Fantastic video, I’ve had these thoughts for years about these games I love so much but never would I be able to describe them as you have. Thank you for the memories!
VIII is my personal favorite probably because it was my first final fantasy and I grew up playing it. It definitely had its weaknesses, but the story, characters, and game world were incredibly memorable. I didn’t play VII or IX until years later and wow they were both equally amazing games in their own way. I still play all three of these once every few years. They’re three of my all time favorite games and definitely my three favorite final fantasy’s. The PS1 era of final fantasy will never be replicated. Awesome video!
Great video! FFVI and Tactics are two of my top three favorite games of all time. I appreciate how much time this must have taken to complete. Btw not saying that you came up with this video to talk more about Tifa but also not not saying it.
I have fond memories of the release day of FFIX. I was 14yo and it was then the first FF I bought on release day. At that time an FF was something man I swear. Not something you fear like nowadays. Yeah we want a new FF to be released like so bad, but then we fear that the game will once again be a let down. But FFIX, I devoured it literally. It released on a Friday and I played it during the whole weekend and was near the end of Disc 3 by Sunday night. I was WAY ahead all my friends man. The story hooked me so good!
All other comments are wrong tactics is the definitive best FF ever created. Thank you. Mic drop. I’m out. But seriously amazing video it’s amazing that all four of these games played such a huge roll in my young life! Thanks for putting this together!
I'd add 8. Hugely underrated and from thr golden age. Graphics were sublime story and characters great. It just had the junction system issue that's it.
I think it was Kitase that dispelled the "Squall Is Dead" hypothesis. Honestly, the story doesn't make much sense, but it makes even less sense if the devs are to be believed. As to why the Golden Age ended...well, it wasn't Uematsu leaving, it was Sakaguchi.
@@locloudanerpg I wish I could say the same, but the action RPG combat that the series appears to have embraced doesn't sit well with me. Fine for _Star Ocean_ , though.
0:53 And yet Final Fantasy V is the game they keep making homages to... Probably one the the most influential RPGs (Japanese, Western, Korean,MMO and pen and paper) ever made.
I think 9 was the last great game that defined everything “final fantasy” means. Absolutely masterful game in pretty much every regard. But 12 was the last great game, just generally speaking. 10 and 12 are stellar in their own rights, but there’s no denying that they made several changes that would only increase as time went on, which now has people thinking that final fantasy doesn’t know what it wants to be anymore
@@rainofkhandaq6678 the addition of voice acting, which also meant you could no longer name your party members except for Tidus, the removal of the atb system, also the removal of levels in favor of the sphere grid, the removal of pre rendered backgrounds, new composers for the soundtrack in addition to Uematsu, changing summons so that you control them and they replace all your party members, the linear structure of the game mainly caused by the removal of overworld maps, also meaning that airships/chocobos work differently from previous games There may be a couple other small ones I’m forgetting but those are the most notable off the top of my head.
I know that this was only considering Playstation 1 games, but I have to say that the Final Fantasy franchise, as a whole, is great. No offense to those who liked FF8, but I really feel there are better Final Fantasy games that aren't part of the Playstation 1 era. I really liked FF10, not only because of the graphics, but also because of the gameplay. I liked a lot of the Final Fantasy games during the SNES era, like FF5 and FF6, because the gameplay was very fun. I would agree that most of the Final Fantasy games nowadays aren't really that good. Graphics and music on FF13 were really great, but story and gameplay failed miserably. I wish that Square Enix would make more Final Fantasy games like FF10 because it really had the best of both the past and present: great music and graphics on top of fun gameplay mechanics and enticing storylines.
Your argument about how VII is the originator of the hardened mercenary with a big sword trope is flawed because it isn't true. The story of Berserk also features a battle hardened character with a big sword who is still scarred by a betrayal from a long white haired guy with a long thin sword who also does what he does as a means to stand atop humanity.
@@locloudanerpg Had to be. Look up Berserk Guts and Berserk Griffith. The former has spiky hair, rough exterior from childhood trauma, and a big, wide sword. The latter has long white hair, a long thin sword and betrayed the former who develops an obsession towards finding him. There are probably more similarities but a guy with a fat sword having a rivalry with a guy with long white hair, a god complex and a thin white sword who caused a major tragedy in the hero's life is a pretty big tell.
@@MelodeathxTed No not at all! I love the feedback. I spent a ton of time on this essay and I'm still learning how to do it so all feedback is appreciated. If I thought it was a shitty comment I just wouldn't write back. Thanks for the support my friend. Also, be nicer to Naruto. :)
Saying that the character design of VIII is old-fashioned reminds me of the stupidity that the producer of Ninja Theory said about classic Dante in Devil May Cry lol, in fact the design of FFVIII is quite similar to that of VII, XIII and XV has medieval, modern and futuristic caracteristics which makes them timeless. Personally, it was the PS1 game that I enjoyed the most and the one that seems best to me since VII and IX don't seem as good as people say, they keep criticizing VIII for stupid things like that it can be broken, that they supposedly force them to extract magic, not spend it and now that the character design is the worst in the saga, seriously?
You kinda lost me when you said the series quality has stayed relatively high...it hasnt After the departure of Hironobu sakagichi and Nabuo uamatsu there has been a significant drop of in quality which has also coincided with Square making bad business practices..like milking game worlds through spin offs Theres been a notable drop off in storytelling Worldbulding Tech
I think the concept of a "golden age" of final fantasy is flawed. Look at three factors which a "golden age" could be defined by: quality, the development of trends, and cultural reception. In terms of quality, imo, 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10 are all better than 8. (I admit that I prefer the experience of playing 8 than 1 or 3, but I think 1 and 3 are overall better games when considering innovation, the constraints of the time in which they came out, etc.) In terms of the development of narrative and gameplay conceits. I would say that there is a more distinct chain between 6, 7, and 8 than 7, 8, and 9. Things such as the influence of sci-fi, the relationship between equipable items which grant magic and stat customization, the role of amnesia , etc, there is a clear development of these things from 6 to 7 to 8. Meanwhile, 9 is an homage to all previous final fantasy, so while some of these aspects are included and even developed, it is not within that same trend that 6, 7, and 8 share and more an appreciation for the series as a whole. Finally, cultural impact. 7 was certainly a juggernaut, and 8 rode that wave. But 9 didn't, really, both because of backlash to 8 and because it moved away from the more edgy 90's sci-fi aesthetic of 7. After that, 10 was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. As for tactics, I haven't played it so I can't comment.
@@locloudanerpg yeah I getcha. It was my first FF no game has so much nostalgia and the MUSIC oh my god the emotions tied to that game. FFV I feel like is like that for me. It's so cool but because I didn't get to play it as a kid it doesn't have the emotional attachment
@@locloudanerpg Which of these did you play? SNES Secret of Mana Actraiser Secret of Evermore Illusion of Gaia Lufia Lufia 2 Terranigma Earthbound SMRPG Breath of Fire 1/2 PS1 Brave Fencer Musashi Suikoden 1/2 (Suikoden 1 is one of my top 3 fave games of all time along with FFIV and Secret of mana) Wild ARms 1/2 (first is the best) Xenogears Star Ocean 2 2nd Story Vagrant Story
FF6,7,8,9,10,12 & Tactics are all timeless masterpieces
I think the golden age was around these releases
I personally would add 5 there (it’s my fave aside from 6)
Not 12 as much as I like that game it had it's flaws. I'd rather add 13-2 to the list as a better game tbh.
FFIV is still the best!!!!
@@wiseguy240WinstonXIII?! Never!
@@evagomes1590 13-2 not 13 😐
Fantastic video, I’ve had these thoughts for years about these games I love so much but never would I be able to describe them as you have. Thank you for the memories!
Hey that means a lot. I spent a huge amount of time making this one. Glad you feel the same as me. Thanks for the support!
VIII is my personal favorite probably because it was my first final fantasy and I grew up playing it. It definitely had its weaknesses, but the story, characters, and game world were incredibly memorable. I didn’t play VII or IX until years later and wow they were both equally amazing games in their own way. I still play all three of these once every few years. They’re three of my all time favorite games and definitely my three favorite final fantasy’s. The PS1 era of final fantasy will never be replicated. Awesome video!
Great video! FFVI and Tactics are two of my top three favorite games of all time. I appreciate how much time this must have taken to complete. Btw not saying that you came up with this video to talk more about Tifa but also not not saying it.
FF4 is my favorite game ever.
But VI and T are my objective 1 and 2 ranked FFs.
So good stuff hah.
HES BACK
This one took a very long time.
Your exceptional yet succinct lesson has granted Lolcloudane access the PROFESSOR Overdrive mode!
I have fond memories of the release day of FFIX. I was 14yo and it was then the first FF I bought on release day. At that time an FF was something man I swear. Not something you fear like nowadays. Yeah we want a new FF to be released like so bad, but then we fear that the game will once again be a let down. But FFIX, I devoured it literally. It released on a Friday and I played it during the whole weekend and was near the end of Disc 3 by Sunday night. I was WAY ahead all my friends man. The story hooked me so good!
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing!
I can't argue with these. I may personally extend and say FF4-9 + Tactics, but this was a good time in life.
Haha that felt like a cop out for the essay……but I agree.
@@locloudanerpg your videos are still criminally under-viewed
Love the content, keep it coming!
All other comments are wrong tactics is the definitive best FF ever created. Thank you. Mic drop. I’m out.
But seriously amazing video it’s amazing that all four of these games played such a huge roll in my young life! Thanks for putting this together!
To me 4, 6, 7, 9, & Tactics are the best ones. Hands down.
Toss in 12 and that’s mine
@@thefoxoflaurels3437 12 was the last one that I thought was decent. It just had way, way, way too many sidequests to complete.
I'd add 8. Hugely underrated and from thr golden age. Graphics were sublime story and characters great. It just had the junction system issue that's it.
FF Tactics soundtrack is the best in the series. ANd the world design is so coherent.
Tactics has aged beautifully.
FFIV and IX are prob my faves, FFT and 6 are the best. ANd 7 is the grandest
I think it was Kitase that dispelled the "Squall Is Dead" hypothesis. Honestly, the story doesn't make much sense, but it makes even less sense if the devs are to be believed.
As to why the Golden Age ended...well, it wasn't Uematsu leaving, it was Sakaguchi.
That’s a point I almost made but I think that I’ve seen signs that make me hopeful
@@locloudanerpg I wish I could say the same, but the action RPG combat that the series appears to have embraced doesn't sit well with me. Fine for _Star Ocean_ , though.
@@big_red01027 Yeah. At least we have awesome turn based series like the legend of heroes series, persona and Shin Megami Tensei to fill the void.
@@locloudanerpg And Dragon Quest.
0:53 And yet Final Fantasy V is the game they keep making homages to...
Probably one the the most influential RPGs (Japanese, Western, Korean,MMO and pen and paper) ever made.
IV with the ATB system was huge to RPGs as well.
I think 9 was the last great game that defined everything “final fantasy” means. Absolutely masterful game in pretty much every regard. But 12 was the last great game, just generally speaking.
10 and 12 are stellar in their own rights, but there’s no denying that they made several changes that would only increase as time went on, which now has people thinking that final fantasy doesn’t know what it wants to be anymore
@@rainofkhandaq6678 the addition of voice acting, which also meant you could no longer name your party members except for Tidus, the removal of the atb system, also the removal of levels in favor of the sphere grid, the removal of pre rendered backgrounds, new composers for the soundtrack in addition to Uematsu, changing summons so that you control them and they replace all your party members, the linear structure of the game mainly caused by the removal of overworld maps, also meaning that airships/chocobos work differently from previous games
There may be a couple other small ones I’m forgetting but those are the most notable off the top of my head.
Beautiful video
I personally love the job system
It give the game a lot more replayability imo
>Devastating power of Steiner
*does 52 damage*
IX and X are the best for me, i cried like a bitch with those two ahahahaha
I know that this was only considering Playstation 1 games, but I have to say that the Final Fantasy franchise, as a whole, is great. No offense to those who liked FF8, but I really feel there are better Final Fantasy games that aren't part of the Playstation 1 era. I really liked FF10, not only because of the graphics, but also because of the gameplay. I liked a lot of the Final Fantasy games during the SNES era, like FF5 and FF6, because the gameplay was very fun. I would agree that most of the Final Fantasy games nowadays aren't really that good. Graphics and music on FF13 were really great, but story and gameplay failed miserably. I wish that Square Enix would make more Final Fantasy games like FF10 because it really had the best of both the past and present: great music and graphics on top of fun gameplay mechanics and enticing storylines.
Your argument about how VII is the originator of the hardened mercenary with a big sword trope is flawed because it isn't true.
The story of Berserk also features a battle hardened character with a big sword who is still scarred by a betrayal from a long white haired guy with a long thin sword who also does what he does as a means to stand atop humanity.
I mean in video games and that it solidified it as a trope. Was berserk some of the inspiration?
@@locloudanerpg Had to be. Look up Berserk Guts and Berserk Griffith.
The former has spiky hair, rough exterior from childhood trauma, and a big, wide sword.
The latter has long white hair, a long thin sword and betrayed the former who develops an obsession towards finding him.
There are probably more similarities but a guy with a fat sword having a rivalry with a guy with long white hair, a god complex and a thin white sword who caused a major tragedy in the hero's life is a pretty big tell.
@@MelodeathxTed I’m familiar but I never really thought of it. That’s really interesting!
@@locloudanerpg Sorry if my comment came across as snobby or rude. Great video either way. Love your content.
@@MelodeathxTed No not at all! I love the feedback. I spent a ton of time on this essay and I'm still learning how to do it so all feedback is appreciated. If I thought it was a shitty comment I just wouldn't write back. Thanks for the support my friend. Also, be nicer to Naruto. :)
This was a great video
Saying that the character design of VIII is old-fashioned reminds me of the stupidity that the producer of Ninja Theory said about classic Dante in Devil May Cry lol, in fact the design of FFVIII is quite similar to that of VII, XIII and XV has medieval, modern and futuristic caracteristics which makes them timeless.
Personally, it was the PS1 game that I enjoyed the most and the one that seems best to me since VII and IX don't seem as good as people say, they keep criticizing VIII for stupid things like that it can be broken, that they supposedly force them to extract magic, not spend it and now that the character design is the worst in the saga, seriously?
You kinda lost me when you said the series quality has stayed relatively high...it hasnt
After the departure of Hironobu sakagichi and Nabuo uamatsu there has been a significant drop of in quality which has also coincided with Square making bad business practices..like milking game worlds through spin offs
Theres been a notable drop off in storytelling
Worldbulding
Tech
10 12 ff ps2 :-) alright the best
I think the concept of a "golden age" of final fantasy is flawed. Look at three factors which a "golden age" could be defined by: quality, the development of trends, and cultural reception. In terms of quality, imo, 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10 are all better than 8. (I admit that I prefer the experience of playing 8 than 1 or 3, but I think 1 and 3 are overall better games when considering innovation, the constraints of the time in which they came out, etc.)
In terms of the development of narrative and gameplay conceits. I would say that there is a more distinct chain between 6, 7, and 8 than 7, 8, and 9. Things such as the influence of sci-fi, the relationship between equipable items which grant magic and stat customization, the role of amnesia , etc, there is a clear development of these things from 6 to 7 to 8. Meanwhile, 9 is an homage to all previous final fantasy, so while some of these aspects are included and even developed, it is not within that same trend that 6, 7, and 8 share and more an appreciation for the series as a whole.
Finally, cultural impact. 7 was certainly a juggernaut, and 8 rode that wave. But 9 didn't, really, both because of backlash to 8 and because it moved away from the more edgy 90's sci-fi aesthetic of 7. After that, 10 was a cultural phenomenon in its own right.
As for tactics, I haven't played it so I can't comment.
FF8's world design might be the most boring of any RPG I can think of
You saved yourself with your criticism of FF8. Is there any more forgettable character design than Irvine and Selfie?
Yes, all the characters of Tactics for example lol
Tactics is overrated af to anyone who has ever explored the wider world of tactics/strategy rpgs
I love your channel but if you don't think FFIV is timeless I call BLASPHEMY!!!! Shame be upon you!!
I wish I had played it early in my life. I understand why people love it but have struggled to like it myself.
@@locloudanerpg yeah I getcha. It was my first FF no game has so much nostalgia and the MUSIC oh my god the emotions tied to that game.
FFV I feel like is like that for me. It's so cool but because I didn't get to play it as a kid it doesn't have the emotional attachment
@@StewNWT that was 6 and 7 for me
@@locloudanerpg Which of these did you play?
SNES
Secret of Mana
Actraiser
Secret of Evermore
Illusion of Gaia
Lufia
Lufia 2
Terranigma
Earthbound
SMRPG
Breath of Fire 1/2
PS1
Brave Fencer Musashi
Suikoden 1/2 (Suikoden 1 is one of my top 3 fave games of all time along with FFIV and Secret of mana)
Wild ARms 1/2 (first is the best)
Xenogears
Star Ocean 2 2nd Story
Vagrant Story
@@StewNWT everything but Lufia and brave fencer. Have you played Thousand Arms?