Square Enix released Final Fantasy 9 for the PlayStation way back in 2000, while fans of the title continue to express their enthusiasm for the game through cosplay, fan art, and challenging runs of the RPG. One ongoing project known as Memoria Project is re-imagining the PS1 title with modern graphics, and it looks stunning.
Reddit user Zeephos recently shared a video of Final Fantasy 9 running with modern graphics, which lasts for just over a minute. The clip focuses on the Black Mage character Vivi and a small sliver of the city of Alexandria at nighttime. The video begins with a character in the foreground walking past a few flowers that blow in the wind alongside countless blades of grass, which begin dancing as music is introduced.
A little girl runs by Final Fantasy 9 hero Vivi in Memoria Project's video as he stands in the middle of a cobblestone path, with the scene looking like a Pixar project. Fireflies glow as they float around Vivi in this Final Fantasy 9 video from Memoria Project, but the moonlight completely overpowers the glow of the bugs and lanterns as the city becomes more visible. The moonlight shines off the shingles on the roof of the building Vivi stands in front of as it would in real life, while a shadow is appropriately cast on the building on the opposite side of the main path.
This ongoing Final Fantasy 9 visual upgrade from Memoria Project has been teased many times in the past by Senior 3D Character Artist Dan Eder, who often lets others know when the team is hiring for the project. Beyond his work with the Final Fantasy 9 reimagining, Eder is often sharing his creations inspired by things like Squid Game, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Street Fighter. Although the recent trailer showing off his work on the Final Fantasy 9 enhancement focused on Vivi, the artist has also shared models for Princess Garnet, a Moogle, and Puck.
Since the confirmation and subsequent release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, fans of the series have been requesting their favorite titles to be upgraded with modern graphics and Final Fantasy 9 was among the recommended titles. Final Fantasy 9 returned to a classic fantasy setting on the PS1 after Final Fantasy 6 through Final Fantasy 8 focused on futuristic and mechanical worlds, with titles like Final Fantasy 15 riding the line between both themes. The team at Memoria Project is inspired by the fantastical aesthetic of Final Fantasy 9 and the community's hopes for a remake of the PS1 title.
Final Fantasy 9 is available right now for mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
