Final Fantasy IX

Nearly perfect JRPG. Add slightly faster combat intros and some FF7-8 quality tunes and it might be the undisputed medieval GOAT.

characters amazingly developed, unique story

The gameplay is fine, the art direction is usually pretty good, but there are vast stretches of time where you are doing nothing but reading text. Fine and dandy, but the story just isn't that interesting.

Final Fantasy IX is masterful. The story is epic and the visuals are about as close as we've ever come to the style of the original games. This being the last of the classic games in franchise, it's a fantastically fitting swan song before hallways took over.

Fantastic character development among a cast of weirdos that you'll genuinely come to love by the end of the adventure.

Characters are great in this, one of the only oldschool RPG's my wife has played through. Combat is a little slow and lacking at times but everything else makes up for it.

This is the one FF game (between 7 & 15) that I actually never made it through. It was fine as far as graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay goes, but I just couldn't get into it. For me characters and story are the most important things when it comes to my enjoyment. I honestly only liked Vivi, which meant I was in no way invested in the story. My fiancee however finds this to be his favorite FF game.

I like the themes, but the art style doesn't do it for me. It's also really slow going at points.

Recently replayed, I didn't remember how great it was. It's one of the more solid FFs in every aspect, story (by far one of the darkest and more mature that one would think at first -though nothing against the opposite-) and gameplay, complex considering the many elements available. Anyway, battles are a bit slow sometimes and the timing between making the choice and watching the result can be too much, very usual you make a choice and it's useless when it takes effect.

After playing the hell out of 7 and starting 8 up multiple times but never completely finishing it, it was great to play one last PS1 Final Fantasy where I had nothing but fun. Great side characters and it was cool that Zidane was more roguish as the protagonist. Vivi and Steiner were dope.

These games have the benefit of my having played them as a young boy. Still, any RPG that allows 4 party members deserves praise

Despite FF7's legendary reputation I think this more classically fantasy entry may stand as my favorite of the PS1 trilogy. Characters like Zidane, Vivi, Garnet, Steiner and Beatrix are very charming and memorable and the game just captured a certain magic that makes it stand alongside FF4 for me. The card minigame is also mildly addicting haha. The last boss came out of nowhere though!

While this is not my favorite FF, this one did have my favorite set of supporting characters, and my favorite world. And my favorite mini game. The story was pretty bleh, and I hated the main character, for the most part, but I will forever remember playing the hell out of this while iced in for several days one winter.

The presentation is too childish for my taste; I always prefer the more growed-up Final Fantasys. I also remember nothing about the gameplay, so it can't be good.

Back when Square was still mostly killin' it in the JRPG world. FF9 was a step back into their roots, but to this day I think the character arc with Vivi is one of the best in the entire franchise. On top of that, great OST, some memorable characters and moments. Also, I kinda dig the way you got skills and whatnot by buying equipment. It was novel at the time, even if it was a little grind-y.

The story is great, as is the music, but the dull game mechanics and the incredibly sluggish battle system basically ensures I'll never play this again.