Aaaand finished!
I had forgotten basically everything from the later portion of the game. It’s a bit rushed (and what happens to the world map at one point makes late-game exploring a big no-no, essentially streamlining the final act of the story), but wonderfully executed. I shed some tears during the ending, even if I’ve rewatched the final FMV more than one time in the last 20 years. It’s just so sweet
FF9 has by far the most likeable main character of the PS FFs. While Cloud and Squall have a good story, Zidane is also a good, lively character. The cast, while very likeable, is a bit underused though. Freya’s character arc is essentially completed before the end of Disc 2, and Amarant never really gels with the party to the point that the story would be pretty much the same without him. The others are lovely characters, but it may be argued that it’s by far the most “Japanese” cast of the PS games, with the long-haired babe, the noisy trundere-ish brat and the cute chibi black mage. It’s a nice group, though, and the story is simple but enjoyable. The most “Japanese” characters, for once, aren’t annoying or creepy - rather, Vivi and Eiko steal the scene every time they open their mouth.
I’m planning to replay the game with cheats, with no random battles and no side quests, to play it in English this time. Actually I’ve already started my run in English, but I am a bit disappointed. The Italian translation, loudly criticised at the time for its use of dialects and for some heavy liberties in localization, blows the English one out of the water as a matter of fact. The use of dialects makes everything more interesting and lively right from the start, with the Tantalus crew members each speaking in a different accent that makes each character immediately recognizable. Also Vivi’s stutter is much stronger in Italian, and I think it defines the character much better. The English version is very plain by comparison.
The main problem of FF9 is that it’s. so. effing. slow. I can’t stress the usefulness of the QoL “cheats” enough, they’re a game changer.