FINAL FANTASY IX

A masterpiece. I strongly recommend using Memoria Mod + Moguri Mod. It's what the remaster should have been, it looks incredible on a Steam Deck.

Final Fantasy IX is the game where the series took a deep breath, looked back, and remembered what it loved about itself. Released at the end of the original PlayStation’s life cycle, it stands as both a tribute to the franchise's roots and a swan song for the golden age of turn-based Final Fantasy. With a whimsical world, a deeply personal cast of characters, and a story that blends lighthearted charm with existential depth, Final Fantasy IX is a rare gem that only shines brighter with time. What begins as a daring kidnapping quickly blossoms into a tale of identity, mortality, and love. You play as Zidane Tribal, a flirtatious thief with a good heart, who stumbles into a war-torn world while trying to help Princess Garnet escape her kingdom. But behind the medieval kingdoms, quirky towns, and airship adventures lies a deeper, more philosophical narrative. Characters like Vivi, the timid black mage, and Freya, the tragic dragoon, grapple with loss, purpose, and the meaning of existence. Final Fantasy IX manages to be joyful and heartbreaking in the same breath. The writing is warm and often poetic, and while the plot takes a few odd detours late in the game, its emotional core never wavers. It’s a fairy tale for adults—and it doesn’t shy away from mortality, fear, or the pain of growing up. FFIX returns to the Active Time Battle (ATB) system with four-person parties, each character with fixed roles and abilities. There’s no job-switching here—Zidane is always your fast rogue, Vivi is always your black mage—but that makes each party member feel distinct and narratively grounded. The Ability system encourages you to equip gear to learn passive skills and magic over time, rewarding planning and experimentation. Trance mode (the game’s take on a limit break) feels a bit underwhelming due to its unpredictability, but the variety of skills and strategies keep battles satisfying. Mini-games and side content, like Chocobo Hot & Cold, Tetra Master (a divisive card game), and the sprawling optional bosses and secrets, round out a world that begs to be explored. Aesthetically, Final Fantasy IX is one of the most visually charming games of its era. Its storybook art style, exaggerated character designs, and richly detailed pre-rendered backgrounds create a vibrant, living world. Every village, forest, and castle has personality and heart. Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack is arguably his best. Tracks like “Melodies of Life,” “You’re Not Alone,” and “Vamo’ Alla Flamenco” aren’t just songs—they’re emotional anchors. The score blends nostalgia with melancholy, whimsy with weight, and it sticks with you long after the credits roll. FFIX’s cast is one of the strongest in JRPG history. Unlike some previous entries where certain party members fade into the background, nearly every character here has a meaningful arc: -Zidane is more than a charming rogue—his arc dives deep into self-worth and purpose. -Vivi is perhaps the most tragic and beloved character in the series, a quiet child who wrestles with the nature of existence. -Garnet/Dagger evolves from sheltered royalty to a queen who finds her own voice. -Steiner, Freya, Eiko, Amarant—each one has depth, growth, and agency. The game's dialogue and pacing let them breathe. These aren’t just party members—they're companions on a shared, heartfelt journey. Final Fantasy IX is a celebration—of magic, of storytelling, of the fantastical worlds that first made RPGs unforgettable. It doesn’t chase trends or try to redefine the genre. Instead, it refines and elevates what made Final Fantasy great in the first place. It may lack the gritty realism or cinematic flair of other entries, but its sincerity, warmth, and timeless design make it one of the most cherished games in the franchise. If you’ve never played it, you’re missing a piece of Final Fantasy’s soul. A whimsical, emotional, and enduring classic. Final Fantasy IX is a masterful blend of nostalgia and innovation, filled with heart, wonder, and wisdom. Pros: -Memorable characters with strong arcs -Beautiful world and timeless art direction -Outstanding soundtrack -Classic RPG mechanics with depth -Deep emotional and philosophical themes Cons: -Trance system is inconsistent -Tetra Master lacks clear rules -Slight narrative pacing dip near the end Rating: 9/10

Everyone has a favorite Final Fantasy game, and this is mine. I played this for the first time when I was a teen going through hardships and struggles that I found reflected in this game and some of its characters, it will forever hold a special place in my heart. The game itself is a turned based JRPG with unforgettable characters, challenging battles, fun puzzles and side quests, killer cutscenes and banging music (I highly recommend hanging out in a certain hidden village in later in the game, it's an absolute BOP) The game itself is fairly long, having originally spanned across 4 discs on PS1 and for the most part the steam version is faithful to the experience with the addition of some helpful and fun features like speeding up gameplay/battles, turning off random encounters, and godmode. I will never not encourage people who have never played this to try it, maybe it will end up being your favorite Final Fantasy too. Just don't expect to be Jump Rope King right away 😂

Sakaguchi went all out with his "FF Theatre". Disney level characters with wide array of emotions in a fantasy wold, story that really pull dramatic moments from pixels on your screen, beautiful 3D render backgrounds, Uematu great music and the ATB battle system. This is a very comfy FF made with the goal to make you feel for the characters. This is the final FF game produced by Sakaguchi.

I've been playing all the main series entries in order, and now it's Final Fantasy IX's turn. Now, this is my fourth playthrough of the game, and I remember I got it as a kid back when it came out, and I played it, got to the Final boss and quit, I remember I enjoyed it, but I didn't have any big memories about it. Now however as a 37 year old Final Fantasy veteran, I finally understand why so many people like FF9 so much. The good: -combat This game was the most loyal return to the ATB - active time battle system used in FF4-FF6, and to really enjoy the game, you must play with ATB on, because otherwise the combat is just ridiculously slow, now the problem with having a true ATB real time, is that animations come lagging, even though I played the game on the fastest combat speed, so you kind of have to keep track of what is happening, but the combat was fantastic, I was always on edge, in fact this remastered version is substantially harder than the original PAL PS1 release, because they dropped the encounter rate, so you are less likely to get overleveled, I died in quite a few bosses, and even a couple of random encounters. The combat is also most similar to FF7 in the sense that animations are slow, but actions have gravity. This really brings a good balance of the best SNES mechanics with PS1 era eye candy graphics (by the standars of the age of course). -plot This game has by far the best plot of the first nine games, now back when I first played this, I think I was 11 years old, and the plot went way over my head, it looks like a game for kids, but it really is a plot for adults, I mean it's not Shakespeare, but the characters are really well made, and they all have their own motivations, and you have actual good character development through the game, I grew attached to a lot of them, and they also play quite differently. -The level up system It's a pretty simple system, but you can exploit it, and build different type of builds, it's kind of between FF4 and FF6 with most of the abilities. -art Now this is in part because it's the remaster, but the art is absolutely gorgeous, these are real paintings you are playing through, they actually had real painters paint on top of the 3D models! it's a unique style, but I often ended up stopping and just looking at the gorgeous backgrounds. -music FF9 is the final fantasy sound track that I've listened to the most, and Nobuo Uematsu himself considers it his masterpiece, and I fully agree. -difficulty Now, partially this is because it's the remaster, and I played through with fast combat, and ATB, but this game is pretty challenging! it keeps you on your toes, unlike FF7 and FF8 which were way too easy, so I really enjoyed the challenge, it's not dark souls, but you really need to know what you are doing, or you'll get wiped out. The bad: -the in game card game So the best part of FF8 was the card game - but the card game (tetramaster) - is absolute crap in FF9, luckily you only have to play like five matches to progress the story, I really don't know how they could mess this one up so bad. -some things aged badly I mean it's an old game, and it had a short development time, so some things are slow, and greasy by today's standards, but come on, if you watch a 1980s movie, you are not expecting super HD graphics, are you? -the final boss - Is pretty impossible - unless you spend gazillion years grinding - which I am not going to do - still everything till the final final boss was awesome! It's a good game, if you like the SNES era Final Fantasy games you will like this one. Just remember it's a bit quirky.

has it's faults and is probably the game most deserving of a a remake, but the story themes and characters make it a game worth experiencing

It is definitely the best-looking PS1 game out there, without a doubt. However, other than that, it is hard to review the game as a whole, personally. I really enjoyed the first half. The story starts quite intriguing. The setting and the characters are so mesmerising that it excels at making you feel like you are inside a fairytale. Unlike previous entries, the skill system in FFIX is based on characters' equipments where you get to use each skill through equipped gears and after winning a certain amount of combats, you get to learn each skill as passives without ever needing that gear anymore. The only downside in this part is definitely the ATB system which kills all the strategy elements in turn-based games and makes them rather rely on how fast the player can press buttons. And I wish summons were left separate from the skill system without having to learn them. Therefore, I would give a 9-9.5 out of 10 for this part just like the name. That being said, the game massively drops in the second half mainly due to the story becoming a slow-burn and trying to take more than it can chew. While the arc in the first half could carry the player through the whole campaign, it ends halfway and the story takes a convoluted turn in the second half to give something on a larger scale by including otherworldly stuff while dumbing down the plot to saving Gaia from getting destroyed. In addition, a big majority of the inquiries in the first half are either left unanswered or unsatisfyingly answered in the second half. Other than that, the area variety is low compared to the likes of FFVI and FFVII as you'll end up visiting each place twice. Or thrice, in some cases (e.g. - Alexandria and Lindblum). Lastly, having to leave all the party members on their own and being forced to take a tour every time we visit a city was... a chore.

just get the moguri mod and play this god damn motherf**king masterpiece

FF9 + Moguri Mod + Steam deck, set to TDP 7, still running 60 fps and battery lasting more than half a day. One of the best nostalgic experiences ever.

First time playing Final Fantasy 9 and the game is good. It had its moment: banter, sarcasm moments, sad moments. Vivi is my favorite in this game, probably my 2nd favorite character in this series so far. As always, soundtrack for Final Fantasy is always good. Don't ask me about combat and grinding, I use trainer so I don't know anything. The ending is a mixture of happiness, reunion and sadness and farewell. The story is good and funny

One of the best Final Fantasy titles you can play! Fantastic classic fantasy setting, great characters, and fun turn based (ATB) combat!

Tried FF9 cause I've been seeing people say that this is one of the best in the series. I got invested a lot faster than i thought, with every character standing out and being memorable. I honestly love this game and its characters now.

one of my favorite final fantasy's i thought the story was good the ability system for its time was great and the card game was a blast to learn and get all the cards

Played this easy game during my childhood. Imho one of the best "final fantasy"series ever. Perfect summon/ability setup. Love it. In Steam the moduri mod makes it fantastic

One of the greatest games in the JRPG genre, from arguably the golden era of JRPGs. Largely overlooked due to originally coming out around the launch of the PS2 and soon FF10, it is criminal that many would pass on this game especially after the good but largely underwhelming FF8. Musically one of Nobuo Uematsu's greatest soundtracks and one he often cites as his favorite work overall, detractors can find flaws in FF9 easy but the music is not one of them. Hironobu Sakaguchi came back to steer Final Fantasy to a more traditional fantasy setting after the more futuristic/sci-fi setting of FF7 and FF8, which as a fan of more traditional fantasy settings makes this game easily my favorite of the franchise. (FF Tactics being tied with it, but that one's a spin-off.) It warms my heart that many now come back to this game to give it it's long overdue bouquet of flowers, especially the tireless fans who would elevate this title with the much lauded Moguri Mod. Do yourself a favor and play this with the Moguri Mod and maybe the PS1 sound font mod, so you can experience FF9 as we fans remember it in our rose-tinted memories. As someone who admittedly avoids nearly all mods in every game, this one is the only exception as I think the developers of the Moguri Mod really outdid themselves in turning a diamond in the rough to a polished gemstone of an experience. So I hope you join us fans in listening to this voice from the past, joining yours and mine. A true timeless classic, Final Fantasy 9 shall always circle round and grow deep in our hearts, for as long as we remember.

Good PC port of one of the best RPGs ever made! This one gets pretty heavily discounted during steam sales, so no reason not to pick it up!

I know it says I only have a few minutes in the game at the time of writing this. Rest assured I’ve put countless hours into Final Fantasy IX. Few games manage to replicate the magic, wonder, and emotional depth of Final Fantasy IX. A love letter to the roots of the series, it blends classic fantasy aesthetics with a richly layered story and memorable characters, all supported by engaging gameplay that holds up decades later. I recommend this game whole-heartedly—not just as a Final Fantasy game, but as an example of the power of storytelling through games. From the moment the game opens on the cobblestone streets of Alexandria, to the final confrontation that challenges the nature of existence itself, FFIX is steeped in charm and heart. Its combat system is a polished evolution of the Active Time Battle (ATB) formula, with each character feeling distinct thanks to fixed classes and unique abilities. This design choice encourages thoughtful party composition and strategy, without falling into the trap of “everyone can do everything.” Each victory feels earned, and the powerful Trance system offers satisfying bursts of strength at key moments. What truly elevates Final Fantasy IX is its story and the characters who live it. At its core, this is a tale about identity, mortality, and resistance. The game explores systemic oppression, classism, and even racism/genocide through the experiences of its cast—most notably [spoiler]Vivi, the black mage whose innocent demeanor belies a heartbreaking journey. His arc confronts the ethics of manufactured life and the horror of being treated as disposable—a reflection of how tyrannical systems dehumanize those they exploit. Vivi’s quiet courage and self-discovery are nothing short of profound, and his story still resonates today.[/spoiler] At the center of Final Fantasy IX is one of the most charming and cohesive ensembles in the franchise. Zidane’s rogue-with-a-heart-of-gold energy, Garnet’s evolution from sheltered royalty to determined leader, Steiner’s bumbling honor, Vivi's innocence and naiveté, Freya’s melancholic nobility, and Quina’s chaotic delight—they all feel fully realized, and their interactions sparkle with personality. The game’s dialogue is witty, heartfelt, and never afraid to lean into whimsy while still delivering gut punches when it counts. Final Fantasy IX is a beautiful, thoughtful game with timeless themes, heartfelt characters, and a world that feels alive with both magic and meaning. In my opinion, this is the peak of Final Fantasy games.

This game is an absolute masterpiece, make sure to get Moguri Mod for updated background visuals

This game is awesome even after finishing it countless times in all my devices, Phone, old Iphone, PS1, PS4, and now PC, and guess what with the Moguri mod it feels like a brand new game, 100% recommended even if you're an old timer fan of the Saga, can't wait for the remake (if there is one) I will gladly buy it again, just a game that marked my teenage years and probably part of my childhood when PS1 was still around, if you want to relive the saga this game is worth every penny and you can get it at a discount every now and then so it's even more worth it!

One of the greatest games of all time with one of the deepest stories in the FF series, Plus its got Vivi too whom is the best character ever!

Get the Moguri (sp) mod, feels way more modern with the updated textures and graphics. If it was released as is today with those mod features itd be the 10/10 it was still back in the day. Alternate Fantasy difficulty is wicked fun and challenging, more than i expected

One of the best games I've ever played. Story, writing, game play, world, it's all there. I especially love the writing as it's so smooth, feels like real interactions. In comparison with the new Final Fantasy 7 remake, i just quit playing that one after a few hours due to the corny and cheesy writing. Get this game, totally worth it for the story alone.

Charming characters and beautiful setting. Also che music is, of course, really good ...

I can see why this is a fan-favorite! Its a great game, and this enhanced edition fixes the few flaws the game has! The only downside is the low steal rate the game has, but you can just turn on invincibility and fast forward until you get the item you want, so its not really a problem. The story is an epic stable of the franchise, and a worthy farewell to the creator of the franchise. The characters are likeable, and the music is iconic. This is a must-have for any Final Fantasy fan! 10/10

While the battle system is traditional to a fault and the Trance Mechanic wasn't really well implemented, these shortcomings can easily be overlooked thanks to a great narrative involving some wonderful characters. Zidane's adventures, his relationship with Garnet and Vivi's self-discovery are wonderfully told in the game's campaign. Being light-hearted and swashbuckling most of the time makes the heavier emotional scenes hit that much harder. As a side note, the 'Moguri mod' should be considered an essential download, thanks to its many quality of life features and an impressive faithful graphical uplift.

This version is the remaster and it has several features to take advantage up. Such as speed up, removing animations in battle and 9999 battle damage. However dont let it fool you, you still need to grind, the 9999 damage is not going to 1 shot end game. Still all these years later still take skill, strats, and grinding to win

It took me nearly 20 years to finally finish this game, because I always had horrible luck with it (memory card corruption once, then a HDD failure the second attempt deep into the game) But man this is a really good game. I don't know why this one is so quietly in the background when people talk about the old FF games. I'd actually rank this one above VII overall. Pure story wise, 7 probably is still better, but when also considering gameplay, this is easily the best of the old guard. FFVIII will always be my favorite for personal reasons, but biases aside, 9 is the best of the 3 overall.

briljant classic, awesome characters, story and humor

Bro... this game aged like fine wine, and the Moguri Mod is the corkscrew that lets you actually enjoy it in 2025. I played FFIX years ago on PS1 and remembered it being dope. Came back with Moguri and it’s like someone hit the Remaster button properly for once. 10/10. Would get roasted by Quina again.

its a good game, and nostalgic ofc with mod grapich is 100% must play..

ohh this game is SO good ! i like it a LOT but ohhhh yes you should look into MODS before playing like TRIPLE TRAID instead of ATETRA MASTER (even though my name is tetra , tetra master SUCKS)

With Memoria + Moguri mods, this is the definitive way to play FFIX today!

My favorite of ALL the Final Fantasies. I cannot say enough good things about this amazing game. Loved it most of my life, will love it forever.

One of the best in the Final Fantasy series. As usual, the main character sucks, but the cast of misfits is truly enjoyable. The late game party members don't get to add as much, but still fun! Quina rocks, and is easily my favorite in this game (they are a Blue Mage). Eat everything you can!

Its the best Final Fantasy mainline game. Its Hironobu Sakaguchi's Magnum opus. PC with Moguri Mod is the best way to play. I'd recommend this game to any and everyone.

Best final fantasy, characters are great, combat is great, story is a little insane near the end, but overall engaging. Only thing not great is card mini game. they should have kept ff8's version

Best PS1 Final fantasy on story and world building. The loading times are a problem and it is very hard to play without fast play but otherwise great game that you must play.

This game pays homage to the classic final fantasy IV-VI with its fantasy setting, clear job system, straightforward combat, and a highly memorable, suspense, and romantic story. FF IX is a breath of fresh air compared to its prequels dark and somewhat monotone characters, all while maintaining a sense of maturity, and a clear lesson/philosophy throughout the game. (Also Vivi is in this game). Definitely give this game a try if you loved FF's I-VI!

very solid, fun game to complete and has good gameplay throughout. no idea why the 10000 kills achievement exists, just drags out an otherwise great game. 8/10

It's not the best game I've played. A little far from it. When I first played it, I was pretty rusty. I even forgot some essential equipment that made progression go better. A few parts near the end were also kind of frustrating, which I'm pretty sure would tick me off whether I had better gear or not. I got stuck on some bosses that probably could've been much easier. But it didn't really bring down the quality of this game for me. Reminiscing now, it makes my experience feel more unique - not exactly in a good way, but unique nonetheless. And I think I'll hold that to my heart with this game for years to come. I peek open into Final Fantasy IX and I get a small yet blazing light coming out of it that shows me a better perspective on storytelling in video games. It's not exactly the most high-brow art. There's twinkish alien monkey boys fighting each other, going at it like super saiyans. Armies of wizards of dark complexions terrorizing cities and the common folk. I'd never do that. That's how you know this game is pure, whimsical fantasy. But you could say that about a lot of stories. How this story makes me actually kind of care about it was the characters - Everyone says one character is really bad or really good in games like these - and that's fine, I get it. But I like all of them. Zidane is a main character who I thought I'd just tolerate. And he's not the most complex character, but... I like him. I like the horny thief character. I didn't expect that, to be honest. He's probably my favorite. Steiner, that knight guy who looks angry all the time and wants the princess to be safe? Oh, he's gonna be annoying. No. He isn't. Huh. Okay. And, you know what - Zidane, move over, I think I like this guy a bit more. Garnet, the princess who doesn't wanna be a princess. She can kinda kick ass, too. Alright, she'll probably be kinda whatever, like how I expected Zidane to be, right? No, no, she's interesting, too. The first act is some of the most engaged I've been for a game, let alone a turn based RPG. It's just... good storytelling. The cutscenes still look good to this day, I think. And if they ever remaster this game, I REALLY hope they keep this cute, nice and sleek art style throughout the whole thing, and don't go down the more modern anime approach, like they did with VII. Those styles bore me to death. And I know - 'what about the rest of the game?' - That's good, too. Some people say it kind of drags around the middle, and I can almost agree with that. But it's still really nice writing. The ending has one thing that is kind of abrupt and just kinda odd, but I don't think it's the worst thing ever. And everything after that more than makes up for it. The gameplay is -- while I did accidentally mess up the intended progression - still fine. Zidane has an ability where he can steal, but, that never really seemed to work for me and everyone else who has played this, so it's just kind of there. It works in the way you'd keep... It doesn't work at all. There's a few things in this game that just don't work - Like a card minigame somewhere around the middle. It's mandatory - I forgot what it was even about, really. I don't even know if I liked it or not. But just know it's kind of forgettable. There's also a few characters as well that don't work writing-wise, though they would absolutely be stellar if they were written better. Amarant comes to mind instantly. If I hear the word 'underwritten' used for a character again, I'm thinking of him. He just doesn't have much, unfortunately. Freya's character is also cut abruptly. A shame. Though, one thing that does help these characters (and the rest) is the use of the ATE system. It's basically a cutscene that you can access when just controlling another character. It gives deeper insight to other characters and is a smart way for players who care a little more about the story than perhaps other players to get more... story. The music is also amazing. I can't exactly put how much I like a song into words - at least not often, if I haven't listened to it THAT much - but just know that it's all very memorable and great to listen too. What more could you want out of a good song, honestly? All in all - I give the game an 8/10. It's not my favorite. But it holds dear in my heart, I won't lie. More so than my actual favorite games. I don't know if Square can make games like this again. To be blunt, I haven't played much or have seen much of their modern releases. But I think it won't be easy to top this, but hats off to the people who'd like to (or, at the time of writing this, people who are) - I wouldn't blame them. This game's a gift.

Zidane is so real for drowning out his romantic sorrows in a card collecting game

I played this game several times. Love the characters, story and music, it's magical. A real final fantasy in it's prime. Absolutely recommend it. I just don't really like the card game but that's 90% optional and it's also personal.

For those who played this on the PS1, as a remake, this really only shines with the Moguri mod which allows you to bypass those long battle intros and manually initiate trance mode. For those who have not played this before, it is a sort of final hurrah for the old style of Final Fantasy games before the modern age of angsty anime swordboy protagonists and endlessly convoluted plot lines (apart, unfortunately, for that one boss at the end). This is the last time Sqaure-Enix was able to create characters that appeal because of the strength of their personalities and charm, rather than their design. Despite its fairy tale-esque art design and adventurous tone, the game still contains more mature inner conflicts for its characters than the dour, contextless "more serious" entries in the series.

Old gem from my childhood mix with moguri mod it just insane ! kinda a small remake before square enix make it.

iz gewd, they did better with the graphic artistic work compairing it between FF VIII and FF IX

Good final fantasy game. Worked great on Steam Deck. I crashed once.

I am a Final Fantasy O.G. going back to the beginning. This is my all time favorite Final Fantasy. One of the last original Turn-Based J.R.P.G.s before they got off track with their merger with Enix and changed into another Action based franchise. Pure nostalgia. Also the last Final Fantasy composed purely by Nobuo Uematsu.

FF9 is a classic amazing JRPG, with great highs, lows, twists and lore. I recommend finding a graphic mod if you can though

Feeling sad for Vivi... And you most be some kind of monster if you don't! All your love are belong to Vivi.

Easily the best Final Fantasy story to me. No other Final Fantasy gave the warm satisfaction that this game does after seeing the credits. I truly love this game and I hope to see a faithful remaster someday.