Final Fantasy IX (FF9) holds a special place in the hearts of many RPG fans. Developed alongside Final Fantasy VIII, it intentionally steered away from its predecessor’s futuristic leanings, harkening back to the more traditional fantasy roots of the series. Released as a follow-up to the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII, FF9 aimed to recapture the magic of earlier titles while introducing its own unique charm. This game is undeniably a fantasy role-playing game through and through, a quality immediately apparent in its enchanting story and richly detailed world.
Upon its release, Final Fantasy IX garnered widespread critical acclaim and continues to be celebrated as one of the top entries in the extensive Final Fantasy saga. While opinions within the fanbase are diverse, and it may not be everyone’s absolute favorite, its enduring appeal is undeniable. The gameplay mechanics are robust, and the narrative, along with its memorable characters, serves as a loving homage to the foundational games that established the Final Fantasy legacy.
Delving into the Review of Final Fantasy IX
Let’s address the elephant in the room right away: Final Fantasy IX is, for me, the least favored installment in the core Final Fantasy series. This statement isn’t meant to diminish its quality, but rather to contextualize the perspective of this review. While FF9 is undoubtedly a worthwhile game and a solid RPG experience, it encounters a few more significant hurdles compared to its predecessors, issues that were harder to overlook in the context of the series’ high standards.
FF9 is absolutely still deserving of a playthrough and remains a good game in the broader RPG landscape. However, when placed against the towering achievements of other titles in the Final Fantasy franchise, it falls slightly short. This review will lean into exploring some of the aspects that, from a critical standpoint, detract from the overall experience – a reflection of the lofty expectations set by the series itself.
Developed concurrently with Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX presents a stark contrast in many respects. While both games share a similar level of graphical fidelity due to being designed for the same console generation, their stylistic approaches diverge dramatically from the moment you begin playing. The world and narrative of FF9 deliberately evoke the old-world charm and classic fantasy tropes reminiscent of the earlier Final Fantasy games.
The game is replete with elements that series veterans will recognize and appreciate. Chocobos, Moogles, and even recurring names and locations from previous titles are woven into the fabric of FF9’s world. The inclusion of up to four active party members in battles, a feature that might seem novel to players who started with later entries, is actually a deliberate callback to the classic era of Final Fantasy games, specifically Final Fantasy I through VI.
However, my core criticisms of Final Fantasy IX center on certain gameplay elements that noticeably impede the overall flow and pacing. Chief among these are the battle sequences and the frequency of enemy encounters.
The transitions into battle from the world map or dungeons feel protracted, and the rate of random encounters seems excessively high. As players progress deeper into the game, the sheer volume of battles can become wearisome, turning each random encounter into a potentially tedious interruption.
A new feature introduced in Final Fantasy IX is the Active Time Event (ATE) system. Throughout the game, small prompts will appear, offering the player the option to observe scenes unfolding with other characters in different locations, independent of Zidane, the protagonist, by pressing the Button.
Initially, ATEs seem like an innovative and engaging method of enriching the narrative and providing additional context. However, as the game progresses, ATEs often begin to feel disruptive. They frequently divert attention to characters and events that are tangential to the main plot progression, and while they might be argued to contribute to “character development,” their impact in this regard is debatable.
The mini-games and side quests in FF9, while present, often feel less compelling and more like afterthoughts, especially when compared to the memorable side content in Final Fantasy VII. While Final Fantasy VIII also had its weaker side activities, the contrast is stark when considering the shift from iconic mini-games like the bike chase in Midgar and Chocobo Racing at the Gold Saucer to FF9’s “Catching Frogs” side quest and “Hippaul Racing” side quest, both of which lack the same level of engagement and excitement.
On the other end of the spectrum, Tetra Master, a card-based mini-game somewhat analogous to Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII, suffers from the opposite problem – a lack of meaningful integration into the core gameplay loop. While some might argue that Triple Triad in FF8 had an excessive influence, allowing players to become overpowered early on by mastering the card game, Tetra Master offers minimal tangible rewards beyond the intrinsic satisfaction of collecting all the cards. It stands out as one of the less rewarding side activities in the Final Fantasy series.
Fortunately, the musical score of Final Fantasy IX remains a significant strength. While a few tracks subtly echo themes from the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack, the majority of the music is original and contributes powerfully to the game’s atmosphere and emotional resonance, upholding the series’ high standards for musical storytelling. The narrative itself is also commendable, featuring well-developed and nuanced characters, particularly in terms of their individual growth and arcs throughout the story.
However, character customization in Final Fantasy IX is notably restricted. Each character is rigidly defined by a specific class, limiting player agency in character building. Vivi, for instance, is exclusively a Black Mage, with no flexibility to deviate from that role. Furthermore, Final Fantasy IX shares a weakness with Final Fantasy VIII in that its primary antagonist lacks substantial backstory and depth, although this is less pronounced in FF9 compared to its immediate predecessor.
My final critique concerns the Trance (Limit Break) system. Limit Breaks have become a beloved and expected feature of the Final Fantasy series, with diverse implementations across different titles. However, the Trance system in FF9 stands out as one of the less effective iterations. The Trance gauge fills as characters receive damage, but Trance is activated automatically when the gauge is full, unlike previous games where players could strategically choose when to unleash their Limit Breaks.
This automatic activation often results in characters entering Trance at inopportune moments, such as at the tail end of battles or during trivial encounters on the world map. This design choice largely negates the potential for strategic deployment of Trance abilities.
Despite these criticisms, many Final Fantasy enthusiasts still consider Final Fantasy IX to be among their favorite games in the series, a sentiment I respect even if I don’t personally share it. I would still recommend playing through Final Fantasy IX, as it is undoubtedly a unique and valuable contribution to the franchise. However, its slower pacing and certain gameplay frustrations make it my least favorite entry, and these elements would make me hesitant to revisit it for another playthrough in the near future.
Overall Score: 8.5/10 (Still a good score, but below the exceptionally high bar set by the Final Fantasy series!)
