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| US Cover of FFIX |
Some loyal readers might have realized that this week's Gaming Sunday is actually posted on a Wednesday. This is due to the fact that I caught a cold. No, flu really. Sore throat, coughing, and all the others packed into one. The only thing absent was fever. Now that I'm back, I decided to write it, since I did after all reserve a post on Sunday.
Some of you might think, what? Final Fantasy IX? This game is ancient. While it is ancient, I just finished the game last Saturday, so I think it deserves a place here. I actually started a Final Fantasy gaming spree since a few months back, in July to be precise. I played them at first so that I can find some skills to be put into a Warcraft III map I was making based on Dissidia. When the map did not turn out well, I played it to learn how RPGs run while making a game with RPG Maker VX, while the project is still running, it's pace is very, VERY slow, since all members are drowned in assignments and tests. Now, I'm playing FFs to "celebrate" the arrival to Dissidia [012] Duodecim in Spring 2011.
Introduction
Final Fantasy IX is an Role Playing Game (duh!), and is my personal favorite out of the 13 Final Fantasy out there (admittedly I only finished I and II, watched all the cutscenes XIII, played halfway through IV, V, X, scratched the surface of III, VI, VII, VIII, XII, but still IX stands at the top). No surprise here though. It is after all Hironobu Sakaguchi's (founder of Final Fantasy) and Nobuo Uematsu's (music composer) favorite game. In fact, some of called it the definition of Final Fantasy.
Why then is it so unpopular? Well, for starters, it was released for the PSX after PS2 was released. Square learned their lesson, and transferred FFXIII from PS2 to PS3. Another reason is that most of the gaming world is introduced to Final Fantasy through FFVII, set in the futuristic city of Midgar. Cloud and Sephiroth are basically household names. They are then given FFVIII, Squall and Rinoa are studying in a high-tech school called Balamb Garden. Then FFIX is set in medieval times, with castles and kings and queens. I think you know what I mean. Besides, the big-headed models used are a setback from FFVIII's perfectly proportioned models.
Story
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| Main Cast (Eiko, Steiner, Freya, Zidane, Garnet, Vivi, Amarant and Quina) |
The Main Character, Zidane Tribal, also my favorite character, is a thief with the Tantalus gang. The gang is sent by Regent Cid of Lindblum to kidnap Princess Garnet of Alexandria. Cid has sense that Queen Brahne of Alexandria is no longer who she once was, having succumb to the control of Kuja, the main villain. Upon arriving in Alexandria, the Tantalus performs a play, and the action begins. Vivi, the adorable Black Mage is among the crowd. Steiner is the Captain of the Pluto Knights and bodyguard to the Queen and Princess. Garnet leaves the castle in hopes of being kidnapped so that she can go to Lindblum to find Cid.
Several things happens, and the four of them leave Alexandria abroad the Prima Vista. The story continues from there. But 40 hours of story isn't going to fit here, so let me just summarize.
Vivi realizes that he is a creation of Kuja and is meant to stop working sooner or later, but face with the hard truth, Vivi is encouraged by Zidane to live what remains of his life fully. He is hinted to have stopped working at the end, but he is shown to have children.
Steiner faces harsh reality as his blind devotion towards the Queen almost endangers the Princess. He tries to make amendments by rescuing Garnet from Brahne and works to stop Kuja.
Garnet is troubled by her mother's recent behavior and finds help from Cid. Along the way she learns that she is a summoner, and is not the real daughter of the king and queen.
Zidane faces cold hard reality (really, its quite a lot there) that he is the Second Angel of Death made by Garland, who watches over the people of Terra, in a bid to assimilate Gaia for the peoples of Terra.
As for the four other characters, only Freya and Eiko has some actual stories behind them. While Amarant and Quina, though has there own unique personality, is mostly there to fill in the numbers.
Gameplay
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| FFIX Battle |
What made me really, REALLY, like IX is the gameplay. ATBs stayed the same, however this time 4 characters battle at once compared to the 3 of FFVII and FFVIII. Limitbreaks return in the form of Trance, a mode the character enters when their gauge is full. The Trance grants different people different abilities. For example, Zidane acquires the Dyne Skillset, Vivi gains Double Magic, and Steiner's physical attack is tripled. Though Trance can turn the flow of a battle, it is hard to enter as the gauge takes a while to fill up.
The ability system is what I really like about FFIX. Characters learn their abilities through equipments. The certain amount of AP is required to master the ability, whereby the characters no longer need to rely on the equipments to use the abilities. Support abilities require Magic Stone which increases as the character levels up.
Another thing I liked was the Active Time Event (ATE) which allows players to see what other characters are doing. This usually happens in town, where the only character you directly control is Zidane. The other characters will automatically leave the party upon reaching towns, and rejoin you when you are ready to depart of the next town.
The Mognet system and the Chocobo Hot N' Cold on the other hand, is troublesome. This requires quite a long time to do. The Chocobo sidequest is the only way you can fight the optional boss Ozma and find some characters ultimate weapons. Which reminds me of Excalibur II, this requires players to reach the final dungeon within 12 hours. I finished the game in 39 hours. So.....
Graphics
Graphics is pretty good seeing as it is on PSX. I think its better than FFVII and FFVIII, the other two FFs on the PSX. Though the character models could use a tweak. I think this time, Tetsuya Nomura is not involved in the character design. Though I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Not much to comment about the graphics.
On the other hand...
Music
FFs soundtrack is always nice to hear. Especially this one. It is the last Final Fantasy game to be solely composed by Nobuo Uematsu, and is his most prolific score ever, with 110 songs in the Original Soundtrack and 42 new tracks in an additional Soundtrack release. Some have said that this game is the reason that Uematsu is no longer able to compose soundtracks on his own.
However, the Man himself has claimed that FFIX is both his favorite score and favorite game thus far, no questions asked.
Conclusion
I will definitely, I repeat. DEFINITELY, recommend this game to all gamers out there. RPG-lovers and non RPG-lovers alike. It fun, engaging and the story is deep and meaningful. RPGs are about stories after all. Even Sakaguchi and Uematsu has said that this is their favorite game, do you need any other reason?
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