Final Fantasy IX

"Zidane, can I actually do something different for once? Thanks!"

Before I go on, let me just state that Final Fantasy is easily my favorite video game series of all-time. The emotion... the powerful dialogue... the professionally unfolding plots... the extremely well-developed characters... those're just a few reasons why it's so incredible.

... None of those can be found in the ninth installment.

Graphics: 8.5/10

I don't think I've ever seen a bad score for the journey's visuals. Of course, Square did a great job with the detail of the pre-rendered backgrounds, and the characters (especially Vivi and Steiner) are almost perfectly drawn... so much so that they unquestionably add another layer to Final Fantasy IX's goofy, fantasy atmosphere. The FMV movies, as usual, are top-notch in both detail and variance (I'm not a spoiler type, so I won't go into further detail). However, my main complaint is with the overworld. Perhaps it's just because I was spoiled by FFVIII's, but it looks and feels almost completely uninspired. In short, it's like Square was thinking ''Oh, it's time to draw a mountain... and now some desert... then some more ocean...''. It's a small, small world, and it's mostly empty and repetitive. Enjoy!

Character Development: 5/10

Heeere's my big gripe. Each and every character is interesting and almost lovable upon introduction... all 8 of them (FFVI had more, and they were mostly better developed)... but it completely falls off from there. For one, we learn next to nothing about 4 of the characters (Amarant, Quina, Steiner, Freya) beyond their introductions. I can understand Quina's purpose... s/he's there for the fun of it, to work with the game's silly, fantasy atmosphere... that makes sense. But (if you haven't played the game yet and are sensitive to this sort of thing and consider it ''spoiling'', I'd suggest skipping to my next score) why is Steiner so loyal to his kingdom? Beyond the small bit that we learn, why does Amarant have the attitude that he has... what has happened in his lifetime? And then there's Freya... why is it that we learn so much about her so soon, and then she becomes invisible? Meanwhile, Dagger's way over-developed (other characters could've used the time and effort), and so much is suddenly revealed about Zidane at a certain point in the game that it almost destroys the entire game. Again, I ask... why didn't Square choose to develop more than just a few characters (Zidane, Dagger, Eiko, Vivi)?

Music: 10/10

Quite possibly Nobuo Uematsu's best work to date, the FFIX soundtrack is 100% golden, without a single less-than-excellent track. Stand-outs include Steiner's theme (just listening to it seems to reveal a bit about his personality), Vivi's theme (same as the Steiner comment), the World Map tune (''Crossing the Knoll''... it's soft, sweet, and beautiful... and perhaps the best FF overworld track since Terra's in VI), and the town of Treno's song (I'd go into the area just to hear it... play that piano, Sammy!). The works used for Dali, Lindblum, Qu's Marsh, and Fossil Roo are also breathtaking and unforgettable, all in unique and separate ways. A soundtrack worth purchasing!

Mini-Games: 7/10

The card game is ridiculous and overly-complicated (FFVIII's Triple Triad is more sensible and a lot more addictive... this one relies way too much on luck and random math. It has its moments though, when your tolerance is up), and the racing (bring a turbo controller) and jump rope minigames are absolutely monotonous. The chocobo treasure hunting minigame is excellent though, and it raises this section's score from a 4 to a 7... for a small sum, your chocobo can search for items and even ''Chocographs'', which allow you to go to areas where you can dig for... get this... more treasure! Also, certain ''Chocographs'' will lead to upgrades of your chocobo, so your bird'll change color and become able to walk over mountains and rivers and the like (sound familiar?). Arguably the best side-quest (I suppose I'm using that term loosely) in an FF to date.

Gameplay: 7.5/10

While the battle system isn't exactly brilliant, it fits the game's simplicity well... basically, equip things and gain enough points from battle, and you'll learn new abilities and spells. Unlike the past 2 Final Fantasies, FFIX actually takes a little bit from the job system... for example, only certain characters serve as mages (Dagger, Vivi, Eiko, Quina), and therefore, can learn and use magic (Quina, being a blue mage, learns magic from enemies and not equipment). Only Steiner can use sword magic (if Vivi's around), and his type of sword techniques while others can't... while Zidane has special thief skills and can steal, Freya's special attacks are those of a Dragoon, and Amarant has his own, unique set. Only a certain number of abilities (non-magic) can be equipped at a single time (leveling gives the characters more points that they can use... how many points each ability is worth varies from one to another). How good this system is depends on what you want... if you enjoy RPGs with almost fully-customizable characters much more, FFs VII and VIII are probably better options... this is pretty much subjective more than anything else.

So, why not a higher score? After the first disc, the gameplay becomes highly tedious and empty. Most of the game's few continents are near unpopulated (try two real ''town''s and two gathering places that aren't on the first continent... sad, huh?), and it became aware to me midway through disc two that I had already played the best of what Final Fantasy IX had to offer. If there were more towns and varied places to head off to on the other continents? Assuming that that would've aided character development... try a 8 or possibly even a 9 for the game's overall score. It's a huge shame.

Storyline: 6.5/10

No point in repeating what I already said in the Character Development section, so I'll just put it this way; the dialogue is intriguing, well-done, and even sometimes hilarious (purposely made that way by Square) on disc one. Afterwards, the story comes to a screeching halt... and then picks up and throws some ridiculous, fast-paced plot twists at the player. A balanced storyline would've been 8-worthy... but instead, things become bland and boring, and then when things get going again, it's difficult to care. Also, I noticed a huge hole in the storyline that ruins a good deal for me... in Lindblum, Zidane says that people from all around the world visit there... and then, when you realize how empty the world is, that makes absolutely no sense. Unless we're led to believe that there're many towns that can't be seen, it's a huge mistake by Square.

Why so little about the story? Because the story itself is small and otherwise not too worthwhile. My suggestion is to enjoy the first disc as much as you can, and then prepare for things to trail off for a bit. I was SO excited to explore the rest of the FFIX world off of the main continent... and then when I saw what was there I was disappointed beyond words. It was like the opposite of the Louisiana Purchase.

Replay Value: 9/10

Even if the game isn't incredible, it's so easy to play and read that you'll replay it again and again. Maybe you won't take it seriously or treat it with the same passion that you do the past Final Fantasies, but you'll appreciate it for what it is: good, clean, simple fun that perhaps doesn't take itself seriously enough. ... Or, later in the game, perhaps it's just the opposite.

Conclusion

Many have enjoyed Final Fantasy IX, and I hope that you have/will, too. It's easily a game worth renting, but I'm sure that it can be found now for a fairly cheap price. Is it worth playing? Of course... absolutely. But just don't expect to be wowed or otherwise get more than your money's worth. The characters (and their parts in the, as I call it, ''Semi-Job System'') and the game's world itself might be good for some FF nostalgia, but if you want something great along those lines, any of the SNES FFs (especially part VI) would be a better way to go. Give it a shot if you have the cash to blow, but if you can only afford one game for a very long time... this isn't the way to go.

Overall Score (not an average): 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/25/03, Updated 05/25/03