Hey that guy looks like a monkey (Final Fantasy IX (PS))

Member Name: nin_squall

Product:	Final Fantasy IX (PS)
Date:	08/09/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Made by squaresoft, beautiful, engaging storyline

Disadvantages: Bland summons, return to traditional fantasy setting could put people off

Final Fantasy 9 is the ninth installment in the excellent role playing series from the Japanese RPG king that is Squaresoft, now known as Square-Enix. Unlike the sci-fi themed style of the series previous two titles, Final Fantasy 7 and 8, Final Fantasy 9 represents a return to the medieval, traditional fantasy setting of the series' earliest titles.

The world in which FF9 takes place, Gaia, is separated in to four main continents, Mist, Outer, Lost and Forgotten. The Mist continent being home to most of the population of Gaia. The game begins on the dangerous and beautiful Mist continent. As the game progresses you will visit the mysterious three other continents of Gaia.

The player has the ability to traverse beautiful pre-rendered 3 dimensional town screens and also a less detailed, but still cool world map, which separates the different towns and locations. As with other FF games, there is much to discover just by exploring the world map so don't get lazy.

The gameplay will be familiar to fans of the FF series. FF9 sees the return of the character class system, meaning each of the 8 playable characters each has a specific role to play in battle. For instance, Zidane is a fighter and thief, Vivi is a black mage and Princess Garnet is a healing magic user and summoner. Your characters each have their own unique battle abilities, which are learned form equipping various different weapons and equipment. Each character can equip a weapon, a bracelet, a pair of shoes and armor. Each individual character may learn something different from the same piece of equipment.
Characters also have non-battle skills, which they can learn, ranging from stone-proof to HP+10%. These abilities can be very helpful during the course of the game.

The battle system is a turn based affair. At the start of each battle you give your characters commands, such as attack, magic, summon or item. After you have given a command to each of your characters in the battle they will do as commanded, deploying a range of dazzling and devastating moves to pummel the enemy until they're sorry they ever messed with you. After battle characters gain experience and ability points. Experience points level the character up with a level cap of 100 and ability points level up whatever ability each specific character has set to learn via their equipment at the time.

Summons or Eidolons as they're known in this game make an appearance. Only two characters in the game have the ability to summon
Eidolons and each of the characters has their own unique summons to deploy. Unfortounately I thought that the summons in this game where not very well designed. The Eidolons and the animations in which you see them summoned where a rather bland affair compared to the GF of Final Fantasy 7 and 8.

The Characters of FF9, are a mix of colorful and unusual weirdos. The main character you play as, Zidane Tribal is a seemingly half man, half monkey fellow,with an eye for the ladies and a passion for thievery. Zidane is a member of the theater group, Tartarus. Princess Garnet, or Garnet til Alexandros the XVIII to state her proper title is the main female protagonist and love interest of Zidane. Vivi Ornitier, an unusual, doll-like in appearance fellow, is a black mage and the main magic user of the playable characters. Fans of the older FF titles will recognize Vivi as he is modelled from the original black mages of the earlier games. Freya Crescent, a rat-like female warrior from the kingdom of Burmecia, on a quest to find her lost love, Sir Fratley.
Adelbert Steiner, the leader of Alexandrias, knights of pluto and a fiercely loyal servent to the kingdom and Princess Garnet. He disapproves greatly of the choices made by the princess, early in the story. Eiko Coral, a feisty young orphan, with a connection to eidolons and the lost tribe of summoners. Eiko is never without her childhood friend, Mog, a cowardly moogle who often hides in Eiko's dress. Quina Quen, an always hungry oddity from the swamps of the Mist continent with a passion for cooking and eating frogs. Amarant, a bounty hunter with no heart and a score to settle with Zidane. All of the characters in this game are very well designed and beautifully rendered. I also think that they're all very well written so you find yourself empathising with them and cheering them on, something which was lacking in Square-enix's recent outing, Final Fantasy 12.

As the game begins you find yourself in the city of Alexandria, home to the repulsive Queen Brahne and the beautiful Princess Garnet til Alexandros the XVIII. The city is abuzz with the arrival of the famous theatre troupe, Tartarus. Later that night as the royalty of Alexandria, take their seats to watch the troupe's performance, a plot begins. Tartarus' true intentions for being in Alexandria are to kidanp the princess. As a member of Tartarus, Zidane is the man tasked with whisking the princess away from her palace and in to the already prepared hiding place aboard the Tartarus groups huge airship. Unfourtounately things don't exactly go according to plan. What Zidane and the rest of Tartarus weren't expecting was to find the princess hatching a plot of her own. Garnet is trying to escape the palace and Alexandria, due to her growing concern over her mothers recent odd behaviour. Lately the queen has been raising and army and producing strange magical weaponry. A new face around the palace, the mysterious Kuja seems to be the source of the queens weapon supply. Garnet is desperate to leave Alexandria as she is worried about her mother, she seems like a different person of late and Garnet aims to discover why her mother has changed. With so much happening at once, the Palace is alerted of Princess Garnets disappearance midway through the play, causing the Queen to launch an attack against the theatre troups ship, in the form of a fire monster shooting cannon. Somehow the ship manages to escape Alexandria, with the princess on board, but not without sustaining heavy damage which causes the ship to crash in the middle of a forest. After many battles and hardships the group along with the princess arrive in Lindbulm, the home of King Cid. After this the group comprised of Zidane, Vivi, Garnet, Freya and Steiner begin a journey around the world of Gaia, in a bid to discover the reason behind the Queen of Alexandrias recent bloodthirsty, war mongering, world conquering lust for power. After many travels and meeting many new enemies and friends the group discovers the true reason behind the queens change in personality and the true reason behind the mist surrounding the Mist continent.

I wont give away spoilers, but I will say this, the plot is awesome. Its a brilliant fantasy, which you can really find yourself invested in. Square have managed to craft a world, that's rich in history and full of interesting facts. I was intrigued with what was happening in the world of Gaia very early on. The characters are well written and have great depth. You really root for them all the way through the game. There are parts to this game which I found truly moving. I think I might be going a bit FF fan boy so I'll stop now.

So in summary Final Fantasy 9 is a brilliant game, with excellent and simple to get the hang of gameplay and an engaging plot centred around many well written characters. The one negative I could give this game is that the summons weren't as well rendered or designed as they were with previous titles.

Buy this if you love RPG gamed and aren't afraid of neglecting your life for 100 plus hours. Near perfection

Summary: Fantastic!