FF9 is it really any good?

[Vivi]

I like the Card Game in FF8,It better than FF9.

Tripple Triad sucked....
Tetra Master pwnd...

It's not my fault you don't know how to read the hex on the bottom of the cards .

[DeputyDon]

I figure that most people who say 'FFIX sucks' (or something similar), haven't even bothered to finish the first disc. I agree that it starts up a tad bit slowly, which admittedly is a bad thing, but when they start the whole eidolon part of the game... wow... just WOW. The Bahamut FMV was simply breathtaking. And the Atomos attack FMV was awesome as well. I half expected a cow to fly in, Twister-style

As for FFVIII, it's a game with a story that actually needs the player to have more then 2 neurons at a time. It's actually one of the few games that I can actually put on the same level as a good book (along with Xenogears ). Besides your usual 'bad guy is on the loose and we have to catch him'-theme, this story had far more going for it. Characters actually had distinct personalities besides the stereo-type fighter character, big boob-betty with unexplained uber strength and the innocent girly-type. Granted, Squall was actually ine of the weaker characters with the typical 'unwilling hero' display, but even he was an enjoyable character if you actually took the time and didn't just dismiss it. I'll bet many people just skip the conversations between character. That is actually the part that tells you the most. It isn't the battles you fight, it isn't the places you visit, it's the things the characters say that really bring the game to life.

Granted, the junction system was badly implemented since you could make your characters FAR too strong with it later on in the game. Nevertheless, the principle behind the system was actually very good. If they had refined it a bit more and balanced it out, it would've made for the best system ever. I've heard people complain it was 'too complex' or 'not worth my time'. Well, to those people; please get your ass out of your Lazy Boy and to your nearest gaming store and buy Counter Strike or something. Or better yet, get a lobotomy. It might actually *improve* your intellectual capacity. Seriously, as you might've noticed by now, I hate gamers who complain about having to use 2 extra braincells to play a game.



<.<

-.-;;

Well said for a few parts, but HEY HEY HEY.. I play counter strike its kickass. I actually liked the junction system, it did make then game to easy, but I think what they should have done was make the enemys harded, if you leveled up they leveled up, yeah. Most people don't level up unless they have to which is what made the game to easy, I think they expected people to level since for previous Final Fantasy games you there were parts when you had to level up or there was no way to win unless you had an endless supply of items. If they used that system for another Final Fantasy I would like it, just fix the level with enemys thing.

[zidaneno1]

ff9 is it any good?!?!
thats a trick question.

It friggin rocks well it did in 2000 and it still does now.
Its the only game i have finished over 120 times (really i have)
because it never gets boring.

I don't know why i like it more then the other ffantasies maybe because it was the first i played on ps maybe it had more moral and really gave meaning to the game name final FANTASY.

[EnigmaticMan]

FFIX rocks. My favorite game. Had the best FMVs too, in my opinion (but nothing beats FFVIII's opening. Nomura=best new director at Square).

Tripple Triad sucked....
Tetra Master pwnd...

It's not my fault you don't know how to read the hex on the bottom of the cards .

That was hex O_o;; And I thought they'd NEVER force computer jargon onto us in the real world. Great job Square! *claps*

That'll come in handy, thanks.

[DeputyDon]

I liked most of the FMVs in FF9 they were good, such as when you get on the airship from Dali to Lindblum (is that spelled right?) I thought FF8 FMVs were better though, not sure why. Final Fantasy 7 FMVs were good mainly because it was the first FF game with FMVs and that made it kickass. But Chrono Cross's FMVs were spectacular especially the one at the end of the dream sequence in the beginning of the game.

[Shadow X]

FFVII > FFIX > FFVIII


Best story goes to 7

Best opening is a tie betwwen 7/8

best FMV's goes to 9

[DeputyDon]

FFVII > FFIX > FFVIII


Best story goes to 7

Best opening is a tie betwwen 7/8

best FMV's goes to 9

I used to think Final Fantasy 7 was the best. Best graphics, best sound, best gameplay, best battle system, best FMVs, best... everything. Then I realized wait all this talk about how great Final Fantasy 7 is, made me realize its not as great as everyone says it is. I think its more popular now then it was when it came out... just because of either the E3 tech demo, or just because people say its the best without really knowing why. They try to defend it, since it was their first FF game. Im not saying thats anyone here, im just saying there are people like that. I don't even like FF7 much anymore from all these people talking about it.

If square would have put out more ads for Xenogears rather than more ads for Final Fantasy 7. Then everyone would think Xenogears was better since they would have actually heard about it. Xenogears had an amazing storyline, the graphics were pretty good, aside from the out of battle characters. The battle system was pretty unique. It had almost the same rating as FF7 and FF8. It seems when it comes to rpgs that most people choose Final Fantasy of any other series, due to its popularity. Rarely do people ever say Chrono Trigger was better than Final Fantasy games, which in my opinion, it was.

Anyways to get things back on topic, Final Fantasy 9 is a good game. Some say its more like the old Final Fantasys back on the SNES. I don't see how they think that, back I guess it could be possible. If you have played previous Final Fantasys then you should definately play this. Its characters are the only thing I don't like about this game, which is why, I don't like this game. Atleast I don't like it all that much. Its FMVs are good, but think back to Final Fantasy 6 that was an amazing game with no FMVs and shitty, well good for its time, graphics. I mean if you play a FF game for its FMVs then call me Ill just make them one big movie and upload it for you (not being serious, I don't have the time, ha).

The storyline, well, its boring at first, it didn't intrest me at all in the beginning. Since it was a FF game, I continued playing it. I began to get irritated with the constant annoyance that Rusty, or Steiner, was. I didn't like the idea of the main character being, half human half monkey. I just want to be human with the ability to have magic, thats mainly what FF has always been about. The battle system was, sigh, nothing unique about it.
FF7 had limit break, which was sorta of new, plus it had materia. Final Fantasy 8 had Junctioning, it had the enemies level up along with your characters, and the Draw system. Hell, even Final Fantasy 10 had switching characters while in battle (I didn't like it but it was unique), and it had the sphere grid, (which seemed more like a square-experiment). Final Fantasy 9, there was not much unique about it. You equip a weapon and you learn the spell as you battle enemies. Its sort of a mix between FF7 and FF8. You equip a weapon or armor and put materia on it, in this case you choose armor with predecided materia, and you draw the magic from it while battle to learn it (Basically it is the FF7 way, but you can learn the magic for good.)

So there is nothing unique about the battle system of FF9, the sound was good for its time. The trance thing, was sorta new but its just like limit break but only you could use it for more than one round, which I believe you can do in FF8 if you hp is yellow (not sure though). The graphics aren't anything special, even for its time. I mean yeah the battle backgrounds are moving, and other stuff, but its nothing that you would really care about all that much.

So you should play this game and atleast get past the first disk and half of the second disk, by then you will want to continue playing until you finally beat it. My favorite part of this game is the end mainly because it sums up a lot of what has happened and if you paid attention throughout the game, about the story, you will understand why ,whatever happens, happens.

If you actually read all this, well then, thank you.

[pkt-zer0]

I too think that FF7 is over-hyped nowadays. Square is trying to milk as much money as possible out of that single game, which is quite pathetic. The good thing is that all those FF7 themed games won't probably suck, so you're still getting good games.
Also, I loved Chrono Trigger, more than any FF, excluding maybe FF5. I know the game system was terrible, but I loved the class changing system for some reason. That's why I was really happy when I had the same kind of characters in FF9. Gilgamesh, the greatest character in FF5 was present in FF9, too. Yay. Although I would've found it better if there were less alien characters in FF9, controlling a party of all humans isn't such a terrible thing IMHO.
And the AP system in FF9 was good, not the best, definitely, but better than the over-simplified materia system or the junction method. The battle system in FF9 is not unique, but I think it's good and works great just as it is.

Having said all that, I think there are much better RPGs than FF9, but among the Final Fantasies 1,2, 4-9, this one would take second or even first place. A good game that can easily be enjoyed.