30 best Final Fantasy games

Best Final Fantasy Games #28 – Final Fantasy

The reason we’re counting down this list at all–Hironobu Sakaguchi saw one last chance to make an impact on the gaming industry before bowing out, and he ultimately succeeded. All it took was an overworld map, a town map, a dungeon map, a battle screen, a menu screen and a dream for the gaming world to invariably change forever.

Before there were crystals, four darkened orbs of energy beckoned the call of the Light Warriors, with the party comprised of characters with various powers and abilities. Instead of based characters with established classes, the player is given the option to create a party of their own accord, with customization and upgrades through looting and adventuring.

Its story was quite primitive for the series back in 1987, but it was groundbreaking in its scope and design. The world first opened its ears and hearts to Nobuo Uematsu’s immeasurable talent, whose capabilities were harshly limited by the NES hardware. Still, his music, the dynamic gameplay, and its bold vision made Final Fantasy a game worthy of sequels and, eventually, an unstoppable franchise.