FF9: More than just a Throwback
Final Fantasy, as a franchise, has always been in conversation with things that came before: from the original game bringing in several mechanics from Dungeons and Dragons to FF8's lunar base directly homaging 2001: a Space Odyssey, it should be no surprise that FF9 is often said to be in direct reference to the sprite based FFs that came before. The game, however, goes beyond those references, creating a story all its own that can stand on its own two feet.
I had played the game after experiencing 1-5 months prior, so I felt well prepared for any throwbacks the game would throw at me: I recognized the four fiends, knew who Josef was from Ramuh’s story, and all sorts of minor references that I could point at the screen for. What I quickly realized was that those references were just that, minor, and what was really at the forefront were the characters and their narratives, wrapped in the garb of familiarity.
Vivi is, of course, the stand out on this: while on the surface he is a young boy dressed in the robes of the original game's black mage, from that base arrives an individual who represents the heart of the game's thesis, one of identity and our place in this world before we have left it. So many characters of the game, from two bit parts to the other main protagonists all through to the main antagonist, struggle against these themes and ends up resulting in so many different characterizations. The game could have just been a celebration of the tropes that were shared by the prior games in the series, but expands past that into a game that truly has some of the best characterizations of the franchise, both past and present.
As with any game there is plenty to complain about (Tetra Master was a failed experiment), but they do not converge enough to overturn the positive aspects that make this game so revered. I can wholeheartedly recommend the game to anyone with any level of FF Familiarity.