The Memoria Project is an incredible effort by a group of 50 artists and game developers to remake Final Fantasy IX in Unreal Engine 5. But sadly, will will likely never be able to play it.
If you are a fan of the Final Fantasy series, then you probably have a soft spot in your heart for FF9. It’s certainly occupying a big part of my sentimental video game memory.
In terms of personal rankings, I put it in the top 3 of Final Fantasy titles. And it also made the Retro Dodo list of the best Final Fantasy games of all time.
With the game having been released almost 23 years ago, it is one that certainly could benefit from a modern remake.
And the team behind Memoria Project wanted to see what that looked like.
“Final Fantasy IX is near and dear to our hearts, and this non-profit love letter was created as a tribute to the masterpiece that is the 2000 original.”
– Memoria Project
Final Fantasy IX: Memoria Project
Straight from the opening scene, you can tell that this is a major upgrade from the original Final Fantasy game.
And that is no insult to what Square Enix did 23 years ago; they made what was possible at that time.
We are now living in the time of incredible technology in the world of video game development, largely thanks to Unreal Engine 5.
So everything from the character models, lighting, textures, voice acting and music all lend to an incredible presentation of what a full remake could be.
And as I have said in the past when we see projects like this – it would be incredible if the real project was given to this team to produce for Square Enix to actually release.
The Memoria Team even created their own original music and voice acting for this demo. And the quality of everything we see and hear is as good as it gets.
It took them about three years to create everything we see, and you can tell they put a lot of thought and care into every detail.
Viewing Alexandria Like Never Before
Here, Final Fantasy IX is no longer a faux-3D experience. The demo lets us see what it would feel like to actually walk around Alexandria in full 3D and interact with all of the characters of the lively courtyard.
Needless to say, it looks like it would be a wonderful experience to be able to walk around Alexandria ourselves.
To clarify, the team behind the Memoria Project says that “FFIX: MP is a proof of concept and is not meant to be viewed as a playable product. We will never do anything to infringe upon Square Enix’s copyright.”
So that means that none of us will ever be able to play it. Hard to say if it is truly a non-playable proof of concept, or if they have to say that to avoid legal issues. But I don’t imagine this one going public.
Impressions
Like all of you watching, I’d absolutely die to be able to play this demo. *sigh*
But for now, we can all watch this incredible what-if presentation and dream of an alternate universe where Final Fantasy IX was released in 2023 and looked this darn good.
For what it is worth, I would like to personally thank the Memoria Team. Because you took a game that holds a special place in my heart and gave it new life. It was truly enjoyable to watch this demo.
You can enjoy the entire 25 minute epic demo from the Memoria Project here:
Anthony has been a video game lover ever since he can remember. He became a fulltime nomad in 2018, living throughout most of Asia. He focused his passion in retro gaming and began creating a game for the Game Boy Color while living in Nara, Japan during the 2020 pandemic. He is now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he spends most of his time gaming, going on long walks and meeting as many stray dogs as possible.
