The longer that video games are around and legacy series like Final Fantasy exist, the more gatekeeping we see as fans of the original games feel disenfranchised from newer ones, and younger fans join the community. Some folks will mean well and tell you that you should definitely at least dip your toe into the series’ rich history. Others will likely be less kind that your first Final Fantasy experience was with Yuna, Lightning, Clive, or maybe even your Warrior of Light in XIV. There’s an ongoing claim that most people’s first Final Fantasy is their favorite Final Fantasy, and while there may be some truth to that and it should serve as a reminder that the series’ long history is full of entry points, it’s often deployed in a dismissive, elitist way that suggests newcomers to the series just don’t know any better. Just save yourself the headache.
