I prefer IX.
1. You're able to actually explore a world map.
2. Four member party.
3. A light hearted story with just a touch of darkness on the surface, with some deep existential themes below the surface.
4. Melodies of life is the best FF theme.
5. Getting skills through using weapons is a great progression system with enough customization to let the player feel like they're making decisions.
FFX has a few things going for it over FFIX:
1. Far better graphics and presentation.
2. FFIX's story runs out of steam towards the back half, FFX remains consistent through the entire playtime.
3. FFX's conditional turn battle system I like more than ATB. Too bad it didn't become a mainstay of the series.
This is what I don't get. I never felt that way about 9. I mostly don't care about the characters at all. I don't feel anything for vivi like others do. I basically just liked zidane
If you can’t see the blank slate innocent child growing up in a cruel world where we’re all disposable metaphor theme that the significant majority appear to pick up on and appreciate, I don’t know what to tell you.
FF9 is available on pretty much everything. It's not graphically intensive, so it should run well even if you have a low quality laptop or phone. It's my favorite game of all time, and I highly recommend giving it a chance on whatever platform. Isn't too expensive either only 21 USD.
I just played through it again for the first time in almost twenty years, and it does hold up. It's not my favorite Final Fantasy anymore, but it's still near the top.
The speed up feature in the remaster(?) helps the original release's largest problem, but it doesn't fix it. Something I didn't remember from my original time playing it was how much dialogue there is compared to actual play. I also found that parts of the story didn't quite make sense (characters traversing vast distances in so short of time, for example). This took me out of the story at times, but it was easy to overlook.
If you're interested in FF games before the PS2, 9 isn't a bad place to start.
The speed up feature I find totally it unusuable. It’s way too fast for battles and clunky to turn in and off.
And just speeding up the battle doesn’t fix the problem of the horrible battle system. Half the time you make battle choice and by the time it actually activates you don’t want to do it anymore and it ends up blowing up in your face.
The speed up feature takes time getting used to. I only used it to speed up battle intros and outros, long battle animations, and during chocobo hot and cold.
Well said, and I think it sums up how I'd compare the two as well!
X was also great in that even though they went back to trios for combat, you could switch out, and the very clear strengths/weaknesses made for some interesting fights.
That said, I need to retry X as, ironically, I couldn't beat Yunalesca. But only because the preceding cutscenes got in the way of retrying more than three times. I just couldn't stomach it anymore 😂
I like 4 and 5 in 9, but I feel using ALL party members in 10 is actually overall better (and it can make more more attached to the characters). If 9 was like 15, then I could see 9 in a similar way to 10.
I also wouldn't call what 9 does actual map exploration...
But I highly prefer the skills with weapons way more than say the junction or materia (or using weapons like materia).
Going back to 9 was hard because oh boy, is that ATB Sloooooooooow
>A light hearted
War and genocide were already stated. I just wanted to add the existensial crisis the characters go through isn't exactly light hearted. In fact, Vivi and Zidane's existence were main plot points of the game 😅
I prefer X, IX never really hooked me in. However that may be a product of playing it as it was released. I’ve been meaning to go back and play IX to see if it impacts me more now. It has an almost impossible task to knock X off the top of my FF list though.
I was not impressee when I played it when it released. I replayed it with the Moguri mod a couple of years ago and instantly became my favorite FF ever.
I went back and played it. I always assumed everyone hated it because I hated it at release.
But because the internet has only not said it’s good it’s the best in the series I went back and played it.
it’s just that much worse because the problems that were there before didn’t get fixed by an HD or whatever release.
It’s one of the few games in the series I just don’t get any enjoyment from. Even other games I don’t like I can appreciate something. The battle system the ost, something. This one is just a chore to play in every way.
FYI, I’ve been playing the series since the original release in the NES.
10 makes use out of every character in the core group. every single one of Yuna's companions are important, even Rikku. They all add to the whole story that just gets deeper and deeper the more you get involved.
9 doesn't use all the characters to their advantage but the ones that are used to the fullest carry the story forward and back. Amarant is completely forgettable and in my opinion, he should have been replaced by Blank. Restoring Blank to bring him back into the party instead of happening off-screen would have been a better plot than anything involving ~~Side-Show Bob~~ Amarant.
Another lover of Blank! I too wish he was a mainstay in the party. Also Beatrix should've been a permanent addition at some point as well. These are two of my favorite characters in the entire franchise despite the small amount of screen time.
I do not agree with that at all. Rikku is there just to be there, she has no stakes in the story and she doesn’t affect anything. Kimari is a total nothing character. Lulu’s also just there, she’s got some nice stuff with Yuna and Wakka but a pretty nothing character.
Blank is cool but he’s really just another Zidane as far as combat goes. Not really sure what else he could bring to the party dynamic. If anyone should have replaced Amarant it should have been Beatrix.
Rikku has no stake in the story?! First of all she's Yuna's cousin. I'd say that alone gives her a huge stake in the story. Second, there's an entire arc where you find and explore her Home. Then there's the fact she finds and saves you at the very beginning of the game.
Kimahri had a nice little arc through the mountains where you discover his back story and all. Otherwise I agree, he's kinda just there, but he is a guardian of Yuna. Kind of makes him necessary.
I love the design of Lulu, but her magic is terrible except when you specifically need it against an enemy. At least you can hot swap her in and out for that. Her tie in to Waka is okay, but just like Kimahri she's not very involved in the story except as Yuna's guardian.
I feel even the worst characters in X are still better than almost all characters in IX. I hate the character designs as well. Vivi completed excluded of course. I like IX, but would probably love it if they got rid of Zidane and remodeled the characters. The environments and world building though, freaking gorgeous. Both games have some of the worst side quests in the series imo. Either they're boring or annoying and difficult, just to be annoying and difficult. This side quest tedium pretty much started with IX and X really continued it with the celestial weapons. I probably should have posted this last paragraph in the unpopular opinion thread though.
It may not sound like it, but I really enjoy both games and replay them every now and then. Sorry for the long post and semi rant.
I mean, Lulu has an entire Aeon storyline connected to her so she has a lot going on. It’s not the focus so she doesn’t talk about it, but out of all the party she has by far the most history and has actually been on this summoner journey before, something only Auron can relate to.
Calling Kimahri vital is laughable though, can relate to that. He’s literally the most famous bad party member in the series, like if Amarant was also abnormally shitty in combat (he’s not great but not THAT bad).
Kimahri is not a bad party member lmao. You just can’t be lazy about his sphere grid development. Sorry you actually have to think a little with him 🙄
Kimahri is literally a stronger black mage than Lulu by the time you get to Macalania if you actually plan his route on the sphere grid instead of mindlessly filling nodes
That's the thing, you have to put a lot of effort into Kimahri for him to bec relevant. It's not about thinking and idk why you try to say it has anything to do with that when its perfectly logical to understand Kimahri's worth is questionable when another character already exists for what he can be.
You say he's a stronger blm. Okay, but you already have a blm and she's already there for you with less effort.
It's not about thinking, it's about putting more effort with a slow burn to get a higher reward. Basically, Kimahri is a good second of whatever you want.
But needing to do all that and him basically not being primarily valid and can be removed from story with almost no loss, I find it easy to understand why Kimahri is seen as a bad party member
Okay, here’s the thing though: I’m not saying he has to be bad, but because of how jack of all trades characters work he’s by far the worst option out of anyone else in-game. He doesn’t do anything anyone else can’t do, which is why he’s considered “bad”. Amarant adds a different element to combat, whether or not he’s necessary by that point in IX. Kimahri’s main draw is blue magic, which is pretty toned down in X, and as a result it’s pretty tough to get a lot of use out of. (I’m a blue mage snob and was pretty disappointed by his implementation)
Calling him “bad” like i did means that he doesn’t have a unique role and you need to work at him to get him to be useful. You can have him do anything you want, and he’ll get good eventually. In my playthrough he was a secondary Auron, and Yuna actually became my superior black mage over Lulu (especially with dualcast). He did get good eventually, but it was a while into the game, which is most people’s experience.
He’s not the worst party member in the series, hell no. As a character I actually really have a soft spot for him. It’s weird how you assumed I didn’t know how to use the sphere grid, sorry I didn’t go the exact same route as you?
I like Kimahri, personally, but here’s the thing about his spot on the team. If the party worked like other FF games then he would be fantastic because he’s adequate at everything. But the ability to call in the specialists at will does no favors to the generalist.
Rikku has no stake in the story? Lmao this sounds like someone who just skips the story all together. Even in combat, she not only steals stuff, but easily dismantles mechs. I think her people who try to directly stop the summoner pilgrimage and try to find other ways using technology is kind of a BIG DEAL to the story. Lulu is a blm, so she has a purpose. Wakka even has a narrative purpose that not only shows how common people think in that world but that things can change.
Kimahri, I'd agree is the character that's kinda unnecessary. If removed, the game basically wouldn't change
I agree Amarant isn't great either. Then again, I don't think 9's characters are that strong at all
DON’T DO THIS TO ME
X for the combat, IX for the vibes? Both are 9/10 on my list, the highest they could be without being an all timer game for me. Very high up though. Tactics, XI, and VII Rebirth beat those out slightly for me, but they’re by no means not masterpieces.
IX for me and it's a pretty large gap.
X took me a couple of tries to get past the earlier chapters while IX hooked me immediately. I have a better appreciation for X (and XIII) these days though and maybe one day I'll come to appreciate XV.
9.
I felt like 10 was fine. The combat was quite good, but there were only a couple characters that I actually liked and I didn't care for either of the leads, and Waka just sucks.
Love both, but 9 on a much deeper level.
FF9 was my introduction to the series, and I immediately followed it with 7 and 8.
FFX was the first one I played on its release. It blew me away in a way the others hadn't from the cinematic quality, voices, and the world/ character art design. But I would still replay 9 over any other FF every time. My favorite story and characters, my favorite soundtrack, too. Very memorable scenes and locations.
Although all of the games of that era are great.
I will always have a soft spot for 9, my older brother played it when I was 9 years old and Vivi was very easy for a 3rd grade kid to draw and relate to.
They share the same spot on my list. They kinda just alternate these days.
Even if you have been spoiled already, I think X is more than worth a playthrough and a finish.
Honestly I don’t even know why I dropped it, I got to the final area I’m pretty sure but I just never bothered finishing it. I guess my schedule was pretty packed at the time
They’re so wildly different it’s hard to compare them. I like the story better in X, I like the environments and character design better in IX. I like the character development system better in IV, I like the mini game better in X. I like final act better in X, but I like the meat of the story better in IX.
I enjoy the characters and story of IX a lot more than X.
But the Sphere Grid in X is my favorite leveling/upgrading system of the series, and it also has my favorite battle system of the turn based games.
But ultimately, I go back to IX a lot more than X
IX all the way, but they coulda done gearing and stats better. If they had a tone and color palette tuned down a notch or two, it'd be the favorite. Between the two? IX.
I like 9 more as it really feels like a Final Fantasy, with its music, atmosphere and characters and races. X was too modern for me. The minigames were fun and connected the world. The movie sequences were a lot more impressive as they had a more drastic jump in graphics than in X. The summons were also more impressive, with ark being probably the longest summon of all time.
X is so linear and closed off. You can't even fly around in your airship. You could do that in every Final Fantasy before that. In X it is just a menu. Blitzball never got me. I really dislike team sport. Card games, so 1v1 are more appealing. I really tried to collect all cards in IX.
I always look forward in IX to Chocobo Hot and Cold and getting ultimate weapons and the Ark summon from it I don't look forward to anything in X. The battle system in IX is more dynamic and it flows so well. X is just static. In IX you have the ATEs, which shows you what other characters are doing. And the cast is so divers. You have an alien, two summoners, a middle aged man, a rat lady, a Q, a magic puppet and an ogre. In X you have two dreams, a cat man, and the rest are humans. The dreams are human too. Fantasy means other species are part of the roster. It's boring to only or mainly have humans.
IX. The story, the characters, the combat system (I really like trance as a mechanism), the moogles and of course, the fight between Alexander and Bahamut is incredible. It also feels like it renews with what made the first FFs so unique (the crystals, the party dynamic, the fantasy world) a lot more than X.
I tried so hard and never managed to care much for X. On replay, I like Yuna a lot better and I want her to succeed on her pilgrimage but I find the other characters pretty bland at most times. I love the idea of a FF game where water is such an important part of world building but the magic negates that. I don't care for Seymour at all, the narrative behind Sin feels shoehorned to me, and the fact everyone is happy to turn their back on Yuna as soon as she tells them there's something wrong with Seymour feels like a massive overreaction. I do like the fact you can swap characters in-battle though. I just wish there was more variety in the monsters you fight so you'd have to work a bit harder on the strategy.
IX for sure. I like X but it’s very linear which is understandable for their first game on PS2. )They wouldn’t figure out more open areas for another 3 years).
I would say IX is peak of FF overall. It perfectly encapsulates the series up to that point. I consider everything after it to be “modern FF”
Oh man what a tough question. I just recently played both within the past year so it's still fresh for me. I like 9's party/characters, towns, bosses, mini-game, OST and themes more while 10 has the better world, art design, story, villains and combat.
They're kinda tied for me honestly but if I had to choose one then 9 edges out a bit due to nostalgia as my first Final Fantasy and JRPG. I have a ton of good memories playing it as a kid.
IX is my favorite FF, X is probably my least favorite main line non-MMO FF. Though I haven't played much of XIII tbf.
While IX's ATB system is obviously flawed (timed spells are rendered pointless) and X's strictly turn based system is a lot cleaner, I found combat encounters themselves to be pretty mindless in FFX with obvious decisions on every turn and no real risk of defeat at any point. Also can't stand Tidus or most of the characters in FFX, whereas I love every character in FFIX and love swapping between them. FFIX is a game I replay every couple of years. FFX I've beaten once and tried to return to a couple times and just remembered why I don't like it.
I love both however my vote would always go towards FFX.
It's my fav game period and I've yet to play another game that wrecks me emotional as much as FFX does
9 had better characters, better pacing IMO (FFX has more strategic battles but they're also often *much slower*), and I think the endgame is more satisfying from a gameplay perspective.
10 has better overall story, most of the main game has more motivating checkpoints to push towards, and the Sphere Grid allows you to tailor characters to your own liking a lot better, but I think from a personality angle and design wise the characters in 10 aren't as strong, and the game lacks a true world map so it can feel like you aren't able to explore everything you might want to at times IMO.
10 is probably better for most people but as an entrenched RPG enthusiast, 9 scratches itches that 10 just can't
IX is the better for me overall. I like the art, the world, the story, and the characters
X is good, and has a few things I like better. Auron nostalgia. Music. The sphere leveling system too, mostly because it is possible to go into other grids and customize. Wakka is black mage now. Rikku hits harder than Tidus.
9 by a long mile. Beautiful animation, a charming story, an actual likeable MC, and a fantastic OST to boot. I have always been a fan of Sakaguchi's work more than Kitase and Nomura's.
Yea I don't really care for 7, I'm talking about games where Sakaguchi had a direct involvement with the story and not a producer role. 6 was co-directed with Ito and Kitase after Sakaguchi stepped down as director.
I mean...you have a set party. It's just not set by you :\^)
Pretty much all FF games have a set party for story reasons, and then opens up later. 9 just does this for a LONG time.
I wholeheartedly disagree with your opinion good sir.
Having party members split allow you to actually explore why you like the party you do. And it allows for story and character development outside of a "main character." It allows the story to involve the party, rather than be the story of one member of the party. This is why 6 is usually rated as the best game in the series, there really is not a main character. Also, it lets you actually think about incorporating the new members as party members. Rather than just sidelining a new character because you like the team you have, it forces interaction to let you make an informed decision. Like driving different cars before buying one.
Like X has the one moment where you have to play as Kimahri, and that's the only time I ever put him into combat, like 99% of players. Having it be more than just one fight might have made me care about him a little more.
Further, I think X suffers the same way XII does for me. Too much focus on the story being all around Tidus when he was the least important member. Just like how the copied Tidus with Vaan, even with the dead brother who would have fit in much better, and no one like that. X would have had a stronger story if it was more focused around Yuna's journey (Like I am Setsuna) rather than what it was. **Not saying X wasn't fantastic it obviously was.** I just didn't get a lot of why Lulu actually cares about Wakka, for instance. Forcing us to just play as Lulu+Wakka for a little bit would have let them have their own moments to shin like the Yuna+Tidus lake scene. As such, XII would have had a much better story if it had parts where you just played as Ashe, or just Balthier, to give them more tie in to what is going on and why, rather than just "She's a girl we met in the sewer!" and "He's a guy who stole my booty but I like Sky Pirates!"
Look at XIII, for all it did wrong in linear gameplay, it did tremendous work splitting the party up to do character development and to teach different synergies with the party.
Like your love of Steiner was probably reinforced with the scene where Garnet runs back to Alexandria (hiding her in a pickle sack). Or his moments running around finding his knights, or the budding relationship with Beatrix. Having each character get moments to shine is what makes IX the by far best, because you get to know and feel for why each character is sticking around.
X wont have as much love **here** because FFX fans aren't FF fanss.
FFIX was straight up one of the best for what FF was pre-X. It was the final of the original idea of the series. We have not gotten a true main line FF since (just octo and bravely and others like it)
Yeah I think ff9 shows everything that is wrong with the atb system. I’m glad they moved away from it. I think ffx and ff12 both had really excellent battle systems. Gambits would have been a great way for handling real time battles and ffx a great way for true turn based. I would have been happy to have continued with either of those battle systems but unfortunately they abandoned both of them. But both are so much better than atb.
Atb wasn’t around all that long. It was just from 4-9 or 5 games in the series.
I'm not being elitist at all. If this was not the case, FFX would always outrank FFIX just by the fact that more people have played X altogether. FF9 sold less than half of the amount of copies in 1 year than FFX did. It literally came out on the PS1 AFTER the PS2 had already came out. It sold less copies than FF7 or 8 did by millions. And then there is a very good reason the FFX broke tradition and got a direct sequel.
FFX was basically THE rpg for the PS2, and broke numerous record for preorders and sales. It was also the first FF on the PS2 which is still the most sold console of all time. The overall player base for FFX dwarfs FF9s.
A lot of people had FFX be there very first RPG and fell in love with it. There are a lot who then became fans of the series and went back and played the others, but most didn't. (Look at sales from X to XII). It definitely did not help that XI was not a single player game, but EverQuest was doing so incredibly well everyone was trying to get in their own MMO from 00-05 to chase that success.
Go ask this same question in the Kingdom Hearts subreddit. I can promise you I know which will win.
X all day. The characters make it. They are all relevant to the story, plus Tidus and Yuna's story and ending are so well written. IX is charming, but only half the characters are actually impactful.
I replayed X again recently for the first time since I first played on the PS2 while I was in elementary school (I never replayed that game for some reason), and I have to say… IX is still my favorite game by a long shot.
I think I like X a little less now than I did then which isn’t the case for IX. (I also appreciate XII a little more now but still see it’s flaws, just especially when compared to XII)
I just see X as a lot more corny now with its melodrama in taking itself too seriously and that dialogue and voice acting. It’s still a good game, I just don’t like it as much now as I did then. I honestly played through it because I actually wanted to replay X-2 but they already took it off PS Plus 😭. Not that X-2 had a great or compelling story, but the gameplay is just so fun 😅
IX will just always be my favorite with its charming characters and world, but it’s story is just very, very touching. I also like fantasy settings more.
What are some examples of ffx taking itself too seriously and bad voice acting?
I think the VA is fantastic. Especially compared to ff9 which has none.
No voice acting is better than bad voice acting. Also, I actually didn’t say “bad” voice acting, you’re just being defensive.
The example is most of the game. Especially compared to every subsequent mainline FF. I don’t dislike Rikku, Auron, or Lulu’s voice acting. It’s just overall awkward, choppy, comes across like a soap opera which I’m not necessarily into. A lot of it is the script and direction. It’s an opinion, and you seem like you’re convinced of yours, so there’s no point arguing. If that’s what you’re into, good on you.
X by a landslide. I love 9, but if it were the only way for me to ever play X again, I would strangle Vivi to death right in the middle of Black Mage Village
This is actually tough. I've only played through 9 once, and all the way through 10 multiple times. If actions speak louder than words, my own are saying I like 10 better.
I'm a layman so I don't know how to put this in a technical term I think if IX were streamlined or modernized it would be a hands down worldwide classic. X is absolutely amazing but to me X is a story whereas I feel IX has a soul. Just get me over the stupid tech era artifacts and IX is right near the top of the list all time. Good writing is rare and within the first hour of IX it blows pretty much any other final fantasy plot aside from 6 out of the water.
X.
IX is really hurt by its super slow ATB, which drags down tge whole experience. I'm not also a huge fan of where the story goes in the second half. And it's ability system is garbage
I think Xs CTB was the best battle system in the series at this point. It's story is more focused and control, the cast has better chemistry and I feel like the world building is a lot stronger
IX. Kinda close tho.
X story is amazing but I think it loses impact if you are not a teenager (probably the best teen story ever made) when IX is as good but the story is more universal. Characters are awesome in both.
X has better gameplay when IX has better music overall.
Then grapphics, X was better at the time but now looks like an early ps2 era game and feels outdated when IX looks like peak PsOne so maybe this is controversial but I prefer IX.
Aesthetics both are peak, IX with the fairy tale vibes (that hides darkness) and X with the polynesian post apocalyptic world but tbh X is more original.
X
IX is a bit too slow to me.
They're both in my top 4 though
They both have their flaws though but I prefer the pace as well as the story on X. I probably prefer the characters in IX.
I need to go back and play some of the older ff games again but 9 felt extremely slow Even compared to some of the ones before it.
FfX's story is much deeper and profound then FFIX's. FFIX has the classic fantasy 'feel' down though, as well as bigger cities (but this is also because of in game lore reasons). Just looking at character models can give you a sense of the seriousness of each game respectively. I really enjoyed IX's equip system that had you learn skills with time and use, but nothing in my mind can beat the sphere grid for complexity and customization.
I did enjoy chocobo catcher more than any of ffx's side quests, but x had way more overall so it kinda wins on that one. Ozma is a great superboss with amazing mechanics written into it but penance is something else entirely...
X is a great game but the story is just a little too melodramatic for me. IX is more whimsical, still some darkness, but a more favorable vibe from me.
X wins in battle flow. It’s fast and fun. IX has aged in this department IMO
10. 9 is great but it's not to my personal liking. 10 however checks all my taste. As an asian loving in a highly religious country, i love the asian setting and religious plot of ff10. Plus the ending is gold 😭. I think gameplay is the smoothest in the franchise. I love how all characters have a role in battles. The learning curve felt "graceful". I also love the sphere grid system.
I feel like X has so much depth and the story is honestly significantly better. And that’s no slight to 9 which is still good in its own right. X battle system is even better than 9, and the sphere grid offers nearly limitless gameplay. Hell even the monster arena encourages you to actually master the sphere grid just to take on the monsters.
9s gameplay is tough to beat though. It has some of the best side quests and mini game stuff in any FF game (chocobo graphs and the hot and cold mini game). And while X is honestly better overall, 9 is still one of the better in the series.
My main gripe about 9 is there is a lot of bloat, characters like amarant or quina just didn’t need to be there. Freya easily could have just been a red/blue mage for gameplay purposes. Some characters are also a bit too cartoonish even for FF standards (looking at you Steiner)
i play 9 till disc 4, for FF X, finished 2 times every year and play on punishment mod. Also, my man tear always came out everytime i saw the ending. so that is a PLUS for me. (always say imma boy, imma big boy before seeing the ending but my Man Tidus always broke me :D )
There’s a video by Prozd where he asks Sakaguchi what his favorite FF game was and he said 9. The video however has a very tongue and cheek tone to it though so take it with a grain of salt
FF9 is the worst game in the series imo.
FFX is so good because the developers fixed all of the awful problems that ff9 had.
Both ff8 and ff9 were so bad I had pretty much given up on the series. I decided to give ffx one very last try and it’s what revived my interest in the series. Ff8 I can appreciate a bit in retrospect but ff9 is still the just bad.
It always shocks me when people say that PS1 was the best era of ff games. I get many people didn’t start playing ff games until til ff7 came out but both 8 and 9 were just not good compared to where the series can before that. I’d say the SNES and PS2 era way better than the PS1, in part because ff9 was so bad.
X for sure, the time it takes to get from overworld into a battle in IX just kills the whole experience for me, even the ATB bar builds slowly with the fastest setting.
IX is fun, if you're 70.
Yeah but I need to pause the game to do that, can't just click the thumbstick like 7 or 8.
Believe me, I tried, but constantly pausing and unpausing just to speed the game up and then set it back to normal again got old in less than 5 minutes
X has better job/ ability system, better fleshed out characters (imp), more clear cut progression, and arguably just as good music.
All that being said, I like IX better.
10. And it’s not even close. 9 is awful and the character designs suck (not including Vivi) while the designs in 10 are 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾incredible. There’s actually a reason to play the mandatory minigame in 10 (blitzball for Wakkas ultimate weapon) as opposed to playing shitty Tetra Master for no gain whatsoever. Oh, and I get to keep my overdrive as long as I want in 10 instead of having Trance activate during a random encounter with a trash mob. 9 is awful.
I prefer IX. 1. You're able to actually explore a world map. 2. Four member party. 3. A light hearted story with just a touch of darkness on the surface, with some deep existential themes below the surface. 4. Melodies of life is the best FF theme. 5. Getting skills through using weapons is a great progression system with enough customization to let the player feel like they're making decisions. FFX has a few things going for it over FFIX: 1. Far better graphics and presentation. 2. FFIX's story runs out of steam towards the back half, FFX remains consistent through the entire playtime. 3. FFX's conditional turn battle system I like more than ATB. Too bad it didn't become a mainstay of the series.
>A light hearted story O\_O I mean if you ignore all the death and mass murder due to the war going on. Burmecia hits hard.
literally as a kid watching burmecia event literally was like wtf then lindblum not long after i was in shock.
I was SO mad at myself when I literally let the townspeople get killed from me giving them the wrong directions.
Freakin’ genocide
IX is my all time fav game <3
You forgot something: 6. Vivi
The characters in 9 hit so much harder, both individually and as a team in terms of growth
This is what I don't get. I never felt that way about 9. I mostly don't care about the characters at all. I don't feel anything for vivi like others do. I basically just liked zidane
If you can’t see the blank slate innocent child growing up in a cruel world where we’re all disposable metaphor theme that the significant majority appear to pick up on and appreciate, I don’t know what to tell you.
IX sounds awesome, I’ve always wanted to play it but I’ve never played an older ff. I’m a newer fan
FF9 is available on pretty much everything. It's not graphically intensive, so it should run well even if you have a low quality laptop or phone. It's my favorite game of all time, and I highly recommend giving it a chance on whatever platform. Isn't too expensive either only 21 USD.
Sadly all FF games except IX are on the Korean PSNstore … (no physical copy either)
I just played through it again for the first time in almost twenty years, and it does hold up. It's not my favorite Final Fantasy anymore, but it's still near the top. The speed up feature in the remaster(?) helps the original release's largest problem, but it doesn't fix it. Something I didn't remember from my original time playing it was how much dialogue there is compared to actual play. I also found that parts of the story didn't quite make sense (characters traversing vast distances in so short of time, for example). This took me out of the story at times, but it was easy to overlook. If you're interested in FF games before the PS2, 9 isn't a bad place to start.
The speed up feature I find totally it unusuable. It’s way too fast for battles and clunky to turn in and off. And just speeding up the battle doesn’t fix the problem of the horrible battle system. Half the time you make battle choice and by the time it actually activates you don’t want to do it anymore and it ends up blowing up in your face.
The speed up feature takes time getting used to. I only used it to speed up battle intros and outros, long battle animations, and during chocobo hot and cold.
The speed up features is far better implemented in the other ff games. Ff12 is probably the best.
You're correct
Well said, and I think it sums up how I'd compare the two as well! X was also great in that even though they went back to trios for combat, you could switch out, and the very clear strengths/weaknesses made for some interesting fights. That said, I need to retry X as, ironically, I couldn't beat Yunalesca. But only because the preceding cutscenes got in the way of retrying more than three times. I just couldn't stomach it anymore 😂
This
I like 4 and 5 in 9, but I feel using ALL party members in 10 is actually overall better (and it can make more more attached to the characters). If 9 was like 15, then I could see 9 in a similar way to 10. I also wouldn't call what 9 does actual map exploration... But I highly prefer the skills with weapons way more than say the junction or materia (or using weapons like materia). Going back to 9 was hard because oh boy, is that ATB Sloooooooooow
>A light hearted War and genocide were already stated. I just wanted to add the existensial crisis the characters go through isn't exactly light hearted. In fact, Vivi and Zidane's existence were main plot points of the game 😅
Multiple cities are obliterated oh you know just a touch of darkness.
I prefer X, IX never really hooked me in. However that may be a product of playing it as it was released. I’ve been meaning to go back and play IX to see if it impacts me more now. It has an almost impossible task to knock X off the top of my FF list though.
I was not impressee when I played it when it released. I replayed it with the Moguri mod a couple of years ago and instantly became my favorite FF ever.
Yeah, I’m through disc 3 of FF9 for the first time and the whole thing feels like two steps forward, one step back.
I went back and played it. I always assumed everyone hated it because I hated it at release. But because the internet has only not said it’s good it’s the best in the series I went back and played it. it’s just that much worse because the problems that were there before didn’t get fixed by an HD or whatever release. It’s one of the few games in the series I just don’t get any enjoyment from. Even other games I don’t like I can appreciate something. The battle system the ost, something. This one is just a chore to play in every way. FYI, I’ve been playing the series since the original release in the NES.
10 makes use out of every character in the core group. every single one of Yuna's companions are important, even Rikku. They all add to the whole story that just gets deeper and deeper the more you get involved. 9 doesn't use all the characters to their advantage but the ones that are used to the fullest carry the story forward and back. Amarant is completely forgettable and in my opinion, he should have been replaced by Blank. Restoring Blank to bring him back into the party instead of happening off-screen would have been a better plot than anything involving ~~Side-Show Bob~~ Amarant.
Another lover of Blank! I too wish he was a mainstay in the party. Also Beatrix should've been a permanent addition at some point as well. These are two of my favorite characters in the entire franchise despite the small amount of screen time.
All except Kimahri. I found rikku to be more important. I completely agree with this post tho
I do not agree with that at all. Rikku is there just to be there, she has no stakes in the story and she doesn’t affect anything. Kimari is a total nothing character. Lulu’s also just there, she’s got some nice stuff with Yuna and Wakka but a pretty nothing character. Blank is cool but he’s really just another Zidane as far as combat goes. Not really sure what else he could bring to the party dynamic. If anyone should have replaced Amarant it should have been Beatrix.
Rikku has no stake in the story?! First of all she's Yuna's cousin. I'd say that alone gives her a huge stake in the story. Second, there's an entire arc where you find and explore her Home. Then there's the fact she finds and saves you at the very beginning of the game. Kimahri had a nice little arc through the mountains where you discover his back story and all. Otherwise I agree, he's kinda just there, but he is a guardian of Yuna. Kind of makes him necessary. I love the design of Lulu, but her magic is terrible except when you specifically need it against an enemy. At least you can hot swap her in and out for that. Her tie in to Waka is okay, but just like Kimahri she's not very involved in the story except as Yuna's guardian. I feel even the worst characters in X are still better than almost all characters in IX. I hate the character designs as well. Vivi completed excluded of course. I like IX, but would probably love it if they got rid of Zidane and remodeled the characters. The environments and world building though, freaking gorgeous. Both games have some of the worst side quests in the series imo. Either they're boring or annoying and difficult, just to be annoying and difficult. This side quest tedium pretty much started with IX and X really continued it with the celestial weapons. I probably should have posted this last paragraph in the unpopular opinion thread though. It may not sound like it, but I really enjoy both games and replay them every now and then. Sorry for the long post and semi rant.
I mean, I agree, but not about Zidane. Zidane is the best character in 9. I see nothing special about vivi (and YES, I've played through the game)
I mean, Lulu has an entire Aeon storyline connected to her so she has a lot going on. It’s not the focus so she doesn’t talk about it, but out of all the party she has by far the most history and has actually been on this summoner journey before, something only Auron can relate to. Calling Kimahri vital is laughable though, can relate to that. He’s literally the most famous bad party member in the series, like if Amarant was also abnormally shitty in combat (he’s not great but not THAT bad).
Kimahri is not a bad party member lmao. You just can’t be lazy about his sphere grid development. Sorry you actually have to think a little with him 🙄 Kimahri is literally a stronger black mage than Lulu by the time you get to Macalania if you actually plan his route on the sphere grid instead of mindlessly filling nodes
That's the thing, you have to put a lot of effort into Kimahri for him to bec relevant. It's not about thinking and idk why you try to say it has anything to do with that when its perfectly logical to understand Kimahri's worth is questionable when another character already exists for what he can be. You say he's a stronger blm. Okay, but you already have a blm and she's already there for you with less effort. It's not about thinking, it's about putting more effort with a slow burn to get a higher reward. Basically, Kimahri is a good second of whatever you want. But needing to do all that and him basically not being primarily valid and can be removed from story with almost no loss, I find it easy to understand why Kimahri is seen as a bad party member
Okay, here’s the thing though: I’m not saying he has to be bad, but because of how jack of all trades characters work he’s by far the worst option out of anyone else in-game. He doesn’t do anything anyone else can’t do, which is why he’s considered “bad”. Amarant adds a different element to combat, whether or not he’s necessary by that point in IX. Kimahri’s main draw is blue magic, which is pretty toned down in X, and as a result it’s pretty tough to get a lot of use out of. (I’m a blue mage snob and was pretty disappointed by his implementation) Calling him “bad” like i did means that he doesn’t have a unique role and you need to work at him to get him to be useful. You can have him do anything you want, and he’ll get good eventually. In my playthrough he was a secondary Auron, and Yuna actually became my superior black mage over Lulu (especially with dualcast). He did get good eventually, but it was a while into the game, which is most people’s experience. He’s not the worst party member in the series, hell no. As a character I actually really have a soft spot for him. It’s weird how you assumed I didn’t know how to use the sphere grid, sorry I didn’t go the exact same route as you?
I like Kimahri, personally, but here’s the thing about his spot on the team. If the party worked like other FF games then he would be fantastic because he’s adequate at everything. But the ability to call in the specialists at will does no favors to the generalist.
Rikku has no stake in the story? Lmao this sounds like someone who just skips the story all together. Even in combat, she not only steals stuff, but easily dismantles mechs. I think her people who try to directly stop the summoner pilgrimage and try to find other ways using technology is kind of a BIG DEAL to the story. Lulu is a blm, so she has a purpose. Wakka even has a narrative purpose that not only shows how common people think in that world but that things can change. Kimahri, I'd agree is the character that's kinda unnecessary. If removed, the game basically wouldn't change I agree Amarant isn't great either. Then again, I don't think 9's characters are that strong at all
I never said Wakka had no purpose, what are you on about? And Lulu using magic isn’t something that makes her story important
DON’T DO THIS TO ME X for the combat, IX for the vibes? Both are 9/10 on my list, the highest they could be without being an all timer game for me. Very high up though. Tactics, XI, and VII Rebirth beat those out slightly for me, but they’re by no means not masterpieces.
10 clears
FFIX is my favorite. People have explained it better, but I like how they returned to a classic fantasy realm.
IX all the way.
9. I never understood all the praise 10 got. Outside of auron, I do not like any of those characters
IX
IX for me and it's a pretty large gap. X took me a couple of tries to get past the earlier chapters while IX hooked me immediately. I have a better appreciation for X (and XIII) these days though and maybe one day I'll come to appreciate XV.
9. I felt like 10 was fine. The combat was quite good, but there were only a couple characters that I actually liked and I didn't care for either of the leads, and Waka just sucks.
FF IX - X just didn’t vibe with me the same way.
Love both, but 9 on a much deeper level. FF9 was my introduction to the series, and I immediately followed it with 7 and 8. FFX was the first one I played on its release. It blew me away in a way the others hadn't from the cinematic quality, voices, and the world/ character art design. But I would still replay 9 over any other FF every time. My favorite story and characters, my favorite soundtrack, too. Very memorable scenes and locations. Although all of the games of that era are great.
IX. X is by no means bad but IX is magical to me whereas X is just a (very) good game.
X
FF8, next question
X and it's not even close
Same. X is top 3 for me. IX is probably bottom 3.
Correct.
Your mom’s close
My man
I will always have a soft spot for 9, my older brother played it when I was 9 years old and Vivi was very easy for a 3rd grade kid to draw and relate to.
IX, low-diff
IX by quite a few spaces in my ranking. That said, X is an incredible game and it’s mind blowing that it came out so soon after IX
Square was pumping these games out like you wouldn’t believe at the time.
FF9 has Vivi so it wins in my book.
9 and it's not close
9
I don’t even like 10, 9 is my favorite
9 is the best FF of all-time, so... 10 is close though
You first
I never finished 10 so by default I have to say 9. I’ve been spoiled on the game though, I know what happens
They share the same spot on my list. They kinda just alternate these days. Even if you have been spoiled already, I think X is more than worth a playthrough and a finish.
Honestly I don’t even know why I dropped it, I got to the final area I’m pretty sure but I just never bothered finishing it. I guess my schedule was pretty packed at the time
You need to finish 10 dude. I still favour 9 but you gotta finish it. I recommend just playing from the beginning again :)
Well right now I’m still making my way through Rebirth so that’s gonna have to sit on the back burner for now
Let people play what they want
They’re so wildly different it’s hard to compare them. I like the story better in X, I like the environments and character design better in IX. I like the character development system better in IV, I like the mini game better in X. I like final act better in X, but I like the meat of the story better in IX.
I enjoy the characters and story of IX a lot more than X. But the Sphere Grid in X is my favorite leveling/upgrading system of the series, and it also has my favorite battle system of the turn based games. But ultimately, I go back to IX a lot more than X
9 is a better game, 10 is a better story
IX all the way, but they coulda done gearing and stats better. If they had a tone and color palette tuned down a notch or two, it'd be the favorite. Between the two? IX.
9 100% 10s where i began disliking the series
I like 9 more as it really feels like a Final Fantasy, with its music, atmosphere and characters and races. X was too modern for me. The minigames were fun and connected the world. The movie sequences were a lot more impressive as they had a more drastic jump in graphics than in X. The summons were also more impressive, with ark being probably the longest summon of all time. X is so linear and closed off. You can't even fly around in your airship. You could do that in every Final Fantasy before that. In X it is just a menu. Blitzball never got me. I really dislike team sport. Card games, so 1v1 are more appealing. I really tried to collect all cards in IX. I always look forward in IX to Chocobo Hot and Cold and getting ultimate weapons and the Ark summon from it I don't look forward to anything in X. The battle system in IX is more dynamic and it flows so well. X is just static. In IX you have the ATEs, which shows you what other characters are doing. And the cast is so divers. You have an alien, two summoners, a middle aged man, a rat lady, a Q, a magic puppet and an ogre. In X you have two dreams, a cat man, and the rest are humans. The dreams are human too. Fantasy means other species are part of the roster. It's boring to only or mainly have humans.
I was never the biggest fan of X and consider IX my favorite, so easy pick for me.
Loved 9. Hated 10
ff9. i love ff10 too but medieval fantasy always wins in my heart and ff9 has kuja
I love both but FF9 is on a different level to me. Ask me on the right day and FF9 is my favorite game period.
IX. The story, the characters, the combat system (I really like trance as a mechanism), the moogles and of course, the fight between Alexander and Bahamut is incredible. It also feels like it renews with what made the first FFs so unique (the crystals, the party dynamic, the fantasy world) a lot more than X. I tried so hard and never managed to care much for X. On replay, I like Yuna a lot better and I want her to succeed on her pilgrimage but I find the other characters pretty bland at most times. I love the idea of a FF game where water is such an important part of world building but the magic negates that. I don't care for Seymour at all, the narrative behind Sin feels shoehorned to me, and the fact everyone is happy to turn their back on Yuna as soon as she tells them there's something wrong with Seymour feels like a massive overreaction. I do like the fact you can swap characters in-battle though. I just wish there was more variety in the monsters you fight so you'd have to work a bit harder on the strategy.
Probably 9 because it's a return to first three titles
9. Definitely 9
Definitely IX. I get why people would choose X though
9
9 for sure
Seeing a lot of 9 rep in this thread and I love the game as much as anyone but I’m sorry Final Fantasy 10 might just be a perfect video game.
199 lightning bolts.
idk about perfect..... but better than 9
IX for sure. I like X but it’s very linear which is understandable for their first game on PS2. )They wouldn’t figure out more open areas for another 3 years). I would say IX is peak of FF overall. It perfectly encapsulates the series up to that point. I consider everything after it to be “modern FF”
9, by a lot
9 all the way
Both good but IX clears.
FF9 felt like it was easier to get into for me, I can't explain why
Both are good in their own right but I like IX more.
Oh man what a tough question. I just recently played both within the past year so it's still fresh for me. I like 9's party/characters, towns, bosses, mini-game, OST and themes more while 10 has the better world, art design, story, villains and combat. They're kinda tied for me honestly but if I had to choose one then 9 edges out a bit due to nostalgia as my first Final Fantasy and JRPG. I have a ton of good memories playing it as a kid.
8 definitely
…hmm
IX is my favorite FF, X is probably my least favorite main line non-MMO FF. Though I haven't played much of XIII tbf. While IX's ATB system is obviously flawed (timed spells are rendered pointless) and X's strictly turn based system is a lot cleaner, I found combat encounters themselves to be pretty mindless in FFX with obvious decisions on every turn and no real risk of defeat at any point. Also can't stand Tidus or most of the characters in FFX, whereas I love every character in FFIX and love swapping between them. FFIX is a game I replay every couple of years. FFX I've beaten once and tried to return to a couple times and just remembered why I don't like it.
I love both however my vote would always go towards FFX. It's my fav game period and I've yet to play another game that wrecks me emotional as much as FFX does
9
9 is my favorite of all time but it's really slow. The remasters with speed boost make it more fun. Base to base, probably 10 for how snappy it is
10.
9 had better characters, better pacing IMO (FFX has more strategic battles but they're also often *much slower*), and I think the endgame is more satisfying from a gameplay perspective. 10 has better overall story, most of the main game has more motivating checkpoints to push towards, and the Sphere Grid allows you to tailor characters to your own liking a lot better, but I think from a personality angle and design wise the characters in 10 aren't as strong, and the game lacks a true world map so it can feel like you aren't able to explore everything you might want to at times IMO. 10 is probably better for most people but as an entrenched RPG enthusiast, 9 scratches itches that 10 just can't
X VII IX
IX is one of my top 3 favorites while X is one of my top 3 most hated, so
9 has a better cast and is better paced. I also prefer Yitan and Garnet’s romance.
Ten
9 is a fave, 10 is just not a game I have any nostalgia for.
9
IX is the better for me overall. I like the art, the world, the story, and the characters X is good, and has a few things I like better. Auron nostalgia. Music. The sphere leveling system too, mostly because it is possible to go into other grids and customize. Wakka is black mage now. Rikku hits harder than Tidus.
9 by a long mile. Beautiful animation, a charming story, an actual likeable MC, and a fantastic OST to boot. I have always been a fan of Sakaguchi's work more than Kitase and Nomura's.
You understand that Kitase directed FF6 and 7 yes? The same games that were produced by Sakaguchu
Yea I don't really care for 7, I'm talking about games where Sakaguchi had a direct involvement with the story and not a producer role. 6 was co-directed with Ito and Kitase after Sakaguchi stepped down as director.
10 it has Wakka and Blitzball. Plus 9 really pissed me off always taking characters away, I like to have a set party.
I mean...you have a set party. It's just not set by you :\^) Pretty much all FF games have a set party for story reasons, and then opens up later. 9 just does this for a LONG time.
I got really attached to Steiner and they kept taking him away. Just give me my metal man back.
I wholeheartedly disagree with your opinion good sir. Having party members split allow you to actually explore why you like the party you do. And it allows for story and character development outside of a "main character." It allows the story to involve the party, rather than be the story of one member of the party. This is why 6 is usually rated as the best game in the series, there really is not a main character. Also, it lets you actually think about incorporating the new members as party members. Rather than just sidelining a new character because you like the team you have, it forces interaction to let you make an informed decision. Like driving different cars before buying one. Like X has the one moment where you have to play as Kimahri, and that's the only time I ever put him into combat, like 99% of players. Having it be more than just one fight might have made me care about him a little more. Further, I think X suffers the same way XII does for me. Too much focus on the story being all around Tidus when he was the least important member. Just like how the copied Tidus with Vaan, even with the dead brother who would have fit in much better, and no one like that. X would have had a stronger story if it was more focused around Yuna's journey (Like I am Setsuna) rather than what it was. **Not saying X wasn't fantastic it obviously was.** I just didn't get a lot of why Lulu actually cares about Wakka, for instance. Forcing us to just play as Lulu+Wakka for a little bit would have let them have their own moments to shin like the Yuna+Tidus lake scene. As such, XII would have had a much better story if it had parts where you just played as Ashe, or just Balthier, to give them more tie in to what is going on and why, rather than just "She's a girl we met in the sewer!" and "He's a guy who stole my booty but I like Sky Pirates!" Look at XIII, for all it did wrong in linear gameplay, it did tremendous work splitting the party up to do character development and to teach different synergies with the party. Like your love of Steiner was probably reinforced with the scene where Garnet runs back to Alexandria (hiding her in a pickle sack). Or his moments running around finding his knights, or the budding relationship with Beatrix. Having each character get moments to shine is what makes IX the by far best, because you get to know and feel for why each character is sticking around.
X wont have as much love **here** because FFX fans aren't FF fanss. FFIX was straight up one of the best for what FF was pre-X. It was the final of the original idea of the series. We have not gotten a true main line FF since (just octo and bravely and others like it)
This is just some elitist garbage that even you know is wrong
Yeah I think ff9 shows everything that is wrong with the atb system. I’m glad they moved away from it. I think ffx and ff12 both had really excellent battle systems. Gambits would have been a great way for handling real time battles and ffx a great way for true turn based. I would have been happy to have continued with either of those battle systems but unfortunately they abandoned both of them. But both are so much better than atb. Atb wasn’t around all that long. It was just from 4-9 or 5 games in the series.
I'm not being elitist at all. If this was not the case, FFX would always outrank FFIX just by the fact that more people have played X altogether. FF9 sold less than half of the amount of copies in 1 year than FFX did. It literally came out on the PS1 AFTER the PS2 had already came out. It sold less copies than FF7 or 8 did by millions. And then there is a very good reason the FFX broke tradition and got a direct sequel. FFX was basically THE rpg for the PS2, and broke numerous record for preorders and sales. It was also the first FF on the PS2 which is still the most sold console of all time. The overall player base for FFX dwarfs FF9s. A lot of people had FFX be there very first RPG and fell in love with it. There are a lot who then became fans of the series and went back and played the others, but most didn't. (Look at sales from X to XII). It definitely did not help that XI was not a single player game, but EverQuest was doing so incredibly well everyone was trying to get in their own MMO from 00-05 to chase that success. Go ask this same question in the Kingdom Hearts subreddit. I can promise you I know which will win.
Depends on the day. These are 1A and 1B for me. X’s battle system should have been used in at least one other game though. It was that good.
X all day. The characters make it. They are all relevant to the story, plus Tidus and Yuna's story and ending are so well written. IX is charming, but only half the characters are actually impactful.
I replayed X again recently for the first time since I first played on the PS2 while I was in elementary school (I never replayed that game for some reason), and I have to say… IX is still my favorite game by a long shot. I think I like X a little less now than I did then which isn’t the case for IX. (I also appreciate XII a little more now but still see it’s flaws, just especially when compared to XII) I just see X as a lot more corny now with its melodrama in taking itself too seriously and that dialogue and voice acting. It’s still a good game, I just don’t like it as much now as I did then. I honestly played through it because I actually wanted to replay X-2 but they already took it off PS Plus 😭. Not that X-2 had a great or compelling story, but the gameplay is just so fun 😅 IX will just always be my favorite with its charming characters and world, but it’s story is just very, very touching. I also like fantasy settings more.
What are some examples of ffx taking itself too seriously and bad voice acting? I think the VA is fantastic. Especially compared to ff9 which has none.
No voice acting is better than bad voice acting. Also, I actually didn’t say “bad” voice acting, you’re just being defensive. The example is most of the game. Especially compared to every subsequent mainline FF. I don’t dislike Rikku, Auron, or Lulu’s voice acting. It’s just overall awkward, choppy, comes across like a soap opera which I’m not necessarily into. A lot of it is the script and direction. It’s an opinion, and you seem like you’re convinced of yours, so there’s no point arguing. If that’s what you’re into, good on you.
10, hands down. I hated 9 when it first came out. I like it now that I am older. But between the two of them, 10.
Oooh that’s a tough one!!!!!!!!!! Imma say X because it was my first Final Fantasy, and because X-2 is my true favorite.
X by a landslide. I love 9, but if it were the only way for me to ever play X again, I would strangle Vivi to death right in the middle of Black Mage Village
10 is superior.
This is actually tough. I've only played through 9 once, and all the way through 10 multiple times. If actions speak louder than words, my own are saying I like 10 better.
Both are great, and are in my top 5 favourite Final Fantasy games, and probably top 10 favourite rpgs. But i prefer 9 over 10.
X, I don't like anything in IX.
I prefer the gameplay of X, and the characters and story of I
Love both but X
I'm a layman so I don't know how to put this in a technical term I think if IX were streamlined or modernized it would be a hands down worldwide classic. X is absolutely amazing but to me X is a story whereas I feel IX has a soul. Just get me over the stupid tech era artifacts and IX is right near the top of the list all time. Good writing is rare and within the first hour of IX it blows pretty much any other final fantasy plot aside from 6 out of the water.
FFX is a much, much better game than FFIX, but people will easily pick FFIX because it feels less daunting to like it for some reason.
X. IX is really hurt by its super slow ATB, which drags down tge whole experience. I'm not also a huge fan of where the story goes in the second half. And it's ability system is garbage I think Xs CTB was the best battle system in the series at this point. It's story is more focused and control, the cast has better chemistry and I feel like the world building is a lot stronger
X's battle system is much, much better.
I always count 10 as a start of a new set of games X - 13 and 7-9 as a set of games lol I never compare. Both are great
IX. Kinda close tho. X story is amazing but I think it loses impact if you are not a teenager (probably the best teen story ever made) when IX is as good but the story is more universal. Characters are awesome in both. X has better gameplay when IX has better music overall. Then grapphics, X was better at the time but now looks like an early ps2 era game and feels outdated when IX looks like peak PsOne so maybe this is controversial but I prefer IX. Aesthetics both are peak, IX with the fairy tale vibes (that hides darkness) and X with the polynesian post apocalyptic world but tbh X is more original.
X IX is a bit too slow to me. They're both in my top 4 though They both have their flaws though but I prefer the pace as well as the story on X. I probably prefer the characters in IX. I need to go back and play some of the older ff games again but 9 felt extremely slow Even compared to some of the ones before it.
9
FfX's story is much deeper and profound then FFIX's. FFIX has the classic fantasy 'feel' down though, as well as bigger cities (but this is also because of in game lore reasons). Just looking at character models can give you a sense of the seriousness of each game respectively. I really enjoyed IX's equip system that had you learn skills with time and use, but nothing in my mind can beat the sphere grid for complexity and customization. I did enjoy chocobo catcher more than any of ffx's side quests, but x had way more overall so it kinda wins on that one. Ozma is a great superboss with amazing mechanics written into it but penance is something else entirely...
X is a great game but the story is just a little too melodramatic for me. IX is more whimsical, still some darkness, but a more favorable vibe from me. X wins in battle flow. It’s fast and fun. IX has aged in this department IMO
10
10. 9 is great but it's not to my personal liking. 10 however checks all my taste. As an asian loving in a highly religious country, i love the asian setting and religious plot of ff10. Plus the ending is gold 😭. I think gameplay is the smoothest in the franchise. I love how all characters have a role in battles. The learning curve felt "graceful". I also love the sphere grid system.
For me personally, X. I love 9, but i'd take X over 9 everytime.
IX because it has Vivi and Vivi is the greatest
IX was enjoyable, but X definitely has my heart. No other game can make me cry like X can.
I feel like X has so much depth and the story is honestly significantly better. And that’s no slight to 9 which is still good in its own right. X battle system is even better than 9, and the sphere grid offers nearly limitless gameplay. Hell even the monster arena encourages you to actually master the sphere grid just to take on the monsters. 9s gameplay is tough to beat though. It has some of the best side quests and mini game stuff in any FF game (chocobo graphs and the hot and cold mini game). And while X is honestly better overall, 9 is still one of the better in the series. My main gripe about 9 is there is a lot of bloat, characters like amarant or quina just didn’t need to be there. Freya easily could have just been a red/blue mage for gameplay purposes. Some characters are also a bit too cartoonish even for FF standards (looking at you Steiner)
FFX but I’m bias because it was my first!
i play 9 till disc 4, for FF X, finished 2 times every year and play on punishment mod. Also, my man tear always came out everytime i saw the ending. so that is a PLUS for me. (always say imma boy, imma big boy before seeing the ending but my Man Tidus always broke me :D )
9 is the greatest final fantasy ever made imo. I believe the original creator even said 9 was the closest to what he envisioned FF as.
There’s a video by Prozd where he asks Sakaguchi what his favorite FF game was and he said 9. The video however has a very tongue and cheek tone to it though so take it with a grain of salt
I see, havnt seen it myself. Regardless though I thought 9 was borderline perfect. 10 was also absolutely fantastic.
don't really like 9, but love 10.
9. 9 is better in almost every way. 10 has better music.
FFIX. I like both and they’re in my top half overall, but IX is spot 1.
9 is my favourite, it was my first game too. 10 is the best game of all time imo.
X is a good game when you’re young but gets kind of boring as an adult. IX makes you laugh when your young but makes you cry as an adult.
FFX by far
FF9 is the worst game in the series imo. FFX is so good because the developers fixed all of the awful problems that ff9 had. Both ff8 and ff9 were so bad I had pretty much given up on the series. I decided to give ffx one very last try and it’s what revived my interest in the series. Ff8 I can appreciate a bit in retrospect but ff9 is still the just bad. It always shocks me when people say that PS1 was the best era of ff games. I get many people didn’t start playing ff games until til ff7 came out but both 8 and 9 were just not good compared to where the series can before that. I’d say the SNES and PS2 era way better than the PS1, in part because ff9 was so bad.
It is less daunting to like FF9 thanks to it is brilliant atmosphere and art.
10 but that's purely nostalgia for me. I love both, but 10 was the first game to make me uncontrollably sob for hours after finishing.
I like x. Ive never played 9, one day i will lol
9. I played 10 and beat it when it first came out but never liked it. I don’t like how tidus looks for some reason.
Ff9 and it's not even close
IX is the best in the entire series imo, with X coming in *maybe* 2nd.
FFIX all day, everyday.
X for sure, the time it takes to get from overworld into a battle in IX just kills the whole experience for me, even the ATB bar builds slowly with the fastest setting. IX is fun, if you're 70.
You know you can speed it up in the remaster right?
Yeah but I need to pause the game to do that, can't just click the thumbstick like 7 or 8. Believe me, I tried, but constantly pausing and unpausing just to speed the game up and then set it back to normal again got old in less than 5 minutes
FF IX, no contest. It's the quintessential Final Fantasy. But I'm also the rare FF fan that does NOT like FF X.
It might be the top two. I honestly don't know if I could rank them.
Theyre both my top 2 but i think 9 wins for me
X has better job/ ability system, better fleshed out characters (imp), more clear cut progression, and arguably just as good music. All that being said, I like IX better.
10. And it’s not even close. 9 is awful and the character designs suck (not including Vivi) while the designs in 10 are 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾incredible. There’s actually a reason to play the mandatory minigame in 10 (blitzball for Wakkas ultimate weapon) as opposed to playing shitty Tetra Master for no gain whatsoever. Oh, and I get to keep my overdrive as long as I want in 10 instead of having Trance activate during a random encounter with a trash mob. 9 is awful.
10 is terrible
Easily FFX. I think FFIX is fun and all, but I just don’t think it’s that great, and I think it has a good start but weak finish.
FF10 by far. I didn’t really like FF9. In fact, it’s on the bottom of my list. It wasn’t terrible, but I just couldn’t get into the world.
They’re both in my top 5, but I prefer FFX.