The Final Fantasy series is considered by many to be one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, with each game in the series serving as an evolution for the JRPG genre in some way or another. The franchise is still going strong to this day, with a ton of re-releases for old titles also supporting the longevity of the series.
Keeping this in mind, it's only a given that players who want to try out all the games in the series would ideally want to select the perfect platform that can help them accomplish the same. Here are all the mainline Final Fantasy titles and their best versions.
13 Final Fantasy - Mobile
The original Final Fantasy might have the most dated mechanics and simplistic plot out of all the games in the series, but it's still quite exciting to play the first game in such a long-running and histories franchise.
The PSP version is the most optimal release of Final Fantasy, which has been ported to mobile devices. Android users beware — the port of Final Fantasy on this platform lacks content like the extra dungeons and the music player for some reason.
12 Final Fantasy II - Mobile
Final Fantasy II is considered by many to be the black sheep of the franchise, with the bulk of its criticism directed at the rather complicated and broken leveling system.
For players who still want to experience this title even after its glaring faults, one can't really go wrong with the mobile versions, which are itself ports of the PSP version.
11 Final Fantasy III - Mobile
Final Fantasy III wasn't even released in the West for the longest time until a DS port finally helped this game transition to a new territory... coupled with some updated visuals to boot.
This DS version was ported over to mobile devices, serving as the best platform for gamers to try out this brilliant title.
10 Final Fantasy IV - Mobile
Suggesting the best version of Final Fantasy IV can be quite a challenge. Players who love the 2D aesthetic of these games would definitely prefer the PSP port.
However, Final Fantasy IV's 3D remake on the DS was an excellent upgrade for a title that most people consider to be one of the better games in the series. This DS remake was ported over to mobile as well, serving as a great platform to try out this game.
9 Final Fantasy V - GBA
It's after Final Fantasy IV that Square Enix started dropping the ball when it came to the re-releases of their 2D Final Fantasy titles. Final Fantasy V's latest re-release features some of the ugliest sprites ever seen in a modern release.
Thankfully, players don't have to deal with this ugly sprite work — the GBA version of Final Fantasy V is perfectly serviceable. Just download a music patch to correct the audio of this title.
8 Final Fantasy VI - PC
Final Fantasy VI was another title that suffered from horrendous sprite work in the PC re-release... but, unlike its predecessor, this title ended up garnering a sizable modding community.
So, players can take Final Fantasy VI on Steam and download the A World Reborn mod to ensure that they don't have to look at the horrendous sprites throughout a stellar game.
7 Final Fantasy VII - PC
The classic Final Fantasy VII still stands strong as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, and the Steam version includes a bunch of modern upgrades — such as faster game speed and boosters — to help enhance the overall experience.
If that wasn't good enough, then players can also download a slew of mods that either improve visual fidelity or overhaul the entire gameplay.
6 Final Fantasy VIII - PC
Final Fantasy VIII is easily the dark horse of the series, facing its fair share of detractors upon release before people came around and realized the massive strengths of this title.
While Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is a release that has its fair share of problems, there's no denying the fact that this remaster of a classic title is the best way to experience this title.
5 Final Fantasy IX - PC
A game that is adored by many of the Final Fantasy faithful, Final Fantasy IX is a beloved classic that players should ideally check out on Steam due to the support it has received from the modding community.
A piece of advice — avoid the mobile release like the plague. Final Fantasy IX has an annoying delay before every battle that isn't fixed by the speed booster either and can get extremely grating with each successive battle. This can potentially ruin one's experience with this stellar title.
4 Final Fantasy X - PC
One of the greatest games in the series, Final Fantasy X is a brilliant JRPG that brought the series to modern consoles in a resounding fashion.
The release of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is quite comfortably the best way to experience this classic title, with Untitled Project X being a worthy mention in this regard.
3 Final Fantasy XII - PC
Final Fantasy XII served as the first massive departure from traditional turn-based combat for the series, adopting a more real-time combat system that was certainly well received.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is best experienced on the PC due to its hardware superiority. There was a time when only the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One versions of the game had the ability to switch jobs on the fly — a boon for players who ended up assigning the wrong jobs to characters — but now all the versions of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age have this feature.
2 Final Fantasy XIII - PC
Most fans of the Final Fantasy series would ask players to give the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy a wide berth altogether. However, players who still want to experience this game regardless can find the best experience on the PC version.
While the PC version initially had its fair share of problems, most of the kinks in this release have been ironed, making Steam a great platform to get this game.
1 Final Fantasy XV - PC
Final Fantasy XV released with its fair share of problems on launch, but most of these were fixed — along with the addition of new content as well — in the Royal and Windows Edition.
The PC is the best place to play Final Fantasy XV, hands down. Along with the superior performance on this hardware, players can also download mods if they wish to tweak certain aspects of the game.