They say “ignorance is bliss,” which can be true.
If you’re enjoying a meal that accidentally touched the ground, you’re probably better off not knowing that.
We’re always within a small distance from insects, but if they’re not bothering us… ignorance is bliss.
Other times, being ignorant just leaves you feeling left out. Like for the gamer who’s never played a Final Fantasy title in their life, and the discussion turns to the series.
Here’s what it sounds like to me, someone who has never touched the popular RPG franchise:
“Oh man, when are we ever going to get the proper follow-up to Twelve?”
“You know, Three is actually Six in Japan.”
“I’m holding out hope for Fifteen Two.” (What is this, Cribbage?)
“Why did it take so long for Seven to get remastered?”
“One and Four are available on iOS, but you’ll have to buy an original PlayStation to access Five.” (Clearly, I’m making all of this up.)
Final Fantasy games are referred to simply by their number designation, which makes conversations around them even harder to follow for newcomers.
When people start talking FF, my eyes glaze over.
Sometimes I wonder if I should play the entire series just to be in the know.
Scott
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I feel your pain. Played III, well the remastered version on DS. I think I played the remastered IV as well, but never completed it, don’t really remember. I do know it was a bit too generic and grindy for my tastes.
That’s kind of how I feel when I hear people talk about the classic Megaman games. Admittedly, I’ve dabbled in most of the series (I rented the GameCube compilation once), but it all still sounds like a bunch of numbers.
That said, I’ve played plenty of Final Fantasy games over the years. Here’s my advice if you want to get into the series:
• 1 is very good, but the NES original hasn’t exactly aged well. I’d recommend getting the GBA remake: it’s not for purists, but it simplifies some of the less beginner friendly mechanics. For instance, using magic points instead of the original’s D&D-esque “spell ammo”. The modern remakes are great entry point into the series.
• Don’t bother with 2 unless it’s packaged with 1 and you REALLY feel like getting your money’s “worth”.
• 3 is pretty good, but the DS remake ramps up the difficulty, especially in the latter half of the game. Beating the final boss requires a lot of grinding and can be very aggravating. I’d only recommend this one if you’ve beaten all of the other classic FF games and still want more.
• 4 (2 on the Super Nintendo) is very good. The story is a bit all over the place. There’s not really much more to say.
• 5 has great party customization options. The story is very light-hearted and intentionally a bit cheesy in places, but usually entertaining. Overall a good experience if you like tweaking character abilities and trying to find optimal party configurations. Avoid the PS1 version.
• 6 (3 on the Super Nintendo) is fantastic. Tons of great characters and many memorable moments. Since you own a Super Nintendo Classic, you have no excuse not to play this.
• Chrono Trigger: screw Final Fantasy 6, this game is so much better.