Final Fantasy IX - Does it get any better?

[Tremagus]

So I was gifted some Nintendo eShop credit a few months ago and I finally decided to throw it down on FFIX. It's one of the few FF mainline FF games I haven't beaten and I figured this was as best time as ever to give it a shot. However, I've reached Lindblum, gone shopping, done lots of talking, seen a bunch of Active Time Events, and I feel like I haven't really "played" much.

Does it pick up? I always loved fighting monsters, fighting through dungeons, taking out bosses, but holy cow, there is so much talking in this game that I just can't will myself to pick up the Switch and play it when I don't know if the next hour or so is just going to be more talking.

Please, someone tell me it gets better!

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

it does, but if you're that unenthusiastic about it already I don't know if it will matter enough

 

[Weltall Zero]

If anything, FFIX is famous for its strong opening hours, so if you're not enjoying it by now, I don't think you'll change your mind later.

 

[jb1234]

You'll definitely get more of what you want. But I'd start getting invested more in the story too because the dialog certainly doesn't let up further in the game.

 

[kurahador]

Complaining about talking in a jrpg.

 

[TheDanimal]

If anything, FFIX is famous for its strong opening hours, so if you're not enjoying it by now, I don't think you'll change your mind later.

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Ah shoot, I probably put about 4 hours into this game a few months ago and it just didn't grab me. I was hoping to come back to it eventually but if this is true, then ehhh

 

[WarAdept]

I feel personally attacked.

Yes you will get exactly what you want, and then some more.

 

[Poppy]

lindblum is basically where the game starts, i would give it a few more hours and see

at least, you're not as railroaded as you are from the opening through dali

me, i'm happy just playing chocobo hot and cold in the first forest until i get 20,000 points

 

[LazyLain]

If anything, FFIX is famous for its strong opening hours, so if you're not enjoying it by now, I don't think you'll change your mind later.

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My thoughts exactly.

I haven't beaten any of the PS1-era FFs, but IX by far had the most compelling opening out of all of 'em.

 

['3y Kingdom]

The beginning is the best part in most respects. The plot goes off the rails in later discs.

 

[hank_tree]

The first disc is rough and the combat is slow and unresponsive for the entire game.

 

[Pankratous]

Complaining about talking in a jrpg.

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Yeah lol, what the hell

 

[No Depth]

The characters, events, and scenario play a large role in how well it has been received. You'll get fights, but if the scenario or players aren't intriguing you, then you would do well to play something else.

Give it another chance when patience and/or curiosity is on the content, not because of internet relevance.

 

[julia crawford]

If you don't like the talking... bruh... this game is the talking...

The first disc is rough and the combat is slow and unresponsive for the entire game.

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Slow I understand but unresponsive? Unless the hd versions are different, the menuing is very competent and the ATB is fairly easy to understand. It's not unresponsive at all.

 

[Disclaimer]

Not only does it pick up, it picks up right after Lindblum.

 

[PenultimateFantasy]

No.it doesn't. Stop playing now, play anything else.
FFIX was the gs,e that put le off jrpgs for life.

 

[skeezx]

guess it depends on your history with FF. it's basically Final Fantasy qua Final Fantasy, if you like any of the other games you'll probably like it by default

i do think it gets held on a pedastal on virtue of being the most unoffensive entry to fan sensibilities. so if you listen too much about how it's the greatest thing ever then yeah, i wouldn't expect that

 

[Aleh]

After Lindblum you get a ton more gameplay freedom and side content so keep going on

Ah shoot, I probably put about 4 hours into this game a few months ago and it just didn't grab me. I was hoping to come back to it eventually but if this is true, then ehhh

Click to shrink...

Not necessarily, the game gets very different as you go on so you might as well prefer the later parts compared to people who love the first parts

 

[BigWinnie1]

So I was gifted some Nintendo eShop credit a few months ago and I finally decided to throw it down on FFIX. It's one of the few FF mainline FF games I haven't beaten and I figured this was as best time as ever to give it a shot. However, I've reached Lindblum, gone shopping, done lots of talking, seen a bunch of Active Time Events, and I feel like I haven't really "played" much.

Does it pick up? I always loved fighting monsters, fighting through dungeons, taking out bosses, but holy cow, there is so much talking in this game that I just can't will myself to pick up the Switch and play it when I don't know if the next hour or so is just going to be more talking.

Please, someone tell me it gets better!

Click to shrink...

The Begining of the game is so important to the rest of the game that I feel personally attacked by you about this lol

Also its just bosses back to back, there is a lot of complex shit happening in that game for most of the characters and if you just burn through the talking your gonna miss the story.

 

[wow_bob_wow]

My thoughts exactly.

I haven't beaten any of the PS1-era FFs, but IX by far had the most compelling opening out of all of 'em.

Click to shrink...

Respectfully disagree. IX's is good, but VII's is masterclass. The opening segment defines the story's themes, stakes, and antagonists perfectly.

 

[BigWinnie1]

guess it depends on your history with FF. it's basically Final Fantasy qua Final Fantasy, if you like any of the other games you'll probably like it by default

i do think it got held on a pedestal over the years on virtue of being the most unoffensive entry to fan sensibilities. so if you listen too much about how it's the greatest thing ever then yeah, i wouldn't expect that

Click to shrink...

It also has one of the better endings that I love.

 

[Sawyer]

If you didn't like that opening there's no helping you.
Quit, it's not for you.

 

[Professor Beef]

If you haven't liked it by the time you reach Lindblum, then yeah it's not for you at that point.

 

[Chainshada]

I'm not a big fan of IX, but I thought it's opening was pretty strong..so if you don't like it by say the 12th hour, it's probably not for you.

 

[Mackmannen]

I was i shambles at the end credits.
Easy top 5 JRPG ever made.

 

[Deleted member 12833]

Disc 1 is the best part of the game. The game is a damn slog though

 

[IDreamOfHime]

The first disc is rough and the combat is slow and unresponsive for the entire game.

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None of these apply to the switch version 😂

 

[Donniewahlberg]

Definitely should drop it op. The opening of FFIX up to where you're at is probably my favourite of any jrpg I've played, I'd consider it extremely strong (the entire first disc in fact).

If you aren't digging it now, I'd cut my losses and play something that excites me, these games are too long to drag yourself through if you're having no fun.

 

[LazyLain]

Respectfully disagree. IX's is good, but VII's is masterclass. The opening segment defines the story's themes, stakes, and antagonists perfectly.

Click to shrink...

On paper, sure... VII's intro does everything right. In practice though, it left me colder than liquid nitrogen.

 

[Sawyer]

It's considered one of the best openers to a JRPG. Whimsical and theatrical.
The theater ship flying into the castle. If this doesn't charm you... like there's no point in playing.

 

[akasha]

The game is frankly completely linear, good, polished storytelling. You can grind abilities but the emphasis is not on optimization and fighting, and the final bosses are pretty unfairly balanced so you may end up having to use the cheats anyway. If you don't enjoy the dialogues and the characters yet it is really not for you. The combat system is the worst among the FFs I've finished (4, 6, 7, 9, 10), and there are virtually no good subquests or longer dungeons.

But all this didn't matter for me in the end. I would recommend to take it for what it is - an interactive story with some JRPG elements sprinkled in-between - as there are some beautifully deep moments and it also has much more humor than the other FFs. Vivi is a great character, I get all emotional just thinking about him - but all of them have some deeper existential questions going on. You may learn a thing or two about philosophy from the story.

 

[feyder]

FF9 is my favourite in the series, but if you've reached Lindblum and aren't too thrilled, you likely won't care for the rest either tbh

 

[Yerffej]

Wow

 

[Tremagus]

Just to clarify, I don't hate any of the characters or the world itself, but it seems like the majority of what I've been doing is just lightly getting those characters from talking scene to talking scene. The only battles I've done was in the forest when the airship crashed and in the Ice Caverns. I even grinned for a while there just to change the pace.

I've played every FF except 2, , and 8 so I am quite familiar with JRPG's and especially what FF is all about, but this one just seems like a slow burn and I'm not opposed to it. I was just curious if I was going to have to wait to get to more of what I loved about the series.

Thank you for everyone giving me the info I need! I'll definitely keep pressing on.

 

[Taruranto]

The first two discs are the best part of the game. Though I'm not sure how FFIX has "too much talking", I find the script rather good and doesn't lose itself in pointless exposition or repetitions.

 

[Perzeval]

I just joined the party to cast curaga on OP.

 

[ChaserX]

I guess I'm one of few who thinks the second half of the game is better than the first.

 

[Woozies]

The responses to this thread are weird.

The op is asking if the amount of fighting and boss battles pick up after lindblum and everyone is talking about the opening segment as if the OP is asking about the story when he's clearly not.


To actually answer the OPs

After lindblum it's basically a nonstop cycle of fight after fight after fight until the end of disc 1, op.

 

[Dernhelm]

Off of the top of my head, I can't recall much of anything in the plot that is going to convince you to keep going OP, but a fair bit more map exploration and a couple of interesting bosses. Shame, it is still my favourite game of all time, but any chance it had to grab you passed hours ago in game.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

There's an ability you basically need to beat one of the end game bosses, and it ruined one of my playthroughs because i had no backup save.
If you get far into it make sure you save a bunch and not be cocky like I was :'(

 

[Dogui]

If you consider stuff like FFIX to have "so much talking", keep your distance from Xenogears/Saga, Persona or Trails. Or most jrpgs ftm. It's like playing a shooter and complaining there's so much shootings.

 

[JooJ]

I tried to like it because everyone on the internet seems to love it. Had played back in the day, replayed it last year.

What a snooze. Game text drags on forever with barely any gameplay. Battle is slow and lacks any depth. Story really takes a nosedive after 2/3 in unless you like convoluted animu tropes. Had to use all the cheats on the ps4 so I could finish it.

 

[Moogle]

I've played every FF except 2, , and 8

Click to shrink...

You said you're in it for dungeons and bosses? Get you that FF8 remaster.

 

[Medica II]

Nope, it is by far one of the worst modern final fantasy games. 12 might be the only one that's worse.

The internet has a hard-on for it because there's this weird minority of extremely vocal FF fans who think the series should never stray at all from traditional high fantasy aesthetics and trash every game in the series that does, so 9 has become extremely overrated over the years as a result.

 

[Isayas]

I didn't know that FFIX considered to have a strong opening?

Anyways since you don't like it now then the game ain't for you.

 

[Dr.Ifto]

I recently played this game to get platinum, and wrote the guide on PSNProfiles to get all the trophies quickly.

The game has a very minimal story. You can get through it in like 6 hours without the speed boost. Its a very basic, but actually very good story. I loved every minute played. I just think they were rushed to get this out cause they wanted the teams to move on to FFX. Its in my top 5, but the story does lack. The pieces dont really come into play until the 4th disk.

 

[Isayas]

I recently played this game to get platinum, and wrote the guide on PSNProfiles to get all the trophies quickly.

The game has a very minimal story. You can get through it in like 6 hours without the speed boost. Its a very basic, but actually very good story. I loved every minute played. I just think they were rushed to get this out cause they wanted the teams to move on to FFX. Its in my top 5, but the story does lack. The pieces dont really come into play until the 4th disk.

Click to shrink...

Bro, FFIX and FFX team are completely different.


FFX project began in 1999 and FFIX was in full development by then

 

[No42.05W70.2]

It's one of the few FF mainline FF games I haven't beaten
I feel like I haven't really "played" much.
holy cow, there is so much talking in this game

Click to shrink...

 

[Dr.Ifto]

Bro, FFIX and FFX team are completely different.


FFX project began in 1999 and FFIX was in full development by then

Click to shrink...

Doesnt matter if you need the team to roll off to a new game. The game was quickly made. I bet you can find a lot of FF9's team members also on FFX in the credits. The game was rushed, and you can tell with the minimal story.

 

[Bitanator]

I recently played this game to get platinum, and wrote the guide on PSNProfiles to get all the trophies quickly.

The game has a very minimal story. You can get through it in like 6 hours without the speed boost. Its a very basic, but actually very good story. I loved every minute played. I just think they were rushed to get this out cause they wanted the teams to move on to FFX. Its in my top 5, but the story does lack. The pieces dont really come into play until the 4th disk.

Click to shrink...

FFIX is anything but rushed. The story is not even that minimal? That would also have no bearing on if a game was rushed or not, that is just indicative of what the dev wanted the game to be, it is a very classic call back to the early games, and still is a hefty 30+ hour campaign.

Guys BOTW story is very minimal, game was rushed!