It's been real tough this last month to keep up on anything on my sites with all the great games that have been released. I mean just in the last month I have gotten a Playstation 2, Tekken Tag Tournement, Parasite Eve II (Didn't hardly even begin this one), Kessen (Finished it and loved it), Madden 2001, Summoner, Zelda: Majora's Mask, Shenmue (One hell of a game), and now Final Fantasy IX, and soon Eternal Arcadia comes out and Grandia II. I've got to say though that many of the games I have I've enjoyed tremendously. And now I just recently got Final Fantasy IX and so far, I've been adeqately impressed. What a game, what an RPG! I hope to have some info up soon after I start working though the game a second time. There are so many things that I have discovered just starting to play the game the first time. I have barely done anything else but play this game since I got it a few days ago.

I've got to say, that this game is total fantasy, and it truly is a retrospective back to what made Squaresoft's RPG's great, and yet it maintains that well written style we've seen in games like Final Fantasy VII and VIII. Just the opening sequence is breathtaking and the visuals are stunning. This is truly and adventure worthy of the Final Fantasy name.

The airships have returned and in this game the motif and setting seems to be post renaissance to early industrial age. The music is very indicative of 17th and 18th century Europe at times. The whole ambiance of the game is less modern that the previous two games of the series. One thing I quickly discovered was that the battle theme from Final Fantasy IV has made a reappearance. It was a remix but I'm pretty sure that was the battle theme from Final Fantasy IV. It's a pleasant return to the past hearing that. Nobuo Uematsu has some very good pieces in this game...except the overworld music. What happened?

So far the play system has also shown a return to a simpler time, and all of the insane amount of statistical manipulation of Final Fantasy VIII is pretty much done away with. MP has been brought back. No more Drawing! I can pat Squaresoft on the back for getting rid of the "Draw" system. The commands are pretty basic and straightforward this time around, very similar to things we saw with Final Fantasy's IV and VI. Also magic is categorized as Black and White again, and ViVi is a reincarnation of the earlier Black Mages going all the way back to Final Fantasy I on the Nintendo. Summoning doesn't become a nusaince in this game, as it is only used until later on and not all the characters can Summon. This time the summoned creatures, gods, and entites play an integral role in the plot of the game, rather than just a force to be called upon at will. There is yet another card battle in this game like Final Fantasy VIII, but this one seems a little easier, and gone are those crappy rules like Random and Plus. This card battle seems a little easier than the last one.

Those mysteriously cute critters, Moogles are back! Kupo! They had more or less faded away over the past Final Fantasy's but now they have returned and they again harken back to Final Fantasy VI and do play an essential part of the game in the form of save points and a unique messanging service called "Mognet". Each moogle is scattered across the world of Final Fantasy IX, and in some places play a role in the plot development for a certain character Eiko. Ku Ku Kupo!

I've got to say that Yoshitaka Amano has really outdone himself on this game. There are some very stunning game environments and fantastic places to explore. The uniqueness of these characters both in appearance and expression is very exquisite. If any Final Fantasy games of the Modern gaming era captures the true style of Fantasy, this game has it down. The rendered FMV is as always with Squaresoft, beyond compare to anything else on the original Sony Playstation. The entire experience of Final Fantasy IX remains true to the genre of RPG.

I have yet to finish Final Fantasy IX, and when I do I will write up a review describing the ultimate level of satisfaction I obtained from this game. If what I have seen and experienced so far is an indication, then this should get a very high score, and it will be another Legendary game worthy of induction into video gaming's hall of fame. If you haven't yet went out and bought one of the last, best games for your Playstation, Final Fantasy IX, then do it before it won't be here anymore. Any historical gaming Library deserves to include this game. It's a great game, trust me on this.

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