14) Final Fantasy (1987)
Looking back to the nearly 30-year old game, it’s not difficult to see the parallels between Final Fantasy and nearly every new iteration since. This is where we were introduced to black and white mages. It was the first story of the crystals, and the warriors of light who protect them. This is where it all began.
Sadly, there’s not much more to say about it. While it should rightfully be praised for being the first, the game isn’t exactly engaging nowadays. The antagonist is your typical “Bad Man Wants to Rule the World” villain, and all four playable characters are faceless, nameless pawns. They have zero back story or character development. All you know is that they are meant to save the world, and that’s just what they do. In fact the entire plot could be summed up in a single paragraph, but it’s so forgettable that even such a summary is difficult to recall without looking up the synopsis online. This game was the start of something special, to be sure, but it would take a few more entries for the series to really find its stride.
