2.
being the first game, i would cut them some slack on level design. never heard of a boss being weak to petrify, that's a new one.
of course chaos is strong, how else is he supposed to "knock you all down!"

Post automatically merged: Feb 14, 2025

I just beat omega mk.II in ff5 advance. i was technically underleveled, (i was level 64, reommended is 80) but used a strat that caused it to be unable to do anything. I made sure my character were at specific speeds so they would go in a certain order and just did this romeo's ballad, attack, romeo's ballad, attack, etc. until it died. specifically rapidfire flare spellblade as the attack, oh and everyone had ribbons, black garb, and hermes sandals as their equipment.

View attachment 25596


now all thats left is the 2 other superbosses, and i guess the 2 other rgular bosses i have to fight to unlock the last superboss as well

i remember seeing him and my first thought was "oh, fuck." i swear he was following me when i ran by him. shinryu caught me by surprised. had to reload. ii would have tried out the new extra content, but i borrowed the game from a friend and i had to give it back.

 

[IyoTheHelpfulWolf]

Friendship and Loss: Why Final Fantasy XV Moved Me

I decided to make this a regular forum post, as this game just isn't old enough to discuss as an article, but I figured someone here would want to see it.
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The wind through your hair, orange skies above your black convertable, the threat of daemons draws near. It’s the end of the world and you feel fine.

I picked up this game on a whim. I had just moved with my recently acquired PS4 slim, and was used game hunting at GameStop. I saw Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition, and remembered all the commotion about how it didn’t live up to the Final Fantasy name. Well, seemed like an interesting use of fifteen bucks.

I loaded the disk in, underwent the usual installation fuckery of modern consoles, and was immediately taken aback by the beauty of it all. The grand architecture of Insomnia inspiring awe. After Noctis and his friends said goodbye to the King, we cut to a very un-grand start to our adventure: pushing our car to the repair shop. But I was charmed and intrigued as I caught my first glimpses into their personalities, before the title drop to the tune of Florence + the Machine’s rendition of “Stand By Me”.

After an admittedly slow start, my road trip was well underway. The rolling fields, 50‘s automobiles, and the mix of the mundane and the extraordinary captured my imagination, all driven by one of the most compelling and heartwarming friendships I’ve ever witnessed in a game. The banter felt genuine and fun, the sharing of feelings at night so personal and real. Each personality felt distinct and likable. Ignis, the responsible one who loved to cook. Prompto, the fool with a sharpshooter and sharper aim. Gladio, the greatsword wielding survivalist with a love for Cup Noodles.When one of us was down and feeling worthless, the other’s were always there to tell them why they mattered, be it Noctis feeling unfit to be a king or Prompto believing his origins to make his worthless. Their comradery felt unbreakable even as it bent, as challenge after challenge forced Lucian royalty out of their well-to-do and secure comfort zones and into the real world. From beating high level slimes by the skin of our teeth for money, to wielding the might of Lucius against the mightiest of Daemons and the most powerful forces of Niflheim, from being unable to drive off the road to exploring every inch on Chocobo and monster truck, our strength grew as did our bond. . The world was our canvas...

Then that canvas was burned...

I found myself traversing corridors with nothing but a mysterious family ring. Cut off from the power I’ve worked so hard for, and the friends I had come to rely on. Slinking around like an outgunned rebel way in over his head. The lonliness crushing, only staved off by determination.

The game’s stakes went from 0-60 so fast, that before I knew it, years had passed in it’s world, and Noctis had awoken with stubble and an even more solemn look than before. As I set up camp, alone, with nothing but a can of food seasoned with tears, I knew what I had to do. I then made the trek to finaly reunite with my old friends, but it would be the final time.

We camped together one last time and said our goodbyes, wondering if we could even put the pieces of this fallen world together. Would this sacrifice even be worth it? We had to try. It was our duty. After one last campfire together, we stormed the remains of our old home, our skills sharper than ever. The full might of Lucius once again unleashed, the forces of Daemonkind were no match for us. Ardyn made one last stand against the prince, no, king of Lucius, but he too was nothing compared to the hero and ruler Noctis has become.

Then, just like that, it was over. Noctis gave his life to seal away the curse plaguing the land, for just a sliver of hope the the ashes of war would give life to a kingdom anew, entrusted to the three people that were there for him since the beginning, his spirit sat upon the throne with his queen, finally together in peace.

Then “Stand by Me” played again in full, and the credits rolled. I just sat there reflecting, melancholic that it was over, but glad I got to experience it.

I then unlocked a post game. More adventures with Noctis and friends. I most certainly dumped dozens of more hours into the game from here, but it all felt bittersweet. It didn’t feel like a road trip with the bros in the moment, but a memory, like I was living in the past. And that’s because, even in the context of the game, I was. The post game was accessed via a dog that would let you return to your old adventures, reliving them as memories. But that’s all they were now. Yes, I know this is all a video game, and that this was already past tense the whole time to millions of people, but to me it seemed like a journey ended, and that I was now just wallowing in nostalgia.

For whatever flaws that this game has, and there are many that have been covered by far better writers and content creators than I, this game had a soul. It captured the feeling of comradery, adventure, and eventually the feeling of loss that they intended. I’m not normally a big fan of remakes, but I do hope that one day, people look back more fondly on this game, and that Square Enix finally gives the four bros of Lucius their due. Until then, rest in peace Noctis, true king of Lucius.

 

[RageBurner]

It's really cool that you had such a strong experience with the game. It's the kind of thing that is not forgotten, and it's very generous of you to share it.

 

[Deleted member 3864]

Lovely piece, Iyo.

 

[DunkeyKong]

This is such a nice read, I love FFXV too. There's a reason why it's a 10 years in the making, whether that be because of scraping the ideas and the development process. This is one of the most discussed stories in Final Fantasy community and I can understand why it hits so hard and so different for the others. Some might say it was rushed and that's kinda true, but in the end, what matters is that it's good and meaningful, for you and the others

Thank you again for sharing man, good job

 

[Stingy Perry Stingy Perry]

A heartfelt read another good one Iyo.

 

[Natsuyasumi]

I Just can't get into classic Final Fantasy.

I've been a JRPG fan boy my whole life, and I grew up with a Super Nintendo, largely regarded as a peak system for the genre. But I have a confession to make. I have never completed any of the first 6 Final Fantasy games.
Growing up, my favorite game was Chrono Trigger, and I basically worshipped anything from Squaresoft, but no matter how many times I would start playing one of the classic Final Fantasy games, I would always lose interest and move on to something else. I've started Final Fantasy V & VI at least a dozen times each, but have only ever gotten a few hours deep.

My whole life I've always heard that Final Fantasy VI is a must-play for JRPG fans, and one of the best the genre has to offer. I genuinely WANT to get into it and enjoy the experience. I want to play the first Final Fantasy to see what the game that started it all has to offer. I want to play FF2 to experience the wonky leveling system and the Star Wars-esque story. I want to play FF3 for the introduction of the swappable Job system, FF4 for the incredible story and dedicated use of jobs and classes, FF5 for the perfection of the job system model and the "end" of the "4 elemental crystals" structure used up until that time.
But I just find them so difficult to enjoy.

This isn't because of antiquated gameplay. I am a fan of older, simpler mechanics and even downright bad controls & systems (I just played Earthbound for the first time a few years ago and loved it).

The only thing I can think of that always takes me out of these games is the disparity in sprite work. Depending on the scenario, sprites are totally different in tone, scale, realism and even movement. Enemy sprites are totally different in battle than the ones for the same enemy in normal gameplay. And finally the play character sprites are completely different from that same character's profile illustrations. Does anyone else have a problem with this or is it just me?

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a difficult time starting these games, but powered through and was glad that they did? Trying to decide if I should keep playing through FF6 or just give it up for something else (like Seiken Densetsu 3, for example).

 

[Deleted member 3099]

Thank you for sharing this.
It's truly a magical feeling when a game or a story resonates so strongly with you, getting lost in the journey, and the ache left when it's over.

 

[MasterEn]

you might have to check out different versions of each game. each original version was made under different circumstances. ff2 came out 1 day before the first anniversary of ff1. ff1 is so broken it isn't funny. the intel stat doesn't work, several spells do the opposite of what they are supposed to do. ff1 and 2 don't adjust attacks if an enemy dies before a character attacks them, they will attack empty air instead of switching to a viable target. ff3 forces the use of specific jobs at points to progress, which cost job money in the original. ff4 was supposed to be a nes game and switched over to the snes at the 80% mark.
... ff5 and 6 are the most stable and consistent.
the gba versions and onward are vastly more improved. sprites are more consistent and colorful. 3 and 4 have 3d remakes with new content.
i know your main complaint was just not liking the sprite work, but that will be the least of your concerns if you got far in the older games.

 

[Deleted member 3864]

Well, that's definitely the first time I've heard *that*. It's interesting, though!

I think generally video games, or JRPG's more specifically, often had that element of imagination where you had some gorgeous artwork in the manual or portraits, and you had to picture that's what your little sprite on the overworld or battle screen represented. ("Use your imagination" was basically mandatory for most older PC games especially.)

I think that gulf between Pretty Expectation and Practical Reality hit a peak with FF7, where the portraits looked like anime heroes and the CGI featured realistically proportioned characters, but Cloud is a jaunty little blonde troll with Popeye arms. (The battle models were a little better, admittedly.) That's probably what drove the expectation for a remake, people wanting to reconcile that difference with new technology.

...can't say it ever bothered me, personally, but it's too bad that presents an obstacle for getting into the series for you.

No one can really hold you to any "video game canon" though, life's too short to play things you don't enjoy.

 

[Lena CE]

If you've tried multiple games and still come away feeling meh on it, it just might not be for you. It can be sad to not enjoy something that most people love to engage with, but forcing it usually isn't worth it. GTA is a franchise that I've tried and tried to get into but I just struggle to give a damn, which makes everytime a new one is coming out a bit sad since I can never join in on the excitement lol

Best thing I could recommend though would be to try out some of the 3D era games out. FFVII definitely has the disparity between how things look in and out of battle, but after that game things tend to feel super duper consistent. FFX is often recommended as a good starting point to new FF fans for a number of reasons, so maybe give any game post-VII a shot and see how you're feeling. If you still dislike them then it just might not appeal to you as a franchise, unfortunately.

 

[Deleted member 3099]

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a difficult time starting these games, but powered through and was glad that they did? Trying to decide if I should keep playing through FF6 or just give it up for something else (like Seiken Densetsu 3, for example).

I had bounced off of classic Final Fantasy a couple times in the past, but fairly recently I gave VI another shot and devoured it completely. In my example, I found I was comparing it to things like Chrono Trigger and FFVII and not taking it in for what it itself was, if that makes sense. If you want to try it again, maybe give yourself some time and come in with a fresh mindset perhaps?

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I like the classics but I haven't played them all. There are some problems with various versions as @MasterEn stated. If you're going to play them today than you should probably just play the Pixel Remaster versions.

My personal recommendation is to start with FF1. It's a very simple game, and it's relatively short too. The games get slightly more complex as they go, and it will probably be harder to enjoy the earlier games after you have played the later entries. My introduction to the series was the FF1&2 collection on GBA and it was great.

FF1 is a barebones version of the rest of the series - it is FF in it's purest form. If you like this game, you will like them all. FF2 builds further on the foundation that FF1 laid down and introduced Chocobo into the series. FF3 introduced the job system and my beloved Moogle's, and FF4 introduced the newer battle system. They kept building further on the ideas with each entry.

 

[Strategist Strategist]

If you don't enjoy it, you don't enjoy it. SNES era Final Fantasy is what it is. For me it was love at first intro sequence and the gameplay wasn't that much of a barrier for me to experience the story. I don't get the graphics complaint. Final Fantasy VI alongside with Chrono Trigger has the most exquisite sprite work on the SNES so its not like its hard to look at. Plus most JRPGs have the same disparity between monsters and player characters you describe.