FF7 Remake Part 3 Isn't The Final Fantasy Remake I Want The Most (2024)

I dedicated close to 200 hours this year to playing through Final Fantasy 7, FF7 Remake, and Rebirth. When I have the time, I'm playing Crisis Core: FF7 in bits and pieces, and I caught the theatrical release of Advent Children. It's safe to say that I'm a fan of Cloud's story, and I'm certainly dedicated to seeing all the main parts of Compilation of FF7 through to their completion. But there's one Final Fantasy remake that I actually want a lot more than Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, and it's not because I prefer the original game.

Although I didn't grow up with Final Fantasy in the way that a lot of people did, my history with the series goes back to trying out FF6 in high school, and I've bounced around playing different games in the series since. I can't get into FF13 for the life of me, but I did find some joy in FF15 despite its glaring faults. The entry that I have the most painfully conflicted feelings about, however, is FF9, which is a far more complete and impressive package than FF15 that still manages to frustrate me to no end.

I Wish I Loved Final Fantasy 9 More Than I Do

My Gameplay Gripes Get In The Way Of Its Greatness

I love a lot about FF9. While FF7 finds strange gasps of beauty even in the harsh industrialism of places like Midgar and Junon, FF9 revels in the charms of a more classical fantasy style, and virtually every corner of its world is beautifully detailed and endlessly charming. It's exactly my vibe, and I always expected it to be a contender for my favorite game in the franchise. In many moments, FF9 is exactly what I wanted it to be, and Vivi's story remains an easy personal favorite.

But I don't love the gameplay, and my lack of connection on that front actually fooled me into holding off on playing FF7 for a long time. Even ardent fans of FF9 — of which there are many, for good reason — will generally acknowledge that the combat is slow. My tolerance for random encounters can be limited, and the sluggishness of the average encounter quickly started to wear on me. I had a grand old time running around the gorgeous environments of the game, but whenever the screen would suddenly swirl into combat, I would feel my heart sink.

My personal sticking points with the gameplay go a lot deeper than just it being a bit slow, and some of the more granular decisions FF9 makes surrounding the combat system and specific sequences throughout the game still chafe at me. I'm not trying to call most of the mechanics and choices bad by any means, but they're not my thing, and they're not my thing to the degree that I dragged my feet on starting FF7 for a long time.

When I finally did play FF7, I was shocked to find out that it wasn't a mixed bag for me, but something I could just unequivocally love. Everything's a touch faster, but there's a lot more to it than thought. FF7 goes through hoops to remove a lot of points of friction, and it constantly shakes up the gameplay with inventive changes to the formula and mini-game sequences that rethink the mechanics according to a vast variety of scenarios. FF7 never gave me a chance to burn out on the combat, which is something I deeply appreciate.

An FF9 Remake Could Make It The Game I Want It To Be

Revamped Combat Would Do The Trick

I want to love FF9 as much as I love FF7, and that's where a remake comes in. The FF7 Remake games offer an exciting way to experience Cloud's story anew, but although I'll definitely be playing FF7 Remake Part 3, it's not something that I need in any real regard. Although I've loved a lot of moments through the first two remake games, I still prefer the original rendition of the story, and my life wouldn't be all that deeply affected if FF7 Remake Part 3 never came out.

For FF9, though, I desperately want to experience its charms through a package that's more fun for me. I'd love to glide through combat sequences that genuinely excite me while experiencing a truly special world and story again, this time without part of my brain dreading each step in open terrain. I don't think it's particularly in need of a visual upgrade — the original art is still best in class on a CRT screen — but there are definitely some scenes that could shine in a new cinematic presentation.

FF9 Might Actually Have A Remake On The Horizon

FF7 Remake Part 3 May Not Be The Only Project In Development

Luckily for me, the chance of an FF9 remake seems higher than any other games in the series, and various leaks and rumors over the years have indicated that one may already be in development at Square Enix. Considering the company's apparent disappointment in the sales of FF7 Rebirth, it might be the only other entry that gets a chance to have a huge budget thrown at a remake. I'm sure the community could quickly divide into battle lines over which game most deserves a new treatment, but I'd be happiest to see FF9 get one.

My hunger for an FF9 remake feels like a weird position to be in, because usually I'm the one advocating playing the original versions of games. It's so easy to lose what makes something special when modernizing it, and I often find complaints about quality-of-life and jank overstated. FF9 is my exception, though, and every passing year without official news of a remake only makes me realize more clearly how much I want one. I'll happily play Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 when it comes out, but I already know what I would trade it for in a heartbeat.

Final Fantasy 9

Final Fantasy IX is the ninth entry in the long-running RPG franchise from Square. Players take on the role of Zidane Tribal, a swashbuckling thief who flies with the traveling musical troupe/bandit band Tantalus. When the crew's plan to kidnap Princess goes awry, and she runs away with them instead, Zidane and Garnet will meet new faces as they journey and prepare to face off with her mother, the war-mongering Queen Brahne.

JRPG

Franchise

Final Fantasy

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , Switch , PS1 , Android , iOS , PC

Released

July 7, 2000

Developer(s)

Square Enix