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Should i get FF8 or FF9? Worth it at 50% ?

Alastor3

Alastor3

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
8,297
I feel like they are asking a lot of money for a port, even at 50% (13$ CAD), but since they are the only FF i didn't do, there's nothing i can change.

Im looking for the one with the best story amd characters. I know nothing about the games beside 8 have a gunblade and 9 looks like chibi characters.
 
Kinsei

Kinsei

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
20,638
IX has the better story, gameplay, and characters. VIII is still good though, and has one of the greatest side modes in gaming, triple triad.
 

rude

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,812
8 is truly horrendous with its saving graces being Squall, Laguna and the music. Story is simply HORRID and it has one of the worst supporting casts in the franchise.

9 is a masterpiece. Buy it.
 
Nikokuno

Nikokuno

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Jul 22, 2019
762
9 the goat. Even if there are port, there are games and you never experience them before, what are you expecting... Buy those bloody games.
 
aiswyda

aiswyda

Member
Aug 11, 2018
3,093
Both games are fun. I think 9 is overhyped personally and liked 8 much more, but it's really up to your personal preference. 8 certainly has a more interesting battle system imo.
 
Dark Knight

Dark Knight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,401
FF9 is fantastic. You call them chibis but I think it's going for more of a cartoon/story book fantasy look than any kind of anime-chibi thing you might have in mind. Seriously, the art style is brilliant and incredibly inspired.

8 is great too.
 
JCal

JCal

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,368
Los Alfheim
Both are really good games. VIII has a steeper initial learning curve, but then becomes an enjoyable breeze once you figure it all out. That might take a bit. IX is your standard rpg affair, you just have to pay attention to the items you equip on the characters.

Idk. Flip a coin lol. Or just buy VIII. ;)
 
Sterling's Gold

Sterling's Gold

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,443
Alastor3 said:
Im looking for the one with the best story amd characters.
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VIII has some intriguing plot ideas and an interesting world with great aesthetics, but it largely ends up somewhat incoherent. Also a hilariously bad twist in the back half. I like Squall as a protag, but the rest of the cast is woefully underdeveloped.

IX has a plot that is largely a remix of elements from previous games in the series, but it is wrapped in a very charming package, with enough of its own identity to be worthwhile. The real star of the show is the cast. Best in the series imo with a great mix of personalities and motivations with mostly strong arcs. IX has wonderful writing overall with strong character voicing and text that is overflowing with heart and humor. A masterpiece of the genre.
 
OP
OP
Alastor3

Alastor3

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
8,297
Thanks guy, i'll get 9 instead of 8 or Ni No Kuni 2.
 
Wazzy

Wazzy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,070
This is mostly going to be a thread of posters shitting on one game while praising the other so don't expect many to actually help you.

What kind of setting do you prefer? A more modern sci-fi style or medieval? Do you prefer a traditional RPG or something unique? Do you like more fantasy/cartoonish characters or realistic? The soundtracks are very different too.

What you prefer from what I posted will help determine which to choose.
 
Dark_Castle

Dark_Castle

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,147
If you must pick one only, FFIX no question. FFVIII is still worth playing and you should go back to it in the future.
 
OP
OP
Alastor3

Alastor3

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
8,297
Wazzy said:
This is mostly going to be a thread of posters shitting on one game while praising the other so don't expect many to actually help you.

What kind of setting do you prefer? A more modern sci-fi style or medieval? Do you prefer a traditional RPG or something unique? Do you like more fantasy/cartoonish characters or realistic? The soundtracks are very different too.

What you prefer from what I posted will help determine which to choose.
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Click to shrink...
I prefer something unique, coherent. I dont have any preference in term of graphic, setting beside good writing (which, i know, can be hard to find in games sometimes)

If you have any other rpg in mind, let me know
 
Wazzy

Wazzy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,070
Alastor3 said:
I prefer something unique, coherent. I dont have any preference in term of graphic, setting beside good writing (which, i know, can be hard to find in games sometimes)

If you have any other rpg in mind, let me know
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I try to separate my bias in this case since I vastly prefer VIII in almost every aspect.

As a safe option when it comes to writing I think you'll prefer IX to VIII. VIII has a great story and cast but the game is heavily reliant on players interest in exploring and interacting with the world and NPC's. The game even has scene differences depending on choices made earlier that offer more information and background to characters. It's got a massive focus on making the system, world and story connect together so while the main story still makes sense on it's own it doesn't always come across fully without that level of interaction outside it.

IX DOES have it's moments of bad writing(I would say most FF games do) but the majority of the game isn't overly complex or nonsensical so it definitely is easier for people to find more coherent than VIII.

When it comes to battle systems IX is as traditional as you get. Armor/weapon system, leveling makes you stronger and grinding is a thing if you want to overpower fights. VIII is more unique in that enemies scale to your parties average level and magic is acquired by drawing from enemies or refining items into spells. There isn't a traditional armour system but instead spells link to character stats and boost them similar to equipping armor. Same with elemental and debuff protections.

I do think you should eventually try both but right now I understand it's down to wanting only one at the moment so if anything here interests you grab what you think sounds best.

By the way, I don't know if soundtracks are important to you when it comes to a new game but if it is you should definitely listen to a few tracks from both and see which style you like more. They both are very different. We could also link some here if you don't want to search in fear of spoilers.

Edit: Also for a recommedation play Tactics Ogre đź‘€
 
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Exede

Exede

Banned
Feb 8, 2019
650
8 is the better game, never got hooked playing 9. And 8 comes with Triple Triad the best FF minigame of the entire series
 
Blade30

Blade30

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,648
I like both (ff8 was my first final fantasy game) but I'd go with FF9, the cast, story and gameplay are better.
 
MPrza

MPrza

Member
Oct 30, 2017
239
I played both around their original release dates. I liked 8 better. It's card game is better (9s card game became too convoluted and complex to be enjoyable). And if anyone remembers the prima guide for FFix, that turned me off to it as well. Not just for the fact that the guide itself was garbage {it was a paid glorified ad for that playonline crap}, but also because it revealed that you had to speed run the game to get the best weapon for one of your characters. I hate, HATE, crap like that in my games.
 
Bradford

Bradford

terminus est
Member
Aug 12, 2018
5,423
Skip FF8. Buy and play FF9 immediately. IX is literally one of the best in the series, if not the best non-MMO mainline entry. 8 is incoherent poorly wriiten trash even in the original Japanese and including supplemental materials.
 
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carlsojo

carlsojo

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 28, 2017
34,061
San Francisco
8 is incredible and has in my opinion the best story of any of the final fantasies.

IX is the better RPG I think but the story is a few levels worse than 8.
 
sredgrin

sredgrin

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,276
I've replayed a decent chunk of both recently.



9 is a throwback, and most of the battle and levelling systems are more traditional. That sadly means for like a huge chunk of the game everything is kinda boring and easy, with the biggest challenge being if you want to be patient enough to steal all the good items off a boss. Story wise it's more traditional, and to me only really excels when it comes to Vivi. Kuja is an AWFUL villain. I remembered disliking him on release but on replay, good lord is he boring and one note.

8 has more interesting (if convoluted) systems. It's story and characters have some good highs but some big lows. It also has a sense of weirdness and cool shit to stumble upon that IX doesn't really get until the final section / disc of the game. I dunno, I think an interesting failure (though that is probably too strong a term) is more compelling to me these days than things that attempt to be throwbacks.
 
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.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,344
Does the new console port of FF9 have a speed-up toggle or something? Like in FF12 TZA. I tried playing the PS1 classic years ago, and even though I really liked the characters and art, it was so painfully slow. I don't know people played it back in the day.
 
sredgrin

sredgrin

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,276
daxy said:
Does the new console port of FF9 have a speed-up toggle or something? I tried playing the PS1 classic and even though I really liked the characters and art, it was so painfully slow. I don't know people played it back in the day.
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Does on PC at least, think it does on console too.

I want to say X is the only one that doesn't have the speed up on some platforms but does on others.
 
OP
OP
Alastor3

Alastor3

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
8,297
Wazzy said:
I try to separate my bias in this case since I vastly prefer VIII in almost every aspect.

As a safe option when it comes to writing I think you'll prefer IX to VIII. VIII has a great story and cast but the game is heavily reliant on players interest in exploring and interacting with the world and NPC's. The game even has scene differences depending on choices made earlier that offer more information and background to characters. It's got a massive focus on making the system, world and story connect together so while the main story still makes sense on it's own it doesn't always come across fully without that level of interaction outside it.

IX DOES have it's moments of bad writing(I would say most FF games do) but the majority of the game isn't overly complex or nonsensical so it definitely is easier for people to find more coherent than VIII.

When it comes to battle systems IX is as traditional as you get. Armor/weapon system, leveling makes you stronger and grinding is a thing if you want to overpower fights. VIII is more unique in that enemies scale to your parties average level and magic is acquired by drawing from enemies or refining items into spells. There isn't a traditional armour system but instead spells link to character stats and boost them similar to equipping armor. Same with elemental and debuff protections.

I do think you should eventually try both but right now I understand it's down to wanting only one at the moment so if anything here interests you grab what you think sounds best.

By the way, I don't know if soundtracks are important to you when it comes to a new game but if it is you should definitely listen to a few tracks from both and see which style you like more. They both are very different. We could also link some here if you don't want to search in fear of spoilers.

Edit: Also for a recommedation play Tactics Ogre đź‘€
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Click to shrink...
Not that i dont want both but with P5Royale coming soon and i never played P5, i dont want to buy 2 old rpg before playing another 100+ hours rpg.

Im guessing tactics ogre isn't available on ps4, right?
 
.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,344
sredgrin said:
Does on PC at least, think it does on console too.

I want to say X is the only one that doesn't have the speed up on some platforms but does on others.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

That's great. Thanks. Though, reading about it now, having to pause and then press a button seems needlessly obtuse.
Also just remembered about the deluge of random battles in it as well. Modern JRPGs with avoidable enemies have spoiled me :')
 
sredgrin

sredgrin

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,276
daxy said:
That's great. Thanks. Though, reading about it now, having to pause and then press a button seems unfortunate.
Also just remembered about the deluge of random battles in it as well. Modern JRPGs with avoidable enemies have spoiled me :')
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Yeah on PC I just rebound the speed up key to an unused controller key in steam's controller settings so I didn't have to pause, same with the Auto battle.
 
The Mango Sentinel

The Mango Sentinel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,860
If you're looking for characters and story (which is what you said in the OP), then go with 9. I think 8 is a way more fun game, but it's kinda nonsensical....like most FF's. I think FF9 is boring as fuck and is the worst FF out of all the ones I've played, but it meets your criteria.
 
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