When Final Fantasy Went Back To Its Roots: FFIX Disc 1 | The Loot Drop

​Is Final Fantasy IX the most "Legendary" entry in the entire franchise?    ​Welcome back to The Loot Drop! Today, we are going back to the year 2000 to revisit a masterpiece. We’re cracking the seal on Disc 1 of Final Fantasy IX. After the sci-fi grit of FF7 and FF8, Square went back to its roots with knights, mages, and a thief with a tail—but don't let the "fairytale" aesthetic fool you. This game gets dark, fast.   ​In this review, we’re breaking down everything from the Alexandria kidnapping to that heartbreaking finale in the rain at Burmecia.   ​In this Disc 1 Deep Dive, we discuss: ​The Vibe Shift: Moving from Cyberpunk back to High Fantasy. Does the "Super Deformed" character style still hold up in 2026?   ​The Soul of the Game: Why Vivi is arguably the best-written character in RPG history, and our reaction to the chilling "Black Mage Factory" reveal in the Village of Dali.   ​The Ability System: Is learning skills from your "Loot" a brilliant mechanic or a tedious grind? We break down the gear-based progression.   ​The Villains: First impressions of the flamboyant Kuja and the absolute powerhouse that is General Beatrix. Is she the most intimidating "boss you're meant to lose to"?   ​The Final Verdict: How does Disc 1 rank on our Loot Scale? Is it a Legendary opening act?   Are you Team Steiner or Team Zidane? And more importantly, who is in your "Legendary" party lineup right now? Let us know in the comments! ​Subscribe to The Loot Drop for our upcoming reviews of Disc 2, 3, and 4 as we finish this journey!   Also, thank you for watching or listening to my content! I really do appreciate your support. If you want, follow me on my social medias @the_batmandrew    You're. The. Best!    INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/the_batmandrew?igsh=ZWNxdzN3eHZoN3J1   TIKTOK  https://www.tiktok.com/@the_batmandrew?_t=ZP-8wkQgKamnhm&_r=1   YOUTUBE  https://youtube.com/@the_batmandrew?si=W3X97v1hCABKmlKs   SPOTIFY  https://open.spotify.com/show/0RaeUwrFoMXUZDl07oCk1m?si=YV-5HKUbSCWemqIYxKnJdw   ​#FinalFantasyIX #FF9 #TheLootDrop #Vivi #ZidaneTribal #JRPG #RetroGaming #SquareEnix #PlayStation #GamingReview #FinalFantasy