Final Fantasy 15 has finally come out on consoles. It’s fair to say that this one has been a long time coming. But what does that mean for gamers of a more mobile persuasion?
Er, not that much really. But that doesn’t mean we can’t take a look back at the FF series on mobile and make sweeping statements about which entrants are the best.
So that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this week’s Tuesday Best Of. We’re going to pick the three best Final Fantasy games on mobile.
Some of them might surprise you. Some of them might upset you. But all of them are really, really good, and I’m not all that bothered whether you agree or not.
Feel free to stick your own suggestions in the comments below though, so I can have a right good scoff at them.
Final Fantasy IX
Okay, here goes. Of the three core Final Fantasy games that came out on the PS One (7, 8, 9), this one is the best. And I don’t mean that in an ironic or sarcastic way, it’s just legitimately the best of that abstract trilogy.
It doesn’t have the high powered melodrama of the others, and it’s all the better for it. It’s an endearing tale of adventure and magic in a world that’s about as far from the cyberpunk dystopia of FF 7 as you can get.
Essentially it’s a link back to the earlier games in the series, wrapped up in a few more modern additions, and delivered with the sort of heart and excitement that the series used to be famed for. If you’ve not played it, go play it now.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
It might be incredibly expensive, but it’s probably not quite as expensive as buying a 3DS and a copy of the game, so this rhythm action title has that going for it. It’s very much one for fans of the series though.
And I mean that in the best way. This is a game chock full of nostalgia in the shape of a variety of songs from the Final Fantasys of old. And some of new. Even though that sentence doesn’t really make sense.
It might not be a huge sweeping RPG full of silly hair and pontificating, but it is an incredible amount of rose-tinted fun. And sometimes that’s all you want from a game. It’s just a shame you need to break the bank to own it.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
If anything the Tactics series is better suited to mobile play than the main entries in the series. This isn’t just one of the best FF games out there, it’s hands-down one of the best tactical RPGs on the App Store.
There’s the usual pomp and nonsense you’d associate with Final Fantasy, but it’s all wrapped up in a battle system that exudes class and depth. And it exudes it in the very best ways.
There might not be as many memorable characters or set-pieces, but as an actual interactive experience this ranks above a good chunk of the main FF canon. As rich battlers go, this one is hard to beat.
