Where do I even begin? Final Fantasy IX was a fantastic experience. I'm not embarrassed to admit how emotional this game made me. Hell, it's probably the most I've gotten invested into a game in a long time. I actually want to really dig into this, even if it is mostly to gush. Quick side note that I have no reference for how this port compares to the original. All that I know is that it ran with no issues, and that's good enough for me after my complications with the X/X-2 Steam release. I will simply be referring to this as the game itself.

This is one of my first forays into Final Fantasy's classic ATB system, and I had a great time with it. If I were to complain about anything, it would be Trance. Not only does it go off whenever it likes, but it's only useful around half of the time, if not less. I suppose Freya's Trance did save my ass during the penultimate fight of the game, however, so take that as you will. Besides that, the battles were quick and decisive and fun. I feel as though I was given a lot of tools at my disposal and was able to plan/adjust accordingly. On the topic of tools and gameplay, I find that I really like how equipment and abilities worked. This isn't to say that there weren't pieces of equipment that got decidedly outclassed, but there weren't a whole ton of objective or obvious upgrades- especially later on- like there are in other RPGs, which I always appreciate. This makes equipping for battle feel like an actual strategic choice. The same concept applies to learned abilities, which were fun to build with and manage. There was a nice variety of them and some interesting ways one could go with it. All in all, I wasn't sure what I was expecting with FFIX's core gameplay loop, and I ended up having a great time (even as bosses would delve more and more into "bullshit" territory, as people might say, but even then I never struggled more than what was engaging for me personally).

There's no clean transition into this, but the game looks fine, really. Good, even. I went in expecting much worse based on what I was told but Final Fantasy IX looks about on par with the original Final Fantasy VII if not better. Is it because of the character designs and art style? Those are the best parts! The more cartoonish look of FFIX really aids it, I feel, and really makes for some fun characters that you can take one look at and get a great idea of their personality. The aversion to it is weak. Embrace the whimsy. Anyhow, the 2D backgrounds are great, the overworld isn't so great but that was to be expected, the cutscenes are charming, and on the topic of presentation, the music and atmosphere of FFIX was fantastic. Congratulations to Not Alone for successfully hitting as hard as it did. Besides the more emotional pieces, there are some really enjoyable and interesting ones. It's a good and varied soundtrack for a good and varied game.

To even begin to broach the topic of writing, it's worth mentioning first and foremost how very tight the pacing is, especially earlier on. There's almost always something happening and it's very good at keeping one engaged without feeling like too much, so to speak. Everything happens for a reason and it always feels as though the characters are taking an active part. This is aided massively by FFIX being unafraid to split off from Zidane and follow the other party members on their solo ventures. This is referring to the ATEs, of course, but I find that some of the game's most interesting moments came from when the player was controlling two separate parties. It gives the game and characters a lot of life. On that note, it's been said before, but FFIX's characters are truly excellent. Even the more unimportant members like Freya and Amarant (specifically the former, in my case and personal preferences) had their moments, but characters like Garnet, Vivi, and even Steiner are dynamic, engaging, and just plain fun. The party members in general have some great dynamics with one another. The NPCs, similarly, tend to stand out, and even the unnamed ones have some good dialogue in light of FFIX's decent sense of humor.

This leads me to Zidane and, by proxy, Kuja, who are two characters I find myself enjoying immensely. Going into FFIX, I was honestly expecting to not like Zidane at all, having been introduced to him through Dissidia in which his character description is less than flattering to my tastes. However, I am beyond pleased that this couldn't have ended up being further from the truth, as he was likely one of my favorite parts. He's a very good protagonist to follow with a very good arc- as crazy as it may be, although the absurdity only makes it better for me- who I couldn't help but root for by the end. He and Garnet had a far more interesting dynamic than I was expecting in particular, and thus the ending hit as hard as it did with the help of the somber , bittersweet tone set by everything else. On that note, Kuja was fascinating to me. I think it's useless to discuss whether or not a character is redeemable when it comes to media analysis, or whether or not they "deserve" anything one way or another. The game successfully dodges both of these bullets, condemning Kuja at the end of the game while still taking the time to thoroughly understand and sympathize with him in a way I really connected with. The final scene between him and Zidane is beautiful, and the game wouldn't be the same without it. This leads to the final thing I wanted to discuss: the themes. FFIX did a wonderful job at tackling the issues it addressed, in my opinion, with shockingly nuanced discussions of death, purpose, loneliness, and legacy. Love permeates the game and you can feel it, both in-universe and out. Maybe it's embarrassing for me to say, but thinking about it still gives me chills; I truly do think that this game was exactly what it set out to be and is better for it. I resonate with the vision. I really, really resonate with Final Fantasy IX.

I'm bad at conclusions. Uh, yeah. Play Final Fantasy IX, if you're reading this and haven't already for whatever reason. Suggest to me some more games with heartfelt messages and batshit lore if you have. I love Final Fantasy.