So. I'm now 10 hours into Final Fantasy IX, and I wanted to give a bit of a semi-detailed first impressions for anyone who has a Switch and is looking into getting any RPGs. While yes, this is a port of a 19-year old game coming onto a new platform with fresh faces like Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I can for sure say with certainty that it still kicks it in this day and age.
Quick things, yes, it's the PC port. It does have some instances that are weird like sudden music stops after the CG cutscenes, but there are some great things added to compensate, such as "Battle Assistance", "9999", "High Speed Mode" and "Safe Travel", which all imply what you think. I think these additions are a great way to perhaps get newer gen players into these more classic RPGs, in case there are areas that're seriously the pickle. Now that being said, here are my quick overall thoughts.
Overall Thoughts
I think there's a clear reason why you can see with the later Final Fantasy entries after 9 that it didn't have that certain "whimsical charm" as the PS1 trilogy of FF games, especially comparing this to Nomura's take on Final Fantasy with the more recent entries. Dare I say, Final Fantasy XV would've been a much better game had Sakaguchi been director, if IX wasn't his final FF. FFXV is nowhere even close to a "beginner's Final Fantasy", because if anything, Final Fantasy IX feels like the absolute perfect game for newcomers who are jumping into the Final Fantasy series and veterans alike to enjoy.
Because this was Sakaguchi's final FF game he directed, my god, does it show. Final Fantasy IX is the RPG I've been looking for, coming off the heels of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and considering re-playing Mother 3 again. It isn't as heavily emotional as it's contemporaries in the story department in the beginning, such as with Final Fantasy VII or VIII. It feels like EarthBound so far, where there's a deep underlying story, but overall, it feels like a genuinely fun romp, with a soundtrack that feels at home with it's mythos and even if it's a bit crusty, the backgrounds and locales of every area is so ****ing beautiful.
Whether you are exploring Lindblum Castle, Treno, the City of Nobles (one of my utterly favorite areas), or even Cleyra -- the area where I last left off -- you won't feel alien to FFIX's atmosphere. And the cast of characters is nothing short of colorful. My favorite character has to be a tie between Vivi and Garnet. The story and writing including said characters and cast is also great, too. I love how slowly, each character's trials and tribulations begin to unravel. A great example of that would be Steiner, where he starts to begin to take consideration about how people say he doesn't think for himself and only about Garnet. Or especially the resentment Garnet has for Zidane, too. THAT still hurts, that one line. "I don't care about him anymore." Ouch...
So far it's been a 8/10 for me for the first 10 hours, and honestly, I could tell it's gonna be worth the 20.99 down the road. I highly recommend anyone to buy it.