Retro Review: Final Fantasy 9

About this time last year, I started playing Octopath Traveler, which kicked off a trend of myself playing turn-based JRPGs. Another game from Square Enix, Final Fantasy 9, had me excited. I played this game a little bit in 2000 when I was a kid and found it enchanting. The soundtrack stuck with me all through my years. So, I was happy to finally give it a true playthrough after finding out a remaster was released in 2019. The story is every bit as emotional as I remember, and while it isn’t a perfect game, it is certainly great.

The story of FF9 is a bit convoluted, and honestly witnessing it unfold is the greatest pleasure of the game. I really don’t want to spoil too much, because jumping right in is such a wonderful way to go. Masterful storytelling, that presents mature thought and emotion in a family-friendly palatable manner. Questions about love, home, duty, virtue and so much more are all packed into a tale that is fairly easily understood. Many of the characters are memorable and distinct. Each has their own motivations and desires, but they all work towards the same goal of uncovering the mysteries behind their existence, and saving the world from evil.

This game has a lot of terrific messages. There are a lot of tragic stories, which often find a way to inspire. It is pretty standard epic fantasy, emphatically so, even. FF9 uses a basic tool kit to paint a masterpiece. There were moments that got me pumped for the fight, gave me a big smile, or even brought a tear to my eye. One such moment came when a rusty knight I thought was boring and one dimensional finally had their big moment. Every turn of FF9 seems to be taken with care.

Right away I was charmed by FF9’s art style. Both visual and audio. The old school graphics still look interesting with their fantastical, watercolor-like appearance. You’ll find a very cartoonish, child friendly approach that greets the eyes and ears with a bouquet of treasures. The world has diverse races populating a vibrant, colorful world. The music is often so simple, yet works so well. It conveys the spirit of the game effectively, while setting tone and being extremely catchy. I have been humming tunes from this game to myself for over twenty years.

The combat system is fairly straightforward, with different characters presenting different opportunities on how to build your party. It is important not to leave anybody too low level, but I found there were certain people I clicked more with playing. There is a solid amount of grinding, which I had an alright time with for the most part. The remaster features a set of optional tools to aid your progression, which can be toggled on the fly. Party and damage boosts, playing the game in fast-motion, and toggling random encounters will make the grind much easier if you want the assistance.

If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know I played Final Fantasy 8 before this game. While I liked FF9 far more than the previous iteration, it tragically still suffers from the same heartbreak. The endgame. The fun and enjoyment of these games just comes to a screeching, grating halt during endgame. Awful puzzles, enemies with a bag of tricks that all seem to wipe your party in one turn, and difficulty that just skyrockets. I gave every encounter during the final dungeon a fair shot, but sadly ended up using the cheat menu for most of it. There was zero enjoyment during the final hours. Fortunately, the closure of the story brought it home in a way that I walked away with a smile, in the end.

I strongly encourage you to play with a guide. Just save yourself a lot of sanity and sadness. I hate when games make me use a guide. If I wanted somebody else to play the game for me, I would watch Twitch. I just think it is probably a sad feature of these older games perhaps is that they are less intuitive, or perhaps I am still a total JRPG newbie. Two things can be true, I suppose.

I bought this game on Nintendo Switch on sale for $10. Absolutely worth the price, if even just for the story. I had lots of fun up until endgame. And I still managed to find a way to beat it despite my struggles. For that price it is hard to call any game bad, let alone one that objectively is as nice as FF9. After this, I intend to play Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2, which I received on my Switch as a gift from my mother. I’m looking forward to seeing what impact the move from PlayStation 1 to PS2 made on the series. FF9 is one of the most beloved games in the series, but 10 is highly acclaimed as well.

If you enjoy role playing games, I would say give Final Fantasy 9 a chance. Take every opportunity to grind for experience, and do all the side stuff you can. I struggled with side quests, so I focused almost solely on main quest and grinding. That said, I played just over forty hours. A lot about this game is simply iconic. The black mages, the music, the unforgettable overall experience. While I think it has definitely shown its age, it is easy to see why FF9 has persisted as a favorite among players. I’m eager to get deeper into the series, and the genre itself.

Overdue Review: Bravely Default 2

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshot by me. A simple, yet elegant battle system is the focus of this game.

Square Enix graces us with another wonderful turn-based JRPG on the Nintendo Switch with Bravely Default 2. Releasing in 2021, it is a follow-up to a seemingly forgotten series that started in 2014 on the Nintendo 3DS. I bought a European copy of this game on sale for $45, normally $60. I played nearly 60 hours, but I don’t know if I would flip out the wallet and pay full price just yet. BD2 was a little stale in some regards. Visually, or story-wise nothing incredibly impressive, while it does have its own adorable style. What really shined was the gameplay, out of everything.

And if you like a strong turn-based battle system, you may really enjoy grinding endless hordes of enemies per sitting as you level up in yet another dungeon. There is so much grinding in this game, and I did a lot to minimize what I actually did. I learned to work with early jobs I found for my characters, and didn’t spend much time grinding a lot else. Each of the four characters can have any combination of two of the couple dozen jobs you find throughout the game. These jobs greatly influence combat, some of them in really fun or interesting ways.

The visual style of the game is cute, serves its function well and has certain cools notes, like tracks left in snow, but overall graphics are a bit boring. It feels a bit like I remember the grinding more than the bosses. Just defeating hordes of enemies to be strong enough for the next lame boss. Not to say the battles aren’t fun, they’re quite fun, just not enemies whose character shines. My favorite part of this game’s settings is the city designs. Cities are interactive watercolor paintings you move around, and they look different than the interconnecting lands or dungeons.

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshot by me. Each city boasts a different setting, and I found them all visually appealing.

Bravely Default 2 is a pretty basic RPG tale. Four “Heroes of Light” join forces to reclaim four powerful elemental crystals. Every major city you visit in the world ends up hiding one of the crystals, as you work to uncover the hidden evil in each city in order to track down the crystals’ location. The four heroes each have somewhat shallow backstories. None of them are notable, although they have their charms. I thought the Fire Crystal chapter was impactful by the darkness of the story. This is such a delightful, light spirited game most the time, but there’s a few moments that are pretty brutal emotionally.

I really enjoyed the ability to play this game anytime, anywhere. I spend a lot of time just relaxing on the couch with friends, each of us on our own Switch, or device. I can enjoy conversation as I remain lightly engaged grinding away a dungeon on the game. The turn-based style doesn’t ask too much of your attention, and I appreciate games that allow you to breathe. If you want to make it through the grind quicker, you can boost the speed of the battle by up to four times at the press of a button. This was an essential feature. I only took it down to normal speed when it was time for a boss.

I never once needed a guide for this game. Everything is well laid out. As somebody who is still new to JRPGs, I appreciate a game that is so approachable. This would be a fine game to learn about the genre. I took away a couple pointers, such as not underestimating the power of mixing up jobs in games that have a similar system. There was no crazy puzzles I had to solve. The real challenge in BD2 is knowing your party. Their strengths, and their weaknesses. Then being able to play to those, or adapt with new jobs.

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshot by me. Story plays out in a perhaps overly simple fashion.

As I said, I played BD2 about sixty hours. I will not be revisiting it. I have so many other amazing JRPGs lined up, or that I’ve already started. This game did not stand out enough to warrant a second trip. I’m really glad I played it once, but I’m also happy I didn’t pay full price. I think I would be a little more salty about how basic this game was if I had paid $60. There’s no way to know for sure exactly how much of that 60 hours was spent half bored in some random dungeon. The game largely failed to really grab a hold on me, but the gameplay kept me coming back all the way through.

Among various other options, each character has two abilities in combat: Brave, or Default. If they Default, they block until their next turn, and gain an extra move on their next turn. This stacks up to three. You can then, if you have the reserve turns built up, use multiple at a time by choosing “Brave.” This is a fun tightrope to walk as you work over enemies’ weaknesses. It seemed like a lot of jobs were tacked on, but late game shows that some of these jobs are indeed rather powerful. I have characters who would almost never perform certain actions, like say attacking, yet everything they can do has merit. I’m sure there is a myriad of ways to build your team that I cannot imagine.

If you have a Nintendo Switch, and are looking for a fun, approachable JRPG, I would recommend Bravely Default 2. Just don’t set your expectations too high. Remember what you’re there for, which is the gameplay, and I’m sure you will feel the same way. Absolutely worth playing, yet not worth fussing about either. Try to find a copy on sale somewhere, if you can. The unique, yet simple twist on turn-based battle system is one I hope Square Enix works with more in the future.

Credit: Bravely Default 2. Screenshots by me.

Octopath Traveler and the Never-Ending Quest to Find Yourself

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshot by me. Traversing a rich world in “HD-2D.” Finding your path is part of the game.

I downloaded the demo for Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler shortly after getting my Switch as a graduation present last May. I loved it, but did not take it seriously until November. I finally finished the three hour demo, and for once believed a game was worth $60. Over the course of the next couple months I played it about one hundred hours.

Every minute of the game was delightfully devoured. Even the grind sessions I found a relaxing time to throw on a podcast, or album. This turn-based RPG released in 2018, yet is retro with modern twists, in graphics and gameplay. It has an enchanting, nearly ninety song soundtrack. There is so much to love about this game, if you want to know more please go into the Archives and read my “Overdue Review.” What I want to talk about right now is how this unsuspecting game shaped my life following the beginning of my playthrough.

Octopath Traveler dominated my attention. An elegant battle system and eight individual, unique story arcs kept me playing towards the next thing. Whether it meant grinding for hours to beat a boss, or finally defeating said boss after nearly an hour in a single engagement with them. Moments where I literally would jump from my seat with joy, celebrating a well earned victory. Memories that make this game of my new favorites ever.

The issue was, it is such a long game. I like to keep my blog updated on what I have been playing, I had only been doing reviews up to then, and it was going to be a while before I was ready to give any verdict on the game. I had marathon ran shorter games before, such as all three BioShock games within a week in September. So, I had to do something different. I always have multiple games in rotation, even with one as addictive as Octopath Traveler. I made a “Checkpoint” post that started with a little bit about what was currently happening in my life, followed by a brief rundown of a few of the games I had been playing.

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshot by me. A glimpse of the battle system.

Since then, I have done more Checkpoint posts, especially needing more content after getting hooked on another long JRPG, Dragon Quest 11. These posts inspired me to branch out further, into a post that was just pure personal philosophy. I have talked in the past about doing mental health breakdowns of games live on Twitch, but being unable to do that right now, I thought, why not try it in a blog? The stage seemed set. I was very happy with the initial result, so much so, within a week I had posted another. Then another one. The reaction was unlike anything I have ever written. Not only was my audience engaged, I was finally doing the type of literary journalism I have put so much effort into developing.

So much in life can have cascading consequences. I discovered a game I thought was neat because of a free demo, it ended up being in my top games of all time and in a way it pushed me to start doing journalism that truly made me deeply proud. Whether I get paid for it or not, this is where my passion lies. Literary style games journalism that speaks on something I feel very strongly about, mental health. Good and bad things can knock down other dominoes in your life. You don’t know what those dominoes will be either. One can lead to the other, and often there is just no way to really know until you get into it.

I found myself identifying with each of the eight playable characters in Octopath Traveler, in different ways. I see myself in Tressa’s eager optimism, Olberic’s unbending resolve, Alfyn’s often stymieing compassion for others, all of them had parts not just of themselves that resonated, but within their stories. Each character has a separate story, and they all had beats with which I think a lot of people could sympathize. Like the trials of Ophilia and Lianna’s friendship. Plot details can remind us of our own struggles.

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshot by me. Ophilia is exactly the type of healer you want in your corner.

Identifying why certain things resonate with me is helpful to understanding who I am. Octopath Traveler has characters that are a bit generic, but their stories are well told. Why did I choose Cyrus, the Scholar as my first protagonist? There was the practical application that, hopefully, I would learn a lot about the lore of the fantasy game world. But even this application illustrates another, perhaps more powerful motive: the passion for knowledge.

The passion for knowledge had pushed me almost solely through school up until college, when after I wasn’t satisfied with what I was learning at first, I dropped out. I think I learned a lot in the work force instead, but the next time I went to school it was a combination of intellectual pursuit and practical job-related purposes. I studied science at community college, then discovered my strengths lied in English, not science, when I went to a four-year school.

At community college, a teacher gave me a copy of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. I enjoyed the tale, and writing style. Then at my four-year I decided to pick journalism specifically, out of all English degrees, after it was pitched to me as a storytelling degree. I ate up every lesson on literary journalism. It seemed to be the type of writing I was born to do. It is creative and personal, yet informative and relevant. It can be a revolutionary vehicle for incredible new writers.

This blog may not shatter the mold, but it is a work in progress. Even after one hundred hours in Octopath Traveler, there is still a lot I have not done. I am constantly thinking about how to do better, or what to do next. Media doesn’t have to come right out and tell us how it will impact us, and even if it wanted to it really could not. Everybody is going to perceive it differently, so the search to find what suits you is as never ending as the changes you go through.

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshots by me.

Retro Review: Final Fantasy 8 (2019 Remaster)

Credit: Final Fantasy 8. Screenshot by me. Picture from an in-game cinematic.

I first played Final Fantasy 8 when it released in 1999. I was only ten years old, and the complex JRPG was too much for my tiny brain to comprehend. Although, I did think it quite cool at the time. So, when I wanted a new turn-based RPG to play, I found the 2019 remaster on sale for $10. And after more than twenty years of gaming between then and now, I can tell you this game is every bit as inaccessible as it was when I was a child. The miraculous story telling does not save this convoluted mess from being just too off the mark to recommend.

The remaster, made in collaboration with Dotemu and Access Games, spruces up the visuals, making the graphics more sleek and prepped for HD. When FF8 came out, originally released by Squaresoft, it was top of the line graphics. The art style is interesting enough to entertain the eye most the time. I did not think the game was ugly, even being more than two decades old. There are a few other changes to the remaster. Quality of life upgrades like a 3x speed option, the ability to turn off random encounters and a mode that buffs you in combat.

Even with these buffs I had no interest in completing the final boss. What should be the pinnacle of the game in story and gameplay is actually a towering monument to this game’s failures. The game uses a combat system that adapts to your level, but these adaptations are extremely inconsistent and unhelpful. And what good is this system, if I still have to grind until there is absolutely nothing left to be gained?

Credit: Final Fantasy 8. Game clip by me. Calling in a guardian to win the fight.

I used guides often, as finding out what to do next in FF8 can be hazy. Often resorting to walking up to every object in the room from every angle and mashing the ‘interact’ button until something happens. My guide showed me the correct way to complete the final boss, only to find that I don’t have the two very specific spells required to make this fight even remotely possible. There are super questionable mechanics throughout this game. The end boss just has features that boggle the mind as to why anybody would think this was fun.

Guides could only do so much without laying out every little detail of what to do, especially in a game designed to be highly open ended. The difficulty is raised so poorly. For almost the entire game, you can coast by on spamming your guardian spirits, something that wasn’t fun from the jump. And through being relegated to cheese tactics we are supposed to somehow gain not only an understanding, but an appreciation for how important it is to stack your characters as much as humanly possible. The game doesn’t make grinding appealing. It all seems like it is for nothing, until that one fight arrives where you can use that one random spell for max effect.

FF8 follows the exploits of a band of mercenaries, raised from youth for combat. Our heroes get hired out to support a rebellion against evil forces that seem faceless at first, but the situation becomes much more complicated and intricate as the tale proceeds. Squaresoft really flexed the story telling elements of their game building here. It is nearly worth playing just for the story. Nearly. There were a handful of fun fights in this whole game. Two of them didn’t come until the very end.

I’m not sure how this game ends. Which is a true tragedy, because I was really loving the story. The final part of this game just sucks all the joy out of the experience to a point where I feel like the closure of the plot could only be further insult. The first half of the game had some incredible plot dealing with issues like fascism. A beautiful love story unfolds as the game progresses. I suppose I will resort to watching a video of the ending of a game I played well over thirty hours, and I cannot think of anything sadder.

Credit; Final Fantasy 8. Screenshot by me. My favorite battle in the game.

I love turn-based RPGs, and I deeply wanted to love FF8. I had such high hopes that I would come back to this game after twenty years and finally appreciate its glory. This just isn’t how it went down. All the way up to the end boss I was in denial. The more I leaned on the remaster enhancements like 3x speed and combat buffs to get me through boring phases, the more I knew I wasn’t really enjoying myself. These upgrades are the only way I could potentially go back and beat the final boss, but even then it would be such a slog it doesn’t seem remotely worthwhile.

I also bought Final Fantasy 9 on sale, which I dabbled with as a kid as well. I’m again hoping for great things, I won’t trash the follow-up just because the predecessor was ugly and weak. That may be a while down the road however, my next turn-based RPG will be something away from the Final Fantasy series just to keep things fresh. I recently bought both South Park: Stick of Truth and Dragon Quest 11 on sale so I will likely give one of those a shot for a time.

It pains me to say I cannot suggest Final Fantasy 8. While if you like masterfully crafted stories you may find some enjoyment, there are so many flaws in this game and they feel relentless. The difficulty curve, the atrocious quick-time events, the sloppy combat system, there is so much chaining FF8 down and keeping it from being special. I think if they ever give it the full remake treatment like they are Final Fantasy 7, it could definitely breath some new life into the corpse. I just think it unlikely. If you’re looking for a top tier turn-based RPG, go into my Archives and check out the Octopath Traveler review.

Credit: Final Fantasy 8. Screenshots by me.