For context, FFIX is my absolute favourite ever game ever.

The actual 'game' part of FFIX is... fine. That's it really, haven't got much else to say.

Trance is bad, the whole battle system is a bit too slow and the balance of each character's abilities are all over the place. But the battle system is perfectly serviceable, abilities are all right, I quite like synthesising new gear. FFIX is to me a game whose gameplay is designed to reinforce the identities of its characters first, and be a good RPG second (which was the correct choice). The actual mechanics at play are very much 'playing it safe' after the wildly divisive GF/Junctioning systems from VIII.