In the video game
Final Fantasy IX, released by Square Enix in 2000, the theme of identity comes
up often. I really enjoyed this game when I was about twelve years old, and
maintain fond memories of the remarkable characters and storyline to this day.
I had thought of video games as simple entertainment with no real depth, but
this particular game introduced me to how well the video game medium can
exhibit quality art. The imagery and music were very distinct and memorable. In
fact, composer Nobuo Uematsu considers the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack his best
work.
The elaborate
imagery and enchanting music of Final Fantasy IX is great, but the aspect that
engaged my developing mind most was the characters. Perhaps this story would
not be considered very in-depth compared to other stories out there, but
remember I was playing this when I was twelve. I had never experienced anything
like a role-playing game before. The interactive involvement of a video game
made the story a different experience than simply watching a movie or TV show.
So when I played this game I really felt connected to the characters and their
personal struggles.
I believe establishing
identity is a common issue for many people in modern society. Our world moves
so fast and is so interconnected these days thanks mainly to the Internet. Although
many benefits come from this “information age,” many challenges arise as well. The
questions “Who am I?” and “What am I here for?” become very difficult to
answer. Each person has to find their own path and answer this for themselves,
and offering advice on how to do that is far beyond me. However, in this blog
piece I would like to acknowledge how well I think the storywriters at Square
Enix addressed this issue in the Final Fantasy IX game.
The main character
of the game is Zidane Tribal, a witty and charismatic young thief who is taken
in by a theatre group called Tantalus. Early in the game, this gung-ho youth
meets a timid little boy with a pointed hat named Vivi, a “black mage.” Like
Zidane, Vivi’s origins are unknown, but he comes from a very different background
and has an opposite demeanor to Zidane. While Zidane is sociable, outgoing, and
flirtatious with women, Vivi is very inhibited, bashful, compassionate, and
innocent. The two characters possess inherent charm manifested in very
different ways. Both Zidane and Vivi help fellow main character Princess Garnet
escape her homeland, where her mother the queen has become corrupt. On this
adventure Vivi learns he is related to a race of black mages “created” to be
used as soldiers in the coming war of nations in their world. This discovery
troubles him, but his friends help him understand that even if he is related to
the other black mages, it has no bearing on his own character. They like Vivi
because he is a good person, and that inherent goodness transcends any other
external identity the world may impose on somebody.
Vivi has a
decision to make- he can either succumb to the grief of knowing that he has a
similar origin to the black mage soldiers, or he can rise above this pre-made
identity and let his good nature shine through. It should not be a major
spoiler to reveal that Vivi chooses the latter. Later in the story Zidane is
met with a similar crisis, and is also traumatized when he encounters it.
Thanks to his strong friendship with the other characters and his higher
ideals, Zidane also overcomes this crisis. The story emphasizes how inherent
goodness and a desire to do what is right can overcome destructive powers- both
those that exist in the outside world and those that exist within (these
possibly being the more dangerous). This motif has been presented in many
stories, but this particular tale had an impact on me when I played the game in
2001.
As Vivi reflects
on the adventures he had and the friends he met, he recalls all of the positive
memories they created for him and that he gave to them. He expresses his
gratitude for the experiences he had and how they helped him develop. These are
good things to think about, and I think Square Enix’s charming story promotes
reflective thinking in a good and uplifting way.
"You don't need a reason to help people."
-Zidane Tribal, Final Fantasy IX
No comments:
Post a Comment