Overview

Final Fantasy IX is an epic tale in which a beautiful and young princess named Princess Garnet is kidnapped by a gang of thieves who call themselves Tantalus. The main character in the group is Zidane, and it is he who you control in the game. The story is set in a world known as Gaia, which is on the brink of distinction. If you haven't played the game I won't risk spoiling the entire plot so let's leave that there!

Body

Graphics - I believe that Final Fantasy IX is superior to it's predecessors in the sense that the FMV's and soundtrack are superb. I find myself downloading FMV's from this game because they are amazing. The character graphics match the FMV which can sometimes be wrong in other titles. (10/10)

Music - The music, like the graphics is a great asset to the game. There are several tunes that you will want to hear again and again, and for me that tune is called "You're Not Alone". This music begins to play at a moment where the main character Zidane, goes into a state of disbelief and he turns against his comrades. However, they stand by him in his time of need and together they get through it. (9/10)

Gameplay - This game has excellent gameplay which will somehow still manage to leave you wanting more. I know that when I beat this game I had a feeling of sorrow that there was nothing more to come so I beat it another three times after that from start to finish. The game has an amazing replay value which I can happily vouch for.

Like most games there is more to do than follow the storyline and Final Fantasy IX is no exception. There is much more to do than to follow the story. There is a very addictive and annoying mini-adventure involving a Chocobo and a Moogle. The Moogle named "Mene" insists that you should pay her 60 gil in order to use the Chocobo and find treasures throughout the world. This is a very challenging aspect of the Final Fantasy IX but extremely useful to find valuable items in the game. (9/10)

Challenge - Unlike others in the Final Fantasy series, your character begins at level one, which may seem like nothing, but it all adds up. Monsters are tough and bosses are tougher, but isn't that how we like it? A good challenge is healthy and what we should expect from a game of this calibur. You will hear no complaints from me about the challenge that this game offers. (9/10)

Realistic Factor - I have had contact with a lot of Final Fantasy fans like me, and a lot of them agree that Final Fantasy IX is unrealistic by the way that not every main character is human. I must admit, at first I was a little disappointed at this, not to mention shocked, but I think if everyone in this game were human, it wouldn't nearly as be as good as it is. So to all those fans who are rebelling against the realness of Final Fantasy IX, I think you should ask yourself, "Would it make much sense if everyone were human?" I think you'd be surprised at your own thoughts. Although it is unrealistic, what game is realistic these days? We need change from time to time, and ,i>Final Fantasy IX has delivered that on a silver platter! (9/10)

Summary

OK, so we have a game with great graphics, marvellous music, great gameplay and a contributing challenge, so what is there to think about. If you don't own this game, buy it. If you haven't played it play it! I think you will be impressed with what SquareSoft have created, as I know that I was, and I think you will be to.

Percentage Overall Score: 99%