10 Reasons Why Final Fantasy IX Is The Best Game Of The Series

So often is the case with many RPGs, FF in particular, when you gain new equipment, the old gear becomes obsolete, as if it rusted right there on the spot. All it's good for in that moment is to be sold at the nearest store for an insignificant amount of coins. This problem doesn't occur in Final Fantasy IX.

IX binds character progression and the learning of abilities to equipment. Different weapons and armor offer perks and abilities to whomever wears them. With enough use, those skills become bound to the character and you can then move on to some other gear. If you want Vivi to learn an ice spell, you better keep the ice rod equipped. It doesn't matter that another rod has better stats, no ice rod, no ice spell.

This makes you think critically about what equipment your character has on, beyond just whatever gives the best stats. It also rewards the player for paying attention to it, as those perks and abilities all come in handy when the difficulty ramps up in the endgame. Going even deeper, old gear still has a function as it can be forged into better equipment at certain towns. Some areas even enhance the stats of the starter gear, making them the best items in the game.

After fans were enthralled by VII's user-friendly Materia system, but repulsed by VIII's overly complex junction mechanics, IX delivered with something that could please both ends of the spectrum, hitting a level of synthesis that would make Hegel say, “damn.”