Final Fantasy IX, Back to it's Roots

Background: Final Fantasy IX was created at Squaresoft in 2000 by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Hiroyuki Ito. Not since FF5 has the series had a title so infused with the original elements present since FF1. The game really went back to it's roots, implementing unchangable classes linked with characters. The art style also left the steam punk phase of the last three titles and re-invented it's older rich medival world. This would be the last title to launch for the PlayStation platform before the PS2 release.

I'm really looking forward to playing this game. While I wasn't a big fan of FF5 (Hironobu's other favorite), I have a little more faith in this title. I feel like while FF5 was a simple regurgitation of FF1-FF4 mashed together, I'm hopeful that this series, which really matured fully in FF6, can finally put out a great game at will. I think that this game, while not as critically acclaimed as FF7 or FF8, will still be good to the fans of the old school FFs like myself. Just seeing the opening cuts with the classic black mage character (the FF icon in my opinion), tugs at the soft spot in my heart for the series just a little.



Even though it was quite late when I finished writing up my FF8 blog entry for the end game, I still popped FFIX in the PS3 at around 1:30am to check it out. The game actually started off with a different character than I recall, a thief/pirate character that looks humanoid but has a tail. This reminds me a great deal of the Mithra characters which would be presented in the FFXI MMO later. The opening cuts showing the different kingdoms, the floating airships, the old school towns and even the opening music score all reminded me a GREAT DEAL of the elvaan nation of San d'Oria in FFXI. I always liked that place and this reminded me of it.

In addition to this, the atmosphere set, the characters present, they way they talk and move, the layout of the towns and the music in the towns all also reminded me a lot of FF Tactics, another great Final Fantasy game which I loved very much. And while the game seems to not look as good, graphics-wise, as FF8 did (backgrounds, etc), the controls feel a hell of a lot smoother, much more responsive. And lastly, best of all, there's no Draw system. I know, I know, I swear that's the last time I'll bash the Draw system in this blog.

Anyway, to the story we go. The game opened with a cut of two people on a boat in the middle of the sea during a great storm. No clue who they are. I was then given control of my first character, the pirate/thief which I named Rhek. After a brief introduction to the battle system, I quickly noticed that the game once more implements a four person party. Forgot about that, thought it was 3 man parties from FF7-FF12. The combat was pretty straight forward FF style, no weird stuff yet; and fluid.

After the fight, we got our mission presented to us. Rhek is part of a pirate gang who's plotting to steal the most beautiful girl in the world, the Princess Garnet. They plan to do this during a play which she will be attending, while they pretend to be actors in the play.

After the plan is laid out, I got control of my second character, an unnamed Black Mage. Now this is the character I remember playing as the last time I played FFIX. So, I may have only played it very briefly since that's the only guy I really remember in the game. My Black Mage is on his way to see the very play the Princess will be kidnapped at, but he finds that his ticket is a fake. He has to track down some alley vagrants to hook him up. While in the alley, I'm introduced to a guy who teaches me how to play a game called Tetra Master. This is the second time the series has implemented this game now. The fans really responded to it in FF8 I guess. It would also appear again in the Play Online network when you'd buy FFXI.

The game is fun but I was never a huge fan. I have a lot fo work in store for me and don't have time to play these games unless there's a final weapon or Summon involved somehow. Anywho, I eventually follow some Rat Kid to the town walls and meet a Moogle who offers to save my game and interface with something called the Mognet. Not sure what that is yet but it was 2am and I had to crash so I stopped there for the night. But before I crashed I did get to name my Black Mage. As a true icon of the series, as the most famous Black Mage in the series, I wanted to just leave him his original name as a tribute to him so I left him simply called... Vivi. Love me some Vivi.