Lost somewhere in the shuffle of the Final Fantasy series, Final
Fantasy IX had the unwanted privilege of coming out near the end of the
PS1's life cycle and only days after the release of the PS2. Being
pushed to the back burner by many players still doesn't take away from
the fact that FFIX, in the end, is a great game for the series, the
pinnacle of the FF series on the PlayStation platform, and easily one
of the most well rounded "old school" turn based RPGs of all time.
The plot is straight out of the Square playbook as you play the story
of Zidane, a thief traveling with a band of other thieves, disguised as
a traveling acting troupe. Their initial plan is to kidnap the princess
of Alexandria and make a fortune from the ransom. Needless to say this
does not go as planned and Zidane will eventually run into, and form a
party with, said Princess named Garnet (who has a secret), a thick
headed knight named Steiner, a shy black mage named Vivi, a female
dragon knight named Freya, an odd summoner named Eiko, an even more odd
chef named Quina, and a fellow bull-headed thief named Amarant. Before
it's all over Zidane becomes a reluctant hero, saves the world from the
evils of baddie Fuja, and they run into more than a few Chocobos along
the way.
The plot is really nothing to write home about, and it's quite similar
to the plots of previous FFs, but this one has something that those
others don't have quite as much of, real charm. The character designs and
tone swerve away from those of games like FFVII and FFVIII. Out are the
serious, more human-like, characters with their extremely brooding,
dark, and emo look. In are the slightly deformed, one part anime/one
part Toy Story characters, living in the bright, vibrant, sincere and
funny world of Terra. If there is one thing that truly pushed me over
the edge about this game it had to be the overall lightness in tone of
FFIX. It still has that "gotta save the world from ultimate
destruction" vibe running through it, but this time it does it with a
wink, a smile, and an entire airship full of fan service.
The mechanics of the game are basically the turned based gameplay that
FF is known for, but with a few new twists along the way. This time
around things like spells and abilities are tied to the party's
weapons. Certain weapons contain certain spells or abilities and those
powers are unlocked by defeating enemies and collecting AP (ability
points). There is also a new shop in this game called "synthesis" that
lets you combined and meld old, unused weapons, armor, stones, etc. to
make new and more powerful versions. This ends up being quite fun
because it adds value to item purchases and because you know that, when
you're finished with a certain weapon or armor, it will eventually
serve a purpose in the game at the synthesis shop. I like this because
it helped eliminate the need of running to a weapon/armor shop every
time I entered a new town just to make some money to buy the next
version. It made holding onto old weapons more worthwhile and
meaningful.
I would also regret not mentioning the overall quality that comes with
a game from this franchise. For an original PlayStation game I think I
can confidentially say that FFVII may have been the first, and FFVIII
may have been more technical, but FFIX is the most well thought out and
best looking game of the three. It's as if Square took what was good
about the first two PS FFs, looked at what people like about the ENTIRE
franchise, and turned out this "jack-of-all-trades". It has more charm
than any FF ever, it has the most cohesive art style of the three, and
(my personal opinion) has the least intrusive, and most fun, side
quests of the entire franchise.
Final Fantasy IX is the love letter to Final Fantasy fans of all
stripes and the swan song to the PlayStation platform, where it can
also be said that FF truly bloomed into the mega franchise it is today.
If you past on this game because of the turbulent times of its release,
go back and give this one another try, it's absolutely worth your
time...and more importantly, if you're unsure about whether RPGs are
for you and you're looking for one to take for a test drive, look no
further. FFIX is the RPG for everyone and a real gem for the series.
+Great art direction
+Very likable cast of characters
+Fun, lighter tone for the series
+Is a very good 'fan service' game
+Great RPG for newbies
-Storyline is very safe and 'color by numbers'
