When Square Enix announced it would finally remake Final Fantasy 7, fans were ecstatic. Though there's heavy debate about whether or not it's the best in the franchise as a whole, most would agree that it's the most iconic of all. Hardcore fans of the franchise all have their favorite entry or character, but ask anyone that hasn't played one to name a Final Fantasy character and there's a good bet they name Cloud or one of his companions. For this reason, it makes sense that Square Enix chose to remake this game first, but there are plenty of other entries in the series that are more than deserving of a remake in a similar style.
Remaking any game past Final Fantasy 10 wouldn't make much sense, as those are still relatively new, so for that reason, Final Fantasy 11 through Final Fantasy 16 aren't considered here. That said, within the first 10 Final Fantasy games, there are hidden gems, well known classics, and unique ideas. Bringing these experiences up to date and on next generation hardware would be a great way to let fans experience these games again from a modern perspective. This rings especially true for some of the older games in the series.
Final Fantasy 9 Remake
Final Fantasy 9 is easily up there in most fans' top three Final Fantasy games. It may not have the same iconic flair as Final Fantasy 7 or the unerring fan base that Final Fantasy 6 has, but it does everything extremely well and has earned praise because of that. Following up Final Fantasy 6 through 8, all of which took place in more advanced or futuristic settings, this title took the opportunity to return to the franchise's roots and provide a medieval experience. It was also chock full of nostalgic elements referencing back to the early years of Final Fantasy, pleasing long time fans of the series.
The main character, Xidane, is also unique for a Final Fantasy protagonist, being less edgy (though even he has his moments) and more upbeat. There are a few protagonists like this in the franchise, but most people think of somber characters like Cloud, Squall, and Noctis. The other characters are also very unique, and the story has been praised as both heartbreaking and uplifting. What's more, 2020 actually marked the 20 year anniversary of Final Fantasy 9, making now as good a time as any to bring Xidane, Garnet, Vivi, and the others back into the fight against Kuja.
Final Fantasy 6 Remake
Final Fantasy 6 is often regaled as the best entry in the series. Even as new games release with gorgeous visual fidelity and fast paced gameplay, there will always be a subset of fans that prefer the original Final Fantasy 6 over all that. There's good reason for this, as this was the first time Final Fantasy really took on a deeper, more complex story. It's characters and setting all work together flawlessly to create a memorable and impactful experience. All of this was accomplished with 16 bit sprites, so fans wouldn't be faulted for wondering what a Final Fantasy 6 Remake would look like.
In truth, this both works for and against the potential for a remake. On the one hand, fans would give anything to see a game as beloved as this be remade from the ground up, but on the other hand, Square Enix might not be able to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Even the smallest misstep might catch the ire of fans, as Final Fantasy 6 is somewhat sacred ground in the fandom. Regardless, given how well Square Enix is handling the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, it could probably do some pretty amazing stuff with Final Fantasy 6 as its groundwork.
Final Fantasy 3
This may seem like an odd pick at first, but there's a good reason for it. In more recent Final Fantasy games, there are set characters that the player takes control of. While this allows for a more direct narrative, it takes away some of the player's agency and involvement in the game. Final Fantasy 3 marks the real start of customization within the franchise, as it introduced the classic Job System. Rather than follow along a predetermined character, a Final Fantasy 3 Remake game might let the player create their own character and customize their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
In truth, there's a mixed reception to Final Fantasy 3, but Square Enix shouldn't just remake the games that are already beloved. There's also something to be said for remaking games that could use a bit of help. There's a ton of potential in the story and characters of Final Fantasy 3 that could really be expanded on in a remake, and bringing a true incarnation of the job system to a fast paced, real time Final Fantasy game would be an incredible achievement and a whole lot of fun to play around with.
Final Fantasy Remake
Fans have been begging lately for Final Fantasy to return to its roots, something that Final Fantasy 16 seems to be doing very well. Even so, imagine if Final Fantasy literally returned to the beginning, making a remake of the original game that started it all. Despite its genre-defining importance, Final Fantasy often gets a bad rap for its shortcomings, a consequence of its pioneering nature. Though the original Final Fantasy didn't have named characters or even very customizable ones like Final Fantasy 3, Dissidia Final Fantasy managed to create a central protagonist called simply Warrior of Light, giving him a surprisingly in depth back story as well.
Whether or not a Final Fantasy Remake would use this protagonist or return to the red haired fighter that represented the party in the original game is uncertain, but revisiting this classic story would be a treat. there are many aspects of it that may feel cliché (for example, the first quest is literally to save the princess that got captured), but that's because Final Fantasy made it cliché. What's more, the story of Final Fantasy paired with Dissidia actually has the potential to tie together all the other entries in the series, albeit in a somewhat confusing way. The likelihood of this happening is slim, but of all the games in the franchise, the original Final Fantasy is most deserving of a Final Fantasy 7 Remake style update.