As if hit with the recommended dose of Echo Screen, the silence surrounding the long-rumoured remake of Final Fantasy IX has lifted once again. Noted industry insider and White Mage Jeff Grubb has fanned the flames of speculation this time, reigniting the unholy conflagration on his Game Mess Mornings shows over at Giant Bomb.
With each passing day, the infamous NVIDIA leak is proven more accurate, and it was there we first learned of the fan-favourite entries intended remake. Grubb says he's received reassurance the project is still happening "very recently", although the jury's still out as to the extent of the remake. Something along the lines of the recent Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, and not so much Final Fantasy VII: Remake, is probably the sweet spot for expectations.
How excited are you by the prospect of the Final Fantasy IX remake? What are you hoping to see out of it, and where do you think it will get officially unveiled? Get up to all kinds of shenanigans in the comments section below.
[source youtu.be]
Comments 49
Hope Vivi is ready to jump rope 1000 times in 4k 60fps.
Square can have quite the generous definition of remake. So it will be interesting to see where this lay on that very wide scale.
It's my favourite final fantasy, a remake would be fantastic, if they keep what I like about it. And yes that means turned based or I'm just going to ignore it.
A remake of an amazing Final Fantasy? Yes please, the more the merrier. Id personally prefer a full on remake rather than what Crisis Core got though. But one thing I can say for sure is that it'll at least have great music considering the fantastic OST of the original
Never played this one back in the day. Tried playing the remaster once, but was turned off by the sharp, up-res’d polygonal characters clashing with the blurry pre-rendered backgrounds. The remake should fix that, if, y’know, they get around to actually announcing and releasing it.
No thanks.
FF IX Remastered on Switch is already enough for me.
I don't want the Remake that will ruin like FF 7R.
Check out the memoria project on twitter, they are about to announce something there at 10.30pst. Supposedly a fan made video project but would not be surprised if its something more.
Here's the link for the website
https://www.ffix-memoria.com/
I'm hoping they keep the combat the same and also still include the card game. Knowing square they will probably remove the world map like they are doing with the recent Final Fantasys.
I can't see square-enix announcing this soon, but who knows, maybe a title reveal. 2022/23 has been an embarrassment of riches, so I hope they slow down and let their games flourish individually.
Please don't defile this perfect masterpiece square...
I'd much rather have a FFVIII remake
@InsaneWade I'm hopeful this will be a simple remake that doesn't change the core story beats, but updates the gameplay to be more modern.
If all this remake is is exactly the same game but it looks pretty and they've taken out the jump rope trophy I'll be happy.
Yes please, I’d very much like that
@Anti-Matter Oh get a grip. It didn't "ruin" the game at all. Sure it changed a few things in the story arc but overall it was a decent remake that changed up the story enough to keep people guessing what will happen. Ruin is the wrong descriptive word.
FF9 is one of my favourites fantasy games so yes bring on a remake
Even though this sounds cool..I wouldn't mind and like a remake of Vagrant Story a long with sequel..Until then I'll dream.Lolz..
Digital Deluxe Preorder bonus: Excalibur II
Ahh yes. Let’s just put this along with Blood Borne 60fps and the Switch Pro
It’s my favourite game ever. I don’t fancy a remake! It’s too precious to be messed with
Grubb says something obvious…shock
Word has it, this will be turnbased.. who knows.
E3 or no E3, June remains the time for Reliable Sources to crawl out of the woodwork.😏
I want turn based battles. I could do with some old school Final Fantasy gameplay with modern graphics for a change.
After much murmuring that a true FF game has chibi characters and the crystal has to be at the heart of world building, and that FF was trend-following with realistically proportioned characters, the devs finally buckled under pressure and made FF9 for that segment of the fanbase.
The debate as relevant today as it was back then.
I've grown tired of all the remakes. I know they don't have any new ideas, but come on. Just make Sakaguchi an offer already.
@NEStalgia Rumor has it that it will be full walking simulator RPG with FPS RPG sections.
@Anti-Matter totally agree.
@bkeswick I’m not sure they were under a lot of pressure really. Actually, a lot of fans who started with 7 on PlayStation would not really have been asking for what they got with 9 at all.
Then, it didn’t sell as well as FF7 and 8, so you could argue they made the wrong choice going in the direction they did. Of course, releasing during the PS1/2 transitional period is highly relevant to that issue, and personally I feel people who started with 7 could have been put off a bit by 8 and could have been hesitant about 9. I can’t back that one up, it’s just the way I personally felt.
Fortunately, I did get 9 at launch, loved it and it’s one of my favourite games of all time!
This is great news, in the sense that FF9 is a favorite for many FF fans.
But I’m concerned about potential over-saturation of the franchise. Depending when it comes out, this could be like what, 5 FF games or re-releases within the same year? Obviously we don’t know some pending release dates, but we’ve got Crisis Core, Pixel Remaster Collection of FF1-6, FF16, FF7 Rebirth, all pretty close together, and now maybe this too? Not to mention FF14 is still constantly updated.
So it might be best to push this out a little further to avoid the games cannibalizing each other. But what do I know.
@FatalBubbles And Steiner will be voiced by Stallone.
@kyleforrester87 There's some mild evidence that FF8 put people off. In Japan, last time I checked, FF8 was the best selling FF of all time. It also did very well worldwide. So you'd think there'd be loads of spinoffs, movies, anime specials and so on, right? Even a sequel? But no, until the very low effort remaster, it didn't get anything.
FF4 got a sequel and "midquel" thing, 7 has loads of stuff, 10 onwards got sequels, spinoffs, expansions, DLC expansions etc. In PS1 FF onwards, 9 and 8 stand out as ignored. 9 makes sense because it didn't sell well but the only reason I can think of why 8 was left alone was despite strong sales, feedback was negative. In the same way 7 drove up demand for 8, the latter looks to have driven down demand.
@TheLotteryMan1 Purchase a sealed copy of Vagrant Story earlier this year. What a amazing mature game for the PSX. I'd like to see that one remade with current gen graphics but keep the same battle system intact.
@InsaneWade they've done that with VII, why would they do the same with a different game?
FFIX was my first true love with gaming when it originally arrived. I feel like a remake would bring my whole gaming history full circle and would be a hugely nostalgic and bittersweet moment for me.
@Matroska I think that's a very fair analysis. 8 is what it is, I don't think it's bad at all in hindsight, but the vibe is so different to 7, and it probably left a fair few people miffed when it launched.
I cannot properly convey my emotions on this. For me its the game to end all games. If this remake happens and it doesn't blow chunks like FF7R, I can die happy. I could never play a game again and be satisfied.
FF9 is my favorite game of all time. Not only is it objectively amazing but the nostalgia and personal meaning it has for me makes it special beyond words.
And the fact that most are claiming its more of a Crisis Core style remake without changing the core game gets me excited to no end. That's exactly what I'd want. The less they change, the better. (Can you swap Tetra Master for Triple Triad though? Lol)
If/when this gets announced I will ugly cry like a 10 year old girl and pre-order the most expensive version they have before the trailer is over.
With my disappointment in 16 trying to be Game of Thrones and discarding the lighthearted spirit of adventure (which defines FF for me) this remake is exactly what I would need.
@NEStalgia I hadn’t seen that, here is what I saw.
Zidane - Chris Pratt
Vivi - Bradley Cooper
Garnett - Zoe Saldana
Steiner - Dave Bautista
Amarant - Vin Diesel
Freya - TBD
Quina - TBD
Eiko - Karen Gillan
@FatalBubbles I mean the choice for Zidane is just so obvious!
Also, and, just spitballing here, but, what if Vivi and the black mages were made entirely of blood this time? And instead of a plucky rogue, Zidane were a hardened ex-con with murder in his eyes and a history he doesn't talk about (until the 2nd DLC)? Instant-win with the 18-24's right?
Don't dial it in with some Stoopid android port , you got phones don't you!? Cringe!
@NEStalgia I think we are most of the way to a major hit here.
@bkeswick It was originally meant to be FF Gaiden (side story) but at some point in development they decided to make it into a full-blown mainline game. It was meant to be a love letter to the older games.
It's why there are references in it to Cloud and other elements that go simply beyond recurring elements like chocobos. I also bet it's why the game seems to lose something after the Mist Continent, which was so dense and soulful and varied; the other continents were added on after the decision to make it into IX.
@FatalBubbles I think 100m copies sold in the first 6 weeks is almost a given with that formula! Especially if it's PS5 exclusive!
I want an expanded Mognet side quest
@kyleforrester87
I am sure, but I should've clarified that I meant in Japan since I grew up there. There were certainly hell of a lot of people around me of that type and Yoshida has mentioned it in the past as well.
That being said, there might be some differences in the west in a sense that perhaps the series had a "cleaner" slate prior to FF7 due to fewer titles being released. Still, none of this matters to the fact that there was a spectrum of views.
Anyway, before my original point is lost somewhere in this side chat - just to be clear - my earlier point was, if you make enough noise, perhaps FF17 might bring back turn-based. It has happened before, it can happen again.
@OnceaThief yeah, it’s true that FF9 is closer to Octopath Traveler or Dragon Quest than it is to FF16 or 7R. Maybe you’re correct that the people who want classic style FF will flock to it in the current zeitgeist of JRPGs and FF9 will do fine coming out next to FF7 Rebirth. All I know is that with all the games releasing now and the volume of options, I am prioritizing which FF games I’m going to play first so I’ve pretty much decided to skip Crisis Core for now and the Pixel Remasters and go ahead and play FF16 this year. I like to vary my gaming a little bit, but maybe a lot of people don’t mind playing back to back entries from a franchise.
@bkeswick fair enough, I can see it being a different perspective in Japan at the time. I still think it was always a bit of a novelty though as attention had shifted to PS2 mostly by that point.
I also can’t imagine FF going turn based again, not without a massive budget cut. Of course, if enough people asked for it they would as this would translate to sales, but the demand isn’t there in my opinion.
I’d be up for it though!
Are they going to include "whispers" as well?
@kyleforrester87 Communicating past events is challenging due to shifting narratives influenced by changes in the fanbase and our current context. Technological advancements also make it difficult to convey the nuances of the past; FF1-6 look the same today and are often trivialized.
To oversimplify, FF4 and FF5 created factions: one seeking an advanced version of FF3 with the Job system, while the other embraced FF4's narrative approach.
A new rivalry with Dragon Quest emerged, as FF3 became its strongest entry. Should FF compete based on its system or dramatization?
FF5 received mixed reactions, with some considering it a return to form - what FF4 should've been - and others seeing it as a bombshell. Claims were made that FF2 and 4 were not true FF. Others advocated for FF4's narrative approach. FF6 aligned with the latter.
The saving grace was, agreement of sorts existed that FF should be grounded in crystals shaping the world, accompanied by classic RPG elements like castles, dungeons, treasure chests, and customizable weapons and armor.
Chibis became a staple across six and a half instalments. Don't under-estimate what 6 games can do to a series; not many series even reach 6.
While I'm not personally dogmatic, there is a sense of a missing historical chunk when discussing FF's definition. SE's fluctuating ideas can deepen division or provide opportunities for a significant minority with a clear stance.
The point is to never give up on what FF17 and FF18 can become. FF7 set a new course for the series, and FF16 is about to do the same. But!! It doesn't have to be that way. The future is unwritten.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...