The bestFinal Fantasygame of all time, according to Metacritic, may be a bit surprising, as it is not the most popular ones, such asFF7, for example.Square Enix’s RPG franchise is constantly expanding, either with new installments in the main series, remakes, or even remasters of spin-offs. In 2023, the series saw the release ofFinal Fantasy 16, the latest entry in the series, though 2024 held the release ofFF7 Rebirth, the second part of theFF7 Remakeseries. Thestory ofFF7 Remake’s Part 3is already complete, but doesn’t have a release date.
There also haven’t been announcements regarding a 17th installment in the main series. With such a long repertoire of titles, many of which are extremely well evaluated by players and critics, it’s common to associate some of the most popular titles, likeFF7andFFX, as the best.They are certainly some of the best, but their Metacritic scores fall below one specific game in the seriesthat is deemed a bit less popular, perhaps due to the moment in which it was released.
Final Fantasy 9 Is The Best Game In The Franchise, According To Metacritic
The Game Has a 94 Metascore & 8.9 User Score
According toMetacritic,Final Fantasy 9is the best game in Square Enix’s franchise. The game holds a whopping 94 Metascore and an 8.9 user score on the platform. These scores put the game released in 2000 ahead of other surprising titles in the series, includingFFXIV: Endwalker,Final Fantasy X,Final Fantasy 7, andFF7 Rebirth. As seen onMetacritic,FFXIV: Endwalkeris the second-best entry in the series, with a 92 Metascore and a 9.0 user score.
After that,Final Fantasy X,Final Fantasy 7, andFF7 Rebirthare all tied with a 92 Metascore and an 8.9 user score, as seen onMetacritic. The difference in scores betweenFF9and the other mentioned titles in the top 5 ranking on the platform isn’t too great and can be considered somewhat equivalent, but, score-wise, the 2000 title is still considered slightly better. The user scores are nearly identical, but the critics’love forFinal Fantasy 9put it in first place in the series.
FF9 Outscores FF7, FFX, & XIV: Endwalker (& Rightfully So)
The Gameplay Is Pristine & Its Story Is Timeless
OutscoringFFXIV: Endwalker,FFX,FF7, andFF7 Rebirth,Final Fantasy 9’s status as the best entry in the series is well-deserved. Even thoughFFXIVis my favorite title in the franchise,FF9is easily my second-favorite.The title boasts a fantastic gameplay structure that is well-polished and has aged quite well, especially when compared to the likes of games likeFF7andFFX, for example, both of which have a lot of flaws. The story thatFF9tells is also timeless and is, possibly, the most touching among the single-player entries.
The ensemble of characters inFF9is also legendary. Furthermore, one of the least spoken boons in its design is how much it highlights the fantasy aspect of the series, something that had been left aside significantly in previous entries.FF6,FF7, andFF8are all severely tech-oriented, whereasFF9takes a good, long look back to its origins and dives into the fantasy that gives the franchise its name.
After years of rumors,FF9 Remakeseems inevitableas it moves toward its 25th anniversary, and after the confirmation of theFF Tacticsremaster.
The scores that it has obtained are justified, even if it isn’t as popular as other entries. If you haven’t played it before, I highly recommend jumping intoFF9, considered the bestFinal Fantasygame ever, and seeing exactly why it’s so praised – and seeing how well it’s aged, you don’t really need to wait for the rumored remake.
