Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy IX is the ninth installment of Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy IX is usually rated as the lowest Final Fantasy game for the PlayStation, but this game is definitely worth playing, multiple times! The highlighted features of Final Fantasy IX include the plot, the abilities and equipment list, and the mini games.

If you've ever played a Final Fantasy game in the past, I'd highly recommend playing this one as well. The usual battle system, Final Fantasy style, rings true in Final Fantasy IX as well, which doesn't really add or take away from the game. Final Fantasy IX tends to have less of an emphasis on leveling up, as abilities and equipment allow players to conquer the toughest of enemies, like Ozma, at levels below 70, which can be acquired basically through normal game play and just a little training depending.

The storyline of Final Fantasy IX follows the general Final Fantasy love and war theme, as the world is at stake again as the main character - Zidane, a "rat man", falls in love with, you guessed it, a beautiful princess named Garnet. An engaging plot makes the player of Final Fantasy IX feel the weight of the world on their shoulders at times and utterly insignificant at others. In some scenes, the main character can shift from being treated like a sewer rat to basically getting honored by a king. The storyline in Final Fantasy IX can grab players in so many different ways that it can hook on to most gamers fairly quickly.

Final Fantasy IX has a wide world to explore, as areas and continents become increasingly accessible as the player continues the story and eventually obtains an airship. The world of Gaia, or the planet that Final Fantasy IX takes place on, offers a large amount of unique species to Final Fantasy, while adding a special emphasis on Moogles. The artwork and creativity involved with Final Fantasy IX is truly unique and amazing.

The way abilities work in Final Fantasy IX is quite different then that of the other Final Fantasy games. The opening sequence of Final Fantasy IX displays a crystal floating in the air that can represent many different aspects of the game but here I want it interpreted as meaning equipping abilities. Each character can learn their own unique set of abilities, some others may learn and some truly unique, which are equipped via crystals. Crystals grow in number at each level up and it takes a certain amount of crystals to equip each ability. The way characters in Final Fantasy IX learn abilities is through every piece of equipment that is worn. After obtaining a certain amount of AP, characters no longer require the equipment to be worn for an ability to be equippable and it is permanently in their stock of abilities to choose from. The highlights of abilities in battle include that auto-life and haste can be equipped as abilities and this exceedingly helps in battles.

The amount of equipment and items is, like all other Final Fantasys, quite large. Characters can equip a larger amount of items, as slots for a weapon, hat, armor, and accessories. Different combinations of characters, abilities, equipment, summoning, and magic make battle techniques, styles, and possiblities very customizable and entertaining.

Out of the other Final Fantasies, the mini games in Final Fantasy IX tend to be more linked to the plot of the story and, overall, more fun. The chocobo side quests and card games are my favorite in Final Fantasy IX, and prove to be highly entertaining. The chocobo side quests allow players to play "Chocobo Hot and Cold", which is played much like a game of hot and cold. A chocobo, in Chocobo's Forest or other designated areas, digs in the ground to find "chocographs" and other items while gaining levels from successful digs. Chocographs allow treasure hunts outside of Chocobo's Forest, for more rare and important items. The second best weapon in the game is found through this side quest and technique, actually.

Final Fantasy IX also has a truly inspiring musical selection. As always, the music in Final Fantasy IX is spectacular, probably rating below Final Fantasy X and above Final Fantasy VIII. The music in Final Fantasy IX actually is incorporated a little bit into the plot this time around, which really helps create and set the mood of Final Fantasy IX.

Final Fantasy IX is, overall, a great game and definitely worth taking a look at. I recommend it to anyone interested in playing another Final Fantasy game, but if you're new to the Final Fantasy genre, I'd recommend checking out Final Fantasy X first.