FINAL FANTASY IX

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 16 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
FINAL FANTASY IX Game Cover
Outstanding! The modern ports of Final Fantasy IX are a great way to play the game, despite a few technical shortcomings that weren’t present in the original.
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Experience the adventure once again with characters and pre-rendered movies featured in high definition, as well as a new booster system with a selection of various modes such as "high speed" or "no encounters"!

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 16 reviews
story3 positive mentions
graphics1 negative mentions
  • Final Fantasy IX features memorable characters, a whimsical story, and deep character customization, making it a classic JRPG experience.
  • The game holds up well with quality of life improvements, such as auto-save and boosts that respect the player's time.
  • Despite its age, the core strengths of world-building and storytelling remain flawless, making it a must-experience for fans of the genre.
  • The port suffers from technical issues, including blurry backgrounds, audio bugs, and a new UI that some players find unappealing.
  • The price point is considered steep for a 20-year-old game that lacks significant upgrades.
  • New players may find the game too obtuse and archaic compared to more modern RPGs.
  • story6 mentions

    The story of Final Fantasy IX is praised for its memorable characters, whimsical narrative, and strong world-building, despite some design elements feeling outdated. Reviewers highlight the depth of character customization and the engaging side quests, alongside a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While the PS4 port could offer more enhancements, the core storytelling and character development remain exceptional.

    • “Although you could argue that the PS4 port should do more to enhance the experience, the adventure's core strengths in world building and storytelling remain, and they're as flawless as ever.”
    • “Great characters that are fleshed out and developed, fantastic story, ability system makes characters unique, a lot of side quests and content, outstanding music.”
    • “Memorable characters, a wacky (and somewhat meandering) story, deep character customization, and plenty of incredible environments certainly help make a case for why Final Fantasy IX deserves a spot on your Switch’s SD card, even if some elements of this game’s design have aged like milk.”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its great soundtrack and contribution to the overall experience, enhancing the story and character development. However, some users have reported bugs and looping issues that detract from the enjoyment, with concerns about whether these will be addressed in future updates. Overall, while the music is a highlight, technical issues remain a point of contention.

    • “Great soundtrack, quality of life improvements help the pacing tremendously, strong story and characters.”
    • “Great characters that are fleshed out and developed, fantastic story, ability system makes characters unique, a lot of side quests and content, outstanding music.”
    • “The new UI is a little gross, and the music still has some bugs, which is oddly expensive.”
    • “Curiously, this music looping issue was also found in the PS4 ports of Final Fantasy VII and X, despite the latter being a PS2 game.”
    • “It is unclear when or if Square will ever address this issue, minor as it may be, since only Final Fantasy X was patched to correct its music glitch.”
  • gameplay2 mentions

    Gameplay reviews highlight a mixed experience, noting improvements like optional features to address slow battles and random encounters, but also point out persistent issues such as fuzzy backgrounds, input lag affecting minigames, and a less effective battle system. Overall, while some enhancements have been made, technical shortcomings continue to detract from the experience.

    • “Previous criticisms regarding the slow battle system and the inability to reduce or disable random encounters are now addressed with optional additions to gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay offers a mix of strategic elements and engaging mechanics that keep players invested.”
    • “The inclusion of optional features enhances the overall gameplay experience, allowing for a more tailored approach.”
    • “Backgrounds are still fuzzy, and the full 360 movement of the original was lost. The battle system can be a bit slow at times, and input lag can make some minigames a chore.”
    • “Previous criticisms regarding the slow battle system and the inability to reduce or disable random encounters have been addressed with optional additions to gameplay, but the port suffers in other areas, particularly with blurry backgrounds and slight lag in menus.”
    • “The battle system is still slow, and the input lag can make some minigames frustrating to play.”
  • graphics1 mentions

    The graphics of this PS1 classic receive mixed reviews, with some noting that the graphical upgrades are inconsistent; however, many are impressed by how well the game has aged overall.

    • “While the graphical upgrade is a bit of a mixed bag, it’s amazing just how well this PS1 classic holds up.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

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