FINAL FANTASY IX

Final Fantasy IX is a classic, and well worth playing through multiple times. You can change the experience using Moguri Mod, add voice acting with Echo S-9, and so much more. It is definitely one of the best Final Fantasies in the series.

The best of the classic Final Fantasy games - arguably the *definitive* Classic Final Fantasy. And now, with the Memoria engine and the Moguri mod, basically a remaster in itself and perfect for the Steam Deck.

This is my favorite game. The story is top-notch, and with the Memoria Engine mods, this has a good visual feel. Great for retro turn-based JRPG.|
Lots of depth in its systems, less a few changes. Highly recommend.

the game in the series that introduced me to the franchise! the "love letter" to the original games. originally played on the PS1. the story is fleshed out and meaningful. gameplay can be meh at times as the game is not really challenging. That does not mean there are not hard fights in this game. characters are fun and enjoyable. overall 9/9. this is the title i hope they remake after 7.

I'm playing this w/ Whisky on my Mac Mini M4, and it's great! The graphics aren't as crunchy as I remember them. But the Chocobo Hot & Cold game is still as rage inducing as my childhood. I keep hearing rumors this will be rereleased with some updated graphics and I think I'd pick it up just to experience the story and the beautiful settings in a crisper modern setup. I think when my niece is old enough I'll get her a copy of this game so she too can know the joy (and rage) this game brought me.

I like the new Max Gil feature in the menu. also, the characters are extremely cool with PC graphics

The story was excellent and the characters were alot of fun. If you're a fan of turn based JRPGs, this won't disappoint.

Old school PS1 game, reminds me of being a kid playing this incredible story!
Probably the best story line i have ever played through.

I tried to play the game out of the box, but the combat takes way too much time. The intro animations for each battle and the excessively long attack and spell animations make for an unpleasant experience, to say the least. Not to mention that it keeps the ATB combat system, which is just inexplicable to me as I see it as one of the worst systems in gaming, and yet they stuck with it for six games in a row.

Luckily, you can download the Memoria mod and do away with all this tedium by removing intro animations and speeding up the attack animations, and even set the combat system to turn based. Highly recommended.

Other than that, the game is all about story, as has been the franchise's trend game after game. The broader plot is once more impossible to follow once it starts escalating into ambitious cosmic events, and it seems once more that with each game, they try to tell the story to end all stories and fail miserably.

This time, however, we're treated to one of the best casts I can remember in a game, with characters so likeable and dialogue so entertaining, that I never wished the game would move along faster, as I find myself doing with so many other story-focused RPGs.

Uematsu also one-ups himself once more and delivers another incredible soundtrack, continuing to hold the brunt of this franchise's weight on his shoulders.

Gluing the superb characters and the excellent soundtrack together, the art direction knocks it out of the park.

Altogether, FFIX is far from an example of video games' strengths as a medium, as it typically fails in the gameplay department, but it is so heartwarming and charming that, unlike many of its predecessors, I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

Combine this with the Memoria mod to play the best version of FF9 currently available.
https://sites.google.com/view/moguri-mod/install

One of the most heartbreaking stories in the franchise. Great game play, love the skill learning system and I love how everyone has a role in the party. The characters and their dynamic are very memorable.

If you want a classic RPG to put 60+ hours into, this is the game for you.

Great game! Loved every bit of it until it decided to reveal that cloud saves have to be done manually. Lost so much progress because of it. Just remember to periodically backup your save manually. I wish I knew that earlier.

Ive managed at least to defeat Ozma, it took me a while, good memories playing this on its time, I do appreciate the upgrades such as the Turbo mode, it will save you significant time specially if you are farming.

Beautiful story not a flawless Final Fantasy but definetly one of the best. I wish it lasted a bit more because In retrospective, its kind of very straightfoward and short, partially confusing and If you were a kid you would probably not appreciate the story as you do when you replay it as an adult.

Quina is OP BTW

Great game. Thankfully, the battle/equipment system not not as confusing as number 8.
but in terms of soundtrack, ff8 is better, more memorable for me.

I love the game, and it's much easier to see the sprite work with the upgraded models.

I just found out that "Continue" on the main menu, loads up the latest Autosave, not the latest save file... I was wondering why I had lost progress and I had to talk to Moogles all over again... WTF is Continue loading up older saves than the newest save?!

After playing all the ff7 remakes, and some of the older titles (3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 15), FF9 remains as (totally not objectively) the best Final Fantasy in the series. Its got the best music, story, and characters of any FF. Seriously, just go play it.

Still the greatest numerical Final Fantasy game ever made. No contest.

This is by far the best FF in the franchise. Its wholesome, It has everything that makes a FF game an FF game. Lovely story telling, likeable characters, plenty of side things to do, and the moogles are actually cute. Chocobo Hot and cold is a fun game, and you can get OP fast with out needing much help. If you like Final Fantasy, This game is a must play.

TLDR: Definitely a top tier contender of the FF franchise, both in story and progression. Not everything was properly revamped for PC, but a good effort was put in the character models so it holds up okay-ish.

Story: As Zidane the monkey boy, embark on a journey that at times seems a bit silly, at times overly serious. Characters are varied and over the top in a good way. For instance, while a character will literally ask you to stop by swamps to catch and eat frogs (in a mini game, if we can call it that), another will constantly remind you how mucha of a bum you are and wishes nothing but to have you arrested for kidnapping someone who actually wishes nothing but to be kidnapped. The cast manages to keep the adventure fun and mostly light hearted while every so often hitting you with a sad bomb. Though IMO, the journey is far better than the end.

Gameplay: It's the usual JRPG, HP, MP grinding to level both stats and abilities.
Abilities are acquired via equipping gear and gaining AP (Ability Points) and while some gear may offer more than one ability, some characters may or may not be able to both equip and or learn some specific abilities. So in a sense, many characters end up as dpsers, healers, etc. Balancing both grinding your abilities and your current team is important in this FF as you never quite know what's next. I'm sure some people have near soft locked themselves at some point.
Animations eventually end up being overly long since you'll find your rhythm sooner than later and always having to cast the same spells can get tedious.
Enemies also tend to use spells all the time, so yeah.
There's an odd ATE (Active Time Event) system that allows you to watch events taking place somewhere else by pressing a button.
You can play with mouse and kb, which is a nice feature, but I played with my controller anyway.
I enjoyed how many items were hidden throughout areas, it made exploration rewarding.
There's a trance system that reminds me of the limit breaks in FF7, but it is poorly made as it proccs as soon as it gauge fills up and gets used up by every action after (the gauge fills up by receiving dmg).
In the late game, enemies start having a turn at pretty much every turn you have, which is odd, not gonna mention the end boss.
Might be worth mentioning that I also had a power outage while playing, I was pleasantly surprised to know that there are some checkpoints between the manual saves.
Oh and guess what, there's a freaking card game in this FF too. How wonderful... It's nowhere near as terrible as FFVIII though...

Graphics: While the character models were obviously reworked, not everything received the same amount of love... Still, cities look nice and a lot of attention to details was obviously poured into this game initially.

Audio: Sound effects are redundant and not always enjoyable, attacking in melee is especially of poor sound quality. The music, however, is varied and interesting. World map , and cinematics both have terrible FPS counts.

I'm glad I finally played FFIX. It's a bit late in 2025, but for a game that looks kid friendly and easy, it ain't!

This is my favorite Final Fantasy. The mini games are awesome along with all the secret bosses and story and game play

One of the best Final Fantasy ever, a true masterpiece in atmosphere, music and exploration. I cannot wait for the remake <3

If you haven't done it yet, with Moguri mod, this becomes a true gem. Some of the dialogues will make you smile no matter what and the characters, especially Vivi they are so unique <3

I wish all the final fantasy where like this :)

I play it every couple of years and still hasn't lost its power :)

This nostalgic game was one of the best of its time. Haven't played this for about 25 years since the original play station. A strait forward story game that is good for a single play through and easy for any level of gamer or beginner to handle. There are puzzles, hidden items to find, games within the game, but only a few slightly different variations to finish the game. All in all, every person who likes good stories or games should give this one a try, since like most all Final Fantasy games, it has a great story to tell.

There's nothing for me to say you probably haven't already heard about this game. It's one of the best. This game oozes charm. It is so different than all the games before it and after it.

The main thing I would say is that this game would have been an absolute slog without the Moguri Mod. https://www.nexusmods.com/finalfantasy9/mods/32

It has taken everything that Square has neglected and made it better. It felt simultaneously nostalgic and modern at the same time. I really appreciated the FPS on Cinematics, Random Battle Transitions turned off, 100% Steal Rate and the upscaled backgrounds that look amazing compared to the unmodded set up.

Tetra Master was and still remains largely trash. It's a terribly designed game. Thankfully the Moguri Mod lets you replace it wholesale with Triple Triad.

Definitely use the moguri mod or you're missing out.

A beautiful masterpiece with some amazing art. I highly recommend picking this game up during a sale. Its worth using a game pad for the best experience.

My favorite Final Fantasy. Highly recommend to play with the Memoria and Moguri mods.

This is one of my favorite games of all time. The characters, story, music.. This game, in my opinion of course, is such a beautiful game.

This game running at 60fps with memoria mod is stunning to see

This is one of the first RPGs I ever played, and is still my favorite to this day. I love it so much, I've bought it multiple times for various consoles throughout the years. The gameplay, the story, even the graphics were outstanding for the era it came from!

If you like old school Final Fantasy/RPGs like I do, there's a very good chance you will like this love letter to all its predecessors. 💜

FFIX is a flawless combination of everything that makes a Final Fantasy game great.

Narrative, soundtrack, characters, combat, and setting are all phenomenal.

The characters in this game are some of the most well-written in any game I have ever played. Vivi Ornitier in particular is probably the best written character in the whole Final Fantasy series, and he is only the tritagonist of this game.

It has aged well for the most part. I played with the Memoria & Moguri mods which enhanced the experience dramatically, increasing FPS, unblurring backgrounds, as well as adding a bunch of convenient options such as boosting game speed, etc.

The 15 FPS FMV’s and grindy mini games showed their age when playing, but that is probably my only gripes with the game, which says a lot.

Hard to believe this came out in 2000. I would really like FFIX to be re-made by Square in the future, as the technology of today can really elevate this game to the next level.

A must-play for any RPG fan. The experience this game provides is truly timeless.

10/10.

A very nostalgic game from the final fantasy series, the control are still simple and the story is light but fun

Its a classic RPG with a great story and great graphics.

What an era. This game is really good though it is also a bit too childish for me.

What do modern games sometimes lack that some retro games can have? 1. Fun engaging gameplay. 2. A satisfying and thought provoking story. FFIX has both of these. The story isn't maudlin and it isn't too childish to have value to adults. The underlying theme is this: A satisfying and moral life is uncomplicated and can be discovered by being 'honest' or more accurately by being 'true to oneself'. The story is charming, inspiring, and thought provoking. In the past I've replayed the game just to experience the story again. Regarding #1, this is more complicated to explain so I will answer this second. First of all it has aged like a fine wine in terms of technology. The music and graphics were sufficient for immersion even before the re-release improvements. The idea of gaining abilities permanently through familiarity with items is deeply satisfying. It gives the sense of ownership of ability and development of character. This mechanic inspires us to explore the world to not only find treasure but to make it part of ourselves vicariously through the characters. Depending on how we play the game it feels like we can have completely different characters by the end of the story. There is a ton of optional content that is not boring in the slightest or fails to feel rewarding. My one exception here is the card game, which I was not a huge fan of. The level of difficulty is well balanced. At some point you have to find a way to progress, but you have options. You can use strategy, grind, or seek better items. There are a lot of fun surprises and workarounds as well as traps you can easily fall into. All in all the game is fun, memorable, and filled with replay value. Any player who can enjoy a turn based rpg has every reason to purchase and enjoy this game for countless hours. Are there issues? Well only one worth mentioning, lol. So... don't park your awesome upgraded chocobo too close to any town, Treno in particular. You may find yourself incapable of getting back on choco, which is a very frustrating way to lose progress.

This game perfectly epitomizes what Final Fantasy as a franchise is all about. It has some elements of the earlier games (combat akin to the first games, a medieval setting, characters having specific jobs) yet it comes after two of their most celebrated installments that offer a more modern perspective, setting and themes. The soundtrack is beautiful, extremely memorable, and in my opinion, the best one in the entire franchise (fight me!). The story and the characters are just amazing, though I agree that many of them deserve more screen time and development (Freya, i'm looking at you rn). If you ever wonder which game you should select as a gateway into the world of Final Fantasy, I highly recommend FF9, but starting with the cream of the crop can be a two-edged sword so be warned. :)

Solid game, great background art which can be enhanced even furhter by Moguri mod

Still to date my favorite FF. Loved the music, story and exploration.

Final Fantasy IX is such a great game that it perfectly establishes the mechanics of the Final Fantasy series, especially after the incident caused by its predecessor, VIII. It takes the best aspects of VII and turns them into the perfect formula by eliminating the frustrating experimental mechanics introduced by VIII. Although it didn’t sell well, IX became a game that must be experienced by every Final Fantasy and JRPG fan. It offers a simpler gameplay compared to both VII and VIII which makes it accessible to newcomers as well as loyal fans. However, there is one aspect that I feel like I should criticize and that is the fact that it actually doesn’t offer as much freedom as VII and that is the ability to determine which character is going to assume which role such as tank, mage, etc. Each character has pre-determined abilities that cannot be modified or changed, but it doesn’t cause any disturbances or obstacles in the game in any way. Just like in VII, you have a bunch of weapons, armor pieces, and several accessories that you can equip your characters with, and they all have unique abilities that you can teach the characters through farming AP. Unlike VIII, leveling up doesn’t punish you and it’s quite rewarding as it should.

The characters have chibi looks and the setting may seem more cartoony which could lead to misunderstanding that it’s not as serious as the previous titles, but don’t let the appearances deceive you since it’s one of the most powerful and emotional Final Fantasy stories that can give you teary eyes in the end. The protagonist Zidane is a cheerful and goofy guy unlike Squall and Cloud, thus, he ended up being my favorite protagonist of the PSX era of Final Fantasy games. It was nice to see a caring, cheerful, and confident guy instead of an edgelord for a change, furthermore; it truly feels like a “fantasy” game due to its setting being in a fictional medieval era. The story mostly revolves around Zidane’s love interest Dagger and his black mage pal Vivi whereas Steiner, Dagger’s loyal knight, gives Zidane a tough time throughout the game due to the status difference between Zidane and Princess Dagger. Of course, there are more characters, but the story mainly focuses on Zidane, Dagger, and Vivi, therefore; I’d prefer to say nothing more about the rest of the cast. However, all of their backstories are being explored as the game progresses and Zidane finds a meaning to his life through his friends which makes the story quite deep and complex rather than a straight shot to the goal.

Another distinguishing feature of IX is the ability to use 4 characters simultaneously unlike VII and VIII. The card game Tetra Master is also quite interesting, but it’s not as engaging as Triple Triad in my opinion. It also doesn’t offer you any real reward except for a few achievements, so going after every single card out there would be meaningless unless you’re a completionist. Speaking of the completionist side of the game, it’s a bit irritating due to how easy it is to miss stuff such as ATEs, treasures, and time-limited mini-games, thus, it’s recommended to follow a guide strictly if you’re aiming for a 100% completion rate. Moogle letters are also quite easy to miss and yes, moogles play a huge role in Final Fantasy IX instead of cameo appearances. I mean, it’s only natural that they got a bigger role in this given its setting. And who can forget chocobos? They return with an interesting mini-game that leads to the toughest boss fight in the game if you have time to invest in it and yes, chocobo progression is very similar to the one in VII. Speaking of time investment, there is an achievement that requires you to kill 10.000 enemies yet again, but at least in-game boosters and cheats are more efficient this time around which could help you a lot or you could simply use another save file to avoid hours of grinding. The soundtrack on the other hand is memorable and quite emotional as always thanks to Nobuo Uematsu, who never disappoints. I don’t know if it’s already in the works or not, but Square Enix should definitely remake IX next!

TL;DR

Despite the spotlight always being on Final Fantasy VII and X, Final Fantasy IX often goes unmentioned, and I don't understand why. This is a peak PS1 game, with its charming art style and design that have aged remarkably well compared to VII and VIII, making it a visually appealing game even today.

I don't want to say much more because I believe it’s a game that’s best experienced with minimal prior knowledge. It's truly worth playing. Having experienced it, it's become one of my favourite Final Fantasy games.

Get Memoria mod, and Moguri. Unlock framerate. Be very happy!

One of the best games, with a perfect story and themes so profound and reflective that they'll stay with you for years. I love how the story and its characters convey themes of existentialism, defying fate, and the cycle of life and death. These themes are beautifully explored through the characters of Zidane, Vivi, and Kuja.

As for the combat, I was quite tired of the ATB system after playing through all the Final Fantasy games—I would have much preferred a conditional turn-based system at that point. However, in this game, inputting commands and dealing high damage to enemies still felt satisfying.

Aside from a few moments, the game maintains a strong pace in its story structure and world exploration. It does a great job of guiding players on where to go next, and the side content never feels mandatory.

The music is phenomenal, once again composed by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu. While I only had a few personal favorites, most of the soundtrack perfectly fits the mood and tone of each scene, including moments where the absence of music is used effectively.

By the endgame, things get tough—I had to grind for a while just to survive the final boss. Thankfully, mods helped with that. Speaking of mods, I have to say that the Moguri Mod made the experience of playing this masterpiece even better. It streamlines the game in a way that I think would enhance the experience for everyone, not just me.

FF IX is my favorite final fantasy, and it was awesome to replay it with the Moguri mod. As always, fans do what companies wont. Especially squeenix. The only thing they're good for these days is milking their old IP back from when they used to make good games.

Recommend this game b/c its amazing and if you play with mods. If not just emulate it, eff SE.

I've already finished this game a few times when I was younger. And when I discover the existence of Moguri Mod, I just really had to play this again to see how much it improves the game. So far, I'm not disappointed.

Characters are great, systems in the game for learning abilities take some time to get your head around, combat fun as you usual FF affair, has some good mods for making look more modern than the PSX release.

Final Fantasy IX Review
Introduction
Released in 2000 for the PlayStation, Final Fantasy IX is often regarded as one of the best entries in the Final Fantasy series. It serves as a nostalgic return to the franchise's medieval fantasy roots while incorporating modernized mechanics and storytelling. With a rich narrative, charming characters, and a beautifully crafted world, the game stands as a masterpiece in the JRPG genre.

Story & Characters: 10/10
The story follows Zidane, a lighthearted thief who gets caught up in a grand adventure involving princesses, war, ancient civilizations, and an existential crisis that reaches cosmic proportions. The cast is one of the strongest in the series, featuring:

Zidane – A charismatic and carefree rogue with a hidden past.
Garnet (Dagger) – A runaway princess seeking to understand the world outside her kingdom.
Vivi – A timid black mage struggling with deep questions about life and identity.
Steiner – A devoted knight torn between duty and morality.
Freya, Eiko, Amarant, and Quina – Each adds unique personality and backstory to the adventure.
The game explores heavy themes like fate, identity, war, and mortality, making it one of the most emotionally resonant entries in the series.

Gameplay & Combat: 9/10
Final Fantasy IX features a turn-based combat system using the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. Unlike its immediate predecessors (FFVII and FFVIII), the game returns to a traditional four-person party, allowing for more strategic depth.

Trance System – A limit break-like mechanic that temporarily enhances abilities.
Abilities & Equipment – Players learn abilities by equipping gear and mastering them over time, adding depth to progression.
Mini-Games & Side Content – Chocobo Hot & Cold, Tetra Master (card game), and secret bosses provide plenty of distractions.
The combat is well-balanced and enjoyable, though it can feel slightly slow-paced at times.

Graphics & Art Style: 10/10
The game’s pre-rendered backgrounds and character designs are absolutely stunning, even today. Final Fantasy IX embraces a whimsical, fairy-tale aesthetic that makes it stand out from its more futuristic predecessors. The vibrant, colorful environments give each location a distinct personality, from the towering city of Alexandria to the mysterious, mist-covered Outer Continent.

Music & Sound: 10/10
Nobuo Uematsu delivers one of his best soundtracks, featuring

Overall Score: 9.5/10
Pros:
✅ Incredible story and characters
✅ Beautiful art direction and world-building
✅ Engaging combat with strategic depth
✅ Amazing soundtrack

Cons:
❌ Slightly slow battle system
❌ Tetra Master isn’t as well-loved as Triple Triad from FFVIII

Final Thoughts
Final Fantasy IX is a love letter to classic RPGs, blending nostalgic fantasy elements with deep storytelling and refined mechanics. Whether you're a longtime Final Fantasy fan or a newcomer, this game is an unforgettable experience that stands the test of time. If you haven’t played it yet, you’re missing out on one of the greatest JRPGs ever made.

Great story, great soundtrack, great game.

It's Final Fantasy IX. It's a great game, can't go wrong. Not my thing personally, but there is mods out there that give this game a tasteful HD enhancement. Just read the reviews.

Final Fantasy IX is the greatest Final Fantasy of all time.

I originally played this on the PS1 and I've played some one hundred plus hours on it (my game timer turned to red.. if you know what that means. Yours might've turned into some more colors other than that).

The game's story will give you a great adventure, enjoyable characters, emotional trauma and even the meaning of life. It may not even be that deep, but it was for me.

I've spent some of my formative years getting comfy in Alexandria, being scarred in the Evil Forest and Ice Cavern, relaxing in Dali, destroying South Gate, hanging out in Lindblum, crying in Burmecia, breaking down in the Red Rose while looking at Cleyra, eating South Gate Bundt cake, unpetrifying ____, spending the night in Treno, losing in Tetra Master a lot (bring me back my cards!!!), exploring Gargan Roo, playing with Ramuh, getting lost for a significant time in Fossil Roo, trying to understand what the folks in Conde Petie are actually saying, finding a village of black mages, going through the history of Eidolons and killing a giant fucking tree. And those were the just the first 2 discs!

I've yet to tell you some of the other ones like the time I had to return to level 1 items to go through a castle, the time I've spent exploring the world with the best airship ever, searching and almost giving up on where the hell the ocean chocograph is even located, and getting a lot of treasure in the Chocobo Lagoons and Sky Gardens.

But I guess that's for you to explore and mine to relive all over again.

I love you Final Fantasy IX. Let's retell your story once more.

Game is a crap console port. Better to go play an emulated version. It is clunky, slow, terribly optimized, no proper key bindings. Typical Square Enix garbage.

If you are looking for a jrpg game with a great plot and a cast of characters with their own individual levels of development and struggles, then this game is a fantastic choice. The cast of characters is the main selling point of this game for me. You see these characters change and grow throughout the game up until the end. Along with the main characters, all of the supporting cast help make the world feel alive. The medieval high fantasy setting is my favorite in the series right behind Final Fantasy 7. Nobou Uematsu's skills as a composer is in full effect here. Each track perfectly captures the vibe of each area or character theme. The highlight for me is the main overworld theme.

The battle system is a little mundane compared to other Final Fantasy games however. A soft job system is back with a few twists. Learning skills/spells through equipment would be a cool idea if most of them weren't useless. Any spell/skill that would debuff a boss like sleep or poison will most likely always miss. On top of that, battles take an ETERNITY to load and finish, unless you use the Moguri mod. This makes it to where debuff abilities are only really usable on regular enemies, which are still WAY too underwhelming to get any use out of them. You are rewarded more for using stronger weapons and only using the attack command. Moguri mod is almost necessary to get through the sluggish battle system.

This game is worth playing for the story elements alone. Don't focus on the battles too much.

FFIX is a phenomenal game and an absolute masterclass in how to make an amazing RPG.

Still say X is the best FF game but this is now my 2nd favourite, only regret is that I waited soo long to finally play it,