I liked FF9 but there were a lot of things that annoyed me. The simplistic gearing was probably the worst thing. Everything was +1 style progression. Each time you got an upgrade it was just a tiny bit better than the last and it was always the same stats for each gear piece and it was just boring with little variation or choice.
I actually didn't like a lot of the characters. Looking back at the game, my favorite was Beatrix and probably Steiner by relation. The rest had some terrible flaw that made me dislike them in some way or another.
I realize a lot about the game was throwbacks to the series' past but I could help feel like they did it too simply or in some cases just badly.
I wont say FF9 is the best, but it was really good. It had a good storyline that you could follow. And it had an actual ending that made sence. (unlike 8)
I liked FF9 but there were a lot of things that annoyed me. The simplistic gearing was probably the worst thing. Everything was +1 style progression. Each time you got an upgrade it was just a tiny bit better than the last and it was always the same stats for each gear piece and it was just boring with little variation or choice.
I actually didn't like a lot of the characters. Looking back at the game, my favorite was Beatrix and probably Steiner by relation. The rest had some terrible flaw that made me dislike them in some way or another.
I realize a lot about the game was throwbacks to the series' past but I could help feel like they did it too simply or in some cases just badly.
i will give FF9 a little love. it was a great return to medieval/fantasy setting.
now, can someone direct me to the FFTactics is the best FF thread?
^
FF9 had a likable cast, awesome minigames (<3 Choco Hot and Cold) and a good skill system but the lulz of the plot twist regarding Zidane (motherfucking DBZ in my FF?), the horrible final boss encounter, the 9999 single dmg cap and Necron are strikes against it.
And don't hand me that Necron is supposed to be comparable to previous "monster" forms of the final boss because at least Neo Exdeath, Seraph Sephiroth, Cloud of Darkness, Zeromus or even Altima had something to do with the plot. 9 gave you Trance Kuja then lololol you it's this blue dude.
I wont say FF9 is the best, but it was really good. It had a good storyline that you could follow. And it had an actual ending that made sence. (unlike 8)
8 involved time travel so naturally it's going to be confusing for many to follow.
I think people who say X was the last "good" FF are also misguided as XII for all its faults delivered a better story on the whole than:
FFV
FFIII
FFII
FF
FFIV
Beating 5 Final Fantasies at a cohesive story while still being flawed due to executive meddling is pretty fair.
I wont say FF9 is the best, but it was really good. It had a good storyline that you could follow. And it had an actual ending that made sense. (unlike 8)
I wont say FF9 is the best, but it was really good. It had a good storyline that you could follow. And it had an actual ending that made sence. (unlike 8)
8 involved time travel so naturally it's going to be confusing for many to follow.
if thats true for anyone... dont ever play 13-2 lol
I found most of the characters pretty unlikable except for Zidane, Garnet and Beatrix really. Didn't care much for the medieval settings but some of the world concepts were interesting with the mist and all. But the most intolerable thing about it imho was the battle system. It felt slow and dimwitted and the ability system felt half assed. Or maybe I was just spoiled after the complexity of the junction system D:
Best game in the series by far, amazing dialogue and story, beautiful world setting where every NPC has something interesting to say. Tons of back story about the history of the world, the countries in the game and their many wars. Lots of references to past FF games. Brilliant characters. Game only has 1 bad thing about it and that's no beatrix as playable perma character!
Junction system and FFVIII as a whole was just terrible imo. Really can't stand FF8 anymore.
I'd like to divert you all with a theory that I came up with a long time ago, regarding FF9's Final Boss, Necron. Several people, since FF9's release, have criticized Necron with confusion, with lines like "Out-of-nowhere" or "He's symbolic", intent on the idea that he's not an actual character.
But he is.
And he's been a character ever since Disc 2.
And I'm about to provide you with evidence as to how I know this.
Garland, the ruler of Terra, sent several of his minions to Gaia in order to cause wars, so that everyone would die. (very similar to FF4's Zemus's plans) The Four Fiends were charged with the task of protecting the keys to Terra's entrance. Kuja was sent to cause wars, which he did very nicely. And Soulcage was in charge of halting the flow of souls on Gaia.
Soulcage's job was the most important. FF9's world had a "Lifestream" concept, just like FF7, FF the SpiritsWithin, and FF Adventure. By halting the Lifestream, new souls couldn't be born. Births slowly became impossible, for without a soul, a living creature isn't complete. Mist is a by-product of the soul-halting. In other words, Mist is a tangible form of souls, which is why evil, twisted beings are suddenly born from them (they're like poltergeists). This is also how the Black Mages eventually gained wills and souls, because they're made of Mist (which contains souls). It also explains how Mist is capable of operating machinery so well.
Garland's plan was to gather all of Gaia's spirit energy into the Iifa Tree. Once all of the Gaians were dead and their souls gathered, Garland would use Gaias spirit energy to revive Terra and its citizens. One can also assume that Kuja, Zidane, and Mikoto were given souls courtesy of the Mist. (which is probably the reason Zidane states that Genomes and Black Mages are so alike at the beginning of Disc 4)
As stated, it was Soulcage's job to make sure this happened. He halted the souls, and thus, Mist was born. It appeared on the Mist Continent because that's where the Iifa Tree's roots led to (twas probably what was intended, as Kuja manufactured the Black Mages there). However, due to circumstances, Kuja ends up annihilating Terra, the very planet he was originally trying to save. What became of all the Spirit energy that was gathered at the Iifa Tree? I'll get to that...
When the party meets Soulcage, he makes it perfectly clear that he's incapable of lying by spilling the beans about Kuja's plans. And before being fought, he says,
"I have seen the end of my thousand-year life, and it is not now. You cannot defeat me."
And then the party (supposedly) kills him, and the Mist vanishes from the world. When Zidane later confronts Garland, Zidane gets cocky about how he killed the monster that created the Mist. However, Garland tells him that all Zidane saw was the "back door" of the tree; an illusion of sorts. When Zidane returns to Gaia, guess what he saw?
Mist. The entire planet was covered in it. But how can Mist be there if the monster that created it was dead?
HAHAHA!! He wasn't!! He was still alive, just as Garland said, and just as Soulcage himself predicted!!
In order for all of that Mist to have been created, A LOT of souls would've had to have been processed by Soulcage. And with Terra gone, guess who gets to mooch off the leftovers? Guess who gets to ABSORB all of those DEAD souls and become a living embodiment of DEATH itself?! Soulcage does! And he adopts a name befitting of his new form: Necron!!! (Necro=Dead)
Further evidence is provided by the fact that the Final Battle takes place in Memoria/Crystal World, which is located directly above Soulcage's home, the Iifa Tree.
Absorbing souls is not as illogical as it sounds. Sephiroth from FF7 planned to do the same thing, and Kuja himself achieved Trance transformation by absorbing the souls stored inside the Invincible (one of which was the soul of Queen Brahne, as Kuja himself states).
Also, if you examine Soulcage and Necron's designs, they do look very similar.
I found most of the characters pretty unlikable except for Zidane, Garnet and Beatrix really. Didn't care much for the medieval settings but some of the world concepts were interesting with the mist and all. But the most intolerable thing about it imho was the battle system. It felt slow and dimwitted and the ability system felt half assed. Or maybe I was just spoiled after the complexity of the junction system D:
Junction wasn't complex, really >_> I really liked 8 but the ending was *** up and made 0 sense. I have no problem following a time travel storyline but this was ridiculous. After disc 1 it kinda went downhill. Still enjoyed it though but it just went kinda... too weird after disc 1.
Well, it's a pretty spot on idea. I put my credence into it than my own old theory, which was just based off what they gave. I wasn't old enough to pull any deep theory out like that without some clear cues, when I played it.
This is always an inherently inane discussion because it's like anything else in the arts -- music, paintings, literature, movies, whatever -- it's all about opinion and there's no "best" crown to be bestowed because there's always someone who doesn't like something, no matter how universally loved it may be.
And when it comes to Final Fantasy games, the only universal thing is thousands of people braying back and forth about their favorite being the best.
That said, my own personal preference is also IX with XIII being my least favorite, discounting the goofy "sequels" to some games.
I found most of the characters pretty unlikable except for Zidane, Garnet and Beatrix really. Didn't care much for the medieval settings but some of the world concepts were interesting with the mist and all. But the most intolerable thing about it imho was the battle system. It felt slow and dimwitted and the ability system felt half assed. Or maybe I was just spoiled after the complexity of the junction system D:
Junction wasn't complex, really >_> I really liked 8 but the ending was *** up and made 0 sense. I have no problem following a time travel storyline but this was ridiculous. After disc 1 it kinda went downhill. Still enjoyed it though but it just went kinda... too weird after disc 1.