A return to the series roots after the backlash against the westernising of FF8, FF9 is a charming and very playable rpg
User Rating: 8.4 | Final Fantasy IX PS
Final Fantasy 7 was the game that won over everybody. It was applauded for its moving and endearing story, it's wonderful graphics and sound, and was the first of the long running series to sell big all over the world. Realising that the world was awaiting the sequal, Square began the delicate process of "westernising" the game - changing the character models from the deformed (japanese) style to a more polygonal (western) appearance. That same character model was applied in the cutscenes, battle screen and map, making the gameplay more fluid, but it fell off, as the model was unlikeable as a character, and didnt have the charm that the beloved characters of Final Fantasy 7 had. Realising this, Square went back to the roots for this, the 9th game in the long-running series. Many of the elements that you loved in previous Final Fantasy's are all here, from the Moogles, Chocobos and Airships - even Cid makes an appearance. But, as before, the game is completely seperate with an all new storyline, characters and world. You wont need to play any of the previous games in the series to enjoy this, and enjoy this you will. The game opens with you as the protagonist Zidane turning on a light in a darkened room on an airship, travelling on the Mist Continent to the Kingdom of Alexandria, to perform the famous play "I want to be your Canary". However Zidane and some of his friends of "Tantalus", have hatched a plan to kidnap Princess Garnet, and are working out the finer details when you take control. At the same time a black mage by the name of Vivi is in Alexandria and hoping to go see that same play, but his ticket turns out to be forged. However, scheming with a local gains him access, and he begins to watch the play with the rest of the crowd, including Queen Brahne, Princess Garnet's mother. Naturally, things go somewhat awry during the play, however, to say more would put a downer on the game experience. Suffice to say, the story does not end here, and throughout the plot you will experience love, death, hope, loss, fear and even question the very nature of existance. What is it that makes us exist? The story is yet another masterful one by the geniuses at Square and while not matching Final Fantasy 7, the gameplay goes deeper. The humour of the story and the characters deserves a mention. Everyone from the over - protective Steiner to Garnet (or Dagger, as she likes to become known) attempts to merge with society to little things like Quina's insatiable appetite and Vivi's clumsiness. Even Zidane's womanising may raise an eyebrow, and little Eiko's love-sick attitude and bossy manner may raise a laugh or two. There is a great deal of subtle humour in this game, and it is nowhere near as dark and foreboding as Final Fantasy 7. The environment looks to be inspired by early 19th century cottage Europe. Many of the towns and villages you visit are dependant on magic, and live in huts that have terraces and many a water fountain. This gives the game a much more light hearted feel than Midgar ever gave you. Although, Final Fantasy 9 does have its moments of darkness, such as the "run with the bulls" like competition, a true blood sport, but an early chance to gain some much needed experience. In whole, I found Final Fantasy 9 to be much more accessible to the younger gamer, but still have the required depth for the Final Fantasy veterans. Having said that, the magic system of Final Fantasy 8, where you had to draw the magic from your enemies has been completely scrapped. Instead, you have a new system which is similar to Final Fantasy 5's job system. Each of the characters are different, such as Zidane the thief, Dagger the white mage, Vivi the black mage and so on. Each has their own abilities which can be expanded upon by equipping objects that can be found, bought or stolen. Different objects will give different results, but some objects work better on some characters than others, and then there is some that wont work with a specific character at all. It sounds confusing, and initially, it may be, but a very well created tutorial will simplify it for you. If you gain enough AP (ability points) while wearing the item, the abilities will be transferred to your character permanantly, allowing them to equip something new and learn a new ability. This is a well thought out system, and it works well. It allows the creation of unique characters, as not all of them can become white mages or sword wielders. While Final Fantasy 7 allowed you to equip Materia to any character, you could then therefore associate any power with any character. This isn't the case with this game. The battle system will now allow for four players to fight alongside one another, and this also creates a new dynamic. With the magic system making each of your characters different, you will find yourself fighting more strategically. There are also team up moves, and it is possible to work together. This is extremly helpful on those boss battles. Limit breaks of course make their return in the Trance form. Instead of just one or two attacks where you get to sit back and watch the carnage, Trance allows your character to have access to extra moves, but you can stay in Trance for longer than previous battles. This is countered by the fact that the Trance moves are not all that much more powerful than your regular moves. The Summon attacks also make their return, and as before, they are beautiful, powerful attacks. However, Square have been listening to people who complained about the Summons taking far too long in FF8 and the first couple of times you summon the God, you will see the full attack, and thereafter a shortened version of that same attack, which is a smart idea. The mini-games also make their return, with the main one being Tetra Master, a souped up version of the card game of Final Fantasy 8. It is a harder but more thrilling game, and almost eveyone you meet will take up the challenge of a game. There are also other mini games, such as bidding at an Auction house to delivering letters to the various Moogles scattered throughout the world, who also act as Save Points. As usual in a Final Fantasy game, the graphics are something to behold. They are truly amazing. You will have a sense of wonder as you discover the amazing world's details, and while the character models appear worse than Final Fantasy 8, they have more detail and emote better. They also animate well, and of course, the CG is nothing short of jaw dropping. Square have done it again when it comes to pulling the most out of the Playstation. Unfortunately, the sound suffers a little, and while technically it is on par with some of the best, it can not match to previous Final Fantasy's. You will love some of the music, however you wont be listening to it after you finish, it doesn't have staying power. The details in the sound effects are excellent, with even more background music and noise. Many of the effects famous in the series are here and correct. It gives a sense of familiarity, yet the games music slightly brings this down. Still, this is above average. Overall, the gameplay is similar to that of the previous games, so you should have no problem getting into this one. It is as deep as you want it to be. The game will take you at least 35 hours to complete, and you will journey throughout the world discovering all manner of life. In all, this is a competent inclusion in a very good series which appears to be getting even better. A different art style and appearance makes this look kitsch and a throwback to the olden days, but it's plot and magic system will keep you playing happily right until you reluctantly reach the end.
