Blessed with an innate sense of history, and tinged with a touch of melancholy, this title provides a fond FAREWELL to the OLD style of Final Fantasy. I will miss it, but that is NOT what impressed me the most about this game. It was the nicely wrought story, the most fully fleshed charachters of ANY 32-bit game, the AMAZING artwork, and the way they wove pieces of the series past into the story and environment. The gameplay is the most addictive in the series since 6, which came out here as 3, but was recently re-released as part of Final Fantasy ANTHOLOGY. I enjoyed the VERY SOUL of this game, an aspect that seemed minor in the previous two entries. This game reminds players WHY they loved the series in the first place.....STORY AND PERSONA. The best music and cinematics EVER to Grace ANY 32 or 64 bit system.
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Ftaren12 May 2002
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Final Fantasy IX is one of my favorite final fantasy games in the series. I loved the atmosphere, characters, music, setting, mini games, world map, villain, gameplay, visuals(yes I liked the art design since it reminded me a lot of the old games in the NES/SNES days, and it also was original and charming at the same time I know people will disagree with that but each to their own). The battle system is solid since you have four members in your party with their own job class like Zidane being a thief, Vivi being a black mage,Eiko/garnet being white mages/summoners etc.The leveling up works well since it's like most RPG's and it's ability upgrading works well to since you can use the ability when equipped but when it's maxed out you can use whenever you like.The mini games are really fun too and the side quests are enjoyable to tackle like tetra master(Am i the only who enjoys that game and has won and enjoyed matches XD.) Boss fights are fun, the game has a lot of places you can explore once you obtain the airship.The only downside to the gameplay is the loading times for battles and trance bar being a bit flawed, but the game-plays pros far out way the cons IMO.The characters are really likable and funny, The games story is interesting and dark. The music is great and the ending made me satisfied. This game is one of my favorites and I love it to death. It's funny, dramatic, heartwarming, beautiful, likable and it's a game that I think every gamer should try out.
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JackBauerPowerHour19 March 2004When this first came out I didn't think about buying it but seeing it was a Final Fantasy game. I had to. Let me describe how incredible this game is.
The Gameplay: Like all the FF games the control scheme is not hard to learn. Is just awesome, One of the finest RPG gameplay I have ever had the chance to experience. 10/10
Story: Amazing. The plot starts out good in the beginning but the more you progress through the game the better story gets with wonderful characters that you get attach to deeply, nice character development, a lot of humor, drama and self discovery elements thrown in there too. 10/10
Graphics: Beautiful and Outstanding. Clearly the greatest to ever grace the PSX. It truly captures your attention and imagination. Is just Breathtaking to look at. 10/10
Music: Squaresoft truly knows how to put magnificent music in there games. This soundtrack gives this game more of a epic feel to it. Thats why FFIX is a work of art. 10/10
Replay Value: (Depends on what you like to do) If you love RPG games you will definiteley like to go through that experience all over again especially with everything I mention above. 8/10
Overall: What more can I say. This was the game that made love RPG's all over again, not since Chrono Trigger was I blown away by a RPG game. This game clearly is better than FFVII and FFVIII, also the second greatest PSX game ever made. If you haven't had the chance to experience this wonderful gem, go out right now to your nearest videogame store and buy this because this is definiteley a keeper for any true gamer. (10/10 and A+) -
earthborn4418 July 2004This one takes us back to what we loved from the earlier final fantasy games, before cyberpunk influence & darkness came along. Small cute characters with more facial expression (tho i never liked polygon graphics really) & a more colorful world makes this one closer to the original idea. (i always think that the creators also took in mind the "never ending story" at least in musical aspects (like ff4 which sounds a lot like it)
& i celebrate i was able to play a final fantasy with better graphics than the old ones. Very nice CG cinematic sequences too. Nice colors everywhere, not the best final fantasy, but very amazing to play. A must if someone asked me!
The battle system improved over FF7 a lot. Now you can choose more characters & overall faster loading.
Overall this game is a nice way to go back when ff was more underground & there wasn't posts to put opinions about games, just time to enter a nice imaginary world & have fun until u ended it (& having nothing to do with your life after since the game took so much of your free time!) -
hellrider31 May 2001WOW!!! this games rocks! although plot wise it's not as strong as seven, it more than makes up for this with (in my opinion) far superior gameplay. the magic and physical attacks are equally useful, and the introduction of character classes (white mage, black mage, thief, glutton, knight) is drastic improvement over the other playstation exclusive fantasy's. The final fantasy's are my favourite games on the playstation, and this did not disappoint. The ending has to be seen to do it justice (the same for the last two games for that matter). In one word: Brilliant!
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Carvey23 August 2006Without a doubt this was definitely one of the very BEST games I've ever played, because even though it's just a game, it was truly a great and beautiful story, going from continent to continent, meeting new people and helping them with their problems, fighting and beating the bad guys. The AMV'S were cool and with great quality picture and sound and the music was very Suspenseful, scary, hypnotic, funny, sad and breathtaking-- depending on what was happening of course, and the graphics were amazing.
And I love how each of the main characters tells their own story in their own different way because each of them have all lived different lives and have come from different places, so that makes each one of them unique and lovable-- including Kuja. And at the end of the game were Zidane and Garnet hug each other because Garnet thought he was probably dead and then the the game ended with an overview of the whole cast and Alexandria, and then the screen changed black and we saw Zidane's and Garnet's final lines, that was a great moment in the game and the entire game was great.
This game was incredible, I have never played anything with this much emotion and heart. I'd rate this game an A+++, 5 stars and 2 thumbs up, I hope the game wins an award-- no make that 10 awards one day in the near future because we all know it deserves them and more. I mean it's been almost a year since I finished the game and I still miss it a lot, sure I could just play it again from the start but I already did so well, I don't know how I could top myself. -
Aaron137524 April 2007By end of an era, I not only mean the end of the first Sony Playstation's run, but also an era where Squaresoft releases were consistently incredible games. Let's face it; one of the first games they released on the then new Playstation 2 was The Bouncer which was mediocre. There would be only two Final Fantasy games that were not online or direct sequels on the PS2 and while Final Fantasy X was good in its own right it still was not quite up to this delightful and my personal favorite Final Fantasy game. Then XII would come out (I did not bother with XI as I do not like online RPG games) and it still ranks as my least favorite FF. I even liked X-2 better than that one. Not a huge fan of XIII either as the cut scenes at XIII are pretty much what the game's focus is. No, this for my money was the best FF game; then again I enjoyed all three released on the first Playstation unit a good deal. Even VIII which I initially was not crazy about has grown on me. I also enjoyed the ones released for the SNES too, as part II (IV in Japan) is what made me seek out RPG games! The first game itself was pretty good too for the first Nintendo. I often wonder why they skipped so many FF games as the original part II and III and V all would be released, but much later than when they were initially brought out. This one is a bit more like the original games as the previous two were a bit more futuristic, while this one returned to steam powered airships, dragoon knights and kingdoms in peril and that is why I enjoy it so. It also has a vast array of characters, because while I liked the ones from VIII, they just were not varied at all. All teens, all the same age and all the same race and species too. Here we have only one true human character that is a regular in your party in the knight, Steiner.
The story has a theater group coming to the kingdom of Alexandria to perform a show for the queen and her daughter, Princess Garnet. A small black mage named Vivi is also planning on attending this performance; however, the theater group has an alternative motive as they are also planning on kidnapping the princess during the show! Zidane is charged with this class and amid the chaos he finds that the princess is more than willing to go along. Soon they find themselves caught within a forest and Zidane must join up with Vivi and the knight charged with protecting the princess, Steiner to rescue the princess from a monster. As they travel the world, they learn that Queen Brahne (Garnet's mother) has plans to use black mages for war. A weapons dealer named Kuja seems to be prodding her along and helping with these efforts. Soon the group must split as part of the group must help a character named Freya help her kingdom of Burmecia while Garnet and Steiner try to make it back to Alexandria to try desperately to convince the queen to stop her foolish quest. This is only the beginning as there are new continents to find as well as a summoner girl named Eiko and bounty hunters to avoid such as Aramant.
The combat is much more typical of the Final Fantasy series as you battle with a group of four instead of the three you used in the previous two games. It is turn based and basic, though they do a thing called trance here which is pretty much the same concept of the limit attacks from the previous two games, just not as effective or awesome as the limit break from the previous game. The story progression is also a very strong point for me in the this one as there are multiple times throughout the game where you play the game on different fronts as the party splits up. I love this feature in an RPG as it gives you a chance to plays as more characters and it's fun as you get more story too. You did this in the previous one too when Selphie wanted to head to the rocket base, but it is just done a bit better here. I also like the occasional guest party member they use here too.
So yes, this is my favorite Final Fantasy game. Granted there is not one I totally dislike. The graphics here are the best of the three games released on the Playstation as the characters look good and the backgrounds look nice as well. Just not a huge graphics fan, I think SNES graphics look good when applied right and for RPG games I do not think it is all that necessary to make the most realistic looking characters ever. It certainly didn't enhance anything in XII or XIII. Just a shame that this FF game seems almost forgotten. When FF VII came out there were advertisements everywhere. FF VIII would also see its fair number of commercials. This one, I do not recall seeing all that much on it as I just happened to see it at a store. They were too busy propping up the PS2 at the time as this game marked the end of an era. -
viviornitier25 June 2002I have beaten this game and it was worth every penny and minute. This game is riveting and is probably the best Final Fantasy there is so far. This game is a dream. It couldn't have been put together any better. The story is astonishing! The characters make the story even better with there unique personalities.
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HtchikdNowhere7 April 2008I'll be frank.. I LOVE this game. I love it just as much as Final Fantasy VIII despite the fact that there are clear differences between the two. This may in fact be the best game I've ever played, and it will always be a close favorite. Unlike VII and VIII, IX is a more upbeat, comical tale that doesn't exhaust its theme. Yes, there are dark parts and several enemies along the way. However, I felt myself grinning from ear to ear with the characters and feeling their pain when something terrible happened. I laughed my arse off with the dialogue and fell in love with each and every single character all over again every time I played through the game.
I like to think the main male/female protagonists in IX have reversed roles from VII and VIII's main male/female protagonists. The game's male protagonist Zidane is completely different from Cloud and Squall. He's comical, laid back and a bit of a womanizer, but is also deep and righteous at heart. Meanwhile Garnet/Dagger, the game's female protagonist, is naive and sometimes serious to a fault, suffering from massive amounts of internal conflict on numerous occasions.
The other playable characters have their own unique personalities that contribute humorously and emotionally to the story as well, but of course that's Final Fantasy for you.
The only complaint I've heard about this game is that it's "easier" than its predecessors. And while that may be true to a certain extent, it's totally worth playing through. The battle system is also very nicely set up with four characters on the battlefield instead of three. As for mastering new abilities, your characters rely on weapons and accessories that they must equip for a certain period of time before the ability can be permanently added to their list of abilities. For example, if you wield a staff that comes with the Cure spell, you're allowed to use the Cure spell as long as you wield that staff until you've earned enough points in battle to learn the move permanently. This sometimes means that you may have to equip weaker items in order to learn a new ability, but that adds to the challenge of the game. (I personally like this much better than the Materia and Draw/Junction systems.)
This is a game you don't want to miss out on. It's an under-appreciated classic that will leave you with a smile on your face, but not to a corny extent. I highly recommend it to any RPG/FF fan. -
johnsteede24 March 2001While not a movie, the cutscenes were very well done animation. The faces actually showed emotion, and the backgrounds looked photo realistic. As for the game, it was good too. The characters were all interesting with real development. They were all unique and supported the story line, each in their own way.
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Once I started to play this game, it brought back so many memories from the three previous Final Fantasy games that debuted on the Nintendo (I, IV & VI). The music was great, better than VII & VIII in my opinion (I wonder how many people caught one of the dungeon themes from the original FF that was redone for the cave outside Esto Gaza; that the second airship theme was the main theme from FF V; along with the Final Fantasy theme that was played near the end of the credits before the "Prelude" or "Crystals Theme" was played).
The back cover for the game said that FF IX combined the best of the old with the best of the new, which was a great description for this game. It was great to see Vivi in the traditional Black Mages' outfit and the brief inclusion of the White Mages' outfit on Princess Garnet as she flees Alexandria was a great touch. I thought that Quina was a near useless character, as far as the storyline went and I really thought that Zidane was not such a great choice for the main character; I would have put Vivi in as the main character.
In an attempt to keep this readably short, (and inadvertently make any of the FF fans who have only been fans since FF VII came out mad at me even more) this is what FF VII should have been since FF IX was in a very similar style to FF VI. One of the best things they did in this game was to allow FOUR characters to be played and not the three that has reigned havoc since VII and will now will also be in FF X. So sad. And going back to the old, 'weapon'/'armour'/'arm'/'helmet'/ and 'accessory' in lieu of just 'weapon/'armour'/ & 'materia'.
So please don't get me wrong, I love the Final Fantasy series and have since the original FF. I would like to say more, but most of it would come off as harping on the past two games in the series. So, play Final Fantasy IX as a traditional RPG, and not as a movie. 10/10. -
The only reason I got this game was because I wanted to say that I had it, but I played it anyway. I thought the story wasn't that well done at all at the beginning, but then it has a twisting turn out of no where near the end of the 3rd disc. The characters were very weird and corny, and the way they acted was weird. Take Zidane for example. He is such a pervert it makes his character a mindless freak who is in love with Garnet, who is the only normal character and most civilized character in the game, and she even has her moments.
The enemies in the game were very well done, but yet again, weird. Run around in some grassy areas for a while and discover that there are such things as "Friendly Enemies". Like why? What's the point. Most people on these forums will complain that they lead you to the strongest enemy in the game, which is a large blob of colours? At they optional bosses in the game are not even that hard, take Hades for example. Everyone tells me that is an amazingly hard boss, yet I fight him at level 60 and beat him in one try. Like come on, only 60,000 HP? Too easy. The side quests in the game are very stupid to. It has a great deal to do with chocobos out of nowhere, and the Chocobo Hot and Cold game? Like what is up with that? Sounds more like a children's game than a teenager game. I can also say that about the moogles, which the game is concentrated on a lot. Moogles are cute, but get annoying after a while if you find one in every world, and they all look the same. Why can't we just save normally, and what's the point of the moogles? Very annoying.
Now to add onto that, the Strategy Guide is TERRIBLE. Now I am not talking about the game now, and it's NOT the games fault that the guide is bad, but I must put this in my explanation. Type in "Final Fantasy IX Official Strategy Guide comments" and you will see what I mean. "Go to play online.com to find out how to beat this boss!" Or, "Want to know where to find a secret item? Playonline will explain how!" Well that's just weird. At the time they were just promoting their new site, which now houses the Final Fantasy XI site. I got this game quite a short time ago, and now the site does not even exist for me to find out how to get the certain things. So I am doomed to finding it all out by myself. That isn't the point of strategy guides.
My favorite character has to be Garnet. She is the only normal person in the game as I mentioned earlier. Other people have either a tail, and rat's face, red hair that covers their face, 100 pounds of armor, ears popping out of their small head, a pointed hat and 2 yellow eyes, and the list could continue. Quina has to be the Number 1 weirdest character ever created in a Final Fantasy. Eats anything, that thing, not even human.
6/10, worst Final Fantasy ever made. Usually in Final Fantasy's I something touches me and I get some amazing feedback in my heart from the game, but this game does not fulfill that goal. -
I love this game. Every second of it is filled with character, great gameplay, and graphics. Call me a traditionalist, but I think this was the last great Final Fantasy before Square went off the deep end (X, X-2). Three fourths of the cast is lovable, and that's good considering the dismal showings of boy-band rejects in the previous two installments. Quina, Zidane, Vivi, and Freya are my favorite characters, all with their own personalities and traits. That brings up another point that has been lacking in recent FF's. In this game, all the characters have their own traits, which is am perfect return to the roots of FF3. In 7 and 8, you could have pretty much the same three characters the whole game as long as you built them up the right way. But in 9, every character can (and in some cases, must) be raised in their own unique way and can be switched around to make a versatile party. Most people will go with a party of Zidane, Vivi, Steiner, and Dagger the whole way through, but it's definitely a fun challenge to throw in a complex character like Quina or Amarant into the mix. FFIX also boasts the biggest, most involving sidequests in the series. From the first world in the game on, you can collect little items that have no use, but instead, have tons of references to past FF's. I can't tell you how much fun I had collecting items like the Mini-Cid, the Rat Tail, or even little model airships. It's like Tarantino or Godard found their way into Final Fantasy! Most of all, this has the best chocobo sidequest of any FF so far. It's involving, deep, and very complex Everything else you come to expect from FF is here... great music, graphics, story, and challenge. What can you lose?
Er... I have to adjust my scale for a second.
Final Fantasy IX Final Cut: A+
Story/Characters: A+ Music: A- Graphics: A- Gameplay: A Sidequests: A+
It's near perfection... pick it up! -
Final Fantasy 9--- I wonder who thought that in three months after playing this game, I would be Final Fantasy IX crazy. This game has it all. This movie is what it is---The best game, I mean the best ANYTHING ever! I'm telling the truth here, I thought this game was more emotional than the movie Titanic or any other emotional movie. It just amazes me what 300 people working on a single game can do. Ok, so this game doesn't start out with the most innotave storyline, but it has many twists and turns...here's what to expect: Zidane Tribal, that's the real name, (thats where i got my name from!) is sent out with a band of thieves, Tantalus, to kidnap Princess Garnet Till Alexandros, the heir to the throne of Alexandria. But the thing is, it all goes wrong. First, the Princess wants to go! And Queen Brahne (elephant size), shoots down your getaway ship (Prima Vista) and it crashes in the Evil Forest. From there, many villains and friends arise in imaginative cities, well-planned "dungeons" and just to mention, once a certain villain named Kuja comes into the picture, it all gets serious. Well, not serious, but the laughs do calm a small bit, but this game is still very funny, and serious. You'll be sad, happy, mad, depressed, and brave all in one game! That's what I call a great experience! Story: 10 out of 10
Graphics? Never been better. The Playstation will never see better graphics than Final Fantasy IX since it is a dying console. The graphics are just plain REAL. Even the in-game graphics look very good, while the CG Cinemas are nearly good enough to knock you over! One complaint, and this a very minor one, is that when in airships, the in-game kinda gets just a tad blurrier than if on foot or boat. I don't know why, but it doesn't even scratch the surface of Final Fantasy IX's greatness. Graphics: 10 out of 10
If you wanted the best music in a game, also look no further. Nobuo Uematsu did a wonderful job composing the music in this game, and the song Melodies of Life brought a tear to my eye. Seriously! Once again, a prime example of the best ANYTHING EVER. And even the other songs, especially the "Theme" Songs, are wonderfully done. I believe that if Melodies of Life was on the Top 40, Number One would have to be its position! Music: 10 out of 10 Even the Gameplay is perfect! Great control add the iccing to this cake, and I think the iicing is a gallon of Chocolate! Menus aren't confusing, the batlle system, while a little washed out, still keeps your adrenaline pumping, but this is an RPG, so it may take a while to get used to. Gameplay: 9.5 out of 10
So, this game is the BEST ever, and I hope you've seen my reasons why. So if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go bask in Final Fantasy IX's greatness for a while.
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First off, the graphics are amazing for a PSX game. Especially when you use summons or one of the strongest magic powers like Flare. The FMV sequences are as always impressive and beautiful.
The cartoony almost kiddy look suits the game and the world you play in. Compared to FF8 it certainly is a step up visually. The musical score is good. I do however wished that they would have made more variations of the tune used in the random battles. Because that theme really got on my nerves after a while. But I was glad that they still used the old victory theme when you win a battle. The gameplay is the best you can get. The battle system is easy and doesn't require much thinking. Just equip an item, learn the ability that comes with it and it is ready for use. It definitely is a major improvement on the junction system from FFVIII. (If you made wrong choices you would get punished and had to start all over again.) In FFIX you can't go wrong. And this could be seen as a flaw. For advanced players it is too easy. The challenge comes from other elements that made no sense to me. For instance at a crucial moment in the game (CD 3) you have to win a Tetra Master tournament in order to advance. And believe me that it is one annoying game. If you have no interest in card games, than this will be a very frustrating experience. Winning the tournament requires the best cards that are available in the game. So it actually demands of you to gather these special cards even if you don't want to.
To me one of the major flaws of this game was the character building. With the characters that are made available there was a lot of potential for interesting events. Not much background is given on them only when it was needed to explain a certain element in the plot. For example we know that Vivi is a Black Mage and that he has a genuine motive in finding out what is going on concerning the Black Mages that are controlled by Kuja. But we never find out why his grandpa chose to raise him (since he wasn't a black mage himself) and if the grandpa knew that he was a Black Mage. Not knowing enough made it impossible for me to root for the characters like I did for the characters in FFX. Also this lack of depth has his impact on the main plot which doesn't offer anything new or original. The love angle between Zidane and Garnet (Dagger) is obvious. But wasn't as strong as the connection between Squall and Rinou from FF8 or Tidus and Yuna. Also Zidane doesn't really change. His character is the same throughout the game. Squall (FF8) and Cloud (FF7) were more reluctant and did develop during the game into heroes. Which made it far more interesting to follow the story and play the game. But in the end the one thing that kept me playing the game was it's addictive gameplay. Battling foes is so much fun especially once you gain all those super abilities and skills.
I can say without a doubt that this is one of the best games that the PSX has to offer and that it has to be played at least once. -
omninexus5 December 2007Find it here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/file/197338/8969 Once this I didn't like was how this game was not challenging enough for my taste. It is way too easy. You basically get your task from one of your allies, and go and do it. Unfortunately, when you go perform these tasks, you encounter almost no resistance. It's just way too easy. Granted, there are many side quests that can be challenging to complete. But, when I formulate an opinion on the challenge, I always look over everything, and the challenge of the side quests doesn't even come close to equaling the simplicity of the main quest.
Overall though, I found this to be a very well made game. All of the different areas were well done respectively, and when combined into one game it naturally comes out very well. The best parts would probably be the graphics and sound, followed very closely by the gameplay, story, and replay value. The only area with major flaws would be the challenge, but with the other good areas, this game evens out nicely. Overall, very well done, another Final Fantasy destined to be a legendary game, Kudos Square, you did it again. -
Released during the dawn of the ps2 era, Final Fantasy IX is more like a classic RPG that's updated for the 3d age with original characters and a great storyline and good gameplay. The music is great too and like the last installment is made up of four discs. Highly recommended for fans and it's worthy of a remake.
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grtst_nightmare4 July 2006YO!.. i played and finished this and FF7 near and around 5 times each and yet each time i am amazed at how this game is like a book, no matter how many times you play it you always find something new or discover a new thing to do. The most important thing is that the storyline And game play makes you kinda feel what the actual character is feeling in a subtle way, i guess they were aiming for something along those lines. The last thing i will say is the consistency with FF tradition, in most final fantasy games I've played (and i have played and finished 1,,4,6,7,8,9,10(( 10 went overboard with no traditional FF feel to it)) so i no what I'm talking about) is that there is ALWAYS no matter how subtle there is always a link to a crystal or crystals for example FF1, the 4 crystals must e lit to save the world FF4, You must stop the crystals from being stolen FF7, The Materia (little crystals) gives you magic abilities and skills along those lines FF9, Kuja Tries to destroy the crystal The list goes on but what I'm saying is that the whole keeping together of the final fantasy tradition is pretty much why they have been so popular. the fact that they can keep the main basic very undermined outline of being save the crystal/s and yet still have the game be incredibly different to other FF games is what has made Squaresoft/square-enix/square what they are today
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kiteekat18 November 2001this was the best final fantasy game I have played. i LOVED it, and that's not just because it's the only one i have managed to beat so far :P I am just holding my breath until Final Fantasy x come out, but even if I am terrible at it, which i prolly will be, I am happy that I got to play IX :)
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minakochan15 January 2002In my opinion the best RPG Square has ever released, and quite possibly the best RPG ever. With a gripping storyline, unique and lovable characters, beautiful fmv, and the best item/magic system the series has seen, Final Fantasy IX is absolutely perfect!
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CodeMaster24 February 2001The last of the ironically titled 'Final Fantasy' series to grace the PlayStation does not disappoint. Squaresoft has pulled out all the stops to insure that this game far outperforms all others in terms of graphics, gameplay and lastability. Attention to detail in all of the visuals is enough to make any other game hang their head in shame. Everything from the awesome FMVs to the in-game battle sequences have been crafted expertly for your gameplaying pleasure.
The latest installment of 'Final Fantasy' has reverted back to it's roots. Namely, a world inhabited by big-headed humanoid hybrids that could have come straight from a fairy tale. Other than the style of graphics much else has stayed the same. The same 'Active Time Battle' remains as do the summons and the ever-loved chocobos (Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it)! One other feature which has changed in this installment is the method of learning abilities. You still need AP to learn them, but you need to equip items and armour to learn specific skills (much like learning the Break Arts in Squaresoft's other classic title, Vagrant Story).
In my own opinion this is, and will always be, THE game for the PlayStation. So spend your hard-earned cash on it and wonder just where all those lost hours went... -
zhyates16 December 2022A whimsical and fantastical conclusion to the Final Fantasy franchise history. Final Fantasy IX encapsulates what made the JRPG franchise into the stalwart franchise it is, with some of the best melodies, character moments, and solid JRPG gameplay. Paying homage to the games that started it all, it carries the strengths, and unfortunately also the weaknesses.
The key roster of characters (which are a main 3, introduced within the opening arc) are all dynamic and enjoyable characters, each telling a story of maturity and personal growth through revelations and tragedies. These 3 characters are easily the highlight of every narrative beat, and even that takes place in Final Fantasy IX. Unfortunately outside of these 3, the other remaining 5 are at best accompanying pieces that provide little outside of their own personal arcs. While each character has their own unique skill sets, they still overlap making it very easy to permanently bench a character that narratively and in gameplay is just not to player's taste.
Much like the game stories it pays homage to, the narrative bounces around inconsistently. The larger story arc is bounced around and much like Final Fantasy VI narrative, there are a lot of pure coincidences that are used to push the story, and because it is overloaded with characters it tries and fails to utilize a lot of them as the story reaches a climax.
The game's antagonist is perhaps too much of an homage. While unique in his design and manners, the game recognizes that he's part of the plot-convenience and struggles to utilize him in a direct threatening manner.
The side-content on this game is atrocious. Even the Chocobo minigame (which can break the game early and make it too easy) is extremely tedious and the rewards for following through with side quests or optional challenges are painfully underwhelming given the time and dedication to completing most of them.
While Final Fantasy IX can be an enjoyable and memorable story experience, there is little value in a replay. -
oscarxp2519 October 2003Final Fantasy VII and VIII were big hyped games that succeeded in giving us what we wanted. In 2000, a year later after FF8 was released FF9 had already come to the states. Less then two years? Was it rushed or does the great trend continue?.....
I am happy to report that FF9 is just as worthy as it's two older counterparts, what is better, I had a smile on my face playing this game. FF7 I had a state of shock cause of what I was experiencing was amazing, FF8 tugged at my romantic side FF9 is a game that makes you smile. The game is not as dark as the last two but still has its villians. FF9 returns to its roots in this one, knights and kingdoms instead of futurastic worlds. But there is some still signs of te future, even in the Renassance like setting. What makes me smile are the characters, all are cute and have such a cool presence about them. Vivi was the cutest and best magic caster I have ever played with. Zidane was a hero who enjoyed life (unlike Cloud and Squall) and wasn't annoying (like Tidus). The battle system and up grade system was a improvement over the tiring DRAW system of 8. Here the powers are taken from the weapons and equipment you get. The story was not as deep as the other two but the mood of the story was certainly happier and more upbeat. Kids could play this game and not be depressed at all, unlike the depressing themes in 7 and 8. 8 was very serious, 9 has its comical characters (Oafy Steiner, weird Quina and Bratty eiku), they never push their limits though. Once again Dagger is a female character with pride and independance. This time Square let us fight with 4 characters at once which was a nice change. The music is just as beautiful and the games graphics are like 8' but the look in more cartoony. This isn't the most popular FF game out of the 4 but it is one of my favorites. it never takes it self too seriously and the images have a child like imagination to them. This game was labaled as 'The Crystal Returns" FF game. I do not know what the means only it has some reference back to the old FF games. Forget X and pick up 9, it is Square's Hidden treasure, pure joy.
A -
Sheng.Long3 November 2000FF IX, Game One Of Three in the three-year triple-strike for Square's Final Fantasy. Still has six genres, all working perfectly together. The Ninth keeps all those things that have lasted [Bahamut, Chocobos, Final Fantasy the theme, etc.] and says 'We are here over a decade later. We have endured. Final Fantasy was going to be our way of bowing out. Final Fantasy 9 is going to be our way of saying 'Forget That!'.
Square was dying in the 80's, then Final Fantasy came along. Now, As Final Fantasy 9, 10 and 11 come along, in a similar way to Star Trek films, is Square going to ever fall?
Give me Final Fantasy 15 before I die, and I'll be happy. -
jshunter30 April 2002Final Fantasy 9 is the last in the PlayStation RPG series, and a beautiful closing chapter it is. For the uninitiated, FF9 is not a sequel; the characters and setting are different from the previous FF games, and the battle/magic/ability system is also new. However, the FF "feel" remains. Spells are learnt differently, but they are still the same healing, helping, hindering and harming array of magic that FFphiles are familiar with. Monsters, weapons, chocobos and summoned creatures are also recognisable. In fact, it's almost a game in itself, spotting the references to previous FF games (all the way back to FF1 on the Nintendo)
The story is nothing new (unlikely group of heroes band together to save the world) but it works, and has the necessary motifs, themes, and plot twists to give the experience some depth. The characters have uniqueness which was missing in previous titles. In FF7, for example, the characters were practically the same in terms of abilities, which were literally interchangeable. In FF8 only their limit break attacks distinguished them. In FF9 they have distinct personalities and roles (cocky thief, uptight knight, gluttonous blue mage, etc) which leaves less room for customising but gives a stronger flavour and less administration.
Eye candy? Top marks. Ear candy? Excellent music and sound. Playability? Very nice; no more boring waiting for a Summon, no clicking everything as you walk to find secrets, and much less menu juggling. Square have come up with an elegant game devoid of the things which can make a great game annoying. Even the opening credits are quietly integrated into an impressive movie opening which immediately sets an epic tone.
I probably sound like I should be on the payroll of the FF9 marketing division, but the game really is that good. It may lack the fun coarseness of FF7, and the ending may be not have the camaraderie and closure of FF8, but it is a gem nonetheless.