Just what is that devil-type creature that looks onto the castle...?

 May 17th, 2000 - Will the Kingdom of Alexandria (screenshot to the right) be what Midgar was to Final Fantasy VII? It would seem that it's a quite important place in Final Fantasy IX's world if Japan's latest Weekly Famitsu is anything to go by...

To the north of Alexandria towers a huge castle, which seems to be protected in someway by angelic wings and a huge Alexander-type structure (hence the name 'Kingdom of Alexandria'). Not only does this castle lay home to one of the coveted crystals, but also a bored young princess called Garnet, who resorts to escaping in order to pursue a more exciting life.

Travelling around the kingdom interestingly revealed a hat shop; perhaps they will serve as part of a characters battle setup in the same way helmets were used in Final Fantasy VI? Indeed, they could even just be a simple fashion accessory - only time will tell! Unique to Final Fantasy IX is a small ticket office where VIVI and company, asking "What play is showing tonight?", can buy the latest tickets for the Prima Vista shows (the flying theatre and airship). Close by, there's a flower shop similar to the one seen at WinHill in Final Fantasy VIII, a weapons and armor store and an inn with a restaurant.

Garnet being bored in the Alexandria castle. Who'd be a Princess, eh?

A new feature seen to make the game more user-friendly is when the player wonders the streets a exclamation mark appears above their head when they stumble on something of interest. Size is of no importance; no matter how small (it could be a item, a lever or something unknown...), it'll be a lot harder to miss anything important or indeed secrets! With Sakaguchi's desire to have players explore more, it seems that every nook and cranny will have to be looked at if a player is to get the most out of Final Fantasy IX.

With the notable lack of mini-games in Final Fantasy VIII (except for the hugely popular card game), Square seem to have paid more attention to them in Final Fantasy IX as Alexandria has plenty. For example, when VIVI talks to a girl on the street she asks him if he wants to play and you reply with 'yes', the pair have a little skipping game, with the winner winning a little prize. Seeing as Final Fantasy VIII's card game was a huge success, it seems that one may be incorporated into Final Fantasy IX as cards can be found all over the kingdom...

Poor lass... it looks like you'll be having to help her escape from Alexandria at some point...

Who's the Hero?!
Just incase you get the impression that our young black mage, VIVI Ornitier, is the main character in Final Fantasy IX from reading this article, just remember he's not! Final Fantasy IX will not have a main character like Cloud Strife; instead, the character you control depends on the scene and where you are in the story. For example, in Alexandria you'll control Garnet as the main character as she tries to escape from boredom of royal life.