Retro Encounter Final Thoughts – Final Fantasy IX
Rob White
Final Fantasy IX is definitely up there as one of the entries of the series I’ve played the most. Everything about this game says comfort, nostalgia and adventure to me, and I can’t see myself ever tiring of it. Gaia (and Terra) is a land unlike any other in Final Fantasy, an aesthetic I don’t think has been matched. Saying this, it is wonderful how this world comes together from so many inspirations from earlier entries, whilst still forging its own strong identity. When I first played through Final Fantasy IX on release I hadn’t yet experienced any games prior to Final Fantasy VII, so the call-backs to those games, particularly I and III, very much went over my head. As my experience with the series has developed, I can now appreciate IX in a whole new way, and my love for it has just grown.
The party members in this game is also another major reason why IX is one of my absolute favourites. Honestly, there isn’t a game in the series that has a bad cast, but there are scant few as strong as this. Zidane feels like a refreshing change of pace after Cloud and Squall, and the rest of the party offer up a wide range of classes, abilities, ages, races, and personalities. There is a favourite character here for everybody.
Alongside the above, the simplicity of the skill system and battle system, the interesting storytelling moments (ATE’s, party splits), top-tier side activities (Chocobo Hot & Cold, Mognet) and a slew of memorable locations (Lindblum, Alexandria, Madain Sari, to name a few) all come together to form a magical experience that cements IX as a Final Fantasy series highlight. Yes, it has some small frustrations, especially when compared to more modern RPGs, but for those who have yet to experience this gem of a game, you’re in for a treat!
Just maybe make use of the remaster’s speed-up function occasionally…
Mario Garcia
Final Fantasy IX will always hold a special place in my heart. As my introduction to the series, it demonstrates the imaginative worlds, endearing characters, and excellent soundscapes that got me invested in Final Fantasy. As a moving story about finding our own meaning in our lives despite what society may expect from us, it served as a strong example of how great a storytelling medium video games can be. As a capstone for this era of Final Fantasy, I always find more to appreciate on subsequent playthroughs.
Of course has its pain points. Oeilvert, and that sequence of dungeons in the late game, feel particularly sluggish. The battle system is slower than the snappier combat in other RPGs, even if I will never tire of that battle music nor of seeing Vivi’s little idle step. The early game does not want your party to have a healer, so you have to stock up a million potions.
But I digress. I find the medieval fantasy setting mixed with sci-fi elements to be incredibly cool. I appreciate this game’s balancing of dark subject matter and lightheartedness. I love hearing “Melodies of Life” rearranged a million different ways. I cherish reliving the character moments amongst this absolutely stacked cast as they grow over the course of this adventure.
Put simply, this game is what I think of when I think Final Fantasy.
Wes Iliff
Final Fantasy IX used to be my favorite entry in the series. It still is, but it used to be, too.
The game hasn’t aged the best. The battles are slow, gimmick dungeons can be frustrating, and mechanically the game can be hit and miss. But the story here is one for the ages. The cast shines throughout (even when some members take the backseat from time to time), the levity makes the heavy subject matter hit all the harder, and the emotional response of these characters to impossible situations feels more resonant now than they did in my younger days. Final Fantasy IX successfully captures the essence of the games that came before while never feeling so beholden to them that old school fans are the only ones who can enjoy it.
There are reasons why every way to play today is imperfect. The remaster suffers from mobile port syndrome and the original version has nothing to alleviate an aged gameplay pace, making this perhaps the entry most deserving of a proper remake. But the story is told so well, and in such a rich way, that we don’t need the full Final Fantasy VII treatment. We don’t need new angles on a story that’s been told and retold for decades. A fresh coat of paint and a way to take down a few of the barriers standing before new fans who struggle with older design choices could make one of the greatest entries in the franchise shine even more than it already does.
Zach Wilkerson
Final Fantasy IX is a game about memory, life, and death. It’s a game about the weight we carry around with us based on the expectations that have come before. And it’s a game about what we do with the purpose those expectations “assign” to us in the limited time that we have.
That all sounds like pretty heavy stuff, huh? It certainly is, but it deals with those themes deftly, while sprinkling in the great moments of joy that do, in fact, make the journey toward our inevitable ends worth it.
To be sure, Final Fantasy IX has plenty of flaws. The battle system is shallow and slow. Some of the navigation is obnoxious. The story can move oddly. Honestly, I wouldn’t even say it’s close to my “favorite” Final Fantasy game. But, for a game that is looking backwards, at the characters’ pasts and also at the franchise as a whole up to that point, it has a lot to say about how we move forward. For that, it should be treasured.
