Of the legions of games in the Final Fantasy franchise in its near 35 years of existence, Final Fantasy 9 has proven to be a fan favorite, and is one of the games fans have frequently asked to see brought into the modern era. The ninth main series entry of the massive RPG franchise celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, and fans have often envisioned what a graphically updated Final Fantasy 9 could look like.
Final Fantasy 9 has stood the test of time and remains one of the most popular games in the Final Fantasy franchise to date. As the franchise's final entry on the PS1, Final Fantasy 9 has captivated fans for over 20 years and has many fans clamoring for the game to receive a full-scale remake akin to another mega-popular Final Fantasy title from the PlayStation 1, Final Fantasy 7 Remake. In the absence of an official release from Square Enix, one passionate fan gave their own interpretation on a remastered version of the classic RPG.
Reddit user Zeephos presented their own take on the classic RPG with many of its graphical details updated to look more like a Final Fantasy title on modern consoles. The depiction features uncompressed backgrounds as well as reworked models for the game's characters, and the difference is striking, to say the least. The backgrounds have a far crisper appearance with many of the finer details of the set pieces far more distinguishable than the blurrier appearance of the original. The reworked models allow the individual characters to stand out from the background and present a more high-definition vision of the game's iconic characters.
Using uncompressed backgrounds and reworked models, I reimagined what a *true* FFIX remaster could have looked like (@3daneder) from FinalFantasy
Fans of Final Fantasy 9 have been waiting for years with hopes for an announcement of a modern remastered version of the PS1 classic. The game frequently tops fan rankings for the title of best Final Fantasy game and is a frequent request for the next Final Fantasy title to receive a Final Fantasy 7 Remake-esque makeover. The classic RPG has sold over five million copies since its release in 2000 and the game's re-release on Steam has introduced the title to even more fans than before. With several classic titles like Spyro the Dragon and MediEvil from the same PS1 era receiving remakes in recent years, and the Final Fantasy 9 team openly expressing interest in continuing the game's story, the time may be right for Square Enix to return to Gaia for another adventure.
Final Fantasy 9 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, and iOS.