Games/FFs closest to FF9

[Ergroilnin]

Heya guys,

so I am having hard time getting over my love of FF9. I seriously just want to replay it two thousand more times but I replayed it so much that if I do it one more time, they will lock me in psycho ward.

So I am looking for some other game or FF that is really close to 9 in everything possible :D

Any ideas? And no FF7/8 aren't similar to FF9.

[Pumpkin]

I like VIII a lot but I wouldn't say its similar, nor is VII. I wish I could help because I adore IX but I have yet to find a game that can top it for me.

Some games I can recommend that I also enjoy would be some of the older FFs, which are similar in some ways but not all. The Suikoden series is a great bunch for story, so is the Xenosaga series, but I can't say they're too similar. Final Fantasy Tactics is nothing like the battle system but it has a great story and has some job classes if you enjoyed that. Dark Cloud 2 is also a game that gives me kind of the same feeling, but again it isn't the same.

Maybe you could give me more of an idea of which parts you liked the most? I wish I could say I know of a game that's just as great in every way, but I've been searching for that one game to top FFIX basically since I first played it and nothing has. Its a one of a kind and its a wonderful game.

Just to stress more, everyone is different, but I personally find VII a bit contrasting to IX, which is why its one of the FFs I like less. Don't get me wrong, its still a quality game, but I find it very unsimilar to IX in many regards. The humour is cruder, the characters, to me, are less likeable, its more technology heavy than IX, the characters are all customized with materia so they can all use any magic of your choosing, unlike in IX with the job classes. The story has a very different feel to me. But some people absolutely love the game, so that's really more of a subjective thing

[Ergroilnin]

Well,

I guess it's true that nothing will ever top FF9 at it's own game, since it's so unique and really just works so nicely. But sure I'll try to cover some for me most memorable points that I would really enjoy in a game. I'll be thinking about the points as they come in my head so the list may be a little messy, sorry.

Graphics. By graphics I don't really mean it has to be like PSone graphics but the style? I really liked it. I liked the fantasy feel it had to it, with just a little bit of a technology in it.

Music. To this day FF9 has the most memorable sountrack I ever heard in game. Seriously just play me first few seconds of the main screen of the game and all the memories reappear. I even have the complete sountrack in my playlist.

Characters. I mean seriously every character in this game was so goddamn unique in both personality and looks.

Character system or whatever should I call it. I liked that everyone had their own skills and abilities that others simply couldn't replace. Sure I love FFX for example but when at the end of the day the only thing that diferentiate the characters in battle are their limits, it's kind of dull.

Learning the abilities. I don't know why but I simply adored the way you learned skills, magic and abilities in FF9. Sure toying with materia in FF7 offers like infinite possibilities and is very fun in it's own way, I still prefered the way FF9 done it.

The story. Okay I know that at least at the beginning, the story was kind of cliché. I mean, princess, thief who falls in love with her, knights etc? Who would ever thought of that! But then it slowly evolves in simply epic story and finishes with cliché ending. That's just me but I loved every second of it (okay smurf the part with fossil roo but otherwise? Loved it.)

Open world. While I kind of became lazy nowadays and I do enjoy the more linear games, I always thought of FF9 world to be perfect. It wasn't too small, it wasn't too big and you pretty much always more or less knew where to go but you could dick around on your way there.


I guess this list covers my most loved points about FF9 (even though they are kinda generic still I guess). I know that there really isn't any game that does everything the way FF9 does but if some game had at least a little similar touch about it, I would love it.

[Pumpkin]

Hmm, I think I can cover some of this for you.

I might recommend Suikoden II. The music is absolutely beautiful, it has a great story (although its more political, not sure if that's a turn off for you), and it has a wide cast of characters, some very memorable. It has 108 characters so they can't all be memorable but the ones who stick out are wonderfully written. They are customizable, but some characters just have their strengths. I suppose there isn't much in the way of differentiating though. Suikoden V is also a strong contender, the characters and story aren't quite as strong as II, and its slow to get going, but its still a great game.

I haven't played all of it, but FFIV covers the part of each character having assigned roles. So far there has been a strong story and a strong cast of characters to it, but like I said, I haven't finished it, so maybe someone else could chime in more on that one.

[Bolivar]

I wanna go with FFVI here. Some of the game is very Steam Punk but the technology level more or less is about where FFIX was. The characters are also unique, each stand out in a similar to how the cast did in that game. The story is very dark at times but the aesthetics do pull off some of the whimsical feeling of FFIX. You don't get to master abilities and passives but the system is slightly similar in that A LOT of equippable items do give you abilities and passives, you just can't learn them permanently. It's a great game that you should nevertheless play if you haven't already.

They are very different games but you may nonetheless want to try Final Fantasy Tactics. A lot of the two games' customization systems share similarities, partially because a lot of the FFT developers moved directly onto FFIX after finishing the game, whereas the FFVII team stuck together to make FFVIII and FFX.

[Rez09]

I'd say to give FF4 a shot if you haven't yet.

[Ergroilnin]

Done FF4, I will put FF6 on the list.

Suikoden series look interesting, are they stand alone games like FFs or is it one story line? Should I play it through I to fifth?

Still if anyone has anything else in their mind, I'll be happy to listen.

[Rez09]

The first five Suikoden games take place in a single universe, but you don't need to have played any previous game to understand any of the entries. I would recommend playing the second and fifth games, though one and three are good as well. I have no experience with four, but people I talk to seem to dislike it.

[Mo-Nercy]

So you'd be okay with older graphics?
Good memorable soundtrack?
Unique characters?
You prefer job classes?
Bit of a cliché story that evolves into an epic?
Open world/free to explore?

I suggest Chrono Trigger.

[Ergroilnin]

Should I play Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross after?

[Mo-Nercy]

Chrono Cross is more of a successor to Trigger than a sequel. Playing Trigger beforehand does shed a bit more light on the story and give you a bit of extra context, but it's not necessary. You could enjoy Chrono Cross just fine having not played Chrono Trigger.

[Ergroilnin]

Still I find it funny that most of the suggested games are of the PSOne time. Really seems to me that there aren't really many good RPGs these years.

[Mo-Nercy]

I didn't realise you were open to something newer too.

Maybe FFXII then. It's a similar sort of not-quite-steampunk medieval setting and also features a princess, a knight of sorts, a thief and even an annoying little girl. xD

The battle system in the original release isn't quite as traditional as FFIX's, but is still fun. The International Version is assigns job classes to the characters though.

[Ergroilnin]

Oh perhaps I worded myself badly then, sorry! But yeah I am totally opened to newer titles (though really, newer means the generation of PS2 since I don't have 3 or 4).

Yeah FFXII I did play once but somehow even though it did a lot of things right and was REALLY fun to play (I totally loved how it felt like a MMORPG and toying with gambits? Man that rocked!) it didn't for some reason quite pull me in. I am not even sure why. I guess I wasn't really that fond of the story (I mean come on, the final boss basically was a good one really, he wanted men to take their future in their own hands, I hated killing him.)

But I did read some good things about the international zodiac version. Should I try getting my hands on a copy of it? Is it worth the replay?

[Mo-Nercy]

Totally agree with you about Vayne. The game peaked at the fight with Cid, in my opinion.

I know about as much as you with the International Zodiac Job System release. I haven't played it either though I've heard good things. Anyway, I think it's only been released in Japan and the only English translations available are fan-made, so you'd need a modded PS2 or go down the emulation route. It mightn't be worth the effort because it doesn't change anything outside the License Board.

[Karifean]

The International version of FF XII does make the game a lot more fun.

[Ergroilnin]

Makes you wonder why they call it International version if it's only Japan version really. The same as with FFX-2.

[Bolivar]

Goes back to FFVII, where the overseas releases added additional features and polish on top of the original Japanese game, so they would re-release the extra content as an "International" version.

[Ergroilnin]

Wait there was an international release of FFVII? Really?

[Fynn]

Bravely Default is really reminiscent of FFIX in many ways.

[Mirage]

Still I find it funny that most of the suggested games are of the PSOne time. Really seems to me that there aren't really many good RPGs these years.

That's not really funny. You asked for games that were like ff9, not good rpgs. Of course, the two might overlap to some degree, but there are lots of good rpgs these days, they're just not like ff9.

[Sefie1999AD]

Final Fantasy IX is also one of my favorite games ever, so I like the idea of this thread a lot. :p It's good that you gave more details about what you enjoyed about FFIX, as I was about to ask you that when I read your original post.


Graphics. By graphics I don't really mean it has to be like PSone graphics but the style? I really liked it. I liked the fantasy feel it had to it, with just a little bit of a technology in it.

Well, FF1-6 all have medieval fantasy worlds with some elements of technology. FFXII, FF Tactics and Lost Odyssey come to my mind too.


Music. To this day FF9 has the most memorable sountrack I ever heard in game. Seriously just play me first few seconds of the main screen of the game and all the memories reappear. I even have the complete sountrack in my playlist.

FFVI also has one of the most memorable soundtracks in the series. Other great mentions go to FFXIII-2, FF Tactics and FF Type-0. As for non-FF games, I'd mention Lost Odyssey once again, and Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross.


Characters. I mean seriously every character in this game was so goddamn unique in both personality and looks.

Hmm, hard to say what kind of characters you'd want, but FFVII, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross all had characters I grew fond of.


Character system or whatever should I call it. I liked that everyone had their own skills and abilities that others simply couldn't replace. Sure I love FFX for example but when at the end of the day the only thing that diferentiate the characters in battle are their limits, it's kind of dull.

FFIV, definitely! And Chrono Trigger, Seiken Densetsu 3 and Super Mario RPG. Also, while their character growth systems are slightly different, I'd highly recommend FFV and FF Tactics for their addictive job systems.


Learning the abilities. I don't know why but I simply adored the way you learned skills, magic and abilities in FF9. Sure toying with materia in FF7 offers like infinite possibilities and is very fun in it's own way, I still prefered the way FF9 done it.

This is a tough one since I don't remember many games having a similar ability learning system. FF Tactics Advance maybe, though I haven't played that one much. I think Lost Odyssey also had a system where you learned abilities by equipping certain weapons and armor.


The story. Okay I know that at least at the beginning, the story was kind of cliché. I mean, princess, thief who falls in love with her, knights etc? Who would ever thought of that! But then it slowly evolves in simply epic story and finishes with cliché ending. That's just me but I loved every second of it (okay smurf the part with fossil roo but otherwise? Loved it.)

Both FFIV and FFVI have some similarities in their storylines, and I'd also recommend Chrono Trigger, Kingdom Hearts and maybe Seiken Densetsu 3.


Open world. While I kind of became lazy nowadays and I do enjoy the more linear games, I always thought of FF9 world to be perfect. It wasn't too small, it wasn't too big and you pretty much always more or less knew where to go but you could dick around on your way there.

I think FF1-9 were all like that. Chrono Trigger and Seiken Densetsu 3 are also like that.


I guess this list covers my most loved points about FF9 (even though they are kinda generic still I guess). I know that there really isn't any game that does everything the way FF9 does but if some game had at least a little similar touch about it, I would love it.

When I think about FFIX as a whole, similar games that first enter my mind are Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV in that order. They're all excellent games. :)


I might recommend Suikoden II. The music is absolutely beautiful, it has a great story (although its more political, not sure if that's a turn off for you), and it has a wide cast of characters, some very memorable. It has 108 characters so they can't all be memorable but the ones who stick out are wonderfully written. They are customizable, but some characters just have their strengths. I suppose there isn't much in the way of differentiating though. Suikoden V is also a strong contender, the characters and story aren't quite as strong as II, and its slow to get going, but its still a great game.

Ohhh, good to know. Thanks! :)

[Ergroilnin]

Still I find it funny that most of the suggested games are of the PSOne time. Really seems to me that there aren't really many good RPGs these years.

That's not really funny. You asked for games that were like ff9, not good rpgs. Of course, the two might overlap to some degree, but there are lots of good rpgs these days, they're just not like ff9.

Okay I guess you should call "check" since you are right.

EDIT: Thanks Sephiroth for your thorough answer.

So far it really seems that I am either for FFVI, possibly FFXII, Suikoden series or Chrono series.

[The Man]

I'm going to second the recommendations of FFVI, Seiken Densetsu 3, the Suikoden series, and the Chrono series in particular. I think other people gave good explanations for how they're similar to FF games but all of them have the mixture of whimsy and serious themes that FFIX has, plus they have some similarities in terms of soundtrack, characterisation, and so on. FFIV and FFV are probably also well worth further exploration, as is Secret of Mana if you enjoy Seiken Densetsu 3.

Beyond that, you might also enjoy the Star Ocean series. Star Ocean 3 is great for the most part, although it has a very controversial ending. Star Ocean 2 is frequently considered even better.

[Mirage]

Still I find it funny that most of the suggested games are of the PSOne time. Really seems to me that there aren't really many good RPGs these years.

That's not really funny. You asked for games that were like ff9, not good rpgs. Of course, the two might overlap to some degree, but there are lots of good rpgs these days, they're just not like ff9.

Okay I guess you should call "check" since you are right.

EDIT: Thanks Sephiroth for your thorough answer.

So far it really seems that I am either for FFVI, possibly FFXII, Suikoden series or Chrono series.

Call check?

[Colonel Angus]

FFV has the medievalesque setting like IX.

[metagloria]

I'm gonna upvote the rec for Lost Odyssey. It has a sort-of-similar ability system, classic feel, sleek look, deep story, and exceptional cast of characters.

[Mo-Nercy]

FFIV and FFVI are good recommendations. FFIX is sort of a tribute game to all those that came before in the FF series, so you'll find with going back and playing a couple of them and then coming back to play IX, that some more references and little bits of fan service pop out at you.

[Karifean]

Makes you wonder why they call it International version if it's only Japan version really. The same as with FFX-2.

It's probably called International because they have an English dub, which is "international" to the Japanese ^^

And yeah, VII and X also had International rereleases. XIII did too, I think.

[Ergroilnin]

Well guys thank you for all your tips, I wrote them down and will get to them eventually.

I decided to have a shot at FFXII IZJS for now.

[Bolivar]

You chose the game that is probably least like FFIX.

[Ergroilnin]

Yeah I know, I didn't choose it because of it's similarity to FFIX, but more like because I was psyched about getting my hands on IZJS copy. Afterwards I'm gonna throw myself at the suikoden series.

[Spooniest]

Still I find it funny that most of the suggested games are of the PSOne time. Really seems to me that there aren't really many good RPGs these years.

That's not really funny. You asked for games that were like ff9, not good rpgs. Of course, the two might overlap to some degree, but there are lots of good rpgs these days, they're just not like ff9.

Okay I guess you should call "check" since you are right.

EDIT: Thanks Sephiroth for your thorough answer.

So far it really seems that I am either for FFVI, possibly FFXII, Suikoden series or Chrono series.

Call check?

It's a chess term. When you "call check" in chess, you announce that you have placed the King in a position where he may be captured by the piece you just moved. The rules of chess state that once the King is in check, it must be moved out of check. Also, this is neither here nor there but remember that a King may not place another King in check.

Anyway, the subject is what games are like FF9 and to answer it, I say, look at all the ones that are multiples of 3. III, VI, and XII.

[Mirage]

Right. I don't know what all the chess terms are in english. I know them in norwegian though.