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RttP: Final Fantasy IX or: I'm sorry for hating on this back in '00
- Thread starter SolVanderlyn
- Start date
Beren the Empty-Handed
Member
Loved FF9. I thought they really nailed the theme of the game too, in the sense that it carried over into everything. The characters weren't going to be told who they were or what they should be, and stuck it to Death himself in the end just to prove it. That could have been lead up to much better of course, but I appreciated what they were going for. Brilliant soundtrack too.
And yeah, another vote for Beatrix being incredibly badass.
And yeah, another vote for Beatrix being incredibly badass.
Empyrean Heaven
Member
Best FF on the PlayStation family of consoles, and arguments could be made it's #2 behind 6 (also I personally prefer IV and V - yes, I adore V, screw you.). It got a lot of hate at the time for its "kiddy" graphics and the fact it lacked a badass protagonist like Cloud or Squall, but I think it has the strongest gameplay of the series (and yes, gameplay matters in RPGs, you elitist twits)
It's pretty much a tie for me between VI and IX for best Final Fantasy game. Glad you went back and played it, OP. Pretty much everything about the game blew me away on my first playthrough when it first came out. I played through again last year (4th time?) and still enjoyed myself immensely.
I loved the character designs, especially for a series that has gotten a lot of flak for the recent direction of its character designs.
Everyone has their own silhouette, as opposed to simply having wildly different hair, and they have their own color palette and posture that sets them apart from everyone else; Think of the way Steiner moves versus Zidane or Vivi- there is an incredible difference between them!
It evokes classic fantasy in so many ways, and feels like a storybook, instead of an anime adventure.
Everyone has their own silhouette, as opposed to simply having wildly different hair, and they have their own color palette and posture that sets them apart from everyone else; Think of the way Steiner moves versus Zidane or Vivi- there is an incredible difference between them!
It evokes classic fantasy in so many ways, and feels like a storybook, instead of an anime adventure.
As weird as this sounds, I think I agree with you. No game do I remember as many scenarios from more than FFIX. The writing and pacing is just superb. Sakaguchi really looked to improve his craft at storytelling in FFIX, and it really shows. The way the plot flows, the Shakespearean banter between minor characters to ease the tension, the well-place but never overbearing comic relief, the interwoven character arcs and converging plots. The whole thing was just crafted so well, and it never gets tiring or tedious, which is such an easy trap to fall into with JRPGs.
It opens with a play, it closes with a play. Each disc represents an Act, and each act ends in typical fashion. ATEs allow the action to jump around, scene to scene, location to location, breaking from the main plot or elucidating minor points for exposition, theme or just comic relief. And the heroes get split apart multiple times along the way, with multiple plot lines eventually converging together multiple times throughout the entire narrative. A great example of the pace and charm of the writing is Disc 3's "Love Letter" sequence, which, without spoiling, might be one of the most charming gaming moments I've experienced.
Anyway, bottom-line, is while there may be better games in terms of writing, FFIX might be the most well written.
Also, this is a great read on a critique of FFIX from a narrative standpoint:
https://medium.com/@danrcrabtree/final-fantasy-ixs-shakespeare-6cd498e15248
S'alright.
Combat is comically unbalanced from top to bottom, the writing falls apart in act 3 when Zidane actually becomes the main character, and I found much of the music forgettable.
It gets a lot of things right, and in general it's a good grand finale for all the classic FF tropes, but I couldn't love it by the end. Messy, messy game.
Combat is comically unbalanced from top to bottom, the writing falls apart in act 3 when Zidane actually becomes the main character, and I found much of the music forgettable.
It gets a lot of things right, and in general it's a good grand finale for all the classic FF tropes, but I couldn't love it by the end. Messy, messy game.
The Praiseworthy
Member
The perfect Final Fantasy game, it captured the spirit of the series like no other game did.
Going to replay it soon with FFVIII before the release of FVII on PS4.
Going to replay it soon with FFVIII before the release of FVII on PS4.
Deadpool_X
Banned
See, and you are the exact opposite of me. I hated and still do hate FF VII and VIII for their sci-fi aesthetic, whereas I have always loved FF I-VI and IX For the high fantasy themes they always brought. I will forever hold to the fact that moving away from that has been the downfall of the series.
qualitydisc
Member
Like the OP, I really didn't give IX its due credit back then. I was a huge fan of the future-scifi of VIII and IX just seemed so childish and oddball.
The biggest factor for me was, these were the Squaresoft days of "If you don't like a Final Fantasy game, just wait 18 months for the next one." I really took it for granted back then that there would always be be games like VII through IX coming out regularly, and had no idea what growing pains would await the series in its successive installments. In rediscovering FFIX much later, I realized that it adheres much more closely to that PS1 JRPG formula that I love so much.
Also Sakaguchi talks about it as one of his favorite works, and I could not fathom at the time that he would ever leave the series.
The biggest factor for me was, these were the Squaresoft days of "If you don't like a Final Fantasy game, just wait 18 months for the next one." I really took it for granted back then that there would always be be games like VII through IX coming out regularly, and had no idea what growing pains would await the series in its successive installments. In rediscovering FFIX much later, I realized that it adheres much more closely to that PS1 JRPG formula that I love so much.
Also Sakaguchi talks about it as one of his favorite works, and I could not fathom at the time that he would ever leave the series.
JudgmentJay
Member
This. 9 was my GOAT for a good 9 years or so... until I played Demon's Souls.
Blue Submarine No. 6
Member
I have enjoyed several play-throughs of FFIX over the years and always love the romp!. I remember being very pleased when it was released with the shift to an aesthetic that was reminiscent of the 8 and 16-bit games... Which PS FF I hold nearest and dearest to my heart shifts with my mood, but I've never felt that IX was in any way inferior to VII, VIII or X ... I love them all...
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
FFIX is like... they knew the series would be shit following that game so they decided to go all out with making it the best in the series up to that point.
If that's what they decided on, then they fucked up big time by giving it objectively the worst gameplay in the series. It's so shitty it doesn't even feel like they play tested it.
While the ff9 world is great, and the story is good for half the game, and Vivi should have been the main character, the others are either annoying (zidane) or no actual story and the game would be no different without (amarant/Queena), the battle system kills it for me. Slow battle system and confining group structure (don't like eiko or dagger, too bad, you need one to heal).
It's not as if other FF titles past a certain point give you a huge amount of customization options. You could shoehorn another character into a role they weren't built for, but it was never easy or rewarding.
I agree with you that it isn't the strongest plot in a FF, but there is something truly endearing / lighthearted about it which I loved. Also, the characters are phenomenal.
Quina and Amarant can be used as healers, and you *can* fill some gaps with item usage (which is pretty consistent with most Final Fantasy games). Just fyi.
The Zidane/Garnet romance was a lot better written and more convincing than the Squall/Rinoa one.
qualitydisc
Member
I've had Unrequited Love (aka Where Love Doesn't Reach) stuck in my head for like two days because of this thread.
It's soooooo pretty ;_;
It's soooooo pretty ;_;
TheContact
Member
Agree with OPs complaints. Primarily the slow battle system. Was really the game killer for me. Wish trance worked like limit breaks and were more customizable. It's like they went backwards from 7 and 8 in this regard. Still love this game and beat it a couple times in my life.
stargateheaven
Member
if the battle speed wasn't slow as shit, this game would be very very playable even today. Great graphics for ps1, but again, slow battle system and loading ruined the game.
Moon_frogger
Member
I don't hate it and the story has its charms but mechanically it does nothing for me. After the bold changes in ffviii(flawed but still incredibly deep and fun) the mechanics and battle system of ix seemed like a huge let down.
It really is not that different from VII or VIII in the speed department. If anything battles go a little more quickly because of the skippable summons, which were a first in IX.
stargateheaven
Member
then you're remembering wrong. seriously.. lol.
oh wait. i forgot. i'm in the PAL version, EVEN SLOWER than the US and JP versions because of lazy 50hz conversion.
Then yes, that would definitely do it. But that's not the game's fault.
stargateheaven
Member
well the game is slower than 7 and 8 anyway. the painful load times and crazy camera showing of fthe battle arena before a battle starts.
for me, PAL version is unplayable. i hope this one day gets an HD update like 7 is on PS4. Just cos in HD it's 60hz. lol.
for me, PAL version is unplayable. i hope this one day gets an HD update like 7 is on PS4. Just cos in HD it's 60hz. lol.
itzknickknac
Member
I'm glad you changed your mind, OP. IX is my all time favorite. I do wish they brought back the 'limit break' and hidden/optional characters.
Beatrix is such a bad ass. She's easily one of my favorite female characters in all of FF.
That's nostalgia talking. I've replayed all three in the last two years. The speed differences are negligible. VII had a big sweeping pre-fight camera pan just like IX. Play the battle music in your mind and you'll remember that you didn't get to the menu until after the two bars of the musical intro had played. IX takes longer by maybe two seconds.
Loading was slightly slower in IX, but playing the digital version mitigates that.
Still my favorite FF ever. The story, the setting, the characters were awesome and had a MC that i actually liked (Never liked Cloud neither Squall). Besides, FF9 has one some of my favorite tracks ever in a FF (Melodies of Life and Crossing Those Hills). Oh, what i would do for a HD Remake 