SlumlordThanatos said:
I don't like Final Fantasy IX because of the art style.
I have heard nothing but good things about that game, and I know I'm being completely unfair to what is probably the best entry in the series since FF VI. But I just really, really don't like the way it looks, and I can't quite put my finger on exactly why. I mean, Final Fantasy's art style has never been particularly good, but this one did something different that I just can't stand.
It kinda irks me.
...How the hell was my first thought outted on the second post?
But your thoughts directly mirror mine here; save that I can (attempt) to "put my finger" on the subject.
I think FF9 is the best in the entire numbered series, trailing FF6 (IMO). It blends the best of the SNES FFs and the PS1 FFs. The world design is large enough to not feel claustrophobic but tight enough to not feel grossly padded.
The characters are (mostly) really damn good, thoroughly developed (the skits helped that a lot, and you can totally ignore 95% of them if you just want to move on) and mechanically DISTINCT.
(I am so tired of the "Blank Slate" mechanics of the other post-6 FFs.)
The combat is great and rewards the player for proper preparation and execution far more than raw grinding. (the hallmark of a GOOD RPG, and one that has become increasingly rare in the genre)
...BUT THE MODEL DESIGN, OH LAWDY.
I know this is high-fantasy, but Darwin would have a STROKE if he saw the denizens of FF9's world. FF9 has fantastic graphics by PS1 standards (being one of the last major productions for the system), but I couldn't make out what half the people were supposed to be when I first I tried playing it.
Yes, "tried". I really really wanted to love FF9, but it took me trying three times over the span of a solid decade to actually play through start to finish because of this. No other game has ever done that to me; it's so freaking weird!
And the heads...they're too big on the whole. I get that was a reference to FF6's chibi-esque sprite design, but those were SPRITES. 2D images are further removed from the Uncanny Valley than 3D (which is a big part of why good 2D games age better than 3D).