Final Fantasy IX

[OCH]

Not just for @bellow, but in general. With the recent multi-platform re-release, it is as good a time as any for those looking to return or jump in for the first time to one of the least contentious fan favourites in the series. With a little something, to set the mood...

 

 

(Yes, this was a real thing)

[bellow]

Think I'll be done with Vesperia within a week or 2. I'm tossing a mental coin between this and FFX-2.

 

Yeah, that sounds weird, I hear you think?. Why would anyone play FFX-2 when they have the classic 9 sitting on their dashboard. Well, I'm pretty much really looking forward to Trials of Mana, which hits end of April. So I was thinking I could put a dent in FFX-2 but wouldn't mind putting it aside for a while, or even play it as an occasional side game during my Mana playthru.

 

With FF9 I really wanted to give it my full attention and do a proper, unbroken playthru. Decisions decisions.

[radiofloyd]

Final Fantasy X-2 is a good game, just play it if you want to lol.

[one-armed dwarf]

X-2 is pretty short and you could have it wrapped up before the VII Remake comes out

[bellow]

Says 50 odd hours on HLTB. 

[OCH]

Well that is shorter than FF9. I suppose it is all relative.

[one-armed dwarf]

If you want to do everything in X-2 it will take you a very long time yeah. You have to beat the game multiple times

 

I remember tho when it came out I was disappointed by how short it was, maybe I misremembered

[OCH]

1 minute ago, one-armed dwarf said:

If you want to do everything in X-2 it will take you a very long time yeah. You have to beat the game multiple times

 

I remember tho when it came out I was disappointed by how short it was, maybe I misremembered

Actually that rings a bell. I remember hearing how the game was much like Vagrant Story or, to a lesser extent, Eternal Darkness. 

[OCH]

1 hour ago, Rikzilla said:

When is the FF9 run happening? I might be down for that.

 

1 hour ago, bellow said:

July ??

Plus, if there's the usual summer drought I reckon a good few forumites might jump on board - even known quitters like @Maf

 

Well, as it is my favourite one (and the best one), I think I'll get involved this time...

 

 

July also gives me a chance to finish some of the others [in my back catalogue]  first too.

[bellow]

?

[OCH]

Oozing charm from the first cutscene...

 

Despite good intentions, Dark Souls Remastered was the only game I finished in the past few months. So begins the July playthrough of my favourite game in the series.

I'm limiting myself to a 4 hour play session. I called it a day just outside the Ice Cavern.

 

Best Boy!

 

It is certainly great to be back playing this again. I actually look forward to coming back to it tomorrow.

 

@one-armed dwarf I agree with you about the skipping. At first I thought it was me, but now I think there is input lag. Which is a shame. As the other button sensitive mini-game is still very responsive. I kept a second save to come back to it and keep testing it out though. 

[OCH]

“K-KWEHHH!!!”

 

There is a fairly recent AGDQ FF9 run, wherein they clock the game in about nine and a half hours. I'm at just over eight and not even off Disc one?

One thing I had forgotten is how many secrets and mini side quests this game has under the hood. If I didn't know what I was looking for, I'd probably miss most of it. I've just done, what I consider the boring "filler" bit of the Disc One plot. You'll know it when you get there. At seven and half hours in however, it was time to abandon the main game and play probably the most addictive Chocobo mini game there is. 

 

Two pieces of spoiler free advice for those starting this up for the first time:

 

1) Zidane has the steal command. Bosses normally have two to three items a piece. Very worth your time.

2) There is a "speed up" function that wasn't in the original. When you reach Chocobo Hot & Cold, use it. It speeds up the game without affecting the timer. Which is extremely helpful. 

[AndyKurosaki]

Such a brilliant game. The last FF game I actually enjoyed. Definitely way better than 10, which I found boring AF.

[OCH]

The lacklustre memory strikes again...?

 

I'm nearly fifteen hours into the game now. Feeling pretty pleased with how well I'm doing, secret-wise. Then it dawns on me, I was so busy looking at the details I actually completely forgot to recruit a main character?

You have two opportunities on Disc One to recruit them and I missed both... Somehow? Which actually gates you out of a secret treasure later in a certain village.

Anyway, the plot is really kicking into high gear now and I had completely forgotten how fantastic the CG cutscenes of this game are.

 

 

[OCH]

 

Just like that, I remembered what my screen name was in reference to...?

[one-armed dwarf]

That's like me calling myself this guy are sick.

 

This is a terrible origin story

[OCH]

?

Well I clearly thought 'Pious The Chosen' was too obvious a reference to Eternal Darkness. So why not make my next name even more obscure?

[OCH]

When I bought this on PSN several years ago, disc transitions were present. Purely for the nostalgia as opposed to a practical necessity. So with that in mind, I have been waiting for them and my current time is only around 30 hours. The in-game events however, made me realise I'm actually on disc 3 (of 4)?

 

Roughly at the point wherein the plot is about to take a backseat and the world opens up fully for exploration. Plus the roster is also complete for the first time in the entire game. The pacing on this game is tight as a drum... ?

[OCH]

Criticism Time... BEWARE: This crashes. A lot.

Far more than I'm used to anyway. This isn't a critique of the game itself, but of the port. I think so far it has crashed about five or six times. Which is 5 or 6 more than I ever had with the original. "Continue" does its best to place you prior to the crashpoint, but it isn't the most accurate.

 

Back to the game, I've finally reached the above mentioned "freedom" point. Full cast and means to traverse the world. To me that means one thing: Grinding Time!

You have access to the full party and they are all at the levels from the last time you used them. The disparity can be quite evident. With how abilities are gained in this game, that can be even more apparent. So after finding a rewarding Grind point on the map. I've gotten most people to around level 40 and all but two have all abilities that are accessible at this point. After this comes some more Chocobo Hot & Cold and some Blue Magic hunting.

 

Might get back to the plot in a couple of play sessions.

[OCH]

Two more crashes?

 

I think it is actually some kind of bug with the fast forward option. These crashes so far have only happened on random battles on the world map. Not during the Fast Forward, which I use for grinding, but typically following on from when I resume normal game speed. It is quite annoying, as you can imagine and I'm now having to save with greater frequency than I typically do. Still loving the game though. Can't go into greater detail, as I'm on disc three. So whenever other people play this, just about everything I have access to is quite spoilery. Suffice to say, stick with Hot & Cold. It is a highly rewarding mini game.

 

One caveat, I will (kind of spoil) the following. You have a maximum of 100 cards you are allowed to carry. If you reach that number and find a ultra rare, one of a kind card after that. It will be automatically discarded. I've already lost two to this. Bear it in mind.

 

Lastly, I did receive a pre-dispatch notice from ShopTo this evening RE: Paper Mario: Origami King. I might take a break from this to play that. Dunno yet.