I’m here to add my opinion that FF9 is superior to FF7.
In general, I prefer when your characters have set classes. It feels like it lets the characters have more fleshed-out personalities.
Without spoiling anything, it allows you to tell story through the medium. Have a character who spent his whole life in one class, relying on specific skills, and he maybe goes through a huge fight to signify that he’s changed for the better? Congrats. You have a class change! Now you’re a level nothing!
Maybe someone traumatizes a caster, and now they can’t concentrate, giving them a chance to fail their spells!
When I was a kid, I didn’t really get into RPGs until after 7 was already out. I got into Arc the Lad, Jade Cocoon, and FF8 on the PS1. When I tried to go back and play FF7, it looked so ugly, I had a hard time connecting with it.
As an adult, the story and mini-games were frustrating. The obsession with the game is annoying as well. Although it’s undeniable the impact it has had on gaming.
For the record, I’ve beaten 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 13-2, 15, 16, Crisis Core, Dissidia, Dissidia 012, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
Copied from another comment of mine, I have beaten 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 13-2, 15, 16, Crisis Core, Dissidia, Dissidia 012, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line.
I love a lot about IX. However the combat is much slower than the other games. IIRC, an attack has to complete entirely and the character returns before the next character goes. While in VIII, the next queued attacker starts moving before the last one finishes their movements. Additionally, IX has 4 characters in battle. If you’re bring strategic, it can be very slow moving. Also, every boss has a valuable steal, but chances of stealing it are low. So if you take the bait, you will spend a lot of time repeatedly trying to steal. Also, your abilities are tied to your equipment unless you grind out enough points to unlock them, meaning you either keep bad equipment, upgrade and abandon abilities, or grind until the abilities are unlocked.
Also, the chibi-style art isn’t for everyone. I had more issues with 7’s style. But it’s a preference.
I love the music for both and both games were part of my teen life, and I replayed Ocarina of Time a lot more… but I agree with FF7. Nobuo Uematsu is incomparable.
I would switch mechanics and atmosphere myself, but I agree overall that it is 2-2. Both are good for different reasons and they weirdly do not overlap on any of them with the exception of music which both were only slightly above average. With that said the OoT soundtrack is much more memorable. There is only a single FF7 track that I actually remember well.