Final Fantasy IX Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX was developed along with Final Fantasy VIII and both were sequels to the hugely successful predecessor, Final Fantasy VII. In contrast to 8 which shifted towards the far more futuristic and real style, Final Fantasy IX brought the series back to its origins. It is a true fantasy RPG as evident in the story as well as the setting.
Final Fantasy IX received huge praise when it came out and remains one of the best games of the series, although it’s not my top choice (as described below). The gameplay is great as is the story, and characters are a true homage to the previous Final Fantasy games.
Review
Let’s start by getting this out of the out of the way from the beginning… ff9 walkthrough is not my preferred game of the Final Fantasy series. While I say that I don’t mean to suggest that it’s bad but it does have more problems and flaws than its predecessors, and the issues and flaws were more difficult to deal with. FF9 is certainly still worthwhile to play, and remains a solid game in general but it isn’t able to perform as well as some of the other games. This review will concentrate on the negatives of the game. This are a reflection of the excellent standards I have been accustomed to from the series.
Final Fantasy IX was developed in the same way as Final Fantasy VIII and both games are very different. Although the graphics is similar (as due to them being developed on the same platform) however, the visual differences in style are evident when you begin the game. The setting and the plot that are featured in FF9 are a return to the classic style of previous titles within the Final Fantasy series.
The game takes several elements from earlier games, like Chocobos, Moogles, and even a lot of the character names and locations. The inclusion that up to 4 characters appear on the screen (which might seem unfamiliar to certain players) is actually a nod to earlier games within the franchise (Final Fantasy 1 to 6 inclusive) and.
My main issues in Final Fantasy IX have to be related to a few key issues which really slow down the general pace of gameplay. The first is the battle sequences as well as the number of fights you can encounter in the game are not as good as they could be. Transitions from the world map to the battle screen appears to be a lot slower, and the chance of encounters that are random is much greater. Once you’ve made it at the final battle you start to dread the idea of having to participate in an unrelated battle.
A new feature in this title is the addition to Active Time Events (ATEs). When you are playing this story, you will notice that a tiny warning window will pop up which allows you to see other characters in real-time that aren’t near Zidane the main character when you press the select button. It initially seems like an interesting and innovative way of telling the story in a unique manner. It doesn’t take long before ATEs begin to be more than a distraction when one moves in the story. They frequently divert the attention of the actions of other players whose decisions are unrelated to the development of the story or even the argument that they aid in “character development” (hint: it’s not).
The mini-games as well as many of the side missions feel rather flimsy and uninspired especially in comparison with Final Fantasy VII (but Final Fantasy VIII is a bit deficient too). There’s been cool mini-games which involve a bike race across the streets Midgar along with Chocobo Races in Gold Saucer as well as The “Catching Frogs” side quest as well as the “Racing Hippaul” side quest (which are both boring).
One of the more extensive miniature games, Tetra Master Tetra Master, which has a lot in common with the Triple Triad game from Final Fantasy VIII, is completely different in relation to its importance in the progress of the game. It is possible to say it is because Triple Triad had too much of an influence on the flow of the game, as it allowed players who had mastered this game, and who played frequently to improve their character and stack them up stat-wise at the beginning of the game. Tetra Master is completely different and offers nothing as far as rewards, other than it’s “satisfaction” associated with being capable of claiming that you have found all the cards. It’s among the worst side quests from the Final Fantasy series.
The music, however, is very solid. Certain songs have been ripped from the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack, but the rest of the songs contribute an equal amount of story as previous games. The plot is fantastic with well-written and developed characters, at least from a character growth standpoint. There was some to be desired the way of character customization. each character is designed to be classified into a particular class. Vivi is a good example. She isn’t able to be anything other than Black Mage. Also, Final Fantasy IX suffers from similar issues like Final Fantasy VIII – the main antagonist has a small backstory (albeit not as poor).
My last complaint has to do with be with my experience with the Trance (Limit Break) system. Limit Breaks are now one of the mainstays in the game. They’re often used in different ways in every game however, the Trance system is one of the most sloppy. The Trance gauge is filled each time a character is hit with hit, but the character will automatically enter Trance after the gauge is fully filled (rather than choosing their Limit Break as previously in previous games). In the end, players will often enter into a Trance after the close of a battle , or in the course of a random battle on the map of the world. This makes it virtually impossible to utilize the Trance effect of a character for any kind of advantage.
There are some Final Fantasy fans still rank Final Fantasy IX as one of their top titles within the series, but it’s a bandwagon I am not able to join. I still suggest taking a look at it, because it is a distinct game in the series, however, there’s no doubt that it’s my least favorite game. Sadly, the slowness of the game could make me hesitate to play it once more.
Overall score 8/10(which isn’t bad at all however, it’s not enough to meet the standards I would expect from the Final Fantasy game!)
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