Hello to all you readers of my blog. This is a long read, so be prepared or be leaving :P. Anyway, next month (November 14 to be exact), my favorite game of all time (Final Fantasy IX) turns 9 years old (NA release). So I decided to do my review of it. Gamespot's review of this game somewhat ticked me off. I know others don't like it as much as me, but IMO it deserves atleast a 9 on here (it's the highest rated Final Fantasy on metacritic)
Anyway, here goes the review:
(btw, if the review doesn't make you want to play this, go do it anyway. You'll enjoy yourself)
In 1997, Squaresoft released the infamous Final Fantasy VII, the first in the series to use pre rendered backgrounds and it was a huge hit. It was extremely hard to hate this game. The way I see it, you either love it or you like it but think it's over praised. Anyway, it was set in a modern-futuristic world with core Final Fantasy elements (magic, summons, etc.) It was considered a huge leap forward from the settings found in the previous Final Fantasies.
Then in 1999, they released Final Fantasy VIII, whose goal was to take the series even further and convey the sense of realism with the core Final Fantasy elements. Once you load up the game you'll immediately notice the graphics and art-style and how they reflect upon the game's realistic feel.
Before production of FF VIII was complete, Square started working on another title, due for release the next year. It was expected by fans to go even more forward, but being the last Final Fantasy on the PlayStation, Squaresoft wanted the game to reflect upon what the series had accomplished in the last 13 years. Final Fantasy IX ditched the cyber punk feel of FF VII and the realism of FF VIII to go for a more tradition feel.
The world was just started to harness Steam and Mist to power airships and cars. The main thing about FF IX is that it feels perfect for a game entitled "Final Fantasy". You'll immediately love the art style and characters that await you in this.
~Music~
Now this is a Final Fantasy, so music is a huge aspect. Nobuo Uematsu had already set the bar in FF VII and VIII, but in FF IX, he nails it. Some of the music may feel dull and uninspiring, but for the most part it is all amazing, especially the Boss Battle theme. The main theme of the game is Melodies of Life, and it has many variations that play as you go through the game. These are just examples and the game features an amazing OST with tons of memorable songs.
10/10
~Graphics~
Simply put, this is one of the best looking games on the PlayStation. The character models are great, the pre rendered backgrounds look beatiful, Zidane doesn't have boxes for hands like Cloud :P and just about everything in the game looks great. There is a lot of color in it which add to the atmosphere. Each and every environment is completely different and they all look fabulous (when you consider how old this game is, that is). The special effects in the battles are also a treat. Magic attacks look superb and the animations never get old. Summons are even better, with an animation playing back of the creature pwn-ing your enemies.
The FMV's are even better and are just beautiful to watch (even for the 100th time). The scenes just come to life as you watch them and it adds to the whole experience.
10/10
~Gameplay~
Okay, the most important part of any game is the gameplay. This is another aspect that Final Fantasy IX champions. You won't find much challenge to it, but that's great since newcomers to JRPGs can enjoy themselves without being punished. For example, I have a good friend who dislikes RPGs in general. He was never able to like FF X on PS2. I showed him FF IX, and he loves it and it's his favorite RPG so far. The gameplay is accessible and fun. There's no drawing magic like in FF VIII. Instead, there's a job system where different abilities are exclusive to characters. For example, there's one black mage, and he's the only one who can cast black magic (Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Flare, etc). There is one white mage who can summon beasts, and one summoner who can cast white magic (there's a difference :P)
This job system makes the game far more accessible and it felt much more enjoyable than FF VIII's system of drawing spells from enemies and junctioning summons.
The core gameplay is like most JRPGs. The battle is turn-based and you command 1-4 characters to perform attacks on the enemies or support your team. Be careful when selecting attacks however because enemies will not wait for you to choose your command. They will continue to beat the **** out of you.
Outside of combat, you will be walking around and doing small quests that are part of the main story such as finding key items or some information that will help you on your quest. There are a few side quests and mini games, but they're not as important as the side quests that you find in WRPGs.
10/10
~Story~
This is a HUGE part of JRPGs and RPGs in general. Most Final Fantasies have the same story: kill the badguy, but with a few plot twists. FF IX doesn't deviate too far from the working formula, but the thing that's great about FF IX is the way the story unfolds. There are active-time events in which you will see the story unfold from the perspective of different characters. This adds to the great character development found in the game. Every character is unique and they all (except 1) play a unique role in the story.
Also, while there's a main story, there's also a theme to the game: self identity. Everyone is trying to find out the purpose of life and why they are in the world. The way that unfolds is unique and a nice touch to an already great story.
The general plot is that the main character, Zidane, is part of a theater group, Tantalus, who are also theives. They are given orders to kidnap the princess of Alexandria, Garnet, and take her to Regent Cid in Lindblum. The plan goes somewhat accordingly. It turns out that Princess Garnet actually wants to be kidnapped and she wants to go see Cid. How convenient eh? Well not so much. Queen Brahne of Alexandria wants to stop this by all means, and she damages the ship that Zidane and co. try to get away in, causing the airship to crash in the Evil Forest. On board is a black mage, Vivi, who accidentally got tangled up in this mess, and Garnet's "security guard", Steiner. Zidane and Steiner start off on the wrong foot, and seemingly hate each other for most of the game.
Anyway, they manage to save Garnet, but the Evil Forest gets petrified, along with Zidane's "bro" Blank. The party manages to escape, and they make it to the Village of Dali, where they see a bunch of black mages being manufactured. This is where the main theme starts to unfold. From here on out, Vivi wonders if he has an actual purpose, or if he's just another puppet of destruction.
The party makes it to Lindblum, and I will stop talking about the story here just so I don't spoil it for any of you potential buyers who haven't experienced this masterpiece.
10/10
~Replay Value~
This is an RPG, so expect about 40+ hours on your first playthrough if you include grinding time. The game spans across 4 discs, with Disc 3 being the longest. Then Disc 1, then 2, and then 4 being the shortest. However, a lot of people spend the most time on Disc 4 because you can go pretty much anywhere and finish anything that you need to do. It is possible (and easy) to rush through the game and beat it in 12 hours (you get a prize for doing so! YAY!) but i HIGHLY reccomend you don't do that on your first play through. Overall, you are getting tons of entertainment for your dollar.
10/10
~Overall~
FF IX is an experience like no other (for me atleast :lol: ) The story unfolds with great pace, the characters come to life, the music is just amazing, graphics look wonderful, gameplay is fun as ever, and to top it all, it lasts a good 50 hours with tons of replay value to go back and collect treasures and goodies. If you're a fan of RPGs go pick this up on eBay NOW!
10/10
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