Since the original announcement in December, fans looking to revisit the classic RPG Final Fantasy IX have been anxiously waiting for an official release date. Square Enix never got around to that, but they did it one better by simply letting the game loose on Steam this morning.
Final Fantasy IX was originally released for the first Sony PlayStation console in 2000, and could be called the last of the “classic” Final Fantasy games, as it was the final game without voice acting (unless you count the singing in the FMV cutscenes). In the years since its release, the game managed to sell more than five million copies.
Like the mobile version of the game, released in February, this edition of the game features enhanced graphics for a much smoother look than the original PlayStation release. The classic gameplay fans remember is here as well, but that doesn’t mean that there are no new features outside of the graphics overhaul.
Steam Achievements has been added to the game, giving those playing through the game for the fifth time something new to do. Like the previous re-release of Final Fantasy VII, game booster have been added to allow players to make their way through the game without the need for grinding. A total of seven boosters are here, including high speed and no encounter modes.
As you might expect for a remaster of a 16-year-old game, system requirements are fairly modest, with a minimum of a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 7GB available space, and NVIDIA GeForce 8600GTS or ATI Radeon HD4650 or better. The recommended specs don’t go much further, upping the processor requirement to a Core i5 2520, 4GB RAM, and 20GB of available space.
As with the mobile version, the Steam version of Final Fantasy IX will sell for $21. For those who plan on picking the game up soon, a discount takes 20 percent off the price, bringing it down to $17. This discount will remain in effect until April 20. See the Final Fantasy IX Steam page for more details.
