LogFAQs > #971818558

Whew, got a bit more into the game. So Zidane recruits his old friend (?) Freya to join us, though she still wanders at first. We take the airbus through Lindblum which definitely adds to its sense of scale. I enjoy the style of the city a lot but it kind of feels empty - not a ton of discover other than the varied scenery and one neat little sequence where Zidane talks to some kids who knew him from before he took the latest gig with Tantalus. We also find Cloud's Buster Sword in a shop, where Zidane mentions he vaguely recognizes someone like that...

More fun are the other little sequences, which have very quickly distinguished themselves as the best part (by far) of FFIX - Steiner getting roasted in the streets by a Red Mage who thinks he's coming onto her and an old lady selling some pungent food, Vivi absolutely loving this Kupo Nut, the Tantalus thinking about how to rescue their petrified member. Later we see Steiner checking out armor and Vivi seeing some kids play with royal action figures (which of course make him think of the manufactured Black Mages...)

In order to finally advance the plot, we have to go to Dagger. We have to do a little deceit to reach her, even though it winds up being perhaps the lowest-stakes disguise ever - people randomly salute us, and after we're discovered, there are zero repercussions. Funny! Zidane approaching Dagger - who's singing a lovely song with a vocal sound effect that reminds us of Celes's Aria di Mezzo - is a pretty dramatic moment, complete with FMV. But she's a little colder on Zidane after stewing on the new information that Cid hired Tantalus to begin with to kidnap her. We try to put the moves on her by telling her to look out the telescope and getting a lay of the land that we will clearly soon traverse, but she's not impressed.

Zidane, who's earlier proven to be a womanizer with more than just his OTP crush, asks Dagger out if he wins the city's traditional Hunt Festival. (Dagger rightfully points out that she has zero connection to the Hunt Festival, but who's counting?) Nonetheless she agrees, and off we go!

The Hunt involves us solo-fighting a bunch of monsters. We actually have to seek them out fairly actively, which is a tad annoying. We burn through almost all of our healing items during the twelve minutes and use the Switch's turbo-speed version during battles to speed things up a little bit, and eventually we kill the gigantic Zaghnol with literally four seconds remaining. Freya actually joins us for this part of it and we get to experience her battle prowess for the first time. The only ability I actually use here is her Jump, which is always one of my favorite FF staple skills due to its power and the fun animation. But I'm looking forward to finding out what "Dragon" does...

Afterward, we feast, but before Zidane gets his date, we hear word that there's an invasion of Black Mages in Burmicia, one of the other Three Great Kingdoms of the land. But before we go there, we randomly decide to feast, and naturally Dagger - being restricted as a princess ought to - drugs everyone so she and Steiner can escape.

With just Vivi and Freya, it's time to march to the Dragon Gate!

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- Steiner cheering on the off-screen Vivi - who's obviously running in terror from the monsters - is phenomenal. Bears reiterating that these little sequences have been the heart of the game so far. (Steiner's I MUST PROTECT THE PRINCESS schtick, while consistent with his character, has been a lot more tedious.) There's also a hilarious moment where Vivi runs past Zidane in terror, chased by a monster.

- Another great Steiner moment: swooning after everyone else faints, only to realize his food wasn't drugged