What final fantasy has your favorite gameplay mechanics?

[Tinhornjam]

what ff has your favorite main gameplay/combat mechanics? examples being ff12s gambit system, ff7’s materia system, or the paradigm shifting in 13. my favorite has to be 12, some would call it boring and just automating the game for you but i love choosing my jobs and there’s just something so satisfying about watching my party do everything that i commanded them too!!

 

[Questless Knight]

FF5 with it´s job system. I dislike 12 combat in general and I rely hate 13s combat the most of all. But 12 makes up with a good story. 13 does not make up at all it just suck everything.

 

[Guinea]

FFX-2 peaked with the turn-based combat. It's not the best FF, but the combat is top notch.

Action-oriented combat goes to FF15. I love zooming around the map and kicking ass.

Other honorable mentions:

FF Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for Wii. It just felt good to grab objects around you and send them flying towards enemies.

All of the FF Tactics games. I love the combat in them, it really makes you focus on planning your next move.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Final Fantasy 2, i never minded the "Do thing for thing to be better" system, i only hated it in its OG Famicom release, but post GBA the curve is far more reasonable

The Job System of III and V are easly my favorite too, your character not being limited to its class' skills gave it a bonus

I've only played VIII for a while (playing them chronologically, still halfway V) but its Paper Mario Minigames makes for a confusing plot

 

[bjork]

original VII is the one I spent the most time with, so I guess I'll say that? Aside from waiting for summon animations if/when you use them, it works well enough for me.

 

[Boog111]

Final Fantasy II/IV. Simple. Updated over the previous games but didn't try to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Netra]

Main series maybe the combat system of ffxii.
And for the spinoff explorers, it was like a mix of FF with monster hunter.

 

[Eric Frank]

Without a doubt, it would be X.

 

[95tan - TheBestOS -]

I really like the XIII mechanic of being a BAD GAME AND SUCKING
(Nah, JK. I like VII, limit break. I think it's fun.)

 

[hazys]

FFX's combat may not be so showy, but it works really well, especially with insta-swapping party members. The Sphere Grid system is cool, too.

I also like the Job system in Final Fantasy Tactics... Advance.

 

[χKai]

4.

Everybody has a role, and unique talents of their own. You start with various different abilities from each other, and each character has abilities/traits that match their character and who they are.

 

[RustySK]

FFT for sure, but assuming you mean mainline... I think FFV.
I love the job system for one, but for another I think that game makes especially great use of it during its boss battles. Some bosses in that game feel almost more like SMT bosses in how puzzle-like their fights can be while still remaining really flexible.

FFXII is definitely up there as well though, there's just nothing else like it. I only wish the fights looked more visually interesting when it comes down to it.

 

[_-_AceDragon_-_]

VII (original)
Turn based
Materia system
Limit breaks
4x cut !!
By far my favourite summons

 

[JellyjamLu]

Hm off the top of my head

Customization of Materia system in VII - I literally beat Ruby Weapon by getting one character K.O'd and the materia carrying the rest, which is funny.

FFVIII - GF leveling system - Not so much a gameplay thing per se but as you gain EXP you can naturally allow your GF's/Summons to learn new abilities, so for example: 'Card' ability which is learned by GF Quetzacolt can be equipped to any party member then transform enemies into a card if HP is low during battle.

 

[csanjuro]

FF5

 

[RageBurner]

I can tell you the one I liked the least, FF8; that's across the board, too. More on topic, probably FF7 overall: it was flexible without trying to reinvent the wheel and still managed to harp on classic style notes.

FF9 earns a close second place, overall.

 

[starseeker300]

of the job based games: bravely default 1 - every job is not only unique, but also viable for the long term, also the brave/default mechanic is cool (and bravely second exists i guess, didnt really use it tbh except for a couple fights that were kicking my butt)

of the not job based turn based games: 4 the after years - ok so yes the story is garbage but this is a thread about gameplay so yeah just wanted to say that ahead of time, it expands 4 battle system by adding the band system which is fun to use and also gives you even more freedom with party building with 22 characters (even though 7 of them suck lol) and not having any forced party lead, cecil is good but its still fun to try out parties without him in it.

of the not turn based ones - ff15, noctis is just fun to control flying around the battle field with his warp strike

 

[shadowcat]

The job system in 5 and the dresspheres in X-2 were my favorite systems in a Final Fantasy game.

 

[NOTthatHARD]

Final Fantasy V, VII and Tactics because of all the freedom and customization options.

 

[Turbo Kid]

XIII by far, nothing else even comes close. It's the best combat in the entire series.

 

[ThatOneLum ThatOneLum]

Of the classics it's IV. It's like a class-based system that's a bit more guided for you as part of the story, but otherwise it's a classic ff style.

In modern games is goes to X. It's simple, turn-based combat and the unique sphere grid for levelling up was awesome. The fact you could side-specialize with characters by using key spheres was a stroke of genius.