PlayStation News, Articles and Information for the UK and Europe

PLATFORM: Sony PlayStation, PlayStation Network

RELEASE DATE: 16th February 2001 (PSOne), 26th May 2010 (PSN)

RATING: 11+ (ELSPA: PSOne), 12 (PEGI: PSN)

DEVELOPER: Squaresoft (PSOne), Square-Enix (PSN)

PUBLISHER: Square Europe (PSOne), Square-Enix (PSN)

When Final Fantasy IX was originally released on to the PSOne nearly ten years ago, it struck a mighty chord throughout the franchise of Final Fantasy. Originally built as a spin-off game designed to go back to the roots of the franchise, this title quickly became bigger and bigger until (then) Squaresoft decided to release it as a flagship title.

Years later, it seems many still agree that Final Fantasy IX was the pinnacle of the series, and even now a sizeable amount of the community regard it as the last ‘true’ Final Fantasy to date. Now though, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable owners have been given the chance to revisit this treasure through a digital download of the original game on the PlayStation Store, but, like Final Fantasy VIII, has it stood the test of time?

The story of Final Fantasy IX starts off with you, Zidane, a part of a and of thieves trying to kidnap the princess of the kingdom of Alexandria. Just watching the opening scenes shows you how different the game is from its immediate predecessors – the world is clearly set in more medieval times, much like the original games of the series. Obviously, stealing a princess from right under the nose of the Queen is no easy task, and requires a play to be put on as a disguise for the kidnapping, the events that unfold are truly spectacular.

The character models are of a lot higher quality than in previous instalments.

Like many of the more modern Final Fantasies, the story starts off with a bang and tends to quieten down for a while after that. However, maybe ten or so hours in, you’ll be hooked right in to the main storyline as the real course of the story is revealed, which inevitably ends up with the heroes fighting to save the world from the forces of evil – a cliché I know, but a very self aware one to say the least.

The lull in the storyline after the beginning isn’t so bad if it’s your first time playing the game, as you have to get to grips with the battle system and the ways to expand your character’s abilities, it gives you an adequate amount of time to master the basics and move on to more advanced tactics, which is what I like about it. However, if you have played it before, and you have already mastered the tactics, it’s plain to see why the opening few hours are a bit of a bore.

Gameplay is mostly unchanged from Final Fantasy VII and VIII, with the only difference being the ability system. Each weapon and accessory you equip will allow your character to learn a certain ability, but in order to use that ability without holding that piece of equipment, you must master the ability by gaining a specified amount of Ability Points, earned by fighting monsters.

The battle system that we've come to know and love reaches its peak in Final Fantasy IX.

The battle system uses the Active Time Battle feature that has become prominent in the PlayStation One era of the franchise, where you wait a certain amount of time before you can attack, use items, cast magic or whatever. Each character has his/her own discipline such as White Mage (Healer), Black Mage, Thief etc. although these aren’t explicitly stated by the game, therefore only some character’s will be able to learn certain abilities.

When you’re not fighting, you can travel around the world map, look for treasure chests, buy new items, or take on a treasure trove of side quests to prolong your enjoyment of the game. The side quests really are the highlight of the game, with another card game making an appearance as well as a brand new Chocobo treasure hunting game – where you dig up treasure maps and go out onto the World Map to find them all, some of which grant some brilliant rewards. If you’re not into those sorts of quests, there are many other smaller mini games to get your teeth stuck into, like skipping, running or searching for coins (no, none of them are jokes).

The graphics of the game are a slight improvement over Final Fantasy VIII – with the main difference being the character models are at a higher resolution, making the game much easier on the eye. Without question, these are the best graphics you will find on the PSOne for such a large game. The pre-rendered backgrounds make up the bulk of the gameplay, but stepping out on to the World Map shows the true power of the system.

Truly stunning FMVs bring out the best bits of the storyline.

As I’ve said before, playing on a big television will make everything a bit worse, but by no means unplayable, in fact playing on a PSP system makes the game look very respectable, almost rivalling the graphics of the latest PSP games. When you get to those awe-inspiring FMVs though, the beauty of the story really does shine through, and although they don’t seem as incredible now that we’re in the HD era, they still make for some exceptional moments.

As for the music, Nobuo Uematsu pulled out all the stops to create one of the most breathtakingly beautiful soundtracks made to date – even Uematsu-san said himself that the soundtrack to Final Fantasy IX is his proudest work. The 150 tracks featured in the game are incredibly varied, although a fair few are centred around the medieval theme there are many other different types including more eastern music and some upbeat tracks for the boss fights.

As you play through the game, you’ll notice the themes given to each character and how they keep popping up in some of the tracks which makes the music just that much more enjoyable, especially when you hear some old theme from earlier titles in the series popping up (aside from the usual ‘Prelude’ and ‘Chocobo’ Themes).

All in all, the main story will take about 30 hours to complete, with another 15-20 or so extra hours for those who really want to get stuck into the game and master all of the extra mini-games and side-quests on offer. Even ten years later, the game is thoroughly enjoyable to play through; and although it may not have the looks of Final Fantasy XIII, it certainly makes up for it with a lengthy story, tonnes of side quests, a vast world map to explore, and a musical score that is so apt towards the game’s atmosphere.

Final Fantasy IX pulls together everything that Square has learnt over the twelve years that Final Fantasy has existed. The unique charm of the older games really shines through, and the in-jokes make veterans of the series feel much loved. The graphics are superb, pushing the PlayStation One to its absolute maximum, and the gameplay is solid. Not only is the story incredibly lengthy and exciting, it is a joy to play, even after a decade.

The soundtrack is the definition of perfection, Nobuo Uematsu clearly outdid himself here, with several themes running throughout the game and culminating in some of the most iconic pieces that I’ve ever heard in a game. The real gem of this instalment of the series though, is the amount of optional content there is on offer. Whether you want to dig for treasure, deliver letters, find the ultimate weapons, or find out more about the characters’ backgrounds, Final Fantasy IX has it all.

Many say that this game is the pinnacle of the series, and it is almost impossible to see why they are wrong. Undoubtedly one of the best, original and most immersive  games that you’ll find in the series, if not the best darn game you’ll see from the PSOne era.