Final Fantasy VII vs Final Fantasy VI

Final Fantasy VI is the better-written game; Final Fantasy VII is the more influential one. VI has the largest and best-balanced cast in the series and a second half that genuinely changes the world. VII has Midgar, materia, and the moment most people mean when they say Final Fantasy.

What They Have in Common

Same era of Square at its peak, both turn-based, both with a villain the series never topped.

Pick Final Fantasy VII if you want the icon.

Midgar is still one of the great opening acts, the materia system is the most flexible in the series, and the Remake project gives you somewhere to go afterwards.

More like this: games like Final Fantasy VII.

Pick Final Fantasy VI if you want the best story.

Fourteen playable characters who all get a real arc, and a structural turn at the midpoint that almost nothing else in the genre has attempted. The pixel remaster is the version to play.

More like this: games like Final Fantasy VI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I play Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VI first?

Final Fantasy VI is the better-written game; Final Fantasy VII is the more influential one. VI has the largest and best-balanced cast in the series and a second half that genuinely changes the world. VII has Midgar, materia, and the moment most people mean when they say Final Fantasy.

Is Final Fantasy VII better than Final Fantasy VI?

Better is the wrong question for these two — they are close enough that the answer depends on what you want from the next twenty hours. Pick Final Fantasy VII if you want the icon. Pick Final Fantasy VI if you want the best story.

Are these comparisons based on review scores?

No. There are no scores anywhere on this page. This is a written opinion about what each game is for, so you can judge whether it matches what you are after.