LogFAQs > #932172129

52.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwrPK0ulK4I

2000
PS1

I have a real deep connection for the Final Fantasy series, going back to 1990, which is to say that FF9 strikes a chord with me. This game is openly pandering to people like me: someone who really cares when they invoke FF4s four fiends, or cares when they talk about Josefs story in FF2. All of those feelings are deeply woven into my DNA and this game hits it hard.

Of course, if the first thing that comes to mind with FF9 is its reverence for series history, the second thing is the games speed. The slow battle system gets all the attention, but really, this game is just overall slow. Towns take forever to navigate. The story plays out pretty slow. The pacing of some of the slower sections, especially trigger pointing, can feel like work. You definitely have to work to enjoy this game. This is a game that really benefits from a frameskip.

Its almost like the game was overpowering the PS1. Its got to be the best looking game on the system. Those prerendered backgrounds still look great today. The music evokes really strong feelings and I really like the games main characters and story. It has some of the best scenes in the series. When this game peaks, it really soars.

The gameplay honestly works despite the speed. The class system works because each character essentially exists as that class archetype: Zidane as a thief, Vivi as a black mage, Steiner as a knight, etc. I really enjoy the ability system, synthesizing new weapons and trying to get every piece of equipment so you can master every ability. None of it is really needed as FF9 is a fairly easy game but its really fun anyway.

So, while FF9 has its drawbacks, its strengths shine through. Its still a lot of fun to play today and despite its glacial battle system I think it holds up the best of the PS1 FF games by far.

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xyzzy