Final Fantasy IX is widely regarded as one of the greatest JRPGs out there. Many more even call it their favorite Final Fantasy, if not, their favorite game of all time. After hearing so many people praise the game as a classic, I took my chance with FFIX, and I can proudly say that the hype that this game has is was well worth it.
I don’t even know where to start, since Final Fantasy IX is a very dense game. With the game being 4 discs big on PSX, it’s no wonder that the size and scope of this game rivals any other, dare I say, even Final Fantasy VII. At the start of Disc 1, you play as a teenager named Zidane, who works for Tantalus, a group of thieves that work as performers and entertainers as a cover up. Their goal in the beginning of the game is to kidnap the princess of Alexandria, Garnet. Little do they know though is that Princess Garnet has been preparing herself to run away from Alexandria. With Zidane, Tantalus, and Garnet, they set off to worlds unknown. That explanation was meant to be very bone-dry, as the story in FFIX is phenomenal, and any one doing a blind playthrough should go in a blind as they can for the best experience. With that being said, I will be discussing different characters, locations, and elements of the game that may be considered spoilers, so if you want to play it safe, stop reading now.
One reason behind the weight Final Fantasy IX, as I mentioned earlier, is its story. With many different twists and turns that lead not only Zidane and co. filled with joy, depression, knowledge, etc., but also the player as well. FFIX does an amazing job making all eight party members feel real. You feel what every character experiences, almost as if FFIX had a more cinematic approach. From Vivi’s determination to assist the black mages, Amarant’s grudge against teamwork, and yes, even Quina’s hunger and curiousness to try new foods. Also, in addition to the characters feelings so real, what really sells FFIX for me is the world. FFIX’s environments are absolutely gorgeous, even in today’s standards. Now yes, the 3D models on the flat pixelated backgrounds may look jarring, but playing this either on a CRT with the PSX version, or on PC with the Moguri mod, the environments are beautiful. It even helps that a lot of the backgrounds move too, and aren’t just static images most of the time. This gives FFIX a lively feel, making each location a memorable treat to look at, as if you were there yourself. Plus, the FMV cutscenes in this game looked astonishingly good, despite them being 20 years old. I was surprised to see how many of them there were too, and I then realized this game was four discs big, so that part is understandable, but seeing how many FMV cutscenes there were, really made me wonder how big of an influence FFIX had on gaming cutscenes and storytelling.
Now what really sold the game for me was the soundtrack. Nobuo Uematsu knocked it out of the park in this entry, and while the soundtrack isn’t FFVII levels of iconic or melodic, because FFIX’s has its own feel and vibe to it, one couldn’t compare the two very well. I haven’t mentioned this yet, but FFIX does go back to its roots as an FF title, which that it is a very fantastical. While FFVII and FFVIII had a more industrial and modern look to it respectively, FFIX goes back to its roots as a fantasy game, with many unique settings, NPCs, etc. What I’m getting at is that the music of FFIX sound more among the lines of classic FF entries in the NES/ SNES era. This is the reason why FFIX’s stand out in the PSX era of games, as it feels like a modern entry to the series, while also keeping what it came from: the classic FF games.
While FFIX rocks its characters, world immersion, and music, I did have some complaints with it. For starters, one thing that took a while getting used to was the game’s speed. Battles take a long time compared to other FF games before it. Battle’s were snappy, but this time around, they feel more “epic,” since every battle starts with some zoom and fly-by shots of the enemies you face. It does match with the game’s more cinematic feel with the cutscenes, but they get tiresome very quick. Luckily, you can turn them off in modern ports of FFIX, so that’s a nice feature. Also, I appreciate how many side quests there are, but why did they have to be so long? It felt like each side quest could have ended after a couple of hours, but it just kept going (most notably, the Chocobo side quest, as the Hot and Cold minigame got very tedious very quick). Now this may just be a me-problem, but it was still a complaint I had with the game.
With nitpicks aside, this is still worth a playthrough from anyone and everyone. There is still so much I haven't even commented on, like it's controversial ending, its thematical elements, and many more, but that can be a discussion for another day. It is one you will never forget, and will cherish for a long time, if not forever. The message the game brings with each character’s motivations, the music, and story will leave you laughing your butt off, or crying your eyes out. Go play Final Fantasy IX.