Final Fantasy IX (review)

Minigames are plentiful in Final Fantasy IX as well, but they are kind of wasted. Sure, there are a lot of them. You can spend hours looking for treasure on your Chocobo, or delivering mail for the kindly Moogles. However, since they aren't really tied into the game, nobody but completists will feel compelled to do so. And don't get me started on the card game, which doesn't seem to have any concrete rules to speak of. It's an exercise in frustration for anyone who actually wants to spend any time playing it, which didn't include me.

On the whole, the gameplay is a mixed bag. On the negative side, the game features random encounters and the same old basic Active Time Battle system that it has for years. While they might have been innovative in their heyday, these are two combat features that really need to be put to bed. The Trance system is just an overhauled version of Limit Breaks, and summons make a return as well. On the plus side, though, is the Ability system. Abilities, such as spells and status resistances, are learn by wearing certain weapons and armor. Learning all the abilities adds a great amount of depth to the game.

The game also has a handful of other flaws. The story, while entertaining, isn't a compelling or a dramatic as previous Final Fantasy games. Likewise, the soundtrack is solid, but not up to the standard set by prior games in the series. In addition, the game's antagonist, Kuja, is unconvincing and not menacing at all. Aside from all that, though, Final Fantasy IX is a fantastic game. If you haven't played it yet, you should. You have played it, though, haven't you?

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