this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
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Style is probably the biggest thing IX has going for it, maybe character writing. The main plot wasn't gripping or novel, you've already touched on some gameplay missteps, and Tetra Master is garbage.
Tetra Master is almost a lot of fun. It just needs to turn down the RNG and not be so mysterious with digit meanings.
I liked the story. Although most of the substance is late-game, which is common for FF games. But I thought it was pretty solid.
Character writing is definitely top-tier. The style is perfect for PS1 too. I think it has aged the best of the PS1 games.
Needs more than that to compare favorably against Triple Triad.
Kuja fell very flat for me. Relation to Zidane is retreading old ground, design is obviously trying to evoke Sephiroth, motivation seemed generically evil. The stuff with the Black Mages and Vivi was great (possibly just because Vivi is a top tier character and his innocence juxtaposed against the tragedy helps it hit). The Genome stuff feels awfully close to the Sephiroth clone stuff, right on down to the lead protagonist full of false memories. The Terra/Gaia angle is kinda cool.
Heartily agree on aging the best, visually. The stylized fantasy aesthetic gives it a pleasant timelessness.
Since you mention it, I do see some similarities with VII. Although I think IX does a lot of it better than VII. Kuja actually has a connection with Zidane and rooted in jealousy. Where Cloud's obsession is the opposite and rooted in revenge (the clone part in particular ending up being a false flag for Cloud).
I think a lot of the similarities are superficial. The actual story is quite different. But it's interesting to see common tropes in Final Fantasy games. Lost memories, for example, is extremely common.