'Final Fantasy IX' news: Players set for an adventure of fantasy

Official gameplay screenshot of Zidane and Garnet from "Final Fantasy IX" Square Enix

Square Enix has recently ported their classic role-playing game (RPG) to the PlayStation 4. "Final Fantasy IX" has since been receiving positive response from players, old and new.

At first, gamers had doubts on the remastered version release for Sony's console. "Final Fantasy IX" has proven that it is the best modern version of a PlayStation One game played on the PS4. Gamers of this generation will understand why their parents loved playing this game so much when they were kids.

Originally released back in 2000 by Square, "Final Fantasy IX" follows the adventure of the bandit Zidane Tribal who was hired to kidnap Garnet, the princess of Alexandria. The gameplay of "FF9" was different from its predecessors because battles are done using the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. This will put players to react in an almost real-time response to the attacks of the enemy monsters. The ATB has since been used with the titles that followed.

An Auto-Save function is the first update that retro gamers will notice. This is a common feature now, even since the PlayStation 2 era. The movie cinematics are now rendered in high-definition, giving more detail and depth to the characters and the game environment.

The remastered RPG also added seven optional boosters to players when they find the retro game a bit too challenging. Remote play with the PlayStation Vita is also supported for this version of "FF9."

The characters of the PS4 version are simple and very reminiscent to the year the game was first played. This is indeed a breath of fresh air from all the life-like 3D rendered characters the game franchise have been releasing. New players might get jarred by the simple storytelling of the plot, but since it is still "Final Fantasy" game, a twist in midway is to be expected and an epic ending they will not have been prepared for.

"Final Fantasy IX" can be downloaded in the PlayStation Store for $20.99.

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