Developed by Square Enix, Final Fantasy IX is a solid title in the Final Fantasy series. Much like other games in the series, it is a JRPG that is split into three game modes, world mode, field mode, and battle mode. Breaking the trend that started with Final Fantasy VI, IX does not feature science fantasy elements, instead opting for a more classic, medieval fantasy setting of the first five Final Fantasy games.
Gameplay is very similar to other games of the series, but, of course, with plenty of changes to keep the game interesting. A new “Trance Mode” is introduced, which activates when a character takes a certain amount of damage, and changes their moves. Characters also don’t just take turns one after another, rather, the order of moves now depends on their agility stat.
The story begins with a kidnapping of a princess named Garnet – in a twist, the band of protagonists is the one doing the kidnapping. That doesn’t mean we’re playing as the evil guys this time – the princess intended to flee either way, to escape the queen’s strange aggression. A novel system called Active Time Events enhances the story by occasionally letting the player experience the events from a perspective of other characters, providing more facets both to the characters featured in ATEs and to the story itself.
Owing to the game’s popularity, it received plenty of ports – Final Fantasy IX can be played on PSX and PS4, iOS and Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Windows. It can be played on Mac as well, though you’ll need to read the guide below to discover how, as the game doesn’t have a Mac port.
