10 Reasons To Replay Final Fantasy IX After 20 Years

Superficially, it’s a lot more light-hearted than the previous few games in the series. As already mentioned, the game has a storybook art style, the protagonist is more cheerful, and the dialogue is generally funnier. But this isn’t to say that it doesn’t have depth.

Hiding under the kooky graphical style are themes of manipulation, war, genocide, and grief. After a traumatising event halfway through the game, Garnet temporarily loses her ability to speak, which cleverly has repercussions in the gameplay.

Final Fantasy IX has a feature called Active Time Event, which allows us to see events that occur elsewhere, sometimes featuring characters we’ve forgotten about. This, along with the Mognet feature, allows us to see the devastating effects of the war on minor characters too.

And yet, the game is an uplifting experience overall. Whether it’s due to an orphaned young girl finally finding people to call her parents, or simply a story of young love, as the credits roll you’ll have a smile on your face.