Final Fantasy IX

"Corran450's Review Series Vol 5: Final Fantasy IX"

Everybody who games is familiar with Final Fantasy. Love it or hate it, the brainchild of Hironobu Sakaguchi is a permanent fixture among gamers of the Role Playing Game genre. The series spans 20 years and a dozen platforms, three game system manufacturers, hundreds of employees and millions of dollars. Yet the most beloved era of Final Fantasy is still undoubtedly the PlayStation 1 era. Encompassing Final Fantasies VII through IX, including what many people still call the greatest game ever made (Final Fantasy VII), this era saw unprecedented increases in sales of RPG's mainly due to Final Fantasy VII's single-handed elevation of RPG's into the mainstream. Suddenly, RPG's were extremely popular. This popularity only increased with Final Fantasy VIII, due to it's innovative game mechanics and deep storyline.

Sadly, Squaresoft's final PS1 masterpiece, the charming Final Fantasy IX, is often overlooked by all except a few diehard fans. Intended by Square to be a tribute of sorts to the Final Fantasy series at large, as well as a departure from the futuristic settings of the previous two, Final Fantasy IX failed to achieve the mainstream success of the preceding games, despite being critically acclaimed.

Gameplay/Difficulty:
The gameplay of Final Fantasy IX is complex, but not overly so. If you've played a Final Fantasy before, or even just another RPG at all, you shouldn't have a problem. It uses an Active Time Battle system, like Final Fantasies VII and VIII. Unlike the previous two, though, you are allowed 4 characters on the battle field.

Unlike the materia system of VII, or the junction system of VIII, Final Fantasy IX doesn't allow you to customize each character's role in battle. Each character has a specific job class, for instance: Garnet is a Summoner/White Mage, Zidane is a Thief, Vivi is a Black Mage, etc. However, the fun comes in customizing each individual character with the abilities of their class, devising your own strategies, and choosing which characters will form your core group when the time comes. Each character learns abilities from the equipment you install on them. How they develop is entirely up to you.

The rest of the gameplay is typical RPG fare. One little quirk I liked was that a specific icon will appear over the leader's head when an object on the map can be interacted with. This aids in your exploration.

Like many RPGs, the difficulty of Final Fantasy IX depends on how you play the game. If you try to truck through without preparation, the final dungeon will chew you up and spit you out, optional bosses notwithstanding.

Story:
The story of Final Fantasy IX is deep and involving. It starts with a group of thieves and brigands called Tantalus who arrive at the capital of the kingdom of Alexandria in a floating theatre airship. Their plan: to stage a performance of a famous play as a diversion, to allow them to kidnap the princess, Garnet til Alexandros XVII. A little hiccup occurs when the main protagonist Zidane encounters the princess and she ASKS to be kidnapped. Garnet's bodyguard, Captain Adelbert Steiner, attempts to stop them from kidnapping the princess, and Tantalus' airship is shot down while leaving Alexandria, but that's just the beginning of this epic tale.

Without giving too much away, the story expands to encompass the entire world in an apocalyptic war, which is, of course, being orchestrated behind the scenes by a megalomaniacal madman bent on world domination. Save for Final Fantasy VI, no other game in my experience has more cities destroyed in the course of the story. Tears will be shed. In spite of this, the story manages to be light-hearted and fun, a real contrast to the dark storylines of VII and VIII. All in all, a well told and engaging story.

A new innovation in storytelling was introduced in this game, the Active Time Event. These are basically extra scenes involving characters not being focused on at the time. Whenever an Active Time Event pops up on the screen, the player has the option of viewing it or not, thus enabling the player to determine how much of the story he or she gets. Some Active Time Events are mandatory though.

Graphics:
Final Fantasy IX's graphics leave little to be desired, for a PS1 game. They appear a little dated now, but back in the day, they were state of the art. They still retain a nostalgic quality. The entire art style of Final Fantasy IX is very unique, with a return to the deformed, cartoony character models of previous insalivations, Final Fantasy VIII notwithstanding. All of the characters are well-designed and interesting, and the pre-rendered environments are varied and colorful.

The FMVs are, of course amazing, and exciting. By the way, Steiner's expression during the escape of Tantalus is not to be missed.

Sound:
This game constitutes Nobuo Uematsu's final complete solo Final Fantasy soundtrack, and it doesn't disappoint. His flair for creating music that complements the moment continues unabated in this installment. The score is appropriate for the art style and time period of the game. Of note is the final theme, “Melodies of Life” featuring Emiko Shiratori, an old fashioned tune that fits well with the setting of the game, and is referenced frequently in the soundtrack.

The sound effects are simple, in contrast to the soundtrack. I recall nothing of particular note. They work, nothing great, but nothing glaringly inappropriate either.

Play Time/Replayability:
Per Final Fantasy tradition, this game contains the requisite insane amount of side quests, minigames, and other diversions. The Chocobo side quest, accessible from early in the game, provides the opportunity for tons of powerful equipment, and hence, abilities. The card game Tetra Master provides hours of diversion if you're so inclined. It should be mentioned that you are required to win a card tournament to progress in the game, but it's nothing too hard. I liked Final Fantasy VIII's card game better anyways. Let's not forget the optional boss battles that require hours of training, particularly the superboss, Ozma. My play time clocked in at well over 55 hours, and I barely scratched the surface.

I would say that replayability is moderate. With so many things to accomplish, the game will continue to draw you back in. However, some people will only invest 55+ hours in a game only once. That's a lot of time to spend on a game you've already played. But the story, in my opinion, is well worth it.

One of my favorite informal activities in the game is looking for and recognizing the many references to previous games Squaresoft put into Final Fantasy IX. They really put a lot of hard work and love into this game, and invested a lot of time in giving the PS1 a decent sendoff.

Final Recommendation:
I would say this is a definite buy for RPG fans. You can find it on eBay for a decent price, and get a lot of game for your buck. This game is a worthy entry in the beloved Final Fantasy series, as well as a fitting adieu to the system that really put Squaresoft on the map. That this game doesn't get all the credit it deserves is a disappointment, but the increasingly vocal proponents of this game are working hard to make sure it gets its due. Hopefully, after reading my review, if you haven't played it yet, you will give it a try. Final Score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/06/08

Game Release: Final Fantasy IX (US, 11/13/00)