The Final Fantasy series has been producing classics since the late 1980s, but how many entries in the series actually hold up? Time isn’t as kind to video games as it is to movies, music, and TV shows, but some Final Fantasy titles have managed to stay incredible after all these years.

The recent Final Fantasy titles haven’t had the chance to be judged from a distance, as entries like Final Fantasy 16 and even the Final Fantasy VII Remake games are still relatively fresh. Instead, it’s the older entries that are most often criticized by the current audience, and some have stood the test of time more than others.

10Final Fantasy VI Pushed the SNES to Its Limits

Characters Like Celes and Locke Made FFVI a Standout

The NES and SNES eras of Final Fantasy games struggled the most to stay relevant, especially the original trilogy, as the hardware limits of the day limited the story and gameplay systems that the developers wanted. The game that defied this was Final Fantasy VI, which managed to hit the limits of what the SNES could handle, with the goal of being the most epic entry in the series to date.

Final Fantasy VI might have 16-bit sprite graphics, but the visuals remain charming to this day, even when recreated in HD with the Pixel Remaster. The reason the game holds up is due to the amazing gameplay and expansive story that follows multiple characters rather than relying on a sole protagonist.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Is Underrated

It’s the Darkest Trip to Ivalice to Date

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The Game Boy Advance produced a ton of great RPGs; chief among these is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, which involves a bunch of kids with bad home lives being transported to the world of Ivalice, where they get to live out their fantasy lives, all while avoiding the problems they face in the real world.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance has a surprisingly dark story for its platform, contrasting with the colorful world of Ivalice and its friendly monsters. It’s the gameplay that sells this version of Ivalice, with each fight watched over by Judges, who enforce rules on each battle, forcing the player to switch strategies on a dime and always keeping them on their feet.

Final Fantasy Type-0 Is the Game Fans Had to Wait Too Long For

Type-0 Was a More Adult Take On Final Fantasy

One of the best things to come out of the doomed Fabula Nova Crystalis series, Final Fantasy Type-0 tells a more adult story than fans are used to, showing a group of students who are forced into a bloody and violent war. Class Zero might be the key to winning the conflict, but they’ll soon learn that there is a darker side to their role than they realized.

Final Fantasy Type -0 launched in 2011 in Japan, but international fans had to wait until 2015 to play the game. Luckily, it was worth the wait, with Type-0’s action RPG gameplay and varied character playstyles holding up admirably, especially when unchained from the PSP hardware and allowed to flourish on home consoles.

Final Fantasy VIII Is Baffling, But Still Appealing

Squall’s Bizarre Adventure Hasn’t Lost Its Charm

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Final Fantasy VIII might be the strangest game in the franchise, with a story that goes in some truly baffling directions. Everything from the Guardian Force/Draw Magic rules to the game world to the weapons used by the characters is bizarre.

However, the weirdness of Final Fantasy VIII is what makes it all click. The strange dreamlike state merges beautifully with the love story at the heart of the narrative, with an experience that recreates the fantasies experienced as a teenager. The classic turn-based gameplay in Final Fantasy VIII also holds up, especially with the strange twists added in this entry, which make it easy for dedicated players to break the game wide open.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call Celebrates One of the Best Parts of the Series

The Final Fantasy Songs Will Live Forever

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If there’s one series that can pack a rhythm game full of its own content, it’s Final Fantasy. This led to the peak way to enjoy Final Fantasy songs, as Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call on the Nintendo 3DS put a battle RPG into the franchise’s OST. In this way, the game is as timeless as Final Fantasy’s music catalog.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call has some extremely challenging gameplay, which will put the player’s touchscreen tapping abilities to the test. Indeed, the tactile feeling of using the touchscreen & stylus for so much is why this is the better entry than the recent Switch Theatrhythm game, as that game dropped the touchscreen controls, which are vital for a title like this.

Final Fantasy IX Is Still a Classic

FFIX Holds Up So Well There’s No Need for a Remake

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Final Fantasy IX on the PS1 had some big shadows to step out of, but it managed to not only stand out from its siblings but become one of the most beloved entries in the franchise. The story of Zidane Tribal’s mission to rescue a Princess stands alongside the best RPGs in history, being beloved to this day.

The only issue with Final Fantasy IX is that its battles are slow, which has been fixed with the speed-up feature in the modern ports. Everything else about the game is incredible, from its story, to its characters, to its battle system, and especially its minigames. Any title with “Chocobo Hot and Cold” in it deserves a spot on this list.

Final Fantasy X Holds Up Despite Its Localization

Tidus and Yuna Are Still Breaking Hearts After All These Years

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While Final Fantasy VII might be the most well-regarded single-player entry internationally, it’s actually Final Fantasy X that is the most beloved in Japan. It’s easy to see why, as FFX is a classic, and would be even more highly regarded in a region without a rough English localization.

Infamous Tidus laughing scenes aside, Final Fantasy X has one of the best storylines in the franchise, with a gradual and heartbreaking reveal that takes place over its massive runtime. The introduction of the skill tree was also an important moment in the franchise’s history, considering that nearly every entry since has included a variation of it.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Needs an HD Remaster

It’s a Crime That Square Hasn’t Re-Released This Classic Final Fantasy Spinoff

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One of the great tragedies of the Final Fantasy series is that one of its greatest entries is locked to old hardware, as Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy is one of the best fighting games ever made. It’s also packed with content, with a gargantuan story mode (including an improved version of the one from its predecessor, tons of customization options for every character, and a packed roster full of heroes and villains with distinct playstyles.

If any game deserves the HD Remaster treatment, it’s Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. Unfortunately, the last Dissidia game bombed hard, mostly due to it scrapping everything that made its predecessor good and going for a 3v3 multiplayer approach. Hopefully, fans will at least see Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy added to the PlayStation Plus Premium catalog at some point, as it’s criminal that it’s not easily available on modern systems.

The Original Final Fantasy VII Still Holds Up

The Most Important Final Fantasy Retains Its Title

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Final Fantasy VII is the game that put the series on the map and dragged it into mainstream attention, helping it to become one of the biggest video game franchises of all time. However, 1997 was a long time ago, and tastes change as the years pass. This means Cloud Strife is in danger of becoming out of touch, especially after he has been parodied so much.

Thankfully, time has been kind to Final Fantasy VII. The 3D chibi visuals haven’t lost their charm, and the story/characters that won over fans in the ‘90s have retained their quality. The Materia system also holds up, giving players full customization options when assembling their party, allowing a line-up of the characters they love best. While the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy is still ongoing, it has yet to match the quality of its source material and may never do, regardless of how well the final entry in the trilogy turns out.

Final Fantasy Tactics Is Timeless

FF Tactics Is As Perfect As the Day We Met

The mainline trilogy of Final Fantasy games on the PS1 are classics, but they were all overshadowed by a single spin-off, whose 2D sprite graphics have withstood the test of time. This game is Final Fantasy Tactics, and there’s a reason why fans have been begging for a modern remaster or remake.

Final Fantasy Tactics has one of the best stories in the franchise, with Game of Thrones-style political machinations happening along a story of fiends trying to control the destiny of mankind. The turn-based combat, coupled with the expansive job system, makes for deeply strategic and challenging battles, all accompanied by the game’s beautiful score. Final Fantasy Tactics hasn’t aged a day, and it’s just as amazing to play now as it was back in the ’90s.