Worst combat in the series, literally who thought automatic limit breaks would be a good idea. Also a lack of party customization, which while it definitely saves time, is also one of my favorite aspects of Final Fantasy, so it is a bit sad to not feature it here... Also extremely slow battles, with camera panning taking forever. And Tetra Master is just an awful minigame and the fact that you need to win multiple games of it at one point in the story is abysmal... Chocobo Hot n' Cold is also awful. Every minigame in this game is awful, except the first one in the opening which you can never replay again.
Now with the negatives out of the way... this is my favorite Final Fantasy game <3 The graphics still hold up, and is one of the best looking PS1 games. The soundtrack is also spectacular. But what this game excels in is it's atmospheres and environments. One of the developers of the games describe it as an "adventure inside the world of a picture book", and I think that describes the experience of FFIX perfectly. Sound design, dialogue, color palettes, and camera angles are all expertly crafted to give you a stunning and captivating experience.
And the story... it's really, really good. Not perfect, with a few story threads being abandoned, but what they do with the three main characters is absolutely incredible. There's a reason why people say this is the best Final Fantasy, and it's the way these three characters are transformed throughout the story that is the reason why. It's a mastery of storytelling, with well-paced reveals, organic character growth, skillful crafting of unnerving tension, and an incredibly satisfying ending.
You definitely need to be invested into the story and environments to be able to bear with the negatives that this game possesses, but with how well-executed the story and environments is, I don't think it'll be a very difficult thing to do.
Now with the negatives out of the way... this is my favorite Final Fantasy game <3 The graphics still hold up, and is one of the best looking PS1 games. The soundtrack is also spectacular. But what this game excels in is it's atmospheres and environments. One of the developers of the games describe it as an "adventure inside the world of a picture book", and I think that describes the experience of FFIX perfectly. Sound design, dialogue, color palettes, and camera angles are all expertly crafted to give you a stunning and captivating experience.
And the story... it's really, really good. Not perfect, with a few story threads being abandoned, but what they do with the three main characters is absolutely incredible. There's a reason why people say this is the best Final Fantasy, and it's the way these three characters are transformed throughout the story that is the reason why. It's a mastery of storytelling, with well-paced reveals, organic character growth, skillful crafting of unnerving tension, and an incredibly satisfying ending.
You definitely need to be invested into the story and environments to be able to bear with the negatives that this game possesses, but with how well-executed the story and environments is, I don't think it'll be a very difficult thing to do.