I Started With The Worst Final Fantasy Game, Now I Have An FF Tattoo (2024)

It took me two decades to get involved with Final Fantasy and, when I finally did, I started with what is, arguably, the worst entry in the series. The franchise by Square Enix was one that I did not have contact with while I was growing up. I never purchased a game and the closest I got to it was receiving Final Fantasy X from my mother’s friend and then having to give it back since it was rated T for Teen – curiously, I was the one to point out that I was not old enough to play it.

This person then regifted me with Jak and Daxter, a more suitable game for my age at the time. My morally inclined decision ended up severing any possible connection of mine to the Final Fantasy franchise for an extra 10 years or so. In the meantime, however, I was getting to admire the series from afar, watching trailers for games that would come out and that I would not be able to play due to console-specific limitations during my youth. Nevertheless, I grew up and, after 20 or something years, I finally played my first Final Fantasy game.

FF15 Was My First In The Series

I Had Been Eagerly Awaiting Since It Was Still Labeled Final Fantasy Versus XIII

Years later, in my adulthood, I was ready to play my first game in the series. Final Fantasy XV, which I had been waiting to play since high school when it was still called Final Fantasy Versus XIII, was about to come out, as I was able to play with the stylish Noctis and his memorable group of friends. I remember the sheer anticipation and having it slowly be installed on my PS4. Then, I started my adventure. I quickly fell in love with Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus, and became entrapped in the narrative led by the antagonist Ardyn.

Some weird narrative decisions were made along the way and combat seemed to get tiring very quickly. I then proceeded to complete the main campaign and, despite liking the game above average, I was immensely disappointed with my first experience in the saga. Was this all that the Final Fantasy series had to offer and, if so, why was it so acclaimed? FFXV was, by all means, an entertaining game and good use of my time, but I was underwhelmed because I created an expectation for the series that was not really accomplished with Noctis’ adventure.

It Took Me Years To Play Another Final Fantasy Game

I Finally Saw The Franchise’s Potential With FF9

That experience alone set me apart from the rest of the series for several other years. If the action RPG I had been waiting for so many years, running on the latest piece of hardware was just slightly above average, I felt there was no reason to visit older games in the series that I deemed as "lesser." Luckily, the persistence of one good friend made me try. He constantly mentioned how FF9 was among his favorite games of all time for years on end until I finally conceded and started a playthrough with the 2000 title. That changed everything.

What I encountered with Final Fantasy 9 was a heartfelt story with memorable characters that I immediately connected to. The game’s slow-burn story which delves from a simple adventure to a mysterious threat and ends with a conversation about existence, purpose, and choices struck a chord with me and the type of game that I was searching for. With FF9 I understand what the entire ruckus about the Final Fantasy series was and why it has such a following. Because of my positive experience with FF9, I started actively looking to expand my repertoire of games in the franchise.

FFXIV Became One Of My Favorite Games Of All Time

I Even Got A Dragoon Tattoo Because Of The Critically Acclaimed MMORPG

After the adventure with Zidane, I immediately went after FF7 Remake, which was being released around the same period. That game, of course, also had me enthralled – which, subsequently, made me go after the original 1997 game. FF9 sent me on a spiral that culminated with me starting to play the critically acclaimed MMORPG FFXIV with the expanded free trial. Through that F2P (free-to-play) content, I invested hundreds of hours and then saw myself stuck, without wanting to leave. Eventually, I upgraded to the premium version and discovered what would become one of my favorite games of all time.

FFXIV changed my life. The story woven over 10 years with unforgettable characters and heartbreaking tales of loss, fire, and faith, resonated with me on all levels. As a gamer who was essentially brought up on MMORPGs like Ragnarok, I quickly adapted to the gameplay of FFXIV. I saw myself eagerly playing through the campaign in search of more moments that would break my heart into pieces like no game ever before. The fourth expansion, Endwalker, which concludes the story initiated long before A Realm Reborn, gutted me entirely.

This game and this series ended up resonating so much with me that I got half an arm tattoo of a Dragoon, my favorite class in the games, and a minor nod to one of the best characters in FFXIV, Estinien. I find it entertaining that, what started off as a disappointing experience ended up becoming a journey of discovery and love to the point that I actively chose to scar my body in honor and remembrance of the stories I’ve experienced with the Final Fantasy franchise.

The aforementioned tattoo was made by artist Bruno Gonzalez in a Berserk-inspired illustration, as seen in a post on the New Black Studio Instagram account (a studio where he no longer works):

This is admittedly more entertaining when I consider I had a minor prejudice toward the turn-based format of the older games in the series – which is exactly one of the reasons the older games kept me away for so long and why I was so incredibly devoted to the idea of playing a real-time action RPG like Final Fantasy XV. Little did I know that I would be proven wrong in the best of ways, as throwing myself into the turn-based format of the franchise made me garner more appreciation for the gameplay style.

Despite my initial impression, I still defend that Final Fantasy XV is a good game, just a poor Final Fantasy. The game is certainly above average among the overload of content nowadays, but those who were accustomed to the franchise and those eager to try their first installment may have found themselves with a lackluster title. Regardless of starting with the wrong one, I now see the merit of the Final Fantasy franchise and consider myself a die-hard fan, even if I still have a few games to go through.

Source: Instagram/New Black Studio

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