Final Fantasy IX

"Final Fantasy IX, adding to the ever growing saga."

Note: My reviews are based on the standards of the time line. Not todays standards. All reviews are my opinion, so please do not send me anything trying to convince me my views are misguided, and or false. All reviews are those of games I have beaten. (Or of games I have played a large amount of time)

Story: A key element in any Final fantasy, or role-playing game for that matter. FF9 does not disappoint. The story of FF9 is a well thought out story, one that entails love, friendship, learning, and loss. The people at Square have gone beyond the usual evil guy wants to take over the world scenario and changed it to a deeper much more pressing display. The story expands through four discs and a large amount of time must be spent to enjoy all of it's splendor. The characters evolve and change as the story progresses, as several of the characters change, others begin to see that change. The first character that is introduced, is Vivi. Vivi is a black mage who is very timid and seems somehow lost during the story. Vivi's main conflict is that he meets several Black Mages that look just like him. So he travels with our next character in search of answers. The second character you meet, is Zidane. A member of the band of thieves known as Tantalus. He and his crew are planning to kidnap the Princess of Alexandria Garnet. Garnet herself is a very well made character. What the boys in Tantalus don't know is that she is planning to run away, and they soon find out she wants to be kidnapped. Later when Zidane and Garnet finally start to get to know each other, Zidane seems to have an immediate crush on her. Their love unfolds later on and it becomes clear where their paths will lead later on. The third character you meet is the captain of the Pluto Knights in Alexandria Castle, Steiner. Steiner is an extremely zealous knight with a habit of formal behaviour, when he finds out that the Princess is gone, he does everything he can to find her, and bring her back to Alexandria. Over the course of the first few discs, Steiner will try to convince the princess to go back. Until the main plot starts to unfold, the princess refuses to go back, but when part of the story is connected to her mother. She decides to go back, and Steiner goes with her. The fourth character is Garnet, a princess from Alexandria that has run away to find her uncle. Garnet accompanies Zidane to Lindblum, where she seeks an audience with her uncle, Regent Cid. She soon finds out that her mother is not the person she seemed, and that she in fact power hungry, and seeks all of the jewels that allow her to summon powerful creatures that do her bidding. The fifth character we meet is Freya. She is a Burmecian that has not been to her home it quite some time, when she discovers that her home has been attacked, she travels with Vivi and Zidane to find out what has truly happened. The sixth character we meet is Quina. Quina is a very strange character that loves to eat, and cook. Coming from a strange race, Quinas elder tells him to go with Zidane, to find foreign foods all over the other lands. The seventh character is Eiko. Eiko is a young girl living with several moogles far from any other people. When the group arrives at Eiko's home, Garnet discovers her true heritage, and power. Eiko accompanies Zidane in hopes that he will fall in love with her, as she has for him. The eighth and final character is Amarant. Amarant is a skilled bandit who is after the princess, after being defeated by Zidane in a one on one fight, Amarant decides to join Zidane in hopes to find out why he beat him. The characters in this story really do make it a worthwhile one. They are admirable, and they are each unique. Kuja is the main conflict in the game, of the same race as Zidane, he aids Garnets mother in producing weapons of war, which she uses to attack provinces throughout the game. Eventually you travel to another world, where you learn of the true origin of Zidane and Kuja, and why he is doing these things. The story is one that holds the game together, the characters are very good, and the story is one to remember. I give FF9 a 9/10 for Story.

Gameplay: The most important thing in a game is it's gameplay. No game can stand without decent gameplay. FF9 delivers a brand new leveling and combat system to experience, rather then learning skills through the character itself. You must equip certain items to gain a certain skill, most being passive. The combat can either be turn based or active, giving you a chance to take time or to take action. Each character has it's own strengths and weaknesses in battle, and you will have a chance to use them all. Though some of the elements are not as new and fun as they could be, it is nonetheless a very easy game to pickup and play. Leveling your characters can sometimes be a chore, but not always. The gameplay is slow at first, but in time you get used to it, and learn to appreciate it. Expect to take your time in trying to find and learn all of the skills for your characters, without these skills your efforts would most likely be short lived. It is a long game, filled with a large array of monsters. Inventive boss fights are just another way that this game is fun. The bosses are of a large variety, each with weaknesses, strengths, and tricks. For gameplay, I give FF9 an 8/10.

Graphics: The graphics in FF9 are excellent, as with all FF's. The characters have a significant increase in detail, which to me is a very important factor in character visuals. The Cinematics are integrated into gameplay, so one second you are in regular gameplay graphics, the next in a cinematic. The Cinematics are superb, as are the spell effects in combat. Several of the cinematics are almost overwhelming, the seeming force and speed of the summons are phenomenal. Cinematics in this game are something to look forward to as they are so well done and so true to the story. The in game effects are as well done as the cinematics in the sense that they are almost what you were expecting them to be, some of the best graphics for the Playstation one are in this game. The environments are large, and look very nice, a mix between 2d and 3d backgrounds make the playsetting look as good as the characters. A definite upgrade by Square for this game. For graphics, I give FF9 an 8/10.

Sound: The sound in FF9 is another great element to this game, the music is easy to listen to, It is well written, composed and compiled into the game. Each town and area has it's own track, and they are usually long enough that you don't hear repeats. Background noise also adds a nice touch to the outdoor environments. The sounds effects in combat are typical, but still good. There were several times where I just sat and listened to the game, the music and ambients were as good as any other Final Fantasy. Sound in a game is something I enjoy, songs in game are a very good addition if they are used properly. The music gives mood to certain parts of the game, a creepy tune for a gloomy place full of strange monsters. A mysterious song for unfolding plots of evil. A cheery tune for a walk through a lively city. All of the songs in this game are fit for what they represent, as I said before, a cheery tune for walking through a lively city. Regular battles have a song that plays everytime, whereas boss battles take on a different one, a song that tells you this is a critical battle. The sound adds yet another bonus that makes the combat, and game in general, all the more enjoyable. For sound, I give FF9 an 8/10.

I am a major fan of Square and an even bigger fan of Final Fantasy, when I finally beat this game (Which sadly was last year) I was certainly not dissapointed. Final Fantasy for me is a legend that needs to expand, the reason why Final Fantasy games are so well done. Is because the people making them not only enjoy it themselves, but put thought and time into the games to make them as enjoyable as possible. In my opinion there is no greater Rpg series, then that of Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy to me defines Rpg's in a way no other game could. Final Fantasy 9 is just another great addition to the series, but like all games it has flaws. Though they are few and far between. I enjoyed it very much, it was a very well done game. Thank you for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed it. My final score for FF9 is a well deserved 8/10.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/20/07