Update time!

We're in the fourth disc and finishing up some endgame nonsense before heading off to Memoria and finishing this game out. I was planning on maxing out some levels, but I've decided not to bother because I don't hate myself and respect my time more after the nonsense from previous installments. The plan at the moment is to really just finish the Friendly Monster quest and take down Ozma. Then go to the final dungeon and finish that.

Pros:
  • Kind of forgot FFIX pulls a Xenogears and has you do a marathon boss fight. As usual, the real challenge is simply just trying to steal all the useful loot before you accidentally kill the bosses.
  • Ultima is one of those spells that doesn't really stray from the design VI popularized, but IX is one of the few that does and it's honestly a cool variation. IX also marks the first (though not the last) time the spell appears in the game but is not accessible to the player.
  • The scene where Garland gets the last laugh and Kuja snaps is pretty awesome. Disc 3 might have some nagging issues for me, but it's not without its merits.
  • Pandemonia has some wicked cool architecture.
  • I have obtained Excalibur and I appreciate the fact it involves getting an item with a Gogo reference.
  • I mastered everyone's abilities, so we're good to go there. All I'm missing is Doomsday for Vivi and Ark for Garnet.
  • I kind of forgot how much of a Debbie downer Mikoto was, but it's amusing nonetheless.
  • Again, being far more familiar with older entries than I was the first time, specifically FFIII, has made some of the references even more enjoyable. I liked taking the Doga and Unne key items to Black Mage Village and getting the scene and song change that plays an arrangement of their theme "Let Them Know the Truth" is super nice.
  • I need to catch a few more frogs, but I've nearly maxed out all the over powered skills.


Cons:
  • Yans are a pain to kill.
  • Kind of miss the Hilda Garde 3. The Invincible is barely an upgrade and I miss the airship theme.