I can‘t put in words how much I love this game. I turned 39 this August and I still keep getting tears in my eyes everytime I hear „Not alone“ or „Melodies of Life“.
I still stand by saying "Final Fantasy 9 is the Magnum Opus of the Series, It Represents the entire Final Fantasy series as a whole" It may not be the best Final Fantasy to some, but IMO it was the Best Final Fantasy to Represent Final Fantasy at its core.
@@donnyabner8446 Misunderstand: Im not saying FF9 is the greatest FF game, it is however the FF game the Represents Everything we love about the FF franchise, hence why I call it FF's Magnum Opus.
This game is what actually makes me learn English properly for the 1st time, back in 2000. I was still about 12 year old ignorant kid that time. This is my 1st time i also playing JRPG and playing something that has actual story with MANY TEXT and Dialogue. 1st time playing i'm just brute forcing my way through with the help of guides 2nd time, i want to know the story, i'm starting to makes sense the dialogue. Of course with the help of many guides and story resume out there. Then somewhere along the 3rd time.. my english somehow got WAY BETTER compared to before i started playing
@@supersaiyanzero386 any game in the series is also acceptable. I think the biggest flaw in the current games like 15 is that theyre skimping on the Character Development. Like 80% of 15's takes place before the story or during the time skip and you only ever see the results.
FF9 is the only game of the franchise where I really got attached to the entire list of characters. Not just the 8 main but even the temporary ones like the Tantalus gang. It's also the only game in the franchise where I walked instead of running when I reached new cities. The first time you visit Lindblum and seeing the city so big and alive. The cities felt so limited and dead in FF8 compared to 9.
@@garfield5667 I hated 10 but I think it's because I was expecting something else. The game is very linear and there is not any huge explorable cities. I was just going through it waiting for a "wow" moment of it having a huge open world area. Even when you finally get the airship there is no 3d world map. You just click and get teleported to an old area you were before.
yeah i had suspicions but i wasnt sure if it really was mainly because of how and where you fight ark (also an ark is like a ship used to save stuff so it might be that the ark was built/Created to save terrarians in some plan that never came to fruition)
The fight against Ark takes place in Oeilvert, which is actualy a place which originaly dwelt on Terra. Just like Garland mentionned, Terra tried once to fuse with Gaia but failed. But some Terras location actually were transported to Gaia during the aborted fusion. This is why Oeilvert and Ipsen's Castle have so eerie atmosphere and advanced technology, they came from Terra. It also explained why you find blue treasure chest on these dungeons, which normaly can be only found on Terra.
@@JohnyMCness Actually yes and no, terra did end up "inside" Gaia but it's more like they are on two separate plane but have some sort of connexion (just like Sylvarant and Tethea'lla in Tales of Symphonia). That's why you need a portal to enter Terra, and why Terra as it's own sky, stagnant water, architecture ect... Gaia did "assimilate" Terra inside her, but Terra exist as it's own separate world, not like an underworld below the ground. It's actualy very complex, the blue light we see when we are in Terra is supposedly Gaia's light (because Terra is "inside" Gaia). Oeilvert, Ispen's castle etc got warped to Gaia, they are not structure who were at the top of mountain or something. Gaia got Terra's moon during the incomplete fusion. We learn it on the cryptic holograms in Oeilvert.
So much love for Final Fantasy IX on the comments section really warms my heart! 😀😀 FF9 is simply the best video game ever created for me ! It has had such a deep impact on my life and personality. And I didn't think I could actually learn something about it, but I did! 😄 Rally-Oh to all the FFIX fans here! 🙋♀️
@@keonhobgood1551 they really have short attention span. They need action every second. I love turn base as it is base on careful strategy especially against hard and superbosses
There is a place for both in the series, I think if they really want to make more Action RPG’s they should put another team on a turn based FF spinoff or something
I’ll be honest. I’m almost 33 and only a few months ago I played this game for the very first time and I loved every moment of it. The story telling, the music, the setting, the characters and their development throughout the game. it was like a whole new experience for me. If COVID-19 gave me anything, it was the free time to play this masterpiece. My only complain is Beatrix not getting enough screen time, she deserved more.
FF9 is by far the best ff in my opinion. It had characters we loved, story we wanted to see to the end, a battle system that was intriguing and music that was lovely. My only gripe is the lack of optional bosses. I wanted more of a challenge and wanted to use all the abilities i earned to their fullest potential. Other than that, this game is a masterpiece, and should never get remade or touched. Its perfect the way it is.
The escape from the evil forest is still one of my favourite cgi pieces. The game itself has some of my favourite music and some of the best character development in any series.
That's Japan for you. You shouldn't be surprised with their "ops, my bad guys, let's never talk about this again." After the genocides they commited on their native population and in WW2, no wonder you see this mentality all over anime and JRPGs.
No no, you're mistaken, Brahne is the one summoning Odin to do the massive genocide and environmental damage, Beatrix at most killed several hundreds or thousands Burmecians, Cleyrans, and Lindblum. Also she did it while looking graceful AF, so....
@@MrWillypanda88 I mean, she was an enabler to Brahne's genocide. It feels like after Brahne destroyed Cleyra, she only started questioning the queen because she wanted to execute Garnet and was sorta ungrateful. Those were red flags for sure, but damn, she had just witnessed an entire city blow up.
well to be fair, it was the black mage soldiers that did the majority of the killing. Beatric was pissed off that the Queen didn't rely on her/ her soldiers to do the killing
Oh do I love this game, in my OPINION the best FF game, the story characters, and overall gameplay are amazing! And dont get me started on the music, yes please I need more.
True, it's really sad! Most of them judged it on the characters design, which wasn't good enough for them, but a Final Fantasy game is more than that. Some FF had very nice designs and yet a very poor story *coughFFXVcough*. And how can people think characters like Zidane, Garnet, or Beatrix aren't appealing??
So having replayed FF9 about a year/year and a half ago or so, I can honestly say that as an adult, it is my favorite of the PSX titles. I love 7, as does every one for its dark and brooding sci-fi bent, which being a final fantasy fan for several years before that had only really been hinted at in FF6, which is still my overall personal favorite. But IDK if it is because the death of Aeris is constantly referenced and so I have become used to her death as always being listed. The ending scene of FF9 hit me REALLY hard. (trying not to spoil it for those who are playing for the first time) When I was a kid I had issues with one of the last fights so I only partially paid attention to the end. (looking back I was a dumb kid and the fight was relatively easy). But now actually paying attention to the ending, it has one of the most happy/sad moments in gaming that doesnt get talked about enough.
im curentally disc 3 going to ipsens castle, my ff8 is disc 3 haveing just gained ragnarock with starting lvls since aiming for the maxed stats route and ff7 is disc 2 just gained omnislash after grinding to get gold chocobo then nearly cried when realiseing i missed leviathan scale before the submarine so couldnt get cut x4 so cant get thehuge materia, time for a restart, also grinding ff5 before the 4th crystal is broken :P me = nerd rage
@Lycan when looking at the entire series casual gamers have never played IX. They've always played VII, X, and XV. It's typically only people that have gone through all, if not most of, the games that recognize IX as a gem - if not the overall best in the series.
These are all very interesting facts! I played this game upon release; I was in grade 11 in high school. This game had such an impact on me, and now, at age 35, this game still holds so much meaning for me. I've replayed it a few times since then, and the music is still a part of my life.
Even after playing the original as a kid, after 20+ yrs, I STILL get chills everytime I watch the Invincible entering the Gaia Tree airship battle sequence. SUCH A GOOD TRACK for that part
Hearing about how nobuo uematsu got so into making the music makes me understand even more why FF9s music is so wonderful and legendary to me like literally every time I hear any music from that game pits a lump in my chest and makes me CRAVE to play 9 again
Same here. The Steam version, with the improved graphics, and being able to instantly cap your character levels, or avoid travel battles, was nice, but a full remake would be awesome.
Phenomenal! The best FF and the game of all time for me. If I feel bad I just play the OST, it's the pinnacle of Uematsu's-san art, imho. Guys, if someone love to replay the FFIX, I HIGHLY recommend to get Moguri Mod!
Im glad you mentioned the soundtrack. I went back and listened to all the PS1 soundtracks just for nostalgia and I was blown away by 9s. My 12 year old self who originally played this game did not appreciate what an absolute masterpiece the OST is for this game. Ragtime, medieval chants, synthesizers, harpsichords... its just fantastic.
I'm not that torn up about it, even though it's my favorite in the franchise. I would punch a wall if they decided to do a remake like FF7 and used Dissidia's Zidane and Kuja voices. They're abominations at best.
My favourite out of the main numbered entries. As a teenager it was the first FF I took seriously in learning how to play an RPG, even though I'd played through parts of 7 and 8. FF9 was my starting point and remains my favourite after playing at least most of the numbered series and a few of the side titles. It had a mix of the old and new, it gave me an impression of what the earlier titles were like in the setting and story but also was it's own unique experience. I liked that the job/class system was intergrated into the characters identities, the simple abilities system and learning those abilities from equipment making even the most basic starter gear usable by characters you get much later in the game. Kuja was such a flamboyant and mysterious villain, the cast of playable characters were all interesting and had their own tale woven neatly into the overall story of the game. The fact that the summons and by extension summoners were a focus of the story that slowly developed was brilliantly done and is such a staple theme in most off the titles that ofcourse it was in this one too. Definitely up there as one of the best FFs of the series so far. Great vid as always, interesting and insightful. Looking forward to the next one.
I am the only one who liked this game among my friends and enjoyed the entire journey while they enjoyed 7 and 8. Truly underrated game amongst the trilogy in the PS1 era to the point that they just discovered a secret side quest for this game after 13 years.
@@gigaslave I prefer Turn based, which is why FFX is still my fav and the Bravely games. Not saying ATB is bad, I love the combat system of FF7R and how it was handled compared to FF15.
great video, man, i REALLY miss Sakaguchi-san's FF games. He always had the greatest stories and didnt even have the best graphics like they have now. Yet, even despite that he crafted rpgs that crafted me AND my love 4 the series. And Nobuo's scores?! I gotta say they spoiled me in my childhood. Ff 4 on the SNES taught me how 2 read english better when i moved to the US from Germany
FFIX is my favorite FF game. It’s a love letter to the series and there’s a lot of love that went into the game. To me, it has the most telling story about friendship, finding your identity, and learning what’s important in your life. It will always hold a special place my heart and I will continue to play it for as long as I possibly can. The ending brought me to tears and it stuck out more to me than any other FF game.
I can't express how much I love this game and how it became a huge part of my life. It left a huge impact on me, and contributed on how I grew as a person. Still one of the best games for me.
Been seeing a lot of talk about FFIX in the past few years and it’s been selling out on every platform. I hope that is enough and some sort of sign for a modern remake!! Please square 😭🤍
Look up "Moguri Mod". It's a fan modernizing of the game. AI upscaling of the pre rendered backgrounds and textures, and so much more. As a diehard FF9 fan, I can say with confidence it is the definitive version.
Id like a remake just to see the world with today's graphics but at the same time I don't want a remake in fear they might change things and it might lose its charm.
I love this game, everything about Vivi and the time and dedication just shows in the sound track. I'm currently trying a excalibur 2 run with all chests and missable items (except athlete queen), having Vivi and the reflect trick at the heart of it
I keep coming back to this game just to relive their world and character over and over again.. And also how my perspective changes each time. This game is more than meets the eye. And it does have some lessons to be picked up that lasts a lifetime.
i'm so glad that ff9 happened. I remember my big cousin bought the game when i was literally 6 and had zero idea of what english is, i didn't even know that there're multiple type of genres in video games. This game made me fell in love with video games especially RPGs
I literally brought this game today and am playing the orginel version on playstation 2 right now. And 3 weeks ago i finished the orginel ff 7 also on playstation 2. P.s including the 2 secret superbosses underwater and around the gold saucer. What a difficult but amazing set of battles their were.
I am just going into burmucia (i think that is how spell that lol), and even though i like ff7 i like this one more to be honest. No regret at all of buying this.
FFIX has so much secrets linked to his lore. For example, did you notice that some of Gaia dungeons features blue treasure chests which normally can be found everywhere on Terra ? It's explained by the lore where Terra almost succeed to fuse with GaIa at some point. But just like Garland mentionned, it failed. However some of Terra's location were successly transported to Gaïa. Locations like Oeilvert and Ipsen's castle, wich both can be only found in deserted places with very odd architecture, and blue treasure chest. Also, not linked to the lore but the origin of Zidane's name. In opposition to very popular belief (especially in Europe), Zidane isn't a reference nor an inspiration of the french soccer player. It's actualy, just like the Eidolon Ark, a reference to one of Sakguchi very first game : Death Trap. One of the main character of this game is a scientist named Gitane in english, but is actually name Djitan in Japanese (just like FFIX)
@@rafafc4127 Yeah and in french, he's named Djidane (my favourite version). The first kanji of his name can actually be pronounced "dji" or "zi" in japanese. The "T" got replaced by a "D" in french because "Djitane" would sound like "Gitane" wich means gypsy in french. Not sure why the T turn into a D for the english version though...
Thank you SO MUCH for creating these videos! To learn new things about FF after all these years is great. Please continue, can’t get enough of this series, it’s truly something special.
Final Fantasy [insert number] is my favorite game and has the best character development, the best and most memorable story, interesting gameplay, and is the best game ever created, and has the best music, and was it was the best era of Square when they had things right. . . . ANd everyone who likes other titles more is entitled to their opinion, but they're still wrong.
subtle detail, but i love that you use remixes of the "peaceful town music" in these videos. just a simple extra layer of immersion into the game you're talking about
This game saved the series for me. When i was a kid I couldnt really get into VII and I really didnt like VIII. I had given up on the series, but my parents bought IX for me for Christmas even though I had never even considered wanting it. I fell in love with it right away. The art style, the setting, the characters... I loved how the abilities were tied to your equipment and you could master it and keep it forever. Everything about this game is exactly what I thought a Final Fantasy game should be. Just a masterpiece, in my opinion. Ive beat this game so many times I have lost count and it still never gets old.
Fascinating. The bit about Sarah is pretty interesting and I'll be looking into it a bit more. Such an undertaking to find it. I think it's about time to play through this classic again. It's been about 20 years since I 100% completed it, or so I thought.
I liked the information you shared about the music of Final Fantasy IX. In particular, I found it interesting that this Final Fantasy included more music than the previous ones. From a young age, I have loved the music of Final Fantasy IX. I also enjoyed learning that the reason FFIX was developed in Hawaii was because of Square's vamping up of their movie venture. Understanding that Square was preparing to make a movie helps me realize why the game has such an epic, storybook-like feeling to it. Thank you for finding and sharing this information. As an aside, I hope to see another Final Fantasy like this one soon.
Beautiful video, as always from this channel. Informative and full of nostalgia. I just saw my childhood flash before my eyes... with the song pick almost joined by my tears. I’m playing this again !
Got to say I'm always impressed with the depth of facts that really dive below the surface layer, comparably to the average youtube video top 10s you see all the time. Nice work!
Everyone bangs on about ff7 this ad ff7 that, yeah it 2as good but all ff games were. For me, ff9 is THE best out of them all. The story is amazing, it has a fair bit of openess to it, the depth of the characters arcs is captivating. The music. The designs. The balancing. It's just a perfect game as far as jrpg's go.
I wish you still made content like this. I honestly can’t get enough of this. Your new videos are good too. If you ask me, it’s some of the best FF content available. But these older videos are all gems. I’ve went hours watching these videos. I had to stoop myself. The new videos, I sometimes just lose interest and eventually click on another video and forget the oat 7-10 minutes
Straight out of high school (1999), my roommate lent me his PS1 and FF7. That was my intro into ANY RPG. I was spoiled for other games! I wondered what could even approach 7. Then he lent me FF9. I was, and still am, in love. What an awesome way to end my teen years. I told my husband how much I missed the game and was constantly humming the intro 20 years later when I came home from work to see it installed on his Xbox One. I've been so happy replaying it these last couple months, thinking about how much my life and the world has changed. I wonder if there creators knew this video game would mean so much to so many people?
The story and music are perfect for this game that even with its side story and the Chocobo quest you don't get bored and make the game more appealing. I really love going around for hours in a Chocobo finding a spot to dig. I wish they make a remake for ff9 it deserves more recognition
My absolute favorite game of all time. I enjoy the themes on top of the gameplay, story, battle system, characters, mini-games, and music. I refuse to pronounce Zidane's name as Zi-dan though. I say "dane". It just sounds much more pleasant to the ears, and this was the pronunciation I grew up with as a kid.
I had no clue on the Ark facts!! I *think* I had an inkling that it was a Terran eidolon, but I had 0 clue about the mecha it was based off of(never even heard of that game before)! I was always a little thrown off about a sudden airship mech being a summon, but now it makes alot of sense. Mind blown
There was a special limited edition sticker that came out to celebrate a certain Gamer Magazine's very last issue that had the main characters from FF 7, 8, and 9, their love interest, and a Chocobo on it. I still have mine. ^3^
5:36: "The theme for FFVIII is said to be 'Love'." Anyone else amused by this? That the game of "love" was the one that they built by doubling down on everything the fans hated about 7?
OMG Blasty, I never knew, but that means the Cruise Chaser (called Blasty by the goblins) in FFXIV is a reference to this. That is so cool. It all makes sense now. Very cool video!
I wish summons are more intergraded into core stories like they were in older final fantasy. It is such a staple of final fantasy but in the newer games , they feel like an add-on rather than the lore.
This sounds like a comment from someone who hasn't played many FFs tbh, because I think you've got that backwards. The games I'd say that incorporate summons into their lore _the most_ are probably VI, X, and XV, and XVI looks like it'll be right up there with them. XIV might also count, and what I know of it seems like it should, but I haven't played it so I can't say that definitely. IV and IX didn't integrate them into the world so much as they featured summoners, and while the concept of GFs is crucial to VIII, the summons as characters themselves aren't largely irrelevant.
royaltimes hear me out buddy, i didn’t say they never did it. I said they did it for the older final fantasy and 2 out of the 3 you mentioned released all the way back in 2001. There is a point to be made with 15 for sure but even though they made them a part of the celestial that started the narrative of the 15, they were largely forgotten for most of 15 until we saw bahumut in the crystal. I just want the summons to play a more prominent roles in the story arch and I’ve played all of the games since 6.
@@brianlau1989297 The Sakaguchi era ended with IX, so X could be considered the first of the "new" era. While most of the process of playing XV is spent dicking around in its open world, the actual story focuses on two things: collecting the Royal Arms, and forming a covenant with every Celestial. _All_ of the lore of XV revolves around the Celestials, so I definitely could not agree that they were largely forgotten for most of the game until we saw Bahamut in the crystal. Titan and Leviathan are both memorable boss fight setpieces! Even when they aren't seen in the game, their fingerprints are all over everything, especially the landscape of that open world you'll spend all your time dicking around in! I also considered mentioning XIII, because there is a lot of lore spent on the Eidolons and the part they play in each character's arc, but I didn't feel like getting into an argument about how well integrated any of XIII's lore is. Honestly, the only post-Sakaguchi FF where I'd consider the summons "like an add-on rather than the lore" is XII, which integrated its summons about as much as V and VII did.
royaltimes look man, I’m not here to debate over a wish that I want to see more of which is an opinion of me. You see it as different eras of creators, I see it as a time frame of release. There is no reason to debate that. I did say you can make a point with 15, I just feel like they weren’t integrated more into the stories as before. Just like you have you have your opinions which I never downplay, I wish you can respect other people’s opinions instead of bringing up stuff like I didn’t play more final fantasy. Calm down, it’s opinions and wishes. What you think is adequate might not be for others
Never has a game introduced me and made me fall in love with a game such as Final Fantasy IX, it was truly love at first sight! The memories and fantastical storytelling was so engaging and immersive back then when I had it rough I could just delve right in to the world of Final Fantasy. It was like reading an interactive book with awesome music and character development. I have long wondered what happened to the magic of Final Fantasy, I believe it to be missing some key ingredients: great music and whimsical storytelling! Think about it, how come Kingdom Hearts was the spiritual successor of Final Fantasy, because it had great music and whimsical storytelling (even if extremely convoluted).
Even though FF7 is my favourite game ever...FF9 was a masterpiece and to me it has the best OST out of all Final Fantasies. I just hope that i'm right and FF16 is the return to the medieval style Final Fantasy.
FF7 is also my favorite game ever, and i totally agree with you on FF9 it trully is a masterpiece, and i also hope FF16 will bring back the medieval style Final Fantasy, they really need to og back to that style.
If you'd like to discuss these facts or just nerd out about Final Fantasy IX, why not join our Discord Server? discord.gg/ffunion
Hey can you please do a review of the first two Bravely series games before Bravely Default 2 comes out?
Audible just released The Hobbit read by Andy Serkis. Its incredibly well done. Definite follow up for your lord of the rings listen
Guys, what happened to the results of the interesting FFVII Remake survey?
Man, your knowledge is incredible
This masterpiece deserves a masterpiece!
I wish for the Final Fantasy series to one day return to this style of art, story and music.
16 is kinda
I really want a FF9 raid of some kind in FF14 ;w;
Maybe for ff 18
@@glennrugar9248 ;w; *sad Burmecian noises*
Hopes up for XVI
FF9 has so much soul ... one of the best games of all time and probably the best jrpg of all time ❤
Which soul? Gaian or Terran?
Ronald Maday Both
No game beats this for me.
@@Francescofilmmaker except your right hand
@@zereon maybe you're right.... But when the right hand is all worn out Vivi and friends come to save the day.
I can‘t put in words how much I love this game. I turned 39 this August and I still keep getting tears in my eyes everytime I hear „Not alone“ or „Melodies of Life“.
same here. best game ever
I’m only 25 but I’m right there w you
For real, don't forget to put "Rose of May" and "Something to Protect" on that list. Or even the themes that you hear in Terra which are beautiful.
The music in this game has a very surreal feel to it, no other FF game has this odd, yet beautiful feel that the music in this game has
I feel you my man. I cried like a bitch on distant worlds when they played "not alone".
I still stand by saying "Final Fantasy 9 is the Magnum Opus of the Series, It Represents the entire Final Fantasy series as a whole"
It may not be the best Final Fantasy to some, but IMO it was the Best Final Fantasy to Represent Final Fantasy at its core.
My thoughts exactly ! Final Fantasy IX is still in my opinion the best video game ever created !
Part 3 end (6 in the US), end of story.
Was agree before but since playing xiv i totally change my mind
XIV IS THE OPUS
This
@@donnyabner8446 Misunderstand: Im not saying FF9 is the greatest FF game, it is however the FF game the Represents Everything we love about the FF franchise, hence why I call it FF's Magnum Opus.
This game is what actually makes me learn English properly for the 1st time, back in 2000. I was still about 12 year old ignorant kid that time. This is my 1st time i also playing JRPG and playing something that has actual story with MANY TEXT and Dialogue.
1st time playing i'm just brute forcing my way through with the help of guides
2nd time, i want to know the story, i'm starting to makes sense the dialogue. Of course with the help of many guides and story resume out there.
Then somewhere along the 3rd time.. my english somehow got WAY BETTER compared to before i started playing
Your english is really good!
FFIX has the best character development of any game. Feels like they're real. Fantasy game done right.
*any game that I've played
@@supersaiyanzero386 any game in the series is also acceptable.
I think the biggest flaw in the current games like 15 is that theyre skimping on the Character Development.
Like 80% of 15's takes place before the story or during the time skip and you only ever see the results.
FF9 is the only game of the franchise where I really got attached to the entire list of characters. Not just the 8 main but even the temporary ones like the Tantalus gang. It's also the only game in the franchise where I walked instead of running when I reached new cities. The first time you visit Lindblum and seeing the city so big and alive. The cities felt so limited and dead in FF8 compared to 9.
I think 10 is better in pretty much every regard
@@garfield5667 I hated 10 but I think it's because I was expecting something else. The game is very linear and there is not any huge explorable cities. I was just going through it waiting for a "wow" moment of it having a huge open world area. Even when you finally get the airship there is no 3d world map. You just click and get teleported to an old area you were before.
20 years later still trying to get jump rope king
same, i cant even do 100 ;_;
It's been 20 years?????? fuck I'm old
Fucken right!
I've been getting the chocograph peices.. Love it!
took me 3 months of costant practice for that trophy
It never hit me that Ark was a Terra Eidolon. Pretty cool.
same. never liked it becuase it felt it didnt belong. Now i know why
yeah i had suspicions but i wasnt sure if it really was
mainly because of how and where you fight ark
(also an ark is like a ship used to save stuff so it might be that the ark was built/Created to save terrarians in some plan that never came to fruition)
The fight against Ark takes place in Oeilvert, which is actualy a place which originaly dwelt on Terra. Just like Garland mentionned, Terra tried once to fuse with Gaia but failed. But some Terras location actually were transported to Gaia during the aborted fusion. This is why Oeilvert and Ipsen's Castle have so eerie atmosphere and advanced technology, they came from Terra. It also explained why you find blue treasure chest on these dungeons, which normaly can be only found on Terra.
@@IceDarkBen if i remember terra is inside of gaia, and those structures are basically poking out due to that, gaia has terras moon after all
@@JohnyMCness Actually yes and no, terra did end up "inside" Gaia but it's more like they are on two separate plane but have some sort of connexion (just like Sylvarant and Tethea'lla in Tales of Symphonia). That's why you need a portal to enter Terra, and why Terra as it's own sky, stagnant water, architecture ect... Gaia did "assimilate" Terra inside her, but Terra exist as it's own separate world, not like an underworld below the ground. It's actualy very complex, the blue light we see when we are in Terra is supposedly Gaia's light (because Terra is "inside" Gaia). Oeilvert, Ispen's castle etc got warped to Gaia, they are not structure who were at the top of mountain or something.
Gaia got Terra's moon during the incomplete fusion. We learn it on the cryptic holograms in Oeilvert.
So much love for Final Fantasy IX on the comments section really warms my heart! 😀😀 FF9 is simply the best video game ever created for me ! It has had such a deep impact on my life and personality. And I didn't think I could actually learn something about it, but I did! 😄
Rally-Oh to all the FFIX fans here! 🙋♀️
I cried when I beat it.
In my (german) Version they say cheerioh 😀😂
@@renudof.7941 Haha, that's cute! In my French version, they say "Yao", and poor Mog says "Yapo"! 😆
Probably the most special gaming experience I've ever had. It still touches me on a very personal level. It's criminal how underrated ffix is
No game has ever made me so emotional, what a masterpiece
I'm going to say ff9 is the last time square made a great final fantasy game.
Same
The FF that started everything for me into the franchise and rpg in general, my favorite game of all times.
Totally agree....blew open RPGs for me :)
same here bro
Same here, amazing game and franchise
Same here. I don't even remember why I bought it. But definitely did not regret.
I got ff9 at like a yard sale or something and the case was all busted up.... little did i know what a come up that was
Dayyum Square Enix, can we please go back to the pre-FFX formula? :/ I miss my favourite FFs.
I agree but all these new age gamers keep saying turn based is dead.
@@keonhobgood1551 they really have short attention span. They need action every second. I love turn base as it is base on careful strategy especially against hard and superbosses
There is a place for both in the series, I think if they really want to make more Action RPG’s they should put another team on a turn based FF spinoff or something
I think 12 was the last really good one
@@joecelbetonio7110 yeah people need to have keys jingled in front of them at all times
I’ll be honest. I’m almost 33 and only a few months ago I played this game for the very first time and I loved every moment of it. The story telling, the music, the setting, the characters and their development throughout the game. it was like a whole new experience for me. If COVID-19 gave me anything, it was the free time to play this masterpiece. My only complain is Beatrix not getting enough screen time, she deserved more.
Here one fact i know. Princess Garnet has very soft bottom.
How does this comment not have more thumbs up? Lol
I still have a crush on dagger/Garnett/Sarah 20 years later
same
Sarah?
Ambient Joe that’s her real name. Discoverable in a side quest on disc 3 or 4 I believe
@@iLLBiLLsRoastBeats son of a bitch you're right. Was it Sarah or Sara? I kind of remember that part.
It’s the orange jumpsuit.
FF9 is by far the best ff in my opinion. It had characters we loved, story we wanted to see to the end, a battle system that was intriguing and music that was lovely. My only gripe is the lack of optional bosses. I wanted more of a challenge and wanted to use all the abilities i earned to their fullest potential. Other than that, this game is a masterpiece, and should never get remade or touched. Its perfect the way it is.
Ff9 was absolutely one of the best in the series
The escape from the evil forest is still one of my favourite cgi pieces. The game itself has some of my favourite music and some of the best character development in any series.
I'm still salty that everyone forgave Beatrix so fast even though she genocided an entire race
That's Japan for you.
You shouldn't be surprised with their "ops, my bad guys, let's never talk about this again."
After the genocides they commited on their native population and in WW2, no wonder you see this mentality all over anime and JRPGs.
No no, you're mistaken, Brahne is the one summoning Odin to do the massive genocide and environmental damage, Beatrix at most killed several hundreds or thousands Burmecians, Cleyrans, and Lindblum. Also she did it while looking graceful AF, so....
@@MrWillypanda88 I mean, she was an enabler to Brahne's genocide. It feels like after Brahne destroyed Cleyra, she only started questioning the queen because she wanted to execute Garnet and was sorta ungrateful. Those were red flags for sure, but damn, she had just witnessed an entire city blow up.
@@BrownHairL yeaaah, but did you look how graceful AF she was when she murdered those people? 😘
well to be fair, it was the black mage soldiers that did the majority of the killing. Beatric was pissed off that the Queen didn't rely on her/ her soldiers to do the killing
Oh do I love this game, in my OPINION the best FF game, the story characters, and overall gameplay are amazing! And dont get me started on the music, yes please I need more.
It has the best FF story I'd say, which is already a high bar.
And so many people missed on what it offered.
True, it's really sad! Most of them judged it on the characters design, which wasn't good enough for them, but a Final Fantasy game is more than that. Some FF had very nice designs and yet a very poor story *coughFFXVcough*. And how can people think characters like Zidane, Garnet, or Beatrix aren't appealing??
@@dagga19k Or Vivi for example, in my opinion the best character from FF IX
@@dagga19k had beatrix as my phone wallpaper for like 2 years. One of the coolest strong female characters.
So having replayed FF9 about a year/year and a half ago or so, I can honestly say that as an adult, it is my favorite of the PSX titles. I love 7, as does every one for its dark and brooding sci-fi bent, which being a final fantasy fan for several years before that had only really been hinted at in FF6, which is still my overall personal favorite. But IDK if it is because the death of Aeris is constantly referenced and so I have become used to her death as always being listed. The ending scene of FF9 hit me REALLY hard. (trying not to spoil it for those who are playing for the first time) When I was a kid I had issues with one of the last fights so I only partially paid attention to the end. (looking back I was a dumb kid and the fight was relatively easy). But now actually paying attention to the ending, it has one of the most happy/sad moments in gaming that doesnt get talked about enough.
God, this makes me wanna play FFIX all over again
It's still fun, I just finished it last month.
Do it!!
im curentally disc 3 going to ipsens castle, my ff8 is disc 3 haveing just gained ragnarock with starting lvls since aiming for the maxed stats route and ff7 is disc 2 just gained omnislash after grinding to get gold chocobo then nearly cried when realiseing i missed leviathan scale before the submarine so couldnt get cut x4 so cant get thehuge materia, time for a restart, also grinding ff5 before the 4th crystal is broken :P me = nerd rage
*Arrives in cloak to say "Do it", realizes people have already said it, backs away into the mist..."*
IX is so underrated. Easily my favourite in the series.
@Lycan when looking at the entire series casual gamers have never played IX. They've always played VII, X, and XV. It's typically only people that have gone through all, if not most of, the games that recognize IX as a gem - if not the overall best in the series.
@@musubi-vidz casual gamer here, I like ff9.
Fun Fact : Every time you decided to replay FF IX, you learn some new aspect of life that you never know before.
These are all very interesting facts! I played this game upon release; I was in grade 11 in high school. This game had such an impact on me, and now, at age 35, this game still holds so much meaning for me. I've replayed it a few times since then, and the music is still a part of my life.
Even after playing the original as a kid, after 20+ yrs, I STILL get chills everytime I watch the Invincible entering the Gaia Tree airship battle sequence. SUCH A GOOD TRACK for that part
Hearing about how nobuo uematsu got so into making the music makes me understand even more why FF9s music is so wonderful and legendary to me like literally every time I hear any music from that game pits a lump in my chest and makes me CRAVE to play 9 again
man Square was riding high back then
Beatrix was my favorite female characters.
Totally agree. Need more Beatrix. Wish she was a party member. People need to mod it
@@xXGhostStalker well she was at one very brief point but I know what you mean. She was pretty dope and really frustrating on my 1st play through
Her theme Roses of May makes her even better
Beatrix is my fave final fantasy character ever, she's such a badass!
Pretty in eyepatch to be sure
There is no Final Fantasy theme park, but playing FF9 is damn close.
Damn, I'm imagining a bright alternate reality where Square replaced Disney!
There should be. I’d rather go there than Disney
IX was the one I wanted a remake for.
Same here. The Steam version, with the improved graphics, and being able to instantly cap your character levels, or avoid travel battles, was nice, but a full remake would be awesome.
Me too, I wanted a full 3d remake with the voice actors
As long as it has the same battle gameplay
My guess is.
The PSX games are getting full remakes
So wait till 2030 probably
You're not alone 🙏🙏🙏
Phenomenal! The best FF and the game of all time for me.
If I feel bad I just play the OST, it's the pinnacle of Uematsu's-san art, imho.
Guys, if someone love to replay the FFIX, I HIGHLY recommend to get Moguri Mod!
I bought the original soundtrack years ago. Maybe like. 2006? I got it new and its one of my greatest possessions.
This was physical media, you whippersnappers! 4 cds, just like the game!!!
The best FF ever and one of my all-time favourite games. Look forward to watching this.
Im glad you mentioned the soundtrack. I went back and listened to all the PS1 soundtracks just for nostalgia and I was blown away by 9s. My 12 year old self who originally played this game did not appreciate what an absolute masterpiece the OST is for this game. Ragtime, medieval chants, synthesizers, harpsichords... its just fantastic.
Im forever bitter this game isnt as popular as the rest.
I'm not that torn up about it, even though it's my favorite in the franchise. I would punch a wall if they decided to do a remake like FF7 and used Dissidia's Zidane and Kuja voices. They're abominations at best.
Facts
Sometimes I think the same. But looking at the bright side, there's more for me to enjoy.
Needs an HD Remake and voice acting ASAP!!!!!
It's a masterpiece and the fact that it isn't as popular as the rest, makes it a rare kind of gem.
My favourite out of the main numbered entries. As a teenager it was the first FF I took seriously in learning how to play an RPG, even though I'd played through parts of 7 and 8. FF9 was my starting point and remains my favourite after playing at least most of the numbered series and a few of the side titles. It had a mix of the old and new, it gave me an impression of what the earlier titles were like in the setting and story but also was it's own unique experience. I liked that the job/class system was intergrated into the characters identities, the simple abilities system and learning those abilities from equipment making even the most basic starter gear usable by characters you get much later in the game. Kuja was such a flamboyant and mysterious villain, the cast of playable characters were all interesting and had their own tale woven neatly into the overall story of the game. The fact that the summons and by extension summoners were a focus of the story that slowly developed was brilliantly done and is such a staple theme in most off the titles that ofcourse it was in this one too. Definitely up there as one of the best FFs of the series so far. Great vid as always, interesting and insightful. Looking forward to the next one.
I am the only one who liked this game among my friends and enjoyed the entire journey while they enjoyed 7 and 8. Truly underrated game amongst the trilogy in the PS1 era to the point that they just discovered a secret side quest for this game after 13 years.
Thanks you for not insulting your viewers/subscribers with the title.
miss FF when its still Turn Based System...
ATB is superior to modern realtime autobattles.
@@gigaslave I prefer Turn based, which is why FFX is still my fav and the Bravely games.
Not saying ATB is bad, I love the combat system of FF7R and how it was handled compared to FF15.
@@Mastabacc I disgaree, I prefer the way Ryza 2 handled realtime combat.
great video, man, i REALLY miss Sakaguchi-san's FF games. He always had the greatest stories and didnt even have the best graphics like they have now. Yet, even despite that he crafted rpgs that crafted me AND my love 4 the series. And Nobuo's scores?! I gotta say they spoiled me in my childhood. Ff 4 on the SNES taught me how 2 read english better when i moved to the US from Germany
FFIX is my favorite FF game. It’s a love letter to the series and there’s a lot of love that went into the game. To me, it has the most telling story about friendship, finding your identity, and learning what’s important in your life. It will always hold a special place my heart and I will continue to play it for as long as I possibly can. The ending brought me to tears and it stuck out more to me than any other FF game.
can we agree that the play station era was the greatest in FF history?
I can't express how much I love this game and how it became a huge part of my life. It left a huge impact on me, and contributed on how I grew as a person. Still one of the best games for me.
Been seeing a lot of talk about FFIX in the past few years and it’s been selling out on every platform. I hope that is enough and some sort of sign for a modern remake!! Please square 😭🤍
I don’t want FFXV with a FFIX skin. No thanks.
Look up "Moguri Mod". It's a fan modernizing of the game. AI upscaling of the pre rendered backgrounds and textures, and so much more. As a diehard FF9 fan, I can say with confidence it is the definitive version.
Id like a remake just to see the world with today's graphics but at the same time I don't want a remake in fear they might change things and it might lose its charm.
I see FF9, I click.
I'm a simple man; I see my favourite Final Fantasy and I click.
Me too
Same
FF9 is extremely underrated.
@@anatsusha09 You said it man, I adore this masterpiece.
@@TheGamersState It doesn't get talked about like 7,8 and 10...
I love this game, everything about Vivi and the time and dedication just shows in the sound track. I'm currently trying a excalibur 2 run with all chests and missable items (except athlete queen), having Vivi and the reflect trick at the heart of it
FFIX will always be my favorite.
It's good to see that 20 years later I still find interesting facts about it. Thanks for the video.
I keep coming back to this game just to relive their world and character over and over again.. And also how my perspective changes each time. This game is more than meets the eye. And it does have some lessons to be picked up that lasts a lifetime.
FFIX will forever be my favorite videogame. So much love and passion in there ♥️
Fun fact: The music at Mt. Gulug is nearly identical as a remixed tribute to the Gurgu volcano music in FF1.
I learned this when playing the FF1 soundtrack in the car in FF15 haha
Also Kuja theme is close to Shinra theme
Pandemonium in FF9 has a slowed down version of FF2's Pandemonium too
i'm so glad that ff9 happened. I remember my big cousin bought the game when i was literally 6 and had zero idea of what english is, i didn't even know that there're multiple type of genres in video games. This game made me fell in love with video games especially RPGs
The fact Uematsu went to Europe for his musical inspiration for the game is absolutely amazing, love it ^_^
I literally brought this game today and am playing the orginel version on playstation 2 right now. And 3 weeks ago i finished the orginel ff 7 also on playstation 2.
P.s including the 2 secret superbosses underwater and around the gold saucer. What a difficult but amazing set of battles their were.
i hope you will like it, most of us did. way back 2001
I am just going into burmucia (i think that is how spell that lol), and even though i like ff7 i like this one more to be honest. No regret at all of buying this.
I also played and 100 completed ff 10 and 12. And now i really want to play some of the NES and SNES one, especially ff 3 ( even though it was 6)
The games was for ps1
@@DjDoomtrain i know but the playstation 2 has backward compatibility for playstation 1 games (most of them at least)
I enjoyed playing the chocobo treasure hunt side quests till the wee hours of the night. 😊
FFIX has so much secrets linked to his lore.
For example, did you notice that some of Gaia dungeons features blue treasure chests which normally can be found everywhere on Terra ?
It's explained by the lore where Terra almost succeed to fuse with GaIa at some point. But just like Garland mentionned, it failed. However some of Terra's location were successly transported to Gaïa. Locations like Oeilvert and Ipsen's castle, wich both can be only found in deserted places with very odd architecture, and blue treasure chest.
Also, not linked to the lore but the origin of Zidane's name. In opposition to very popular belief (especially in Europe), Zidane isn't a reference nor an inspiration of the french soccer player. It's actualy, just like the Eidolon Ark, a reference to one of Sakguchi very first game : Death Trap. One of the main character of this game is a scientist named Gitane in english, but is actually name Djitan in Japanese (just like FFIX)
Nice. In the Spanish version of the game, he's called Yitán, which makes sense now I see the original name in japanese.
@@rafafc4127 Yeah and in french, he's named Djidane (my favourite version). The first kanji of his name can actually be pronounced "dji" or "zi" in japanese. The "T" got replaced by a "D" in french because "Djitane" would sound like "Gitane" wich means gypsy in french. Not sure why the T turn into a D for the english version though...
My first and favourite FF game. I loved it so much I named my daughter Freya
FFIX has become my favorite in the entire series, even edging out FFVII.
Thank you SO MUCH for creating these videos! To learn new things about FF after all these years is great. Please continue, can’t get enough of this series, it’s truly something special.
FFIX is one of my favorite games of all time and I didn't know most of this! Great work
9 is by far the best and my favorite of all of them.
Mine too. I wish this one had gotten the remake.
Final Fantasy [insert number] is my favorite game and has the best character development, the best and most memorable story, interesting gameplay, and is the best game ever created, and has the best music, and was it was the best era of Square when they had things right. . . . ANd everyone who likes other titles more is entitled to their opinion, but they're still wrong.
This is quite literally my favorite video game of all time.
The Switch port of IX has been pretty good so far, I'm now deep into Disc 3 events and the story is a love letter to all the classics.
*Silently leaves flowers on grave~*
I miss you, FFVI. Nobody ever truly knew you.
subtle detail, but i love that you use remixes of the "peaceful town music" in these videos. just a simple extra layer of immersion into the game you're talking about
This game saved the series for me. When i was a kid I couldnt really get into VII and I really didnt like VIII. I had given up on the series, but my parents bought IX for me for Christmas even though I had never even considered wanting it.
I fell in love with it right away. The art style, the setting, the characters... I loved how the abilities were tied to your equipment and you could master it and keep it forever. Everything about this game is exactly what I thought a Final Fantasy game should be. Just a masterpiece, in my opinion. Ive beat this game so many times I have lost count and it still never gets old.
My first FF series! Cleared this game 3 times and still in love with it
Fascinating. The bit about Sarah is pretty interesting and I'll be looking into it a bit more. Such an undertaking to find it. I think it's about time to play through this classic again. It's been about 20 years since I 100% completed it, or so I thought.
One of my favorite games of all time and the best ff for me..
6:17 "Black Robbers are Approaching" 💀
I love this channel. Great content! Always happy with your work!
As a Final Fantasy addict, I have to say you guys do a fantastic job.
I liked the information you shared about the music of Final Fantasy IX. In particular, I found it interesting that this Final Fantasy included more music than the previous ones. From a young age, I have loved the music of Final Fantasy IX.
I also enjoyed learning that the reason FFIX was developed in Hawaii was because of Square's vamping up of their movie venture. Understanding that Square was preparing to make a movie helps me realize why the game has such an epic, storybook-like feeling to it. Thank you for finding and sharing this information.
As an aside, I hope to see another Final Fantasy like this one soon.
Beautiful video, as always from this channel. Informative and full of nostalgia. I just saw my childhood flash before my eyes... with the song pick almost joined by my tears. I’m playing this again !
Got to say I'm always impressed with the depth of facts that really dive below the surface layer, comparably to the average youtube video top 10s you see all the time. Nice work!
I like how when Ark reappeared in FF XIV in the Alexander Raid he was Cruise Chaser again. Everything comes full circle.
Waaaaait which tier was that fight? That went entirely over my head!
@@MR-jz3qs Forward and back and forward and back...
This game holds such a special place in my heart. It was the first Final Fantasy I ever played and kicked off my love for this amazing series.
I thank you for making time to create this video. I have yet to play Final Fantasy 9, but I have read many good responses on this particular title.
Thanks for the great vid. So much respect for Nobuo Uematsu. My favourite composer by far. I have an album signed by him which I will treasure.
Everyone bangs on about ff7 this ad ff7 that, yeah it 2as good but all ff games were. For me, ff9 is THE best out of them all. The story is amazing, it has a fair bit of openess to it, the depth of the characters arcs is captivating. The music. The designs. The balancing. It's just a perfect game as far as jrpg's go.
I wish you still made content like this. I honestly can’t get enough of this. Your new videos are good too. If you ask me, it’s some of the best FF content available.
But these older videos are all gems. I’ve went hours watching these videos. I had to stoop myself. The new videos, I sometimes just lose interest and eventually click on another video and forget the oat 7-10 minutes
I remember really naming steiner rusty just as zidane called him.🤣🤣🤣
Lol, I absolutely loved his and Vivi's friendship.
Just when I thought I knew everything about my favourite Final Fantasy, I get surprised once again. Great video!
The part about Nobuo's incredible effort to write the music was incredible!
FF9 was perfection. Wish we could get a game like this again. Or a carry on to the story
Straight out of high school (1999), my roommate lent me his PS1 and FF7. That was my intro into ANY RPG. I was spoiled for other games! I wondered what could even approach 7. Then he lent me FF9. I was, and still am, in love. What an awesome way to end my teen years. I told my husband how much I missed the game and was constantly humming the intro 20 years later when I came home from work to see it installed on his Xbox One. I've been so happy replaying it these last couple months, thinking about how much my life and the world has changed. I wonder if there creators knew this video game would mean so much to so many people?
My personal favorite in the franchise. Who agrees?
The story and music are perfect for this game that even with its side story and the Chocobo quest you don't get bored and make the game more appealing. I really love going around for hours in a Chocobo finding a spot to dig. I wish they make a remake for ff9 it deserves more recognition
My absolute favorite game of all time. I enjoy the themes on top of the gameplay, story, battle system, characters, mini-games, and music.
I refuse to pronounce Zidane's name as Zi-dan though. I say "dane". It just sounds much more pleasant to the ears, and this was the pronunciation I grew up with as a kid.
FF IX brought everything back to it's roots. And the soundstrack is the best.
I had no clue on the Ark facts!! I *think* I had an inkling that it was a Terran eidolon, but I had 0 clue about the mecha it was based off of(never even heard of that game before)!
I was always a little thrown off about a sudden airship mech being a summon, but now it makes alot of sense. Mind blown
There was a special limited edition sticker that came out to celebrate a certain Gamer Magazine's very last issue that had the main characters from FF 7, 8, and 9, their love interest, and a Chocobo on it. I still have mine. ^3^
5:36: "The theme for FFVIII is said to be 'Love'."
Anyone else amused by this? That the game of "love" was the one that they built by doubling down on everything the fans hated about 7?
OMG Blasty, I never knew, but that means the Cruise Chaser (called Blasty by the goblins) in FFXIV is a reference to this. That is so cool. It all makes sense now. Very cool video!
I wish summons are more intergraded into core stories like they were in older final fantasy.
It is such a staple of final fantasy but in the newer games , they feel like an add-on rather than the lore.
Hopefully 16 doesn't let us down!!
This sounds like a comment from someone who hasn't played many FFs tbh, because I think you've got that backwards. The games I'd say that incorporate summons into their lore _the most_ are probably VI, X, and XV, and XVI looks like it'll be right up there with them. XIV might also count, and what I know of it seems like it should, but I haven't played it so I can't say that definitely. IV and IX didn't integrate them into the world so much as they featured summoners, and while the concept of GFs is crucial to VIII, the summons as characters themselves aren't largely irrelevant.
royaltimes hear me out buddy, i didn’t say they never did it. I said they did it for the older final fantasy and 2 out of the 3 you mentioned released all the way back in 2001.
There is a point to be made with 15 for sure but even though they made them a part of the celestial that started the narrative of the 15, they were largely forgotten for most of 15 until we saw bahumut in the crystal.
I just want the summons to play a more prominent roles in the story arch and I’ve played all of the games since 6.
@@brianlau1989297 The Sakaguchi era ended with IX, so X could be considered the first of the "new" era.
While most of the process of playing XV is spent dicking around in its open world, the actual story focuses on two things: collecting the Royal Arms, and forming a covenant with every Celestial. _All_ of the lore of XV revolves around the Celestials, so I definitely could not agree that they were largely forgotten for most of the game until we saw Bahamut in the crystal. Titan and Leviathan are both memorable boss fight setpieces! Even when they aren't seen in the game, their fingerprints are all over everything, especially the landscape of that open world you'll spend all your time dicking around in!
I also considered mentioning XIII, because there is a lot of lore spent on the Eidolons and the part they play in each character's arc, but I didn't feel like getting into an argument about how well integrated any of XIII's lore is.
Honestly, the only post-Sakaguchi FF where I'd consider the summons "like an add-on rather than the lore" is XII, which integrated its summons about as much as V and VII did.
royaltimes look man, I’m not here to debate over a wish that I want to see more of which is an opinion of me.
You see it as different eras of creators, I see it as a time frame of release. There is no reason to debate that.
I did say you can make a point with 15, I just feel like they weren’t integrated more into the stories as before.
Just like you have you have your opinions which I never downplay, I wish you can respect other people’s opinions instead of bringing up stuff like I didn’t play more final fantasy.
Calm down, it’s opinions and wishes. What you think is adequate might not be for others
Never has a game introduced me and made me fall in love with a game such as Final Fantasy IX, it was truly love at first sight!
The memories and fantastical storytelling was so engaging and immersive back then when I had it rough I could just delve right in to the world of Final Fantasy.
It was like reading an interactive book with awesome music and character development.
I have long wondered what happened to the magic of Final Fantasy, I believe it to be missing some key ingredients: great music and whimsical storytelling!
Think about it, how come Kingdom Hearts was the spiritual successor of Final Fantasy, because it had great music and whimsical storytelling (even if extremely convoluted).
Even though FF7 is my favourite game ever...FF9 was a masterpiece and to me it has the best OST out of all Final Fantasies.
I just hope that i'm right and FF16 is the return to the medieval style Final Fantasy.
FF7 is also my favorite game ever, and i totally agree with you on FF9 it trully is a masterpiece, and i also hope FF16 will bring back the medieval style Final Fantasy, they really need to og back to that style.