Why Final Fantasy IX Should Be Square-Enix’s Blueprint
If there was textbook called “How to Make a Bad Video Game,” I’m certain no game would be more cited than Final Fantasy XIII. Unnecessary, obnoxious length? Check. Complete lack of varying, interesting level design? Check. Annoying, terribly-written characters? Yup, throw those in as well. For a game that was in development for a half-decade, so many things were terribly wrong in Final Fantasy XIII. It has left me to wonder just how the company can win me back.
Sometime in the past decade, Final Fantasy lost its artistry. As games have became more technically limitless, Square-Enix has struggled to adapt. With levels requiring more detail and budgets getting larger, the company’s freshness and ingenuity began to disappear. Final Fantasy X, X-2 and XII all saw a noticeable decline in creativity, even though I found them to still be rather enjoyable. By the time we reached Final Fantasy XIII, it felt like you were traversing from one set of poorly-designed hallways to the next set of poorly-design hallways. Experimentation with the battle design also created a lack of cohesion in the series, as it began to attempt too many things. Battles degenerated from engaging, intelligent experiences to an assortment of random lights and colors filling up the screen.
In essence, level design and gameplay mechanics was sacrificed for the sake of immersion. That isn’t a decision I disagree with. Gorgeously detailed environments and vibrant characters design can engulf the player, more than making up for any potential flaws that are present in a game’s design. But not only did Square-Enix lose their craftsmanship, but they also lost their charm. And that’s the truly disconcerting aspect of the series’ decline.
The games’ writing and voice acting started to come off as uninspired, losing whatever power the games’ screenplays may have had in translation (yet even then narrative structure in all the recent Final Fantasy games has been a major problem). Games worlds may have looked stunning, but they also felt cold (and that was most evident in Final Fantasy XIII). A lack of relatable characters or charm will do that to a game’s atmosphere. Add in the decade-long series absence from longtime composer, Nobuo Uematsu, and it’s hard to deny that the franchise’s heart has slowly been trickling away.
And that’s not even mentioning the release Final Fantasy XIV, a completely broken game. At this point, it’s completely understandable if a consumer no longer trusts Square-Enix. So what’s is Square-Enix’s next step?
I suggest taking a few steps back before moving forward.
Only two Final Fantasy releases offer as much enjoyment today as the first time I played them: Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX. The former is a timeless experience in the way most Super Nintendo games are. But the latter is lasting despite most games from its generation aging poorly (and in that regard, Final Fantasy VII comes to mind). And that’s why Final Fantasy IX should serve as a blueprint for future installments.
Final Fantasy IX represents everything that makes Final Fantasy a unique, wonderful series. In terms of immersion, it excels. Characters are fun and quirky, the aesthetics are gorgeous, and the music contains some of the best composition to come from a video game. Vivi’s story is particularly well-done; forcing you to fall in love with a charming, quaint character only to find out his heartbreaking fate. It’s a small example of how the game builds connection with the gamer, and I find the characters of Final Fantasy IX more relatable than anything to come from Square in years. It’s the small, little connections suck you in. Everything comes together to create a cohesive, dream-like experience. And isn’t that how this series is supposed to make you feel?
Yes, the game may not carry the dark undertones of other Final Fantasy games. But the notion that “dark = good” doesn’t hold that much ground. The light, fantastical feel of Final Fantasy IX is far more enchanting, and when the game does enter more melancholy themes, it’s more powerful. Since you’ve experienced the joy and wholeness of the world around you, sadness actually feels like sadness.
And while the emotions and beauty of the game engulf you, its level design isn’t sacrificed. Each area flows swiftly into the next. Shops, towns, and areas are richly detailed not only through polygons, but also through an assortment of colorful NPCs and entertaining sidequests that come with them. But where the game is truly an achievement from a design perspective is its pacing. When you’re playing Final Fantasy IX, you find yourself constantly looking forward to what’s coming next. The game is throwing new things at you from hour to hour, and that emphasis on variety is something the franchise has sorely been lacking.
It is that sense of cohesion and fullness that series has missed, and desperately needs to return. The designers had a vision, and that was understood by everyone on the team. And when a Final Fantasy game comes together, it’s usually one of the best experience video games can offer.
I hope the inevitable Final Fantasy XV recaptures the atmosphere and allure of Final Fantasy VI and IX. But Final Fantasy IX might have been last game to come from the Square I fell in love with. Cornerstone directors, writers, and composers have left the franchise behind, and with Square and Enix’s merger, the company has pursued an assortment of other ventures. In some ways, I want to applaud Square-Enix for trying to so many things with Final Fantasy despite their rapid expansion. Taking risks and vastly altering many aspects of a beloved series is undoubtedly bold, but in the process, Final Fantasy has lost what made it feel like a fantasy.
About the Author
Steve Bogda
Steve is the primary owner of The DamnLag. He currently attends New York University, where he studies Film, History and Politics. When he is not writing about Nintendo, Steve runs the day to day operations of The DamnLag, as its Editor-in-Chief.
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