Is FFXV a good entry point for a FF noob?

Title says it all: I'm looking to get into FF, see what all the hype was about. Played it for maybe 10 minutes a while ago when it first came to PC, didn't like the whole boy band vibe going on.

Willing to give it another go, however.

Or should I try the FFVII remake?

By entering the series with 15, its the best way to exit it as quickly as possible. FFXV was a trash game.

FF16 is probably the best to get into the series, but you won't be able to taste it on pc for a long long very long time.

Start with ff7 remake

FF15 is a hard jump-in point. Suffered way too much in dev and didn't turn out well. You'd be best off playing the classics. Just google "Best FF games list" and you'll be good as they're standalone titles.

As for FF7R... It's a good game but suffers from being linear with large filler hub areas. TBH, i'd just mod FF7 or buy the newest versions on PS/Xbox.

No. Just go with FF7 remake. If you want something more traditional, FF4 is an okay entry point, but my all time favorite FF has always been FF6. But the older games are turn based.

FF12 The Zodiac Age is somewhat of a good hybrid between action and turn based combat, but it has its issues with the story, mainly its characters. But nothing too detracting from the overall pace of things.

Most Final Fantasy games are set in their own world, so FF15 is a good place to start. No need to play any previous games in the series since each game has its own storyline.

If you like FF15, there are some other good games in the series such as FF13 (this game comes in a trilogy), FF7 remake or FF10 remastered.

FF9 is also good (it has a medieval theme to it, making it different to modern FF games), but I don’t recommend playing it unless a remaster is released. Current FF9 graphics are too outdated to enjoy unless you grew up playing the series. FF12 remastered is also good if you like medieval type worlds.

Whichever game you choose, hope you enjoy it.

Yeah, you can get it super cheap. Then get RemKe super cheap.

I enjoyed FFXV but wouldn’t recommend it as a first game to experience what Final Fantasy is about. Definitely would recommend FFVII Remake. If you don’t mind old school go with FFVI pixel remaster or the original FFVII.

Can really jump in anywhere. Each main entry is its own world, story, characters, gameplay systems, etc. Pretty well self contained.

Which is good, but it's also a wildly inconsistent series lol. Could easily despise one game, then get on well with some of the others.

Series had a pretty reliable formula to it up through FF9. 4 through 9 are typically considered the golden age. Been more experimental from there.

Can't speak to FF15 specifically. Aside from the MMOs it's the only main entry I never played. Just everything about it looks unappealing to me.

Depending on how retro you'd like to go, I could recommend 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, or 12. Of course no two FF fans agree on shit, but I enjoyed each of those plenty.

12 is probably the least weeb of the bunch and has the best writing and VA. Just putting that out there considering how you feel about some Japanese games lol.

Hard to say. FF15 has some good stuff going for it, but overall I found it to be a bad FF game in the worst way: the battle system is trash. A game for "fans and first timers" it is not.

What style of game play are you most interested in?

Here is what I think:

• Start with FFX if you want strictly turn-based. I think the story and characters are well-developed and the overall presentation is still modern. This game has a turn order like many tactics RPGs where you can see how your actions will change the battle order. Play the remastered version.
• If you want to start with an early game in the franchise, check out FFIV. This was Square's first attempt at a truly story-driven FF and I think they really nailed it. This is a good intro to the ATB battle system. Honestly the PSP version is probably the best; the PC port is a little shoddy but can be fixed with mods.
• FFXII might also be a good place to start. It has a good PC port. The battle system is interesting. You essentially build out the logic of each character and then let them auto-battle while you move through the world. The areas and dungeons are pretty big and complex.

My favorites are probably the worst place to start (7/8/9). They have not aged well and the optimal way to play can be a bit obtuse. FF7 Remake has a very fun action-based battle system and the presentation is off the charts. Having immense nostalgia for the original FF7, I can't say for sure if you're missing out on anything by not playing the original first. I don't know what it's like to not have 25 years of love for the game and it was such a wonderful thing to see the characters and Midgar given proper consideration versus what was possible in 1997.

Let us know what you decide!

I'd start with Persona 4 and never touch Final Fantasy.

Thanks for all the options, folks. Certainly a lot of choices. Looks like I'll be checking out an older game in the series (VI sounds like it is well-regarded. Yeah I'm prepared for the visuals lol).

Been curious about this game for a while as well, iirc it is on Gamepass, too.

@mrbojangles25:

VI is one of my favs. Every time I see "what's the best FF", first that comes to mind.

But that's also some excessive nostalgia speaking lol. I'm sure it's still a good time, but I'm pretty much incapable of objectivity with that one.

At the very least, music is good. Don't know if they ever added the option for the original music to the Steam version (can be modded though).

FF14 is great and huge now. FF7 remake is good. FF16 looks like it'll take after FF14 a bit. FF15 was horrible and should get the FF title axed from it.

Don't bother with FFXV. Start with FFVII Remake. You don't have to like FF or even JRPGs to enjoy that game.

Just go play FF7 Remake and call it a day. Or better yet, go play Lighting Returns: FF13.

Don't both with anything FF. Adblock that sh*t. Actually Adblock everything Sh*tEnix. You will thank me later.

I had an hour with FF and uninstalled

Good luck

@hardwenzen: Agreed 100%. FFXV is so trash that I worry if you play it you will never want to play FF again.

FF7 Remake or FF16 are probably your best bet. Former is a superb game, the latter looks like it will be too.

Each FF game is its own world.

But I would say 6, 7, 7R and 14 are good starting points.

1. is where it all started, it is pretty cheap on Steam. Pretty basic though.
2. is a weird one, I would not begin with this. It plays more like a Saga game than an FF game. Still introduced a lot of important concepts to FF though.
3. is the best NES game of the bunch, also available on steam. More complex than 1 and has more content too.
4. defined what a modern FF game is. You have not a lot of customization, but the game is well paced throughout and makes for good popcorn fantasy. This game set the trend forward of having predefined protagonists and real-time combat. Granted, it was ATB, rather than action, which is sorta like RTwP combat. Exception you cant position people.
5. is not a good starting point. You should probably acquiant yourself with various FF jobs before you play this. Bosses are puzzles, and probably assume you know how these jobs work. Really fun game though. Had some of the first good bosses I have seen in an RPG.
6. is a just a good ride overall, and has some excelletn pacing.
7. 7 and 7R are different games. While they both are set in the same world, the games are very different otherwise. FF7's midgar sections were some of my favorite sections of any RPG, and done early on so there is no time investment. The game does fall off a bit after you leave midgar, but still a good game.
8. is a bad game and should be avoided
9. is good but it is a love letter to the series, might not be the best starting ponit due to that.
10. has an excellent turn based system, and has takes that I think you would agree with based on your posting history.
11. is sloooow, only recommended for FF fans.
12. I would recommend only after having played Tactics.
13. is bad.
14. has a free trial all the way up to heavensward (level 60). So monetary concerns are of no issue. But it is an mmo, and unfortuantely ARR isn't the best. So time investment might be worse for you than the monetary investment. If you are interested in 16 however, this might be the best starting point since 16 is made by the FF14 team.
15. you can probably skip.

This, also I heard that if you want to start with FF XV you're best off starting with the FF XV movie:

Personally, I really enjoyed FFXV Royal Edition (the PC equivalent of the Windows Edition), but if you're torn between that and FFVII Remake, I recommend the latter.

FFXV is kind of a slow burn game and it takes time to feel its charm. FFVII Remake, on the other hand, lets you appreciate the story, characters, combat, music, etc. right from the start.

Oh, and if you prefer classic turn-based, I would also recommend the Pixel Remasters (especially IV and VI).

Edit:

BTW, I remember a certain PC fanboy/SE hater here insisting that Steam User Reviews are the most reliable source of reviews that could ever exist (I don't necessarily agree), but since they say "very positive" for both FFXV and VII Remake, that self-contradictory PC fanboy/SE hater's opinion is proven meaningless again, haha.

It's not bad but not great either. If you can get it for cheap I say why not, you could do worse.

If you ignore the trash story and play only the first area, you would be OK.

FFVII is cutscene heavy.🤢

VII:R or XVI next month are probably the safest bets. Maybe OG VII too if you aren't opposed to more retro stuff.

@Maroxad: nice breakdown, thanks. Confirms that FFVI is the way to go.

Yeah given my history with JRPG's (and Japanese games overall) I'm not expecting a whole lot, but I already own a few of these games simply through various bundle purchases and such, so I figured I should give them another go.

Going in with an open mind!

Booooooo!

@mrbojangles25: I tried to play FFVII but the cutscenes frequency and the story were too much for me to stomach.

Just play Dragon Quest instead.

Tried that, didn't like it.

I thought it was cute and charming, though. I see why it is so popular.

4, 6, 7, Tactics, 8, 9, and 10 are all better starting points for the series. FF15 was a disappointment and FF7R is more of a sequel than a remake.

@mrbojangles25: You're welcome. I should mention though. The game opens up a lot in the second half where it goes from a linear on-rails experience to an open ended game. But I still found it really well paced regardless.

@mrbojangles25: To me, FF15 should absolutely not be your first FF. I recommend FF9 first then, either 6 or 7.

My advice is to stay away from that game.

Wasn't this posted already? Feels like deja vu.

As someone who has always liked the idea of JRPGs on paper, but could never seem to get into them, try Grandia 2. It was the first JRPG I managed to finish. Progression is straightforward, grinding is not too bad, and while technically a turn based battle system, it has some strategy elements that keep things interesting.

I might have asked this in the past a couple times, either about FF or other Japanese games.

See this is good advice.

I like the idea of JRPG's. I enjoy turn-based combat/strategy, or squad/team-based mechanics. Magic and fantasy and sci-fantasy and stuff.

Also, where does that Tactics Ogre game fall in terms of how close it is to FF? I heard that's a good one.

@mrbojangles25: I haven't played Tactics Orge, but it is more SRPG. Might be a good one to check out.

Or Final Fantasy Tactics, just to throw more recommendations onto the pile.

Start at IV, V or VI and stop at IX. VI was when FF started to get really good VII played out similarly to VI but was better in almost every way and VII is still the best game in the franchise. After VII it tharted going downhill, VIII wasnt too bad, IX was ..ok, X was hot garbage but as bad as X is, its still much better than 12 onwards. I cant comment on FFXI, from what I heard it was some crappy attempt at a FF MMO, so I never played it.

Final Fantasy X and XII are excellent games as well. Could easily just hop in with those also.

Ff15 has the greatest character with the saddest ending in all of them. The car.

But you can literally start with any ff without a subtitle or an extra number.

@mrbojangles25:

In that case, FF XV is a decent start but it might give you the wrong idea of what a Final Fantasy is like. The combat is more in line with a hack and slash game and the other party members feel a little too similar. Though exploring the overworld map and doing quests is pretty cool.

So far, only XV and VII Remake are the only games with a real-time battle system. The rest of the games are turn-based ATB, which is a pretty hectic system to get used to. Enemies could attack you multiple times before you even get a chance to strike, simply because they have more agility than your party.

The only thing they're good for is easing you into the themes. The monsters stay the same for the most part and they all have deities you can summon, which are always fun to watch. Then there's the Chocobos. Sadly, you can only ride them in FF XV and they're pretty much non-existent in FF VII Remake.

If you only want to play the real-time rpgs, FF VII Remake is a better idea. It has a stronger story and the party members have more variety. So there's more strategy on how you approach fights and you might have a better time playing it. The only downside is that you CANNOT jump. Though once you see the level design, you'll understand why. FF VII Remake is just an overall better game than XV, simply put.