Final Fantasy 9 Review

[@darrylrobson4376]

Never heard of this game.

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

DOUBT

[@nisnast]

Dawg you're missing out

[@Trisaaru]

Me too, never heard of "Final Fantasy". Sounds pretty dirty, honestly.

[@WinspearUltima]

Then your missing out on a brilliant ff game

[@mcbill7352]

​@WinspearUltima I think this might be a joke judging from the profile picture

[@pockystyx4087]

In no hyperbole, this still remains my favorite game of all time. I remember when my dad; who was ill and looking to get a big gift for me and my brother, bought us FFVII, VIII, and IX all together, and this is the one that I became the most attached to. A lot of its themes of life and loss are tied in with memories of my dad's final years, something that will forever stay with me.

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

Listening to Melodies of Life hits so much harder after you've lost someone very close to you. 😞😞

[@mrhbombman]

Sorry for loss man. Hope you doing good.

[@alanlee67]

The psx trilogy was just a triumph in gaming. I don't begrudge anyone that puts any of them as their all time favorite games.

[@pandaeyez]

It's not hyperbole if it is your favourite. Favourite things are subjective after all, so you're not really using that word correctly.

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

I remember seeing these graphics as a kid and thinking "There's no way for game graphics to get any better!"

[@ElectricBarrier]

In a way, you were right.

[@mrhuman5092]

​@@ElectricBarrier literally how?

[@ElectricBarrier]

@@mrhuman5092 Simpler, emotion-based answer: I think pre-rendered backgrounds with 3D character models is the coolest graphical style so nothing can look subjectively better than it. More analytical, artsy-fartsy answer: Using art direction and finding creative workarounds to make up for or work within hardware limitations results in a game that looks good and is technically impressive without being high-tech. In a way, game artists not having to work within those limitations inherently makes the graphics less good because they don't have to find as many creative ways to convey what they intend to, being easier to make graphics look "good" and how they want when they don't have to make sure the game runs on a playstation. But it's mostly the first thing I just think they look cool. You could make the second argument for nes vs. snes if you wanted. Even if we say 5th gen was the sweet spot between too limited and not limited enough, many would argue the 6th was and I'd actually agree. I just really like 3D characters on a 2D pre-rendered background. EDIT: And to add to this, there was REmake & Baten Kaitos on GameCube, Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, and a bunch of adventure games made with that style in the 6th gen. I think the combo of PS1 3D models and the 2D backgrounds is what really did it for me, though those other games look cool too.

[@DashingDavid]

Can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone pronounce “Garnet” that way 😅

[@BlackWingGenesis]

What about "Zidawn"?

[@DashingDavid]

@@BlackWingGenesis that is apparently how you say his name

[@BlackWingGenesis]

@@DashingDavid Maybe in fantasy land.

[@tinyprince]

​​@@BlackWingGenesis Final fantasy land.

[@padraigkenny84]

Yeah, I've never heard them pronounced Zidawn, Garné, Vivvy and Keena before! Lots of new sounds.

[@zenomtfr]

Saying ff9 ost Is mid is crazy

[@StewNWT]

I know. This one guy on another channel did an hour and a half comprehensive review video of FF Tactics and said 'the OST is just ok, nothing memorable'. Jesus. What the FUCK is up with these morons? I mean why do review videos at all if one is too stupid to know the difference between amazing and mediocre? FF9 OST is incredible

[@diego1345]

Wasn't expecting to hear you call IX's battle theme 'generic' but here we are 😂 Couldn't disagree more about that, but I appreciate the review. It's always nice to see other perspectives on a game I love so much.

[@internetera1523]

An opinion so wrong it makes you question the concept of opinions altogether

[@blumiu2426]

Same.

[@shpladau]

I don't quite remember the regular battle music, but I LOVE the boss theme in this game.

[@smallBrainsPeckersEgos]

It has the best music of all ff games except maybe 11, no accounting for taste I suppose

[@defunctchannel942]

Yeah the music section was mad. It's one of Uematsu's best soundtracks. He even remade the parade theme from 7 in it.

[@retractingblinds]

You should look closer at the translation of FF9. Tons of characterization was left on the table like Zidanes sense of isolation and realizing Garnet was the same. They inserted a phantom menace quote just before the final boss. Seemingly there was no oversight on it.

[@Senumunu]

Zidane was also supposed to be way more of a perv but the publisher made them cut that out during production.

[@Zerox_Z21]

Is there a particular source for this??

[@Senumunu]

@@Zerox_Z21 there is an interview with one of the og creators. i cant find it on twitter since the search function on all these dogshit social media sites is abysmal nowadays.

[@Blarglesnarfe]

@@Senumunu tbf, I am alright with that change

[@Jose-se9pu]

​@@Senumunuthe "soooft" comment was considered "problematic" even in 2000, if they remade this game, they would butcher it.

[@HadesWTF]

Oh hey. One of my all time favorites. Still touching even 25 years later.

[@cobaltisnotreal7581]

You're gonna have to rerecord this entire video again with the right pronunciations this time, I'm afraid.

[@SaberRexZealot]

He did that with FF16 too, and that game has voice acting. Wild

[@blakkwaltz]

I've been replaying the game again. It feels like a warm hug after playing more modern videogames.

[@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502]

hard, HARD disagree on the soundtrack. FFIX has the best overall soundtrack of the entire series.

[@Windraesa]

it's great, but I think 7 has it comfortably beat.

[@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502]

@Windraesa VII has some individual tracks I'd rank higher than anything in IX, but I'd overall rank IX higher. and I say this as someone who prefers VII as a game. I'd also put the soundtracks of VI, VIII, and X above VII as well. Obviously, VII does have an amazing ost, though. The fact that it's only my 5th favourite soundtrack in the series says a lot about how good they all are.

[@smallBrainsPeckersEgos]

​@@Windraesahell no bro, only 11 can compete. 7 is not in the convo, even 8 has it beat, 10,

[@Windraesa]

@@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502 check out the secret of mana soundtrack if you don't already know it, if you really like VI's this one is solid gold.

[@StewNWT]

@@Windraesa FFIV is my favourite but objectively FF Tactics has the best in the series. BUt 9's is amazing and for him to say the OST is mid single handedly eradicates any worth his opinion ever had

[@nicolasray1571]

FFIX is much more than nostalgia. It’s the culmination of everything great about the series.

[@thevangsta9892]

For it's time I'd say Fresh and Retro combo!! For today I'd say Nostalgia and Retro!! Since FF9 went back to the FF roots it honestly feels more retro then 7 and 8 in my opinion!! This isn't me hating on the game its just an honest opinion!! FF9 is my favorite video game!!!

[@MMasterDE]

@@thevangsta9892 Is it retro because it goes for a medieval and steampunk setting? I don't know.

[@thevangsta9892]

@MMasterDE well it's not just that!! I'll admit this FF9 was the one to introduce me to the series and it was the first one I've ever beaten so naturally I just have the most nostalgia when it comes to this game!! Wish i could say it was the first one I've 100% but unfortunately I can't all because of Tetra Master and King Of Jump Rope!!! After playing FF1-7 recently for the first time and going back to revisit FF9 that's also what helped me come to that conclusion!! I feel more similarities between FF1, FF2 and FF4 then I do FF3, FF5, FF6 and FF7!! I'm well aware that FF9 is a big love letter and pays homage to the first 8 games!! You might've noticed i didn't say much about FF8 and that's because out of the first 10 games that's the only one I haven't played yet!! Going off of resources on the internet though it is said that FF8 is suppose to feel more Sci Fi and futuristic like FF7 but since I haven't played it yet I could be wrong that's just going off of resources!! I do plan on playing FF8 one of these days!! As for the new games I haven't went beyond 10-2!!

[@jairekambui7738]

I think this entire period of FF (7-10) is the absolute pinnacle of the franchise, but this game in particular is tied with X as my favorite in the series. Some of the best games of all time. Glad to see you branch out to rpgs. Ff8 next?

[@VincenzoMGREX]

Have you played XI? I know it's an mmo but for me it's on par with games you mentioned. IX, X and XI ware announced at the same time and are all dripping with passion and love.

[@jairekambui7738]

@ Not big into the MMOs I’m afraid.

[@Al-ji4gd]

Disagree. I thoroughly enjoy the PS2 games (yes, even X-2), but the PS1 games fell completely flat for me. 9 was meh, 8 was an abomination, and 7 fell flat after playing the Remake first. However, X is my absolute favourite in the series, so I agree with you there.

[@jerrysmith8814]

XII?

[@jairekambui7738]

@@jerrysmith8814 I’ll be honest 12 is one of my least favorite games in the whole series. I like 13 and even 15 more.

[@FFManiac17]

I always interpreted that ending as being a parallel to the beginning of the game. The game starts at sunset and ends at sunset. It stars with a sweeping shot of Alexandria and ends as we pull out from it. It is the cycle of life, we end where we started.

[@BinaryDood]

Disagree with everything about the music lol. Peak pre-rendered backgrounds though

[@qaztim11]

This is the best looking FF game by a good margin It was the end of an era for the pre-rendered backgrounds, but boy did they go out in style

[@DKZK21]

The simplicity of FF9 might be the main reason why its my favorite Final Fantasy (and possibly my favorite game of all time). For all the allusions to existential and identity themes throughout it, the overall morale of the story being to simply "live true to yourself" just keeps feeling more and more right the older I get.

[@Gr4yF0x]

For me it's the best FF on PS1. Yeah, I love FF7, but 9 is even better.

[@aubreymurphy1076]

P 0 000 0

[@apathy2454]

Debatable FF7 has a way better party overall writing and design wise for example

[@Gr4yF0x]

@apathy2454 that's why I said "for me".

[@bytewizerd2712]

@@apathy2454FF7 has deeper characters for sure, but that doesn’t entirely come through in-game (a lot of the greatness of FF7’s characters comes from supporting materials like Ultimanias and such), and certainly not in the English translation. If we’re looking purely at in-game dialogue, I think FF9’s cast is way better

[@KardavoxAcademy]

I don't think the solution to the combat system you propose would really work. I agree that combat in FFIX is pretty straightforward and maybe too simple, there really isn't a way for this game to allow for switching jobs. Ultimately, the FF9 is about the struggle to balance identity, freedom, and duty, all while finding your place in the world. Each characters job is directly tied to their story ( although Freya and Amarant less so). Vivi is a black mage and that is what he has to learn to accept. So switching him to a thief, knight, etc wouldn't make much sense. Likewise Steiner hates thieves and lives by his knighthood. So switching him to the job of thief would be a bit odd. I think the battle system could have been better, I agree, but job switching wouldn't have worked. Being able to use trance strategically, ATB meters filling faster, Adding more character interaction moves like Steiner and Vivi's magic sword, making status effecting abilities and spells worth using, etc would have been a solid solution. If we get that remake (we won't), I tihnk talent trees would be awesome. Vivi could spec into fire, ice, status effects, etc. Steiner could go DPS or tank. that sort of thing. Would be hard to avoid making those builds on-the-nose and to balance them out, but if done properly it would be awesome.

[@calvinmatthews1527]

This is my favorite Final Fantasy. To me it had just about everything. Story, characters, gameplay, & music. Finished four times. And no lie, it made me tear up it the end. Any game that does that is certainly doing something right. Sure, it's not flawless (no game is) but it still has heart. Sakaguchi's swansong. And I pray the remake can really do it justice.

[@thesidneychan]

The battle music for 9 is iconic. You could play all the battle themes from all games and 9 is extremely recognisable.

[@springssprangyard8278]

I thought this. There's plenty, PLENTY of music that sounds like FFXIII's theme, but I don't think there's much that sounds like 9's. Generic is just about the least appropriate way of describing it lmao

[@alanlee67]

I prefer 7. It had that feeling of marching in step rhat turn based combat calls for and the hook with the piccolo just does it for me.

[@StewNWT]

@@alanlee67 FFVII's battle theme is the best in the series that's not even debatable. FFIV has th the best boss music though both the main boss and the four fiends themes

[@blumiu2426]

One technicality. The first Final Fantasy did have scifi, in particular the ending. The Stars Wars influence, too. IX kinda goes that same with with Terra and the ancient technology, but it blended well.

[@alanlee67]

Ah yes. Sakaguchi's magnum opus and the culmination of the circle of life story he kept wanting to tell with 7 and the movie. Except this time, your soul doesnt belong to the planet...it belongs to you. Guaranteed masterpiece.

[@fieryrebirth]

A solid farewell to Sakaguchi on the FF team more or less.

[@destinyweb1311]

bro really said that the ffix soundtrack, ESPECIALLY THE BATTLE THEME, is unremarkable and generic huh :V

[@StewNWT]

total doofus

[@deadxolli]

The ending scene gets me everytime. 10/10 would cry again (and i do)

[@shadowvincent8718]

You know im really enjoying this arc of Gamingbrit making reviews on Final Fantasy games. Keep em coming dude.

[@Darkfawfulx]

Hope he does V I love that one.

[@gjg5789]

Any one not touched by the ending of ff9 has no soul and cannot be trusted.

[@WaifuRuns]

Love the content as always

[@WhatsUpFella]

Usually I’m on board with your reviews, but most of the criticisms I found baffling.

[@thequestbro]

Freya's story isn't half baked and ties into the themes of the game perfectly, man. What? Freya's husband doesn't know who she is. The one person who should love her more than anyone doesn't know about her, she is worse than dead, to that one person, she doesn't even exist.

[@jackwaite4035]

Eiko reminds me of my little sister, she’s so rambunctious and outspoken. Her and Quina are borderline hilarious at times and they it is so enjoyable to play through there story arcs and see how they interact with the world. I love this game, the new mods on PC really help with some of the critiques you mentioned here including combat.

[@erickvonengelwalten8568]

Well... At least this one is still preserved in time with all qualities and flaws, a Melody writen in time, a Memory being part of the Sky... Better than what FF7 has become with gloss lips soft boys with spiked hair, dressed on the last weirdo fashion, depressed, horny, flying and jumping on floating concrete debri piles over green diesel punk destroyed cities... and have seizures and pitch noises in the ear every ten seconds...

[@ThePonderer]

The pronunciation of Zidane and Garnet are taking me out.

[@Renne308]

Zidoon and Garnét

[@richardwilliams877]

Thank you for making this comment so I didn't have to! :D:D

[@marcybones64]

Hurts to hear you say that "cute art style" equates to "more disposable feeling" early on

[@TheGamingBritShow]

You have to take a step outside the accepted appreciation for these kind of more stylised works in enthusiast circles sometimes and remember that a shift towards the cutesy and the stylised in a series is often a signal to take what it's doing less seriously to broader demographics and it especially was when this game came out. It was definitely the preconception held by some about the game at the time it came out and even to this day, but what's cool is that its a preconception and presumption of intent the game plays around with well in its story.

[@springssprangyard8278]

​@@TheGamingBritShow Eh there might be some actual truth to that assesment (cuz of how the influence of other animated projects might have played on Square's quest for producing the best pre rendered cutscenes) but no matter where it comes from it's a pretty narrow minded one regardless, and it doesn't really make sense with the direction the franchise, and Square in general started going into. Just a swerve into another style whle other projects continued going into that new successful direction. In reality think FF7's shift in artstyle (which is also heavily stylized) could also be seen as just a concession in the way of broadening demographics and serving the rudimentary 3D of the early PS in portraying FF style chibi characters alike, and its success and influence make me think that's close to the truth as well lmao

[@CandidaRosa889]

I wanted to play Final Fantasy for the first time and chose 8 over 9 because the setting and art style appealed to me more. I don't immediately discount more stylized art like 9 as not being worth my time but I just couldn't get into the hard fantasy as much as the mix of 7/8 which probably had wider appeal back when they came out too.

[@TheGamingBritShow]

@@springssprangyard8278 I'm losing the thread of your point a bit with your comment on 10. They had something to prove by choosing the art style they did for 9, but I don't think that precluded them from continuing the more realistic look they left off with in 8 with 10. On the subject of 7, the assertion that it's just as stylised as 9 and therefore the art styles had no effect on 7 being more popular seems misguided. You have to look at the series progression. 7 while a mix of art styles from abstract to realistic was clearly moving towards realism rather than away compared to 6, with its battle sequences and some of the FMVs. Its most iconic scene is rendered with the more realistic body proportions, and I'm sure it would have looked a lot like 8's FMVs if their skills had been up to snuff by then. Also importantly, like its predecessors, 7's abstract characters in the exploratory sequences are implied to be stand ins for more literal version of the characters, while what's interesting about 9 is that it rejects this interpretation and precludes players from imagining them as idealised realistically proportioned characters. On release, 9 signaled to everyone it was moving away from realism, and 7 did the opposite. We all seem to be in agreement that negative, perhaps unfairly so, preconceptions about more childlike stylised characters exist so it seems odd to condemn this prevalent attitude while also trying to act like it played little part in 9 being less popular than 7, 8 or 10. If anything, in the review, I'm giving Square credit for making a potential negative reaction to the look thematically appropriate.

[@springssprangyard8278]

​@@TheGamingBritShow Hmmm I am a little lost myself, I didn't bring up X directly, perhaps you mean me saying "while other projects continued going in that direction" as a comment against it somehow? It's a pretty neutral statement, and exactly what you said, it's a pretty clear evolution of what 8 started, with Nomura's chara design moving further away from the anime aesthetic of 7 by this point Square having their own realistic human blueprint. See, about 7, another misunderstanding, I kinda said the opposite: as someone who watched people compare it to Dragon Ball when it was knew I know its artstyle played a big part in its success. When it released, anime was on the rise where I lived, and people saw more anime spiky hair than gripping realism in it... it is a stepping stone between the og characters and what 8 started. Good for the overworld characters having big cutesy eyes like the SNES sprites, as well as for the characters looking like cool anime heroes in the cutscenes and art. Doesn't that fit with your assesment on it? There's still a little abstraction between models and character designs, and the anime style, which yeah sure, is on paper more realistic than the cartoony pixar people of 9, is still something plenty stylized so, suitable for portrating both. When 8 came along, Nomura made the eyes smaller, the hairs less spiky, the outfits more sensible, and the anatomy of the characters less exaggerated. By the time of X, Square was producing some pretty impressive realistic humans with very little stylistic concessions... really, compare Barret's hulking giant arms to Wakka, or Yuffies cartoony duck face to Rikku's near photo perfect mug. Hell, don't forget stuff like Spirits Within too. I think there's still a bridge between 7 and those projects in terms of stylization. Less far from 9 than might be apparent, in my opinion. In a way, it did the exact same thing 5 and 6 did, except this time you never got to see Amano's watercolor venician people. He did art for 7-8-10 but you don't really get to see it in those projects like in the 6 portraits, ssssave for that iconic FF8 logo. He was more of a bonus in that era of FF. Anyways yeah sorry to ramble on and on, I think we overall agree, perhaps I didn't think much of this and had a bit of a kneejerk reaction to you just talking about public perception. Having just played Ogre Battle 64 and having FFTactics fresh, seeing how the themes of those games starring literal pre-rendered puppet people without noses (in both art and model hoh) make the mainline FF seem a little more idealistic and teenage friendly in comparison, I know those perceptions are like... just perceptions lmao

[@nathanielholzgrafe5274]

Great review. We disagree on many things but you express yourself and why you feel the way you do very well. Understandable, relatable take on the game. Really great.

[@mcdowlaz7050]

Accidentally humming the Ff6 battle theme is peak cinema

[@seankurkjian4096]

I love FF IX but I also appreciate that Sakaguchi and Uematsu consider it their magnum opus. At least last I checked.

[@thorinhannahs4614]

If that is their stance, then I am good with that.

[@Dimbark]

Excellent video through and through. Only part I disagree with is Garland's motivation -- his interest isn't in total genocide, but in a cosmically long scheme to replace the souls of Gaia with Terra. It requires some consideration for how the "cycle of life" functions in FF7. The scale of this plan makes it appear very much beyond the player, and gives Kuja's murder of Garland an absurd scale of drama.

[@EddDoubleDD]

your too harsh on the soundtrack yes the main things you hear playing are weaker than the past but there's many memorable and chill tracks throughout the entire thing

[@p.q.6503]

you always manage to put in clear writing things i feel during these games but cant describe. subscribed for life

[@TheAzulmagia]

I don't normally replay video games after finishing them, but I think I've replayed Final Fantasy IX about 17 times.

[@JackofBlades500]

I was just browsing through numerous channels I was following, by chance, I stumbled upon your latest video that just came out five minutes ago, and my eyes bulged out.

[@fakesmile172]

You touched on something that I've been thinking about for a while, the ability to change party members and/or their roles in the party. I find that when you're too lenient with that, characters feel less unique; classes exist for a reason. I feel FFVII and some of the newer Fire Emblem games fall into this trap.

[@Cloud-dt6xb]

Well I don't think having the freedom to customize your charachter to your liking is wrong just a different way to do it. However there's effectivness in having each charachter limited to one role too, in this game's case their class is deeply woven into their charachter arcs as they develop through the game, it also encourages a player to shuffle charachters around because if you negelct say Quina you'll suddenly find yourself in a very difficult situation against an extremely difficult boss, true story by the way.

[@Winland88]

While i loved materia system it lead to the point where every character was exactly same by the end of the game, only unique thing was their limit break and that meant you kinda wanted to pick ones with multi-hit limit breaks.

[@thorinhannahs4614]

I've always been a "tool for every job" guy. So when I can make my party pretty much whatever class whenever it really dampens my experience. Give me a guy that does a thing and does it really well. I like structured and rigid class/role systems.

[@HeadsetHistorian]

I thought the invincible's eye could only be activated on Eidolons, hence it not being used elsewhere. As for why it took thousands of years, my understanding was that the Iifa tree had limited capacity to process and souls were gradually fed to it, along with letting the population build up and now was the time for the final push.

[@Yiazmats]

I like when characters have a class like in FF9, because it adds to their characterization, there wouldn't be ff9 without classes, vivi wouldn't be this powerful being (capable of using black magic) that can be used as a weapon, Steiner the proud knight, garnet and Eiko the white mage summoners (from madden sari) that have rituals done to them to extract the summons, and Zidane the thief. I also love ff12 which is the opposite in terms of anyone being able to do anything, it makes me feel that gameplay has no effect on the story, feels weird having basch or balthier being the white mage of the team (if it is zodiac age, else everyone just does everything)

[@sirlcl4010]

If I recall correctly, the artwork on the discs was simply concept art for the characters that they slapped on there just for the heck of it. That was what I heard anyhow.

[@I-Rex232]

This is my favorit FF game, not a huge fan of the series but I played a few. I just love how positive and sincere this one feels

[@Mene0]

I liked your final outlook on the game's themes

[@Dzzy123]

IX is somewhere in my top 10 games of all time. I disagree with you on the OST, though. I must also say that I loved the cast overall, and that Kuja was a good villain. The parallels between him and Vivi were well done. I wonder if you'll return to IX once its rumoured remake is announced and released.

[@hcohic9884]

the background setting carries the game for me. the magical medieval look is from the combination of vibrant colors and earthy colors. the eerie sectionss remind me of digimons evil areas . the design of characters has that 90s troiyama aesthetics and proporations.

[@lichlame]

Great to see the FF videos continue. I greatly enjoy the way in which you cover these games.

[@lightlegion_]

You’re doing remarkable things with your content!

[@badassoverlordzetta]

Just... call her Dagger... or Sarah... anything but whatever shampoo product you're calling her lol

[@HYDRAdude]

He MUST be doing it on purpose.

[@thorinhannahs4614]

I am not bothered by it since I just call her Sarah.

[@AppleGreenmusic]

To call a battle theme generic because you can't remember how to vocalize it OoC is certainly a take.

[@Silentj04]

Objectively speaking the best way I could describe IX to the other games would be to describe it similar to OG resident evil 3 to resident evil 3. A Game made on a quicker shorter development cycle with not a lot of bells and whistles compared to the ones that came before it, but somehow still struck gold and made a very lasting impression on fans and that is they still highly regarded to this day

[@Rathial]

FF9 is my favorite game and VIvi is my favorite video game character period

[@Patrick-bn5rp]

Don't wanna be rude, but I wish you would have tried to apply a CRT filter to the game. The backgrounds aren't supposed to be sharp and fuzzy. It's designed to work with RCA cables (that blend pixels together) along with a CRT. And with a proper setup and downsample box and 2x resolution, the game is incredibly beautiful.

[@TheGamingBritShow]

I play the game on CRT myself, and without a filter and with the video uploaded in 4:3, people with crt screens are free to watch the video that way. A filter would ironically make it harder for crt viewers to see the video properly.

[@havoc7069]

Trying to emulate a CRT never works out in KZbin videos. The low bitrate mixed with the resolution of a viewers monitor/if they watch it without fullscreen really messes up the filter and makes it look far worse than just not using it imo.

[@snopdogofficial6369]

how rude!

[@MightyMurloc]

I've barely dipped a toe into Final Fantasy as a series, but I think ViVi was the first character I remember seeing art/stills from. And I've forever associated them with the series.

[@MMasterDE]

"Abstraction" in the "graphics" department... I don't know. It's an art style choice. A choice that both made it look like some of the best the console had to offer at the time while also aging very well. Simple and disposable??? What? Childish? This has to be you relating "cartoon" with "kids", because I don't really see anything inherently kiddy about any of it. Not the world, and definitely not it's topics. As for the OST, this is the composer's own favorite OST... I think a part of it has to be the more complete and coherent sound of all the tracks. It really puts you into a very different world, all feeling like it's that same world, while also doing so much different. I can agree that it's not always as well paced, at least there's some middle part where it goes a bit slower, but it's not for long and you usually get to explore the world then, do side content. The character development is some of the best in any game. You keep comparing it to FF7, which most of the time was just going to a new city to learn some tragic back story for a character in your party, and there being like 2-3 parts to each "drop". Very formulaic in this regard too. One thing with Vivi is his short life span, but all the challenges he faces and philosophical questions he has, they're in no way limited to anyone who is a "doll" in this game. It all applies to anyone who doesn't live forever, which is us all, it's just more imminent for Vivi. The thing with Zidane had nothing to do with those questions though, that was more his reaction to why he existed. The twist with Kuja at the end, I feel like they wanted to contrast it to Sephiroth. They have much of the same back story.

[@Dan1loBC]

At many points of this video I didn't know where you were going, but, in the end, this is a perfectly fair review. You highlight relevant positive points while also drawing attention to weak points of the game. Although I disagree with some topics, like the battle soundtrack, you really nailed down the main parts of the story. It's a game with a simple story, but captivating environment and ideas, while not being as serious as previous entries. I love the characters, the art style, the soundtrack and the chemistry of the characters, even if this isn't the perfect or deepest game.

[@DigimontamerB]

My introduction, AND favorite.

[@felman87]

I can totally agree with you on the game early on being pretty rigid in terms of party composition. I get that the story flows that way and wouldn't alter it. It would have been better if there were more flexibility within classes. Maybe a subclass that allows Zidane to turn from a thief to maybe a doctor, a class that allows him to use knives and white magic but in exchange, he can't use the double-bladed type weapons. Or Steiner goes from Knight to Paladin, that gives him the cover ability automatically without having to equip it along with the chakra spell that Amarant has, but also he no longer can use Vivi's sword magic. That way you have a bit of give-and-take in regards to changing up party composition.

[@OfficialRaveBlitz]

YOOOOO MY BOY GAMINGBRIT REVIEWING MY FAVORITE FF GAME! LET'S GOOOO!

[@AirDavy01]

Nothing could have prepared me for the way you pronounce Zidane and Garnet lol 😅

[@KeeBlade]

Garne, Amethys, aaand Pear

[@bluecoin3771]

Crap, I can’t watch this review because I haven’t played it yet.

[@Cloud-dt6xb]

Way to undersell 9 dude alot of this strikes me as you just nitpicking or not paying attention. The big one I'll focus on is the Zidane twist, it is not lazy it's hinted at alot throughout the game and does make you rexamine those moments once you know the reveal. The hinting is not done just through Zidane but the other charachters too. Garland's ship the invincible is responsible for destroying Garnet's orignal home and her parents, Kuja knows far more about mist and the summoners than he let's on at first. As soon as Garland hijacks the Invincible Kuja knows who it is, he has a facination with Zidane every time they encounter each other. In the Iifa tree nothing activates until Zidane interacts with it, Zidane is also the only one who can read and understand the stuff at Ovliert among the party. When he goes into trance mode it's very different from everyone else's. I could go on and on but the point is the clues are there and for someone as anayltical as you to have missed them is shocking quite frankly. Also Garland's ship needs souls to activate it's beam this is explained in dialogue I'm pretty sure within his very first scene in fact though it has been a bit since I've replayed 9. I'm not saying 9 is a flawless game but I view it as the second best game in the series for a reason.

[@Senumunu]

FF9 was really not made for this kind of guy. the game is so much more than its parts but it only works if you resonate from minute 1. a jaded "analyst" is so far removed from the experience the devs created here, he will never get it. ofc you can objectively evaluate the game. but in this case such a review has little to no value. it reminds me a little of the star wars prequels. universally panned by the "analysts" for years. but over time they kept resonating with the younger audiences. (i was one of them, as i watched it as a teenager) and today they have left such a big impact on the culture that it even overshadows the original trilogy. the snobs still hate them but even they have to break wood for them now and play devils advocate.

[@kingofthesharks]

Even if Necron represents something relevant (death, mortality, ending, etc), he/it still should've been set up more in some form, lore, or dialogue. Actual characters are supposed to embody themes and arcs anyway, and I find it weird to just personify a theme into a humanoid god for the sake of an epic end-of-story battle (not necessary since Kuja exists). FF9 is far from the only JRPG to do this and it always puzzles me when actual developed villains are practically usurped at the last minute by a thematic deity. Game is still very charming though.

[@Jose-se9pu]

I think it was intended, "death" can come at any time and at any place.

[@springssprangyard8278]

I kkkind of got the impression Necron was that same soulcage thing you fight in the Iifa tree, or at least related to it. And if he wasn't, he should have lmao. Game's too vague about it.

[@HYDRAdude]

I think it's just a broader call back to how in earlier JRPGs it was a trope to have the characters fight against "god" as the final boss. It also plays into the game's motif of the stage play and drama genre, where themes like "fate" and such were often given personifications and treated as deus ex machina.

[@nathninetyone]

Brit, what's with the pronunciations?

[@TheNoMoreGamer]

To this day still the best FF. Fight me. Edit: poor take on the music, could not disagree more

[@Jose-se9pu]

Nobody is fighting you.

[@smallBrainsPeckersEgos]

Happy to see everyone calling out this, it's a legendary soundtrack

[@GIR177]

Literally the highest rated game in the series on Metacritic but OK

[@TheNoMoreGamer]

@ there’s always a few dissenters lurking in the dark… and when they pop out they can fight me

[@Al-ji4gd]

I actually like the music and the artstyle, but as a game this was kind of a disappointment to me. I realised after playing through a ton of PS1 era JRPGs, that I probably just don't like the genre. Although, I did really enjoy the PS2 Final Fantasy games, so, it might be something else entirely.

[@lostzephyr2191]

Wow, TGBS reviewing my favorite and first Final Fantasy out of the blue? Very cool.

[@tres4dayz]

You're a legend for making this video Thank you very much

[@younesakdah1803]

Its a Good thing I waited 25 years, your review has absolutely convinced me to finally go play it. Thanks! Edit: After hearing those pronunciations think I'll just shoot my ears off.

[@Hoopryfien]

Holy shit he's covering the best final fantasy!!

[@pryanik1337]

@@Hoopryfien it isn't abou FF12 tho

[@inika3]

@@pryanik1337 hell yeah. I fucking love FF12

[@DiegoRodriguez-dw7pv]

He already talked about VII though

[@BlackWingGenesis]

This is the most negative and scathing review of final fantasy 9 I've ever seen. It sounds like it was written by an AI without an heart or soul.

[@qur1578]

While i disagree with a lot of your points, it is interesting to hear a very different opinion on the game. I still think it's the best of the ps1 titles and overall a top 3 Final Fantasy game (honestly probably #1 for me even if it's not my personal favorite)

[@HYDRAdude]

You seriously need to get your ears checked if you genuinely think FFIX's OST isn't one of the best in the entire franchise.

[@StewNWT]

no kidding this idiot just ruined his whole video with that single comment

[@thorinhannahs4614]

Black Mage Village. That song has the "funk" and is just very good. Sure Dancing Mad and One Winged Angel exist, but Black Mage Village is just a treat every single time.

[@giuseppeparry1365]

The Kiseki Nut also reviewed this recently. I like how more people are talking about this game at the moment. As I said on his review, this manages to both the funniest and most emotional FF game at the same time.

[@Rakka5]

Shoutout to Moguri mod, the creator of this mod basically did a better job at a remaster than Square ever did. It's basically mandatory at this point.

[@daminit6]

Calling an AI made texture pack MANDATORY is insane, seek help

[@Rakka5]

@@daminit6 At least try to be informed about the topic before shittalking. The upscaling base was done by AI which was then MANUALLY touched up for EVERY SINGLE screen. It also goes way way beyond the texture upscaling.

[@Vashkey]

I'm shocked. I was under the impression you only had interest in the games that had style at the forefront lol. The worst part though is despite loving it I never did beat IX. My save file went corrupt on disc 4 and I just havent been able to bring myself to start over yet

[@VibinWithBrian231]

The weird pronunciations of the character names immediately brought me out of the experience. Yikes.

[@pumpkinhead4426]

Started playing the Final Fantasy games with 4. Just finished it. Great game. Hope you cover them! Can't wait to watch this video in pffffff 2 years when I play 5 6 7 8 and 9.

[@StewNWT]

FFIV is the best one!

[@doomdimensiondweller5627]

Great video, FF9 to me is the best rounded final Fantasy game. Obviously other FF games take more risk and reach higher heights but FF9 sticks to the classics and does it well. I loved your FF13 video .

[@GuillotineGirlie]

Did he call Garnet… Garnét?

[@everyonesidol9731]

One thing I hate about the game is how slow the ATB bar is. Even at the highest setting, it moves like molasses.

[@NaturesFlame]

Easily ruined the game for me. I'll watch a playthrough any day of the week, but the idea of actually _playing_ it again fills me with dread. Easily some of the worst gameplay in the series this far. But it's pretty and has good music, so I guess it's bad game design gets a pass from most people.

[@EmotionTheory]

I play with Moguri mod on PC. There’s a turn based option, 100% steal rate, widescreen, HD backgrounds, and more. This with the PC cheats like no-encounters make it a joy to play and re-experience the story.

[@elloofficer]

gamingbrit is from England, yet pronounces each character's name in a queer way @4:28 . Zidawn? Garnay? @15:40 Bulmicia? (burmecia) @18:50 Keyna? Good video though, loved this game as a kid.

[@AHamSan]

Thought the same thing!

[@spinsolar]

That is actually the correct way to pronounce Zidane.

[@escape209]

None of those are English names though

[@mariokarter13]

FF9 is probably the last "traditional" Final Fantasy.

[@VincenzoMGREX]

What about X?

[@OldEnemy1]

FFX is probably traditional in terms of mechanics since it’s actually turn based unlike 4-8 which were imbued with real time elements via the ATB system.

[@Nigel222]

I actually beat this for first time a few weeks ago. I played the first hour or 2 as a kid but hated the character designs compared to 7 and 8 so I actually returned it to the shop at the time. But after beating it a few weeks ago I really enjoyed it.

[@OneTrueNobody]

North American copies did have a few of those realistically-proportioned illustrations on, like, the back of the manual and inside of the case. Young Me always found it a little mystifying, seeing Zidane and Garnet drawn like actual people. Didn't know about Yoshitaka Amano being the illustrator back then, of course. Even when the games are realistic, his illustrations are never quite accurate to the characters in the actual games.

[@OneTrueNobody]

Necron is a weird narrative beat, yeah, but he's also kind of a throwback. It's more or less the kind of final boss Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V had, and maybe Final Fantasy III? I dunno, never finished it.

[@spinsolar]

0:22 the way he named the FF1 party XD

[@attaxiaffxi7033]

I can’t believe you managed to pronounce every MC name wrong 😮

[@thorinhannahs4614]

Everyone is caught up on Garnet, but I am caught up on Quina. That was my "wait, how did you just say that?" Moment.

[@Azure029]

FF9 MY GOATTTTTT

[@BobExcalibur]

The tone o this review might mislead a newcomer into assuming this game doesn't feature multiple mass murder events.

[@WinspearUltima]

Easily the best final fantasy game in my opinion I love it. If you haven’t heard of this game…….. you are missing out on peak

[@Senumunu]

This game looked so much better on the ps1 with a CRT screen upscaling the image creates all these weird edges and smoothing that out makes the game look more plastic

[@penshinon59]

Funny how opinions work, I've always thought FF13's battle theme was the most generic, boring thing imaginable, and sometimes I even get 7 and 8's confused, but this game's is bar none my fav one. It's got so many emotions which flow into each other, unlike 13's, with those 2 very different parts than don't have anything to do with each other. Hmm.

[@AT7outof10]

I, personally think all battle themes having that same intro is charming; 9's is very silly and toylike, it really reflects the artstyle.

[@TeddyIV_777]

Final Fantasy IX final scene ruined by Coca Cola 🤭

[@thebigcroll7474]

My favorite one, great video as always