The Final Fantasy series is one of the most successful franchises in video game history, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2017. There are over 50 titles in total considering spinoffs, and to date the series has sold over 118 million copies. We’re going to highlight the best selling Final Fantasy games of all time, based on the number of copies sold, and not necessarily total revenue. Helpful websites like <a href=”http://www.vgchartz.com/” target=”_blank”>VGChartz</a> or
<a href=”http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy” target=”_blank”>vgsales.wikia</a> compile the game’s sales over their lifetime.
The After Years isn’t necessarily a game you’d expect to be on a best selling list, but this followup to Final Fantasy IV netted a ton of sales at 3.12 million. It was originally released as a mobile title in Japan in 2008, with a western release following on mobile and WiiWare. The title also saw a release on PSP as a bundle with Final Fantasy IV, and on Steam. The mobile version allow saw a total sales count of over 3 million paid downloads. It wasn’t a full price game, but in terms of sheer sales it’s impressive.
Final Fantasy VII’s legacy is unquestionable, and it saw multiple spinoffs and the film Advent Children. Crisis Core, however, was the most successful spinoff selling 3.18 million copies. It’s even more surprising considering the game was only ever released on the PSP. It sold 1.35 million in North America, .8 in Japan, .59 in Europe, and .43 in the rest of the world.
I do from best to worst. Explaination may follow later. Good game, but wouldn't call it final fantasy anymore.
Even with the muted reception to Final Fantasy XIII, the sequel XIII-2 still managed to be quite the seller. It was released on PS3 and Xbox 360, and eventually PC, selling 3.47 million in total. The title was overwhelmingly purchased for the PS3 though selling 2.63 million on the system, and .73 on Xbox 360. It also sold roughly 350,000 via Steam.
Final Fantasy XII took players back to the world of Ivalice from the Tactics games, and changed a few things up for the series like its MMO-style combat.The title has only been released on PS2 to date, but is getting a PS4 remaster called The Zodiac Age in 2017. The original title over time has sold 2.4 million in Japan, 1.7 million in North America, and 1.1 million in Europe.
Final Fantasy IX broke off from the darker more modern tones of VII and VIII, taking the series back to its magical fantasy roots. For years, the game was only available on PlayStation but it still carried over much of the successful sales of its predecessors with 5.3 million on PlayStation alone. Peachtree 2013 serial number. A remastered version was released on mobile and Steam earlier this year, netting about another 200,000 sales.
Final Fantasy XIII had a lot of hype behind it before releases, being the first game released in the Fabula Nova Crstallis sub-series, which also included Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. To date the title has sold nearly 7.49 million and been released on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. XIII sold a whopping 5.33 million on PS3, and 2.16 million on Xbox 360. The Steam version also pulled in about 590,000 copies.
Final Fantasy VII was a title that took the gaming world by storm when it was released, and you can see the hype people had for the series still holding in Final Fantasy VIII. The original PlayStation version has pulled in an incredible 8.15 million over time. The title was also released on Steam, pulling in another 560,000.
To this day Final Fantasy X remains one of the most successful titles in the series, being released on the PS2 and now with a remaster on PS3, PS4, PC, and Vita. The original title sold an incredible 8.02 million on the PS2, with the international version pulling in another 270,000. On top of this Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD has sold nearly another 2 million copies of the game.
It should come as no surprise that Final Fantasy VII is the best selling game in the series, since it’s once of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. The title was regarded as one of the very best on the original PlayStation, and sold and has sold nearly 10 million copies on the system to date. Since then, Final Fantasy VII has seen release on PS3, PS4, Vita, Steam, and mobile. It has wracked up another 2-3 million in sales in the process, and now has everyone eagerly awaiting the Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Final Fantasy VII represents one of the most important turning points in video game history. The series' first jump into 3D on the original PlayStation was a groundbreaking moment for RPGs, and the medium as a whole. The massive adventure that begins in Midgar before eventually unfolding into a globe-spanning quest added a sense of scope and scale to the series that we'd never seen before. The roster of characters, like them or not, has become the most iconic in the entire series, with Cloud appearing in well over a dozen other games. And once again, Uematsu knocked it out of the park with his score, and the emotional gravitas of a certain death halfway through the game might be the most talked about video game moment of the entire generation. – Marty Sliva
Final Fantasy V's story may have involved the investigation of a fallen meteor, but its biggest bang came from the then-freshly revamped Job system. This overhaul tweaked the concept introduced in Final Fantasy III and presented the player with 22 powerful class options. Through careful investment of meteor shards and ability points, you could unlock new ones along with special moves to wreck foes on the battlefield. You could also carry over techniques to other professions and create fun hybrid classes. The resulting deep customization of Final Fantasy V didn't come to the West until years later, but it's had a lasting impact through an annual community event called the Four Job Fiesta. – Jose Otero
Final Fantasy IV ushered the series into the 16-bit era with incredible panache. Its ground-breaking combat, deliciously operatic story, epiphanic soundtrack, and (for the time) stunning graphics made it an instant classic. Dark Knight Cecil's road to redemption was the first character-driven narrative in the series, taking players on an emotional adventure full of love, loss, betrayal, and hope. The hero's journey was made all the more epic with Mode 7, a graphics mode on the Super Nintendo System that allowed background layers to be rotated and scaled, giving the world map a fantastic 3D look long before polygons were popular. Final Fantasy IV's true crowning achievement, however, was the Active Time Battle system. This combat mechanic timed enemy and ally turns via a gauge, giving turn-based encounters a nail-biting, real-time dynamic. It was so revolutionary that different variants of the ATB system were used in no less than five subsequent Final Fantasies. With its valiant story and clever machinations, Final Fantasy IV catapulted the series to new heights, and set the standard for RPGs to come. – Meghan Sullivan
Final Fantasy IX is a delightful and near-perfect throwback to the franchise’s roots. It brought back the classic crystals, black mages, a high fantasy setting, and plenty more for one last hurrah before Final Fantasy would return to more contemporary settings. The nostalgia is nice, but the true secret to Final Fantasy IX's success is its warmth. Zidane and other members of the bandit theater troupe Tantulus truly feel like close friends by the end of the adventure, and you along with them. It’s rare for a video game to feature non-romantic love and closeness effectively, but it’s almost impossible to not be absorbed by Final Fantasy IX's charming demeanor. The best musical score in Final Fantasy history, a fantastic collection of cities to wander through, and an absolutely perfect ending combine to make Final Fantasy IX an adventure that has only grown in our hearts since its debut in 2000. – Justin Davis
Simply put, Final Fantasy XII redefined what it meant to be a Final Fantasy game. After a tumultuous and lengthy development, Final Fantasy XII arrived just in time for the Playstation 2’s swan song and fortunately proved that it was well worth the wait. Set in the world of Ivalice (of Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics fame) Final Fantasy XII cast players as Vaan, a streetwise orphan who quickly gets embroiled in a journey that’s rife with political intrigue, danger, and one of the best supporting casts in the series’ history. The License Board offered such deep and varied character customization, that you could mold any of your party members into any hybrid of any class that you could possibly dream up. The battle system, dubbed the Active Dimension Battle, took a note from popular MMOs and did away with random encounters and rewarded players for careful consideration and tactical planning. Combine these attributes with one of the most mature and compelling stories in Final Fantasy history and you can easily see why it’s so high on our list. – Zach Ryan
Not only is Final Fantasy VI our favorite game in the series, but it's also one of our absolute favorite games of all time. The SNES masterpiece has all the tenets of a great RPG. Its massive roster of characters contain some of the most memorable heroes the genre has ever seen. From Terra's enigmatic past to Shadow's rad dog Interceptor, VI does an incredible job of making you actually care about the folks in your party. The combat was fast, tactical, and set a new benchmark for the series' iconic ATB system. Nobuo Uematsu's score made the most of the SNES hardware, especially during the beloved opera scene. And of course, no talk of Final Fantasy VI is complete without mentioning Kefka, one of the best villains in video game history. His evolution from worrisome jester to terrifying God of Magic is punctuated by a handful of the most powerful moments in any RPG. Final Fantasy VI is a masterpiece that has only gotten better with age. – Marty Sliva
Agree? Disagree? Fill out the poll below with your top three picks, and leave a note in the comments below to back up your choices. We will be reading them all and grading them for thoroughness, consistency, and insight. Just kidding. But seriously.. feel free to nerd out about FF in the comments below.