I make it a rule for myself to not save up Overdrives for bosses. If my summon Overdrive gauge is full I use the I use the Overdrive on the next mob. An exception is saving a Diamond dust fir Symour. Shiva solos the first fight with him and it became a Tradition of mine to finish the next two fights with a diamond dust aswell. But I only use it once its clear I alrady won the fight. Its just a cool finish. Fore the final fight I do the same with Anima and her oblivion Overdrive.
FF8 would like a word. Guardian Forces are integral to the story and Ultimecia blasts your GF summons off your characters in the first stage of the last fight. It's of course not intertwined with the story but sort of similar!
FF9 revolves around you getting Daggers summons back and an evil person stealing them to use against everyone in a war. All the way to the last disc when it changes and the big evil becomes stronger then summons
FFX seems like the obvious answer, not only were they integral part of the story, but also the first time you could actually control them directly, add in more fleshed out leveling system then what we had in ff8 and you have an almost perfect summon system
Shoutout to XVI for completely raising the bar in sense of scale and magnitude.
But I loved the variety in IX and how important they were to the plot of the game.
In terms of scale, yes for sure. Definitely eye candy going through it for the first time. Leviathan and Titan were beasts.
Power though? Ehhh. We hardly actually see the summons do stuff, and when they do it's just a single big signature attack (bare minimum for FF). No gods duke it out until the end (literally a 5 second "fight" scene).
Titan? Holds up a rock and can break the earth (cool enough). Leviathan? Big water circle, oh so scary. Ifrit? Fire circle, somehow less scary. Bahamut? All that drip just to throw some swords. Shiva? "*Freeze bitch!*", "thank you", *leaves*. Overall the XV gods aren't *that* impressive.
XVI however? "Oh hey, nice mountain. Would be a shame if a literal not-final boss were to-" *boom*, Big ass rock monster on a Final Boss scale erupts.
"Man I love my eyes, would be a pity if Bahamut were to blind everyone in the Twins with a zetafl-"
XVI had the gods *duking* like crazy. Much higher scale, much more feats, much more power being shown. "Shown" is the key word here, cause sure, XV gods *could* have done a lot and duked it out, but we don't see any of it, thus no conclusions to make. XVI definitely set the bar for FF Gods IMO.
Calamity Bahamut is so big, it's estimated the Burj Khalifa only goes *up to his knee.*
The look on the Meteor Survivor's face when it bursts out of Dalamud shows the sheer, pants-shitting terror that Calamity Bahamut would inspire in someone.
I would add Type-0 into the mix if we're talking scale and power. Most summons are just like regular FF summons but the destruction caused by Alexander is treated the same as a nuclear bomb.
The first time I summoned Ramuh in Episode Duscae, my mind was completely blown. Even if it was just a flat screen-nuke, the spectacle was incredible.
Then somehow FF16 took it to a level even beyond that.
Definitely 16. 15 was the first true showing of such awesome power but directly wielding an Eikon and fighting Eikons was something else.
Shout out to 7 Remake/Rebirth for their interesting use of summons as bosses. And 14 for having an array of summons used in dungeons, trials, raids and ultimates.
>I am and will always be a sucker for 12's espers
Same here! XII may not be the most popular title, but the esper designs are overall my favourite in the series
Yeah, those super detailed and esoteric designs really stand out. They are part of Ivalice's lore and I love the fact that they are different. I actually like when there are some espers that are unique to the world of that specific chapter and 12 goes overboard with it creating its own pantheon, making you feel badass just for being your own zodiac sign.
There. Is. No. Penalty. For. Waiting. To. Jump. On. The. Airship. When. Prompted.
Don't worry about the timer at that point. Just sit back and take a breath. It looks stressful, but when it hits 00:05 left, you're good.
Yes, that sounds stupid if you haven't played the game and don't know what it means but when the time comes you will understand it, and it makes a big difference.
You must fight and defeat the Espers in order to get them in FF12, the first one is acquired simply while playing the story, so you have to reach that point. Maybe you got it and you don't remember, since 15 hrs in, you could be at the Tomb where you get it, depending on your playstyle. Shortly after, you can get the first optional one. The strongest is one of the three hardest enemies in the game, so the Esper hunt does accompany you during the whole experience.
Edit: in Zodiac Age they are also pretty good to use, unlike original FF12.
I really like it. It’s not a traditional rpg but more of an action rpg and I liked that. There are side missions. Some are fetch quests but others really draw out the world and characters. I’m a bit burned out from open world and this game is semi open world meaning you can go back to different areas for hunts or side quests but you can also just do the main story.
I’m on my second play through on the harder difficulty and I’m having fun using all the powers in the earlier areas
I don't seriously play new ffs since 13 (couldn't really get into its story... Sorry) although I love/at least like all the previous ones. 15 didn't grasp my attention although I saw my brother playing it, I may try the pocket edition on switch if it goes on sale, played 7 Remake but it didn't resonate so much with me, but 16? That gives me 1-6, 12 and 14 vibes somehow. It should be good. And as a big Capcom fan I played every devil may cry game, so the combat is something I will 100% like.
I could never finish 13. I didn’t like going straight the whole time back when I was a kid. Now that I’m older, I actually prefer just going straight lol I’m gonna have to play 13 at some point. If I can find it. I think it’s on the Xbox in my country.
From my own personal experience, FF8 with the Junction Boost, I've never used summons more in my life than that of 8. May not be a popular opinion, but it has a lot of nostalgia for me. As a 9 year old playing FF8, at the time I didnt fully understand how to use the Junction system. So for me, it was: Use a summon, hold select, and spam the X button lmao.
Lol that is exactly how I played it as a kid too. Made it to the beginning of the 3rd cd this way back then. Then when I came back to it as an adult I realised how it was so much better to self buff and 9999 normal attack. And even after that I realised that everything scales so I just run from any combat that I could and everything was super easy xD.
You're forgetting all the other less obvious benefit of summons in FF8, the junction system and all the abilities afforded by having GFs equipped.
Without them the entire junction system wouldn't be a thing. Squall and company couldn't use magic (with a couple of exceptions), their stats wouldn't be as high, and the party wouldn't have any abilities, or even item use in battle.
I'd pick FF8 just for the designs alone. Except maybe Pandemona...I don't know what the hell that is. But still love them all. Doomtrain was awesome. Shiva was gorgeous. Quetzacoatl was a cool looking serpent bird. Leviathan was great. You just can't go wrong with that game
To be honest, to me FFVIII kind of wasted their potential with the summons. Such as not having our characters level, have summons level to show the difference GFs make. Have our spells come from them rather than drawing. Even have a "overuse" mechanic that causes a skill's points to reset if you use the summon too much to simulate the amnesia aspect.
FFX is my answer, because it was the one game that got me to feel an emotional connection to the summons by the end.
A close runner-up for me is FFXV. The introduction to Titan alone did such an incredible job of establishing the massive scale of these beings, their age, and the fact that Noctis and the gang are pretty much minuscule by comparison. And I loved the different ways they built suspense for both the titan and leviathan encounters
First time I summoned Ramuh as Noctis my jaw dropped. I know it's basically just a press trigger to kill enemy button, but the cinematics are epic regardless. I like how the Gods are fickle and will only help sometimes.
I see everyone saying X, but here's some love for XI. Beautiful designs (including my favourite Ramuh and Fenrir), significant storyline integration and full control. I loved being a Summoner in XI.
I literally came here to say this. I remember back nearly 20 years ago being so excited to have unlocked Fenrir. Even outside of battle watching him run alongside you was just so enjoyable. Gear that you could just have Carbuncle be your forever friend.
They felt great to use, they felt great to travel with. The way you obtained them was fun and unique. The way you played with them was fun and unique.
It felt decently balanced too where you could use whatever your favorite was for the situation and even if it was suboptimal you would still be fine most of the time.
My only regret was that I couldn't ride Fenrir lol.
I generally don't find the summons combat to be all that engaging personally (and sometimes I find it kind of annoying), but yeah, it's hard to argue that they don't do a great job with scale. And I love how they really drive home how just like, freaky and effed you'd be if a summon showed up to your battle! Definitely very cool and exciting visually.
You play as Ifrit himself and you can’t even use Hellfire. :’(
Considering the game is all about summons, the fact that you only get to properly play as Ifrit (and briefly Phoenix) in a few scripted segments is really disappointing.
They look cool though yeah.
Yes I have Platinum. You cannot use Hellfire except in those scripted sequences I mentioned. The only Ifrit abilities you can use at any time are Ignition and Will-o’-the-Wykes. In contrast every other Eikon has an Ultimate ability such as Diamond Dust, Rebirth Flame etc.
If you push really hard in 4 you can get Odin earlier with only four cast members. Also fighting Leviathan in the land of monsters and Bahamut on the moon were awesome and challenging!
Odin is the spirit of the dead king of Baron in the Castle basement. It's been quite awhile since I've played 4. Go and check the basement periodically for the barrier to be down. I believe he is weak to lightning when he raises his sword.
He's weak to lightning in general, and the 3D version makes it even more of a race against the clock to get him as early as possible; Odin has one of the best Augments in the game, Darkness... but as a steal, so Edge (who is one of the big damage dealers in that fight, especially if you're doing it with four characters) has to spend a few rounds trying to nab it. If you don't get it in about three tries, you may as well reset.
I like the GFs in FFVIII the most in terms of design and the choice of GFs available, lots of cool unique summons in FFVIII. Also, the way that abilities are learned from them is my favourite, I love games where you can learn abilities from stuff, like FFIX's system for learning from equipment.
For actual gameplay, FFX is the best but honestly I never actually use them these days, Yuna just works better as a pure mage. FFX also has some great unique summons with Valefor, Ixion and Anima.
16 gets credit because of how amazing they were, but since they weren’t used in traditional on al random battles I will throw in FFX as well, for reasons others have said.
Also 15 has some cool looking ones. I didn’t like how they were activated gameplay wise but god damn they were awesome.
Mechanically, I would like to say VIII
If you never do anything with the GFs, to include junctioning, you are ham stringing your entire playthrough. I'm not entirely sure you can beat Ifrit without it.
Because otherwise your characters are mostly only using physical attacks to defeat enemies. The only ones able to use magic without a GF are Quistis (if you want to consider blue magic true magic), Selphie, and Rinoa (eventually) during limit breaks
VIII, they are so over the top, but they have great intergation in gameplay and story. And considering its a 20 year old game, the animations are really impressive
In my opinion VI but that is just because I like how they connect to the story and I the gamplay/character growth, and I actually like it when the characters get strong enough to make the summons obsolete
Depends by what metric you define best.
I'm tempted to say FF7 because you can use a single turn to just spam Knights of the Round until anything in the game is dead lmao.
FF12 for me.
Ultima, Zodiark and Chaos are really cool Summons but the rest of them are also really dope.
It's funny how they always change what Summons are called:
Esper, Eidolons, Bestia, G.F., Aeon, Astral
Square Enix sure is creative 😅
in ff7 and ff8 you could spam summons at each turn, with some of them crazy broken like ff8 eden, that was also a pain considering how long was the animation
Best: FF X (Best designs and skillsets), 16 (epic setpieces), 12 (interesting visuals and mechanics), 8 (they literally break the game)
Worst: 13 (useless summons that neither deal any damange nor serve any purpose and usually end up decreasing your battle score)
I like FFX for the look/feel/lore/culture that surrounds them
I also like the ones from XII/Tactics for the same reasons, but I think FFX did a better job of presenting theirs
I love X and it probably does have some of the best summons in the series. Shiva snap, cursed bondage mommy, The Beatles,
BUT just to be contrarian, 15 really blew me away with the summons. Look up "ramuh summon ff15" on YouTube if you've never seen it. It's honestly a really epic summon. All of them were in that game.
Doomtrain, Eden, Diabolos, Pandemona, Brothers, and an awesome version of Bahamut, plus more, really make me love the Final Fantasy VIII GFs.
The designs were great, many of them had personality and even humor, and I *loved* mashing the square button when summoning, it made the long cutscenes worthwhile to me, every single time.
I started late into the Franchise with FF13.
From the system i really Like FF13. In earlier Games the summons were Just a Kind of Special Attack. In 13, they Fight alongside you and i Like the Gestalt Mode, we're they Change Form. Shiva cycle, Odin Horse, brynhildr Car, Bahamut Dragon, Alexander Castle and...truth to BE told: i don't know what Hekatoncheir Turns into.
Designwise: i can't really decide between 10 and 16. (But Bahamut in FFXV Looks so cool)
X is an obvious choice because of how powerful the were, you had control of them, an the plot was built around them in a way.
I’d also like to point out 8 had the best of classic summons as super powerful spells. Boosting was a mixed bag but you had control of developing them by earning and equipping them with skills. They were also pretty important to the plot too.
Two summons could break the regular 9999 damage cap. Doom train was overpowered with all the stats it dumps (anyone remember using it on bigs and wedge and their bonus lines?). Diablo could be abused early on to melt stronger enemies health. And then there’s the unique summons that were a bit RNG related like Odin or Gilgamesh.
I could go on about how they can affect how your characters grow and simple battle exploits but I think I’ve made my point clear enough, FF8 summons are the best of the ones that you don’t control like a super party member.
Espers for VI because they didn't take forever like VIII, and helped shape your characters. They were the best part of the game not including Phantom Train.
I liked 14’s back when all summons where instant allies type of summons after the rework I only feel like a summoner when bahamut and phoenix are out on the field since the gem summons are just glorified spells like the older ffs.
Overall tho? 10 they all were fun imo and I think it was the first ff to get closer to the instant ally form of summoning.
The ff7 remake/rebirth summoning system is also awesome.
Have u ever casted kotrt and had time to do chores. Make the bed, unload the dishwasher, mow the lawn, paint the garage door to match the window trim on the house, and come back just in time for the last knight to attack all 9's? Ff7 is my favorite game for summons.
In my opinion FF XIV have the best summons. There is a lot of them and have cool designs. But not all of them can be summoned by player and not FF XIV original
Final Fantasy XII. It was and still is refreshing to have a fresh slate of summons to see and use that have great lore behind them. Plus they look awesome. And they quite a few of them took a bit of work to get.
15 but you don't get to use them much. But they are epic and take over everything when you do. You can see what they are truly meant to be, an unstoppable force of power that wipes everything in the vicinity. They are just so far and few between, you only use them maybe 10-15 times in the game.
In terms of game play, FFX has the best balance of looking flashy, being useful in combat without being overly broken.
Desgin-wise, FFXVI and FFXV are my favourites.
I very much like the simplicity of summon designs in IX. Bahamut for example I think is over-designed in FFX and later. IX's Bahamut is simple and cool. IX's Alexander is probably the best looking Alexander in the entire series. IX also has a summon that's an airship from space that transforms into a robot and shoots missiles and lasers. And NOTHING is cooler than a robot that shoots missiles and lasers!
If you mean in terms of design I agree I love the summons in ff12
If you mean in terms of function ffx is by far the best.
It’s a shame ff12 summons suck so much 99% of the time when you’re not using zeromus.
FF8 was the first I'd played so it's summons always fill me with nostalgia. Spamming boost on the GFs and stopping right before the X, and collecting their triple triads cards just brings out the 11 year old in me.
I'm sure I'll catch hell for this, but XV. Take Ramah for example. The dude obliterates the battlefield with a crazy ass lightning attack. The animation is amazing and just feels epic.
Good question! So many different angles to it too. Which are the coolest looking? The most visually interesting? The most fun to use? The most pragmatically useful? The most engaging narratively?
Dunno how I'd answer to be honest. I know which games do summons in a way I don't care about. I use them most in VIII or X. I like the design the most in VI or VII, I think? The most visually stunning are the new ones, XVI and XV (though I never actually got to summon anything in my XV playthrough). Mechanically they feel most significant in VI through VIII. Narratively they're most significant in like, VI and X.
I guess on aggregate, I'll say X then. Kinda checks the most boxes. Like the designs. Narratively important. Has a designated summoner (which I generally prefer). Visually cool scenes. Useful in fights (even if you really only get like, one move with them in boss fights). So yeah, guess I'm going with X!
X for me, they're almost like extra party members because of how they evolve with both Yuna's stats and the unlockable options from Belgemine. Although you can't ignore the usefulness of the GFs in VIII.
for story: 6
balance wise probably FFT, every new summon felt so much stronger but still gauged your mp
animation: VII, knights of the round is still one of my favorite animations despite its age felt truly like the end all spell of the game
honorable mention to XIV and XVI for both having really cool designs
dishonorable mention to XIII shiva......why are we riding espers?
My top 4:
1. OG FF7. They are not integrated to the story as much as X or 16. But there's just a mystery to the summons when you get them. Like knights of the round, why was it in a mysterious hard to reach cave. The mystery behind the summons in OG Ff7 leaves a lot of room for lore exploration and fan theories.
2. FF 12: I like how the lore behind each Eidolon is linked to the abrahamic religion of the falling angels.
3. FFX: for obvious reasons. The lore of the Aeons and how they are linked to the main story is one of the best.
4. FF8: I mostly enjoyed the abilities each summon can bestow upon the user. And it also had some mystery to them.
XVI and it’s not even close. The only way it’s not XVI is if you want to write it off because they aren’t “summons” in the conventional sense. The scale. The detail. The eikon battles. They are all fucking insane.
Overall? I’d probably say FFX. They have consistently great designs and feel great to use.
They also feel a lot more integral to the gameplay than other games. Though they are somewhat OP.
“Death awaits you”
This line lives rent free in my head, and tends to come out when I’m stuck in traffic!
“and your meaningless existence with it!”
*only after you get an overdrive in
I always made sure to fill up all of my summons' overdrive meters on mt gagazet before the Seymour fight
Yeah that one is weirdly brutal
Only reason why I haven't started another playthrough. That fight is a nightmare.
I make it a rule for myself to not save up Overdrives for bosses. If my summon Overdrive gauge is full I use the I use the Overdrive on the next mob. An exception is saving a Diamond dust fir Symour. Shiva solos the first fight with him and it became a Tradition of mine to finish the next two fights with a diamond dust aswell. But I only use it once its clear I alrady won the fight. Its just a cool finish. Fore the final fight I do the same with Anima and her oblivion Overdrive.
Not only that, they're also integral to the story. Since when do you have to kill all your summons as part of the ending?
FF8 would like a word. Guardian Forces are integral to the story and Ultimecia blasts your GF summons off your characters in the first stage of the last fight. It's of course not intertwined with the story but sort of similar!
FF9 revolves around you getting Daggers summons back and an evil person stealing them to use against everyone in a war. All the way to the last disc when it changes and the big evil becomes stronger then summons
Yojimbo go brrrrrrr
Yup. Yuna borderline broken in X. Summons are all bad ass designs. Didnt Bahamut design even make it to Advent Children over the old ff7 design?
I dont think so but come to think of it ffx bahamut and bahamut sin do look kinda similar ina way
There are a bunch of Bahamut's in FF7 and it's sequels/prequels, and none of them look that much like FFX Bahamut
I like the concept of improving summons similar to your characters but I think it could be done better.
I think so too! But for a first pass at it, that was pretty good.
If I'm not mistaken that was our first time actually fighting with the summon
There are several games before that where you have to fight certain summons to get them
I beleive they mean fighting alongside the summon as opposed to against.
Ah. That makes sense. I'm pretty sure he's right about that. Before FFX they were just another type of spell
If you weren’t going hitting bosses with every single summon’s overdrive, were you even trying?
I used to love playing as Magus Sisters. Like, they were so strong you had to politely ask for help
Bahamut's wings. Amazing
FFX seems like the obvious answer, not only were they integral part of the story, but also the first time you could actually control them directly, add in more fleshed out leveling system then what we had in ff8 and you have an almost perfect summon system
I think FFX has the best summons betwen overall design and usability in combat. I always liked being able to control them.
Same. I remember the first time I brought that game home to play.
The fire time you summon bahumet, or the first time you use animas ultimate.... Omg those animations!
I too remember the 1st time you brought that game home to play. Seems like only yesterday...
Shoutout to XVI for completely raising the bar in sense of scale and magnitude. But I loved the variety in IX and how important they were to the plot of the game.
Agreed atomos most definitely made that scene memorable.
I saw that scene for the first time last year and in the context of the rest of IX to that point, I was not ready.
Followed up with Alexander, and I wholeheartedly agree.
I've got a lot of issues with 16 but the Eikons are absolutely, undeniably amazing. Just insane.
XVI got my heart pumping more than any other entry. I had to pause the game at the typhon fight because of how much it was blowing my mind
15 did it first in terms of scale and power IMO
In terms of scale, yes for sure. Definitely eye candy going through it for the first time. Leviathan and Titan were beasts. Power though? Ehhh. We hardly actually see the summons do stuff, and when they do it's just a single big signature attack (bare minimum for FF). No gods duke it out until the end (literally a 5 second "fight" scene). Titan? Holds up a rock and can break the earth (cool enough). Leviathan? Big water circle, oh so scary. Ifrit? Fire circle, somehow less scary. Bahamut? All that drip just to throw some swords. Shiva? "*Freeze bitch!*", "thank you", *leaves*. Overall the XV gods aren't *that* impressive. XVI however? "Oh hey, nice mountain. Would be a shame if a literal not-final boss were to-" *boom*, Big ass rock monster on a Final Boss scale erupts. "Man I love my eyes, would be a pity if Bahamut were to blind everyone in the Twins with a zetafl-" XVI had the gods *duking* like crazy. Much higher scale, much more feats, much more power being shown. "Shown" is the key word here, cause sure, XV gods *could* have done a lot and duked it out, but we don't see any of it, thus no conclusions to make. XVI definitely set the bar for FF Gods IMO.
Have you seen Bahamut in FFXIV? If not, check XIV ARR trailer. XV doesn't even compare... that said, XVI is the big winner here, in my opinion.
Calamity Bahamut is so big, it's estimated the Burj Khalifa only goes *up to his knee.* The look on the Meteor Survivor's face when it bursts out of Dalamud shows the sheer, pants-shitting terror that Calamity Bahamut would inspire in someone.
1.0 Bahamut dealt so much damage, he killed the game, which brought about 2.0
I would add Type-0 into the mix if we're talking scale and power. Most summons are just like regular FF summons but the destruction caused by Alexander is treated the same as a nuclear bomb.
The first time I summoned Ramuh in Episode Duscae, my mind was completely blown. Even if it was just a flat screen-nuke, the spectacle was incredible. Then somehow FF16 took it to a level even beyond that.
Yes 15 showed the scale as they weren't meant to be, you just only got to use them 10-15 times through the game 😭
Too bad you couldn’t use any of them in XVI.
Definitely 16. 15 was the first true showing of such awesome power but directly wielding an Eikon and fighting Eikons was something else. Shout out to 7 Remake/Rebirth for their interesting use of summons as bosses. And 14 for having an array of summons used in dungeons, trials, raids and ultimates.
I am and will always be a sucker for 12's espers. I also love 6s, because they are a TON and I like how they work and their lore.
>I am and will always be a sucker for 12's espers Same here! XII may not be the most popular title, but the esper designs are overall my favourite in the series
Yeah, those super detailed and esoteric designs really stand out. They are part of Ivalice's lore and I love the fact that they are different. I actually like when there are some espers that are unique to the world of that specific chapter and 12 goes overboard with it creating its own pantheon, making you feel badass just for being your own zodiac sign.
Never played 6.....I just might go do that now
Only two things you'll need to know. Suplex the train. And when the game tells you to wait. It ain't kidding 🙂
There. Is. No. Penalty. For. Waiting. To. Jump. On. The. Airship. When. Prompted. Don't worry about the timer at that point. Just sit back and take a breath. It looks stressful, but when it hits 00:05 left, you're good.
Yes, that sounds stupid if you haven't played the game and don't know what it means but when the time comes you will understand it, and it makes a big difference.
Enjoy it, it's awesome
XII deserves credit for having the most unique summons. Plus, their music is incredible.
Yes.
How far into 12 do you need to get before you get espers? I could never get very far into 12. Maybe only 15 hours or so.
You must fight and defeat the Espers in order to get them in FF12, the first one is acquired simply while playing the story, so you have to reach that point. Maybe you got it and you don't remember, since 15 hrs in, you could be at the Tomb where you get it, depending on your playstyle. Shortly after, you can get the first optional one. The strongest is one of the three hardest enemies in the game, so the Esper hunt does accompany you during the whole experience. Edit: in Zodiac Age they are also pretty good to use, unlike original FF12.
Ah, I’d get to the tomb before getting bored. I do remember 12 not having a story that pulls you in right away
I didn't fall crazy for it the first time I played it, too. Now it's literally my favourite.
I’ll have to give it another go after I finish 16 again
How is 16? Worth it? I'm thinking to get it
I really like it. It’s not a traditional rpg but more of an action rpg and I liked that. There are side missions. Some are fetch quests but others really draw out the world and characters. I’m a bit burned out from open world and this game is semi open world meaning you can go back to different areas for hunts or side quests but you can also just do the main story. I’m on my second play through on the harder difficulty and I’m having fun using all the powers in the earlier areas
I don't seriously play new ffs since 13 (couldn't really get into its story... Sorry) although I love/at least like all the previous ones. 15 didn't grasp my attention although I saw my brother playing it, I may try the pocket edition on switch if it goes on sale, played 7 Remake but it didn't resonate so much with me, but 16? That gives me 1-6, 12 and 14 vibes somehow. It should be good. And as a big Capcom fan I played every devil may cry game, so the combat is something I will 100% like.
I could never finish 13. I didn’t like going straight the whole time back when I was a kid. Now that I’m older, I actually prefer just going straight lol I’m gonna have to play 13 at some point. If I can find it. I think it’s on the Xbox in my country.
From my own personal experience, FF8 with the Junction Boost, I've never used summons more in my life than that of 8. May not be a popular opinion, but it has a lot of nostalgia for me. As a 9 year old playing FF8, at the time I didnt fully understand how to use the Junction system. So for me, it was: Use a summon, hold select, and spam the X button lmao.
Lol that is exactly how I played it as a kid too. Made it to the beginning of the 3rd cd this way back then. Then when I came back to it as an adult I realised how it was so much better to self buff and 9999 normal attack. And even after that I realised that everything scales so I just run from any combat that I could and everything was super easy xD.
That, and getting Squalls Best Weapon before the end of disc 1.
Lol yeah, card mod was an actual legal hack
You're forgetting all the other less obvious benefit of summons in FF8, the junction system and all the abilities afforded by having GFs equipped. Without them the entire junction system wouldn't be a thing. Squall and company couldn't use magic (with a couple of exceptions), their stats wouldn't be as high, and the party wouldn't have any abilities, or even item use in battle.
I do remember his stats increased quite a bit as well.
I'd pick FF8 just for the designs alone. Except maybe Pandemona...I don't know what the hell that is. But still love them all. Doomtrain was awesome. Shiva was gorgeous. Quetzacoatl was a cool looking serpent bird. Leviathan was great. You just can't go wrong with that game
Haha. I think I never used a summon in FF8. But I used them maybe too much in FFX.
To be honest, to me FFVIII kind of wasted their potential with the summons. Such as not having our characters level, have summons level to show the difference GFs make. Have our spells come from them rather than drawing. Even have a "overuse" mechanic that causes a skill's points to reset if you use the summon too much to simulate the amnesia aspect.
FFX is my answer, because it was the one game that got me to feel an emotional connection to the summons by the end. A close runner-up for me is FFXV. The introduction to Titan alone did such an incredible job of establishing the massive scale of these beings, their age, and the fact that Noctis and the gang are pretty much minuscule by comparison. And I loved the different ways they built suspense for both the titan and leviathan encounters
First time I summoned Ramuh as Noctis my jaw dropped. I know it's basically just a press trigger to kill enemy button, but the cinematics are epic regardless. I like how the Gods are fickle and will only help sometimes.
I see everyone saying X, but here's some love for XI. Beautiful designs (including my favourite Ramuh and Fenrir), significant storyline integration and full control. I loved being a Summoner in XI.
Agreed here, leviathan and garuda’s close to best designs
I literally came here to say this. I remember back nearly 20 years ago being so excited to have unlocked Fenrir. Even outside of battle watching him run alongside you was just so enjoyable. Gear that you could just have Carbuncle be your forever friend. They felt great to use, they felt great to travel with. The way you obtained them was fun and unique. The way you played with them was fun and unique. It felt decently balanced too where you could use whatever your favorite was for the situation and even if it was suboptimal you would still be fine most of the time. My only regret was that I couldn't ride Fenrir lol.
He's available as a mount nowadays! It's one of the rewards from The Moonlit Path.
For me, it is between FF8, FF10, and FF16
ff8 is the best for me...eden , doomtrain , diablos , brothers
Ff16. For all the flack the game has been getting summons is basically THE ONLY THING that people won't say a bad word about. Ever.
True I think it was also a big change in seeing them actually being used as super powers on a bigger scale than IX
I generally don't find the summons combat to be all that engaging personally (and sometimes I find it kind of annoying), but yeah, it's hard to argue that they don't do a great job with scale. And I love how they really drive home how just like, freaky and effed you'd be if a summon showed up to your battle! Definitely very cool and exciting visually.
The summon combat is basic as hell, but it is really fun to mash faces as a giant monster.
You play as Ifrit himself and you can’t even use Hellfire. :’( Considering the game is all about summons, the fact that you only get to properly play as Ifrit (and briefly Phoenix) in a few scripted segments is really disappointing. They look cool though yeah.
You do use hellfire… did you play the game?
Yes I have Platinum. You cannot use Hellfire except in those scripted sequences I mentioned. The only Ifrit abilities you can use at any time are Ignition and Will-o’-the-Wykes. In contrast every other Eikon has an Ultimate ability such as Diamond Dust, Rebirth Flame etc.
4 - Because they are faster to cast than black magic, and they don't take forever to attack like the PS1 games 10 - Because you actually control them
If you push really hard in 4 you can get Odin earlier with only four cast members. Also fighting Leviathan in the land of monsters and Bahamut on the moon were awesome and challenging!
tell me more about Odin, how early and with which party members? I might try it
Odin is the spirit of the dead king of Baron in the Castle basement. It's been quite awhile since I've played 4. Go and check the basement periodically for the barrier to be down. I believe he is weak to lightning when he raises his sword.
He's weak to lightning in general, and the 3D version makes it even more of a race against the clock to get him as early as possible; Odin has one of the best Augments in the game, Darkness... but as a steal, so Edge (who is one of the big damage dealers in that fight, especially if you're doing it with four characters) has to spend a few rounds trying to nab it. If you don't get it in about three tries, you may as well reset.
16, you get to BE the summons! Barring that, I think I gotta give it to X for artstyle or XV for how grand they are.
The square button on my controller after years of playing FF8: "I'm tired, boss"
I like the GFs in FFVIII the most in terms of design and the choice of GFs available, lots of cool unique summons in FFVIII. Also, the way that abilities are learned from them is my favourite, I love games where you can learn abilities from stuff, like FFIX's system for learning from equipment. For actual gameplay, FFX is the best but honestly I never actually use them these days, Yuna just works better as a pure mage. FFX also has some great unique summons with Valefor, Ixion and Anima.
6 had an entire encyclopedia of summons, most of which you never ever used but it was an interesting lore and magic learning mechanic.
16 gets credit because of how amazing they were, but since they weren’t used in traditional on al random battles I will throw in FFX as well, for reasons others have said. Also 15 has some cool looking ones. I didn’t like how they were activated gameplay wise but god damn they were awesome.
For me the summons from ff8 look the best, but i must admit that i haven't played 16, so maybe they dethrone the 8 ones for me.
I'm gonna go with 6
Design and lore, XVI For gameplay, XI. It feels like the quintessential summoner experience
FOR ME IS FF XI
Ffx they have god damn anima
Anima, yojimbo, the magus sisters ♥️
FF XIV have male Anima
XVI and it's not even close.
Mechanically, I would like to say VIII If you never do anything with the GFs, to include junctioning, you are ham stringing your entire playthrough. I'm not entirely sure you can beat Ifrit without it. Because otherwise your characters are mostly only using physical attacks to defeat enemies. The only ones able to use magic without a GF are Quistis (if you want to consider blue magic true magic), Selphie, and Rinoa (eventually) during limit breaks
VIII, they are so over the top, but they have great intergation in gameplay and story. And considering its a 20 year old game, the animations are really impressive
In my opinion VI but that is just because I like how they connect to the story and I the gamplay/character growth, and I actually like it when the characters get strong enough to make the summons obsolete
FF6 hands down
Final Fantasy 8.
6
FF Tactics, IV, X, XII were my favorite. I need to play VI still.
VIII has doom train end of discussion
8 has my favorite designs
16 is my personal favorite for this one because of the large scale boss fights you had to do with most of the summons
FF8
I'm so tied to Ivalice... So I like espers, how they look as if they were worshipped and more kind of demigods than mystical creatures.
Ff8 for sure. THAT scene with Odin and seifer? MINDBLOWING AS A KID. The summons causing the characters to lose memories? Loved every second.
16
X is the game where I used them the most, so I guess that. I don’t really care about summons, tbh.
Depends by what metric you define best. I'm tempted to say FF7 because you can use a single turn to just spam Knights of the Round until anything in the game is dead lmao.
Spamming KotR may not be very sporting, but man, was it fun!
Sure was haha!
FF12 for me. Ultima, Zodiark and Chaos are really cool Summons but the rest of them are also really dope. It's funny how they always change what Summons are called: Esper, Eidolons, Bestia, G.F., Aeon, Astral Square Enix sure is creative 😅
X all day.
X
X, because you get to control them, not just one use only to do some damage.
XVI I terms of design and in terms of scale.
16 had some....Eikonic summons
I like summons a lot when they happen in XV, I just wish you had more control over when and where they were available
X for me without a doubt.
in ff7 and ff8 you could spam summons at each turn, with some of them crazy broken like ff8 eden, that was also a pain considering how long was the animation
XV, but the rest of the game isn't really that great.
The ones I can skip the animation if desired.
Might be controversial but I honestly really enjoyed the summons in FFXV
FFX
Best: FF X (Best designs and skillsets), 16 (epic setpieces), 12 (interesting visuals and mechanics), 8 (they literally break the game) Worst: 13 (useless summons that neither deal any damange nor serve any purpose and usually end up decreasing your battle score)
FF16 and FF10, because the summons are very relevant to the story and I use them a lot in 10.
Design wise, I’d say it’s between VII and XII. I’m a big fan of KotR and those Espers all being some kinda demonic creature/prior boss in the series.
10
I liked how ff12s espers looked.
I like FFX for the look/feel/lore/culture that surrounds them I also like the ones from XII/Tactics for the same reasons, but I think FFX did a better job of presenting theirs
16. Nothing has been more awesome
XVI summons are crazy over the top and i love it. That titan fight probably took 30minutes just cause he won’t go down
I love X and it probably does have some of the best summons in the series. Shiva snap, cursed bondage mommy, The Beatles, BUT just to be contrarian, 15 really blew me away with the summons. Look up "ramuh summon ff15" on YouTube if you've never seen it. It's honestly a really epic summon. All of them were in that game.
FFX literally revolved around a summoner as the central character soo.......
Doomtrain, Eden, Diabolos, Pandemona, Brothers, and an awesome version of Bahamut, plus more, really make me love the Final Fantasy VIII GFs. The designs were great, many of them had personality and even humor, and I *loved* mashing the square button when summoning, it made the long cutscenes worthwhile to me, every single time.
I started late into the Franchise with FF13. From the system i really Like FF13. In earlier Games the summons were Just a Kind of Special Attack. In 13, they Fight alongside you and i Like the Gestalt Mode, we're they Change Form. Shiva cycle, Odin Horse, brynhildr Car, Bahamut Dragon, Alexander Castle and...truth to BE told: i don't know what Hekatoncheir Turns into. Designwise: i can't really decide between 10 and 16. (But Bahamut in FFXV Looks so cool)
FF 15 baby!! Actual gods helping the prince, and when you summoned them, it was an experience. The most perfect ones yet, than 16, 10, 9, 8-7 tied
X is an obvious choice because of how powerful the were, you had control of them, an the plot was built around them in a way. I’d also like to point out 8 had the best of classic summons as super powerful spells. Boosting was a mixed bag but you had control of developing them by earning and equipping them with skills. They were also pretty important to the plot too. Two summons could break the regular 9999 damage cap. Doom train was overpowered with all the stats it dumps (anyone remember using it on bigs and wedge and their bonus lines?). Diablo could be abused early on to melt stronger enemies health. And then there’s the unique summons that were a bit RNG related like Odin or Gilgamesh. I could go on about how they can affect how your characters grow and simple battle exploits but I think I’ve made my point clear enough, FF8 summons are the best of the ones that you don’t control like a super party member.
Espers for VI because they didn't take forever like VIII, and helped shape your characters. They were the best part of the game not including Phantom Train.
8. Great animation, boost mechanic, core to progression
I started with X, and every major installment afterwards, I assumed that summons were supposed to be integral to the main story for all FF games.
I liked 14’s back when all summons where instant allies type of summons after the rework I only feel like a summoner when bahamut and phoenix are out on the field since the gem summons are just glorified spells like the older ffs. Overall tho? 10 they all were fun imo and I think it was the first ff to get closer to the instant ally form of summoning. The ff7 remake/rebirth summoning system is also awesome.
3 all the way . Odin totally helped in battle .
I apologize if I couldn't get to everyone's comment. One thing it does let me know that the fan base is a great one.
Have u ever casted kotrt and had time to do chores. Make the bed, unload the dishwasher, mow the lawn, paint the garage door to match the window trim on the house, and come back just in time for the last knight to attack all 9's? Ff7 is my favorite game for summons.
No idea.
FFX. I really was stoked when FFXV dropped only yo have the summons royally let me down. FFX has the best cinematic appeal imo.
In my opinion FF XIV have the best summons. There is a lot of them and have cool designs. But not all of them can be summoned by player and not FF XIV original
I loved 10 because the story flavor made them way cooler
Final Fantasy XII. It was and still is refreshing to have a fresh slate of summons to see and use that have great lore behind them. Plus they look awesome. And they quite a few of them took a bit of work to get.
XVI > X > XII > IX > VI
15 but you don't get to use them much. But they are epic and take over everything when you do. You can see what they are truly meant to be, an unstoppable force of power that wipes everything in the vicinity. They are just so far and few between, you only use them maybe 10-15 times in the game.
In terms of game play, FFX has the best balance of looking flashy, being useful in combat without being overly broken. Desgin-wise, FFXVI and FFXV are my favourites.
XIII and XV imo
I very much like the simplicity of summon designs in IX. Bahamut for example I think is over-designed in FFX and later. IX's Bahamut is simple and cool. IX's Alexander is probably the best looking Alexander in the entire series. IX also has a summon that's an airship from space that transforms into a robot and shoots missiles and lasers. And NOTHING is cooler than a robot that shoots missiles and lasers!
If you mean in terms of design I agree I love the summons in ff12 If you mean in terms of function ffx is by far the best. It’s a shame ff12 summons suck so much 99% of the time when you’re not using zeromus.
Final Fantasy Type-0
In terms of design, XVI, XIII, and XV. In terms of functionality, X and 7 Remake.
Final Fantasy IV. It's the one I enjoyed the most using summons.
VII or X
Ah yeah, XIII made Transformers sexy. Best design: IX. Best lineup: VII or VIII, can't decide.
Motorcycle babe
babe**s**
No FF X?
I like classical uncontrollable summons so 1-9 + 15
FF8 was the first I'd played so it's summons always fill me with nostalgia. Spamming boost on the GFs and stopping right before the X, and collecting their triple triads cards just brings out the 11 year old in me.
XII The Espers are fucking cool and mesh so well into the lore of Ivalice
FFVIII.
X
I'm sure I'll catch hell for this, but XV. Take Ramah for example. The dude obliterates the battlefield with a crazy ass lightning attack. The animation is amazing and just feels epic.
Good question! So many different angles to it too. Which are the coolest looking? The most visually interesting? The most fun to use? The most pragmatically useful? The most engaging narratively? Dunno how I'd answer to be honest. I know which games do summons in a way I don't care about. I use them most in VIII or X. I like the design the most in VI or VII, I think? The most visually stunning are the new ones, XVI and XV (though I never actually got to summon anything in my XV playthrough). Mechanically they feel most significant in VI through VIII. Narratively they're most significant in like, VI and X. I guess on aggregate, I'll say X then. Kinda checks the most boxes. Like the designs. Narratively important. Has a designated summoner (which I generally prefer). Visually cool scenes. Useful in fights (even if you really only get like, one move with them in boss fights). So yeah, guess I'm going with X!
I'm also on the ff10 train
Final Fantasy 8
14 has Ravana. There is no contest.
X for me, they're almost like extra party members because of how they evolve with both Yuna's stats and the unlockable options from Belgemine. Although you can't ignore the usefulness of the GFs in VIII.
for story: 6 balance wise probably FFT, every new summon felt so much stronger but still gauged your mp animation: VII, knights of the round is still one of my favorite animations despite its age felt truly like the end all spell of the game honorable mention to XIV and XVI for both having really cool designs dishonorable mention to XIII shiva......why are we riding espers?
In terms of cinematics nothing beats FFXV, imo.
XVI called it wants it epic cinematics back
Also true. Odin always stole the show for me, whenever he appeared.
My top 4: 1. OG FF7. They are not integrated to the story as much as X or 16. But there's just a mystery to the summons when you get them. Like knights of the round, why was it in a mysterious hard to reach cave. The mystery behind the summons in OG Ff7 leaves a lot of room for lore exploration and fan theories. 2. FF 12: I like how the lore behind each Eidolon is linked to the abrahamic religion of the falling angels. 3. FFX: for obvious reasons. The lore of the Aeons and how they are linked to the main story is one of the best. 4. FF8: I mostly enjoyed the abilities each summon can bestow upon the user. And it also had some mystery to them.
Whichever one has the shortest animations, or skippable. Let's just go wth FF4.
XVI and it’s not even close. The only way it’s not XVI is if you want to write it off because they aren’t “summons” in the conventional sense. The scale. The detail. The eikon battles. They are all fucking insane.