The legendary JRPG series from its beginnings in 1985 until today has remained relevant and popular. With the recent announcement of the release date for the Final Fantasy XVI, many players unfamiliar with this series are wondering how many Final Fantasy games have been released so far?
How Many Final Fantasy Games Are There?
The simple answer would be – there’s too many to count! Of the 15 mainline sequels, many games have numerous versions, remasters, and remakes on a number of systems. What is important is that you do not need any special prior knowledge to play any of the sequels because most have their own universe with their own unique characters and stories which are not related to the rest of the series. However, if you want to get acquainted with the main games of this series, which we definitely recommend, take a look at the lists below:
Full Final Fantasy Main Games List
In the first list below, you can see all 16 games of the main Final Fantasy series, the original year of release, and the system on which they debuted:
- Final Fantasy – 1987 – Famicom / 8bit NES
- Final Fantasy II – 1988 – Famicom
- Final Fantasy III – 1990 – Famicom
- Final Fantasy IV (Final Fantasy II in the US) – 1991 – Super Famicom / SNES
- Final Fantasy V – 1992 – Super Famicom
- Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III in the US) – 1994 Super Famicom / SNES
- Final Fantasy VII – 1997 – PlayStation
- Final Fantasy VIII – 1999 – PlayStation
- Final Fantasy IX – 2000 – PlayStation
- Final Fantasy X – 2001 – PlayStation 2
- Final Fantasy XI: Online (MMO) – 2002 – PlayStation 2 / PC
- Final Fantasy XII – 2006 – PlayStation 2
- Final Fantasy XIII – 2013 – PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360
- Final Fantasy XIV: Online (MMO) – 2010 – PC
- Final Fantasy XV – 2016 – PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Final Fantasy XVI – 2023 – PlayStation 5
Best Version of Every Final Fantasy Main Game
As we mentioned, many of these games from the mainline series have had numerous reissues and revisions since their original release. In the list below, see which versions are best to play today if you want to learn about the history of the Final Fantasy series without becoming a retro games and systems collector.
Final Fantasy – The best way to play original Final Fantasy today would be through the fantastic Pixel Remaster from 2021, available on PC and mobile devices.
Final Fantasy II – Same as the original, the recent Pixel Remaster is the way to go.
Final Fantasy III – If you like the Pixel Remaster style. there is a version of Final Fantasy III as well but you have an additional choice between other two other different releases: the 3D remake from Nintendo DS that was later ported to PC, and the previous mobile/PC version from 2013 that has modernized 2D graphics.
Final Fantasy IV – Similar to III, there is the Pixel Remaster and a 3D remake done originally for Nintendo DS in 2007, also available on PC.
Final Fantasy V – The Pixel Remaster is hands down the best way to experience FFV today.
Final Fantasy VI – The Pixel Remaster for FFVI was released in 2022 where the legendary title received special treatment with some additional unique 3D scenes
Final Fantasy VII – For the original FFVII experience, the PlayStation version is still the best – or the later PC re-release from 2012 that is also available on PlayStation Network and mobile platforms. Of course, there is the Final Fantasy VII Remake that is a completely different, modern, game that covers just the beginning of this legendary JRPG. FFVII might not have many revisions and re-releases but the number of spin-off games set in the same universe is worth a list of its own.
Final Fantasy VIII – The only version worth playing today would be a decent HD Remaster from 2019 available for PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One
Final Fantasy IX – With no real HD remaster made yet, there is only a slightly upscaled PC/mobile version from 2016 that was later ported to PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
Final Fantasy X – The PlayStation 2 classic received a great HD remaster in 2013 for PlayStation 3 that was later retouched for PlayStation 4, PC, and Switch.
Final Fantasy XI: Online (MMO) – As the servers are still going, you can try FF11 on PC today. There is even some new content for it in 2022.
Final Fantasy XII – The extended “Zodiac System” version of the game got a really good HD Remaster for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch.
Final Fantasy XIII – The best way to experience XIII today is through Xbox backward compatibility where the 360 version receives fantastic upscale and much cleaner textures which can only be achieved on PC through modding.
Final Fantasy XIV: Online (MMO) – Being a very much alive online game after the “Realm Reborn” reboot in 2013, XIV is enjoyed by millions of players today so you can’t go wrong with playing it on PC or PlayStation 5.
Final Fantasy XV – The best way to play XV today is on PC with the Royal Edition, or on PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility that sorts out some FPS issues.
Final Fantasy XVI – For this one, PlayStation 5 is the only way to go since the game will be released during summer 2023 exclusively for Sony’s newest system.
There is still a lot of time until the summer of 2023 so if you haven’t already, get acquainted with the Final Fantasy series which is full of very different but equally unforgettable JRPG experiences.
For more Final Fantasy 16, check out all Summons In Final Fantasy XVI So Far.
