The 12 Best Final Fantasy Games On PS5

As far back as 1997, Final Fantasy and the Sony PlayStation have felt like inseparable brands. No matter where else a mainline Final Fantasy pops up, it will inevitably launch on Sony hardware. Not every title’s playable on PlayStation 5, but the omissions are slim – setting aside the dozens of spin-offs, the only missing pieces as of this writing are the Final Fantasy 13 games and original MMO entry Final Fantasy 11.

PS5’s a great console for classics, a helpful performance boost for more recent FFs, and a necessary console for Final Fantasy 16 and the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. All told, it’s simply a solid space for fans old and new, and we’re ranking the best of them.

12

Final Fantasy 8 Remastered

If you look closely enough, every Final Fantasy has elements that fans have picked apart and argued over since launch. Final Fantasy 8, though? Surely, the picking-apart has been louder than most of its fellow mainline entries.

From the Junction and Draw systems to the story that gradually transforms from an epic wartime adventure to a more intimate tale of time travel and deep-rooted romance, FF8 has about as many detractors as fans.

Make no mistake – it’s well worth experiencing firsthand. There’s a lot to love even if you wind up less enthusiastic toward the divisive aspects. Triple Triad is a fantastic in-game card game, and there’s a huge roster of summoned monsters to challenge and even train with their own helpful array of abilities.

In the wake of Final Fantasy 7’s supreme success, Square’s next entry doubled down on all the crowd-pleasing blockbuster angles; the cutscenes remain impressive, and the soundtrack quality is breathtaking. FF8’s a weird game, perhaps, but a worthy Final Fantasy.

11

Final Fantasy 15

Forget Final Fantasy 8 for a moment – Final Fantasy 15’s practically the ‘Last Jedi’ of FF franchise divisiveness. Some love the relatively laid-back, road trip, vibe of its first half; others wish the plot would have kicked into high gear far earlier.

Some can’t get enough of the ‘bros being bros’ quartet of permanent party members; others consider it a major step back for a Final Fantasy to sport a party so small, and so focused on friends who have known each other for years. The list of love-or-hate aspects goes on… and on… and on.

That aside, if you’re looking to pump up your PlayStation 5 with the best-looking Final Fantasy games on the market, Sony’s latest hardware does an excellent job improving visuals and performance for a game that already looked quite nice overall when it launched for PS4 back in 2016.

Plus, there’s something to be said for just how fun FF15 can be, what with its fishing, its chocobo rides, its campfire cooking – even as its story stumbles over itself semi-frequently, and what ought to have been its opening act was made into a middling CG movie instead.

10

Final Fantasy 5 Pixel Remaster

Final Fantasy 5’s in-depth Job Class system is so engaging, it’s spawned an annual ‘Four Job Fiesta’ fandom in which folks draw a set of four classes to stick with all game long (and raise money for charities all-the-while!).

Every combination is winnable, and for most players, swapping between classes all game long is half the fun of it, but even committing to a set group from the get-go can be a thrilling, challenging, good time.

The story itself is fine; there’s a spirit of high adventure charm that can really rope you in. It’s far from the most dramatic, and it might not stick with you as much as several other Final Fantasy narratives as a result, but it’s solid stuff for what it aims to be.

The Pixel Remaster available on PlayStation 4 (and thus delightfully playable on PlayStation 5) enhances the experience with some fantastic quality of life improvements.

9

Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age

Final Fantasy 12 infamously took the record back in 2006 for the video game with the longest development time – a bit over four years, which given how long some games can take in modern times, is kind of laughable in hindsight.

But to be sure, four-plus years was highly out of the ordinary back then, and the troubled, complicated developmental process undoubtedly left a few major blemishes on the final product – there’s an awkward dearth of cutscenes and plot development around the middle, and some characters are almost entirely shortchanged.

Look past that, however, and you’ve got what is perhaps the most complex single-player Final Fantasy game around, with so much customization, so many optional battles, so many unique weapons and accessories, and a politically-charged narrative with well-defined antagonists and a tonal maturity that can feel refreshing in contrast to the franchise’s lovable – but at times too overbearing – interpersonal melodrama.

The Zodiac Age is also an extensive remaster, bringing in a bevy of features that North Americans in particular never got to engage with back in the day as well as plenty of totally new tidbits.

8

Final Fantasy 16

The game has more moments of levity than some may claim, but there’s a reason for the claims; Final Fantasy 16 is without a doubt the most straightforwardly serious, unflichingly grim mainline Final Fantasy. It’s dark-fantasy by genre.

It’s also remarkably lacking in notable ‘RPG elements’, a phrase that could mean ten things to ten different people, but tends to include ‘crunchier’ mechanics like deeper character customization and gear progression.

This can be a real turn-off to some, but then, Final Fantasy is an ever-changing series, and for what it aims to be, FF16 has few hiccups aside from its dissatisfying bevy of side quests and an endgame antagonist with some disappointingly basic dialogue.

The fully-action combat can be a ton of fun, and the game’s localization is nigh-flawless, with a cast that comes across as believably human despite all the magical heroics. The Eikon-versus-Eikon battles are a crowning achievement, so diverse, yet never dull in the slightest. If you’re looking for the prettiest Final Fantasy to push your PS5 to its limits, this is it.

You might be wondering whether FF16’s pair of DLCs are worth the purchase. We’ve recently reviewed the second, beefier, one. Here are our thoughts. Spoiler: yes, ish!

7

Final Fantasy 10 And 10-2 HD Remaster

First, we know – it’s far more common to say ‘Final Fantasy X and X-2’. Forgive us; it’s a house style here. Anyway, this technically-two-for-one deal brings together one of the most popular and bestselling entries in the series and its acquired-taste direct sequel. I

f you’re venturing into Final Fantasy for the first time, you owe it to yourself to check out the game that secured Square’s continued dominance when it blew minds with its colorful visuals and bittersweet storytelling on PlayStation 2.

You might tire of Tidus insisting this is his story when the more likable Yuna is at the center of Final Fantasy 10’s plot, but 10-2 picks up a couple of years later, and very much makes Yuna the star in every sense. In fact, she’s even a pop star; the lighter tone embraces its cheesy nature no-holds-barred, which you’ll probably either adore or detest, per personal tastes.

Both games have radically different battle systems, and yet both battle systems are among the finest Square has ever envisioned. And just try not to get all weepy when ‘To Zanarkand’ kicks in.

6

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

With its strange exercises in metafictional narrative and by-design linearity, Final Fantasy 7 Remake isn’t without its faults, but the full package is a spectacular ode to the first major portion of the classic Final Fantasy 7.

Timelessly popular characters like Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough, Tifa Lockhart, and Barret Wallace all benefit tremendously from a marked uptick in dialogue frequency as FF7s Midgar arc is given a complete game’s worth of breathing room to expand. Highlights are plentiful indeed, but the dance number in Wall Market’s a top gaming moment, full stop.

A winning battle system that successfully marries action and turn-based far better than Final Fantasy 15’s noble effort before it.

5

Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster

Much has been written about Final Fantasy 6’s exceptional story, and we won’t trouble you with a recap on that score. Instead, we’ll simply agree.

FF6 follows a group of rebels against a wicked empire, but the surface-level cliches give way to twists that might feel tame today, but were unheard of in 1994 and still land gracefully.

We’re not quite as head-over-heels toward various aspects of gameplay, with most fights being even easier and more straightforward than many of the game’s peers, but the large and eclectic cast of characters, the standout soundtrack, and a ceaselessly funny though equally despicable villain in Kefka makes Final Fantasy 6 an all-timer.

4

Final Fantasy 7

Often heralded as one of the greatest games ever made – and we’re not disputing it, either – Final Fantasy 7 shows its age in some respects, but it still spins an excellent tale with themes of ecology and greed, bravery and sacrifice, self-realization and so much more.

Younger gamers with a passion to experience decades-old classics will appreciate the newer ports’ option to speed up combat, and veterans of the FF7 scene may enjoy imagining all the post-Midgar world in its upcoming Rebirth (and third-game) splendor. The Materia system is still a nifty characterization mechanic – no wonder Remake doesn’t do much to alter its basic formula.

The game’s bursting at the seams with quirky tonal shifts and abrupt plot-relevant mini-games, lending it a timelessly unique quality that keeps it fresh in our minds 25 years later and counting.

3

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Is it fair to put Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second part of the epic reimagining trilogy, above the classic FF7 itself? Maybe. Maybe not. But hey, we’re doing it. This game’s that good.

If you enjoy the cast in Remake, you’re going to be amazed at how much better they’re written in Rebirth, which isn’t to say they were disserviced in part one. Rather, we didn’t know how good it could get. And if you dig Remake’s battle system, prepare for Rebirth’s to blow you away, with a plethora of additions that enhance the whole package more than we could have hoped for.

The soundtrack, too. Whew, that soundtrack. In fact, every aspect of this game’s production values is jaw-dropping. (OK, maybe not the lighting sometimes.) FF7 Rebirth is packed with heart; there’s no doubt in our minds that Director Naoki Hamaguchi and the gang gave this everything they had. The result? The best non-MMO Final Fantasy in decades.

2

Final Fantasy 9

After Final Fantasy 8’s almost movie-like ambitions in graphical realism, the more ‘chibified’ Final Fantasy 9’s marketing phase was met with enough trepidation to result in a notable downtick in sales. That’s not to say it didn’t sell millions, because it very much did, but FF9’s visual style just didn’t gel for a lot of people back in 2000.

It might not even gel for you today, but look past the characters’ faces, and you’ll see a game that’s every bit as pretty as its predecessor. More importantly, Final Fantasy 9 is just charming start to finish, with a strong cast (Vivi is best, of course) and a plethora of side activities to lose yourself in for hours on end.

Much was made all those years ago about how FF9 was a return to a more fantasy-centric tone after FF6 through FF8 grew increasingly sci-fi, and the Renaissance-like cities and lush natural expanses still hold up quite nicely.

1

Final Fantasy 14

Single-player purists may chafe at the franchise’s ongoing MMO taking the number one spot for best Final Fantasy on PlayStation 5, but hear us out – when you play Final Fantasy 14, it’s like you’re playing five FFs and counting.

There’s the base game, A Realm Reborn; there’s the award-winning expansion Heavensward; the war-themed Stormblood; the emotionally turbulent Shadowbringers; and the arc-wrapping epic Endwalker. And, of course, there’s still more to come with Dawntrail and beyond.

Amazingly, not one of those games-within-a-game has been a misfire. FF14 doesn’t let its multiplayer get in the way of its satisfying solo flair, with one of the best casts in RPGs, and the kind of scope in worldbuilding that only a ten-year MMORPG can muster. Final Fantasy 14 runs beautifully on PS5, too, and plays so well with a console controller, it’s a legitimate preference over keyboard and mouse for many players.

Best of all, if you’re really not in the mood for playing with other people, you can get through most of the story missions entirely on your own.