Games Similar to FFIX

Sooo Final fantasy IX is my favorite video game ever. (Yes there’s probably some nostalgia glasses being worn too)
I just think they nailed the story and characters so well. I really loved the simplistic game play too, made the game smoother to get through.

Is there any game out there (recent or older) that is similar to this? A game that focuses heavily on the story and builds the characters so you grow attached to them?

I’ve played all the FFs (except tactics), but maybe there’s some gems out there that do Classic JRPG really well??

Some that come to mind immediately are Lost Odyssey, and the bravely default games. Bravely reminds me the most of FFIX, but the second half of that game is pure trash IMO.

Any others people think are similar?

Ones that I plan on playing soon:
Lost Odyssey
Suikoden 2
I am Setsuna

This is an interesting topic. I never played Final Fantasy IX when it was first released. I did not enjoy XIII that much and found it to be a chore to finish. When IX came out, I was intrigued by the return of the black mages but I never felt the need to buy it, my PS1 also died so I didn't feel a need to buy a new system to play one game. I always felt like I may have missed a great game though. 

Fast forward about 15 years and I picked IX up as a PS1 classic to play on my Vita. What an incredible game. The story and characters are top notch. I am only on the start of disc 3 but this may end up being my favorite FF of them all (after VI of course).

I agree with you that Bravely Default came  close to that classic RPG feel with an updated combat mechanic.   I found Bravely Second to be a bit of cash grab. I played through it but it lacked the novelty the first game had, and the story did not hold my interest. 

I plan on playing Octopath Traveler soon. It looks like it may scratch that classic RPG itch and the portability of it will be a huge plus. As a parent with 3 young children, I can't plop down in front of the tv and get lost in an RPG for a whole afternoon anymore.

I also have Dragon Quest VIII for the 3ds that I need to play through.  The backlog is real

Probably the only thing that might be similar in style is World of Final Fantasy, a game that I've shamefully still not gotten around to. I too, loved FFIX the most out of all but it's because it's so unique and borderline SD characters that I've not really seen it done again either. It's also the last game I'd consider a true FF game, so it's where the series began to die for me.

arsenalcrazy8 said:

I’ve played all the FFs (except tactics), but maybe there’s some gems out there that do Classic JRPG really well??

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Dragon Quest is THE classic JRPG series. I especially recommend Dragon Quest V, which has one of my favorite JRPG stories ever, and Dragon Quest VIII, which has a solid story as well. However, most any main-series Dragon Quest is good, classic stuff.

It has a not-great localization and isn't of the highest quality in general, but I recently played through Alphadia Genesis on Steam and it ticks off a lot of your boxes. There's a good cast, a decent story, and a simple but fun battle system.

Another one that I would recommend even more is Skies of Arcadia (on either Dreamcast or GameCube), one of my favorite traditional JRPGs of all time. The setting isn't quite your typical fantasy world like in the other games you've mentioned, but it is pretty old school in its storytelling and characterization. Battles are fun, too, and the music is fantastic.

Trails in the Sky
Trails of Cold Steel

Do console games work with the portrait mode i.e. wouldnt that have to be programmed into the game?