Why so much FF9 hatred?

[Lordmrw]

After seeing how much hate there was for FF8 and how some people managed to mention their dislike of FF9, I need to know: Why? I plyaed all the way through it, the story was decent, nothing overly spectacular but servicable, and it had the best set of characters in an FF game in a long time to me. I admit the music isn't that memorable, but some people make it seem as if FF9 gave them butt scabies. I need to know.

[StriderKyo]

I think it's because it brings back all the major themes in the series, so people complain "it's not original". They're all nuts. FF IX was incredible, and I'm not even a huge FF guy. Definitely one of the top 5 rpgs I've ever played.

Edit: and I loved the music.

[Mode7]

Sloooow battle system, and such a ridiculous, disney-style ending. I mean, who didn't see that coming? Some pretty infuriating "sell a strategy guide" puzzles, too.

It just found the whole thing very mediocre throughout. I'm not such a big fan of the series, I'll admit, but I do enjoy them on a base level and expect a few 'wow' moments somewhere in the game. But FF9 just didn't come up with the goods.

[Mman]

I really liked it. Sure, it isnt my favorite FF game by far, but I thought it was fun and I really liked the characters, especially Vivi. FF really needs a big change to be good again. Unfortunetly, it looks like they are going online for that change... I just want a new non (less) random battle system.

[Lordmrw]

I think the battles seemed slower because it was back to being 4 party members in battle. Didn't really stop to notice it. Yeah, that ending wasn't special, but then again almost all FF endings have disappointed me on one level or another. I got to say that the "love story" if you can call it tha was alot more believable than in 8, where it took 3 damn CDs for the dickhead to realize the girl liked him. Put me in a situation like that and I'd have a 3-some going that would make the whole Garden jealous.

[EThugg]

FF9 was the only FF I sorta tolerated. Mainly due to Vivi... he's so cool...

[Yamcha]

Same here, it's probably my favorite after FF6. I really like Vivi too, sure he's based on the old black mage design but he really grew on me, I even went out and bought an action figure. I don't really see how the battles are any slower than before, maybe because certain characters like Vivi and Garnet were too specialized like old FFs so they had trouble causing normal damage? The ending was cool, sure you saw it coming, but it's to hard to not expect it after 9 FFs. Would it really be better if Zidane dissappeared? He's a decent hero so it's all good, I wouldn't have minded it if Tidus went away for good though.

[Captain Vegetable]

I like it. I'm actually playing through it again right now.

Hmmm...For someone who claims to dislike the series, I sure do like a whole lot of them.

[BEBOPlover]

You must understand that a breed of gamer exists that is so jaded, there is absoluetly no salvation for them.

FFIX was a masterpiece, plain and simple. The graphics were gorgeous, the battle system was classic, the music (no where near FFVI) was a welcome return to the past.

I, personally, found the characters to be the most intruiging, loveable, and positively memorable.

Some mentioned they were playing through it a second time. That sounds like a grand idea.

[StriderKyo]

Originally posted by Mode7
Sloooow battle system, and such a ridiculous, disney-style ending. I mean, who didn't see that coming?

Y'know, myself and everyone else with two braincells to rub together saw that ending coming. I'm even all bitter and hate emotionally manipulative Disney tripe. But I'll be damned if I didn't have a huge smile on my face after that ending anyway. For whatever reason, it just worked, and is probably one of the most satisfying endings I've seen in a game.

Some pretty infuriating "sell a strategy guide" puzzles, too.

I don't know, I figured 'em all out after a little while. It may have taken some messing around, but I never felt cheated by them like, say, Silent Hill's ridiculous brainsmashers.

It just found the whole thing very mediocre throughout. I'm not such a big fan of the series, I'll admit, but I do enjoy them on a base level and expect a few 'wow' moments somewhere in the game. But FF9 just didn't come up with the goods.

How was it mediocre throughout? For one, it had some of the best graphics on the system. I personally loved the understated soundtrack. The world had tons to do, and plenty of nooks and crannies to explore away from the main storyline. The story itself may not have been Kafka or anything, but it definitely kept me motivated. And enough happened to the characters that I could really buy into that I felt I'd played something worthwhile, rather than the usual nervous Japanese schoolboy nonsense.

I don't know, I'm not suggesting it was the best game ever made, but there are hundreds of games a month released that are so much more deserving of being called mediocre than FF IX.