by One work that feels nostalgic with the theme of returning to the origin.
July 7, 2000, was the day when the PlayStation software “FINAL FANTASY IX” (from now on, “FFIX”) was released.
“FFIX” is also drawn on the title logo, but as a motif that symbolizes the story, “Crystal” was the title that was revived for the first time in a while. The world view was also characterized by returning from the near-future routes such as “FINAL FANTASY VII” and “FINAL FANTASY VIII” to the medieval fantasy routes reminiscent of the early series.
The crying story is famous and still has many fans, but on June 22, 2021, the French animation company Cyber Group Studio signed a contract with Square Enix to animate the RPG “FFIX.” It became a hot topic. I was surprised because I never thought that it would be animated after a long time. It seems that it will be a family-oriented work targeting children aged 8 to 13, but what kind of finish will it be? A follow-up report is awaited.
Such “FFIX” has a big attraction, such as a story that draws players in from the beginning with rage and characters full of individuality.
Zitan, a member of the bandit Tantaras, visits the Kingdom of Alexandria on the theater boat Primavista to kidnap Princess Garnet. Zidane disguises himself as a troupe member and finds Garnet, but Garnet also plans to escape from her castle. The story of the beginning is that the two with the same interests board Primavista and try to escape from the kingdom. The development of Boy Meets Girl’s royal road is good.
Then, Steiner, the knight captain who chased the princess, and Bibi, a black mage boy who happened to get on the theater boat, joined the party, and the story rolled in an unexpected direction.
There are many comical developments in the early stages, but there are many scenes where you can cry painfully after the middle stage, so please play and check it. Also, pay attention to the appearance of Gitan, who looks like the main character. I think the catchphrase “Is there a reason to help someone?” It is a beautiful line that expresses Gitan’s personality.
The battle system adopts the active time battle (ATB) system, a tradition since “FINAL FANTASY IV.” It is the same system in the “FINAL FANTASY” series, where you can take action when the ATB gauge prepared for each character is complete.
And speaking of “FFIX,” there are abundant “abilities” that expand the variety of strategies. The abilities in this work are in a form that can be learned from weapons, armor, accessories, etc. Since the abilities can be used even after removing the equipment, many people may be absorbed in learning the abilities.
“FFIX” can be remastered on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam, iOS, and Android. In the latest version, you can quickly advance the game by entirely using convenient boost functions such as high-speed mode and no encounter. I hope that as many people as possible will come into contact with this masterpiece and weep at the ending of “Melodies of Life.”
