Somehow it took me over ten years to actually beat this one, but I think after having finally completed the main game I feel more than confident enough to say this is one of the best games of the Final Fantasy series - and an instant all-time favourite.

As a series retrospective, bringing back many familiar elements from the older games while mixing them together with mechanics that came from the preceding games, Final Fantasy IX feels like an entirely new game on its own. Yet just like the best of its series it always remains a highly engrossing narrative experience.

But if anything else best sums up what these games can do best, there's a bittersweetness to the journey of Final Fantasy IX that hasn't quite been matched by other games in this series. When it comes to how this game approaches the concept of what it means to live, especially as one knows their lifespan is limited, it's bound to make any player feel misty-eyed - even as you get a taste of the satisfaction that comes forth from beating its final bosses, this mood still lingers and just creates a more emotionally resonant epilogue, especially if you found yourself so deeply attached to these characters (all of whom have magnificently crafted arcs, as one can expect from Final Fantasy).

If it weren't for Final Fantasy VII, this would easily be my favourite of the series.

Reviewed on Sep 06, 2020


2 Comments


3 years ago

7 and 9 are the easiest starting points to get into, so those would be my picks.

3 years ago

Thanks.