The Final Fantasy series has long been one of gaming’s most respected RPG franchises of all time. From the Famicom to the Super Nintendo, and from the PlayStation all the way to today, Final Fantasy has made a name for itself for balancing challenging gameplay with beginner-friendly themes and concepts. Ultima Weapon is no joke, but that’s okay because there are Moogles and Chocobo to play with first.

With dozens of titles to its name, it can be a little overwhelming for new players to know where to start with Final Fantasy. Unfortunately, there are a few games that, while not bad in their own right, are less forgiving for new players. Whether this is because of steep difficulty, gameplay mechanics that stray too far from the series’ core tenets, or because of poor development decisions, these are the five Final Fantasy titles that new players should not jump into first.

Final Fantasy II Tried to Reinvent a Few Too Many Mechanics

It’s Fun If You Know How To Build a Party

The first Final Fantasy title is classic turn-based fantasy action. By assembling a team of heroes from across a variety of job classes, players were able to march out into the world and claim glory for themselves. And then Final Fantasy II came along and completely upended the very formula that made the first title such a hit. By experimenting with a host of new mechanics, Final Fantasy II sought to explore and expand the RPG genre in every way possible. Some ideas worked, some not quite as much, which is why the second Final Fantasy title is not the best place to begin for new players.

Unlike most other RPGs, Final Fantasy II does not utilize experience points or levels to increase its players’ power; instead, stats are increased based on the actions that are taken during combat. For example, Hit Points increase the more damage a character takes. Strength increases the more physical attacks a character makes, but their Magic stats decrease in conjunction. Proficiency with specific weapon types and spells increases the more a character uses them, as opposed to gaining a set bonus simply by equipping them.

This system, when combined with II’s keyword system and steep difficulty spikes, can make it a very tough and frustrating experience for new players. But for those who walk in with a clear understanding of the game’s mechanics, Final Fantasy II can be a very engaging RPG.

Final Fantasy Tactics Is a Masterpiece of a Tactics RPG

But, Hoo Boy, It Can Be Hard

Image via Square Enix

Final Fantastic Tactics is, in every regard, an amazing game and one of the greatest games of all time. The sheer amount of depth to its gameplay is almost limitless. Choosing job classes, learning skills, cross-classic units, and learning the finer points of the Bravery/Faith system, as well the Zodiac signs for especially dedicated players, is only the tip of the iceberg for those willing to dedicate themselves to Tactics. But, these very strengths are the same reasons why it’s a title best left for players who are more well-versed in the Final Fantasy series.

Title
Platform
Year of Release

Final Fantasy Tactics
PlayStation
1997

To begin with, Tactics is a very difficult and extremely unforgiving game. Enemy units will take every advantage possible in decimating players’ parties; failure to implement top-tier team synergy will often result in a lackluster fighting force that will simply limp through every enemy encounter.

Not having a working knowledge of the various job classes, their respective skills, and the whole host of items and equipment in the game will also hobble newer players’ experiences with the game. But those who take the time to learn the ins and outs of Final Fantasy before jumping into Tactics will find it to be one of the most challenging and rewarding RPG experiences available. Just keep an eye out for Wiegraf.

Final Fantasy VIII Introduced the Junction System and the Draw Mechanic

Which Is Fine If You Know How To Use Them Properly

Image via Square Enix

Final Fantasy VIII was a radical step in a new art direction for the series upon its release. Gone were the cute chibi-style sprites from the 2D games, and even the most anime-inspired designs from Final Fantasy VII were gone. In their place were more realistic (though no less stylish) characters that lived in a more grounded world than previous entries.

Cars were driven instead of chocobos ridden; guns were used as opposed to bows; and the stark science fiction setting, even with its hefty dose of fantasy, was a stark contrast to the roots the series was known for. On top of that, VIII also utilized a very different system for powering up its characters.

Title
Platform
Year of Release

Final Fantasy VIII
PlayStation
1999

The Junction System was a means by which players could Draw elements from enemies and assign them to various stats. Fire, an offensive spell, could be Drawn and attached to a Strength stat to increase damage output; similarly, Cure, a healing spell, could be Drawn and attached to HP to increase Max HP values.

The Junction System was a very different means of leveling characters up, and when combined with the weapons magazines that could be found around the world with which players could then upgrade their weapons (there is no equipment to speak of in VIII), made Final Fantasy VIII a very different sort of entry in the series. Those who know how to optimize the Junction System and how to best upgrade their weapons can coast easily through the game, but for everyone else, it can feel a bit directionless. The admittedly convoluted story doesn’t help matters much, either.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Can Be an Extraordinarily Complicated Game

Time Traveling is the Name of the Game Here

Image via Square Enix

Final Fantasy XIII marked the beginning of a brand-new era for Final Fantasy. As part of the Fabula Nova Crystalis series, XIII contained many new plot beats, themes, and concepts that would unify the new roster of games. XIII was meant to revitalize the series, as some had felt the core formula was beginning to get stale.

So, with elemental Crystals discarded, the classic job class system replaced by the Paradigm system, and a darker and heavier-hitting science fiction narrative to propel it, Final Fantasy XIII wasted no time in establishing itself as the new way forward for the series. The problem is that it was a bit too radically different and its sequel was even more radically different.

At its best, Final Fantasy XIII-2 offers nuanced combat with some very interesting concepts regarding time travel, existentialism, and fate. At its worst, XIII-2 is an extremely cryptic and convoluted game whose knees buckle beneath the weight of its own excess. A prime example can be found in Augusta Tower, a zone that requires players to find a keycard to open a door that can only be found in an alternate timeline’s version of the facility they’re in, which in turn, can only be accessed by completing various other timeline’s quests.

Now imagine a whole game built like that, packed with braindead battles that can often be beaten by mashing one button while not even looking at the screen. XIII-2 has its bright moments, but for casual fans looking to get into the Final Fantasy series, it is by far one of the least beginner-friendly games to start with.

Final Fantasy XV Is a Messy and Poor Representation of the Final Fantasy Series

Noctis and the Gang Deserved Better

Image via Square Enix

The development history of Final Fantasy XV is an extremely long one fraught with plenty of twists and turns, so suffice it to say that when it finally released there was quite a bit of hype surrounding it. Maybe it was because of the outstanding reveal trailer for what was once called “Final Fantasy Versus XIII”; maybe it was due to the impressive gameplay demo that was released in advance of the game’s launch; maybe it was simply because fans had waited ten years to actually play it, but when Final Fantasy XV finally hit store shelves, it was not what it should have been.

It needs to be stated that XV was well-received by a large number of people, especially for its characters. But its lackluster open world, its fragmented core narrative, its mindless single-button gameplay, and its very apparent lack of direction or focus all contributed to XV being a massive disappointment for many other fans.

Title
Platform
Year of Release

Final Fantasy XV
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2016

Players brand new to Final Fantasy should not step into XV and expect the rest of the series to resemble it at all. Gameplay in other games does not boil down to holding one button down. There are no egregious real-world product placements in other games. Everything from combat to magic, to leveling, to resting in towns, to finding and completing quests are all done much better in other games.

Players should not start with XV in anticipation of experiencing a true Final Fantasy game as XV, in short, is not like other (and much better) Final Fantasy titles at all. It has the potential to be amazing, but XV just stumbles far too hard and far too often to be recommended to anyone fresh to the series.