Final Fantasy X

The Good
As the 7th from the series (only those series that have numbers, though) changed the world of Final Fantasy into fully 3D land, the 10th one changed not one big thing but many smaller ones bringing variety of teh same to the fans and an enjoyable experience to the newcomers. This game is without a doubt one of really-expected up to date of its release, so it was only logical to expect a lot from such a game. But guess Square didn't learn on mistakes made by some other company (Westwood with their Tiberian Sun, which ended up with game being loved almost only by the loyal fans of the series, yeah, like me, but in this case, I am no fan of neither Square nor Final Fantasy in general, but can't say I don't enjoy in moments of time).

The thing which I probably like the most in this game is the fact that you don't need senseless straying from the storyline to upgrade your characters, playing along the story is more than enough to upgrade your characters to needed strength for every incoming battle, and that includes raising your bahamut's strength to 99999 points of damage (yes, you heard it right, without training aside the main plot). Some battles are tricky but neat. It is all made to enjoy, so even newcomers to the series shouldn't have too much of the problem even with the toughest bosses (I suck at FF battles and I passed them all, so go figure the easyness :)

The upgrading scheme is completely new and consists of several types of spheres which upgrade your agility, strength, magic, and other stuff accordingly as you use them. This way there is no character level mentioned, but you will alone know how much did you upgrade someone by activating certain sphere slots.

The entire game shines gameplay-wise!

From the nice character movements, to the wonderful pre-rendered cinemtics that many of you probably loved (shame on me they didn't affect me as some of other games did, including Final Fantasy 8). For the first time, Square introduced voice-acting in the FF series which resulted in such a nice assemble with the characters, accents and tones marked them unique undoubtedly. On the contrary to all those dark-moody characters from previous FF series (I guess 9th one has exception, too), main character in this game, Tidus, is lively and funny as could possibly be, making the entire atmosphere rise in laugh whenever you may consider it boring ot too dramatic. He alone will never allow you to get bored, I assure you.

It is an overall nice addition that PAL version of Final Fantasy X comes as a Special Edition and includes an extra "Behind the Final Fantasy" DVD. There you can find comments by many Square's developers, and actors for the two main characters in the game. Plus some more nice additions, like music video of "Suteki da ne".

The Bad
Here comes something I never expected I will be writing for this game. In fact, I never expected to write anything against this game in general, and no matter I like its gameplay and wouldn't want Square to change it back to difficulty hard as the previous ones had, some things are still in the lack zone.

Ingame graphics are nice, but not something you would expect to see from SquareSoft, quality-wise. Having in thought this game came out almost simultaneously as Metal Gear Solid 2, and the fact that much more people are familiar with the Square than Konami title, it would be nice that Square prevailed with their game over MGS2 with the quality level, and not with their name. Well, that's their drawbacks, and although many players probably didn't play MGS2, the graphic of MGS2 beats the heck out of FFX's any effects used in the game. And for those who think that MGS2 has pre-rendered vides, you're wrong. That game doesn't have a single pre-rendered cinematic at all, everything is real-time and using ingame engine. However, it matches even the quality of Square's pre-rendered CG in FFX. But we just have to keep in mind that Final Fantasy does have the wider area of players hence must be playable even by little children, so the contents and graphic must use colorful scheme and not so realistic things, but hey, it has the fantasy word in its title, doesn't it?

The biggest disappointment, however, and don't hang me for this when I say it, is the story. Can't believe that I say it, but really, even story of obnoxious (by me, that is) FF7 is much better and more promising. But story as a story might pass for a short fairytale, but it has simply too many gaps and holes that are left unexplained and empty that it simply starts bothering. Maybe that's why Square's making FFX-2, maybe they got some objections so they're trying to fulfill the story, heh. Anyway, Final Fantasies are known to have touching story with many nice moments to encounter, yet this one simply lacks them. Maybe that's one of the changes too, but they just didn't manage to achieve the level FF8 or FF6 had to touch a player. What, a war against Sin, with heavy casualties on both sides, and now you go cry 'cos it's sad when everybody dies. Well, that's a crap. But I still like this game a lot more than most other Final Fantasies so I guess that gives me the right to criticize it a bit, too.

As for the music, well, fans, I understand you like Nobuo Uematsu, I like his music too, and I too have some favorite composers of mine. But still, don't you think there should be time to quit listening to the same stuff over and over again? I mean, themes are so similar and same-fashioned as those in previous of the series that it can't stop striking you that you heard it in some of the other FF games already. Exception goes to "Suteki da ne" which is really wonderful song, but hey, such themes usually differs. Maybe it would be time to finally change the battle theme and others, huh? Music as a music is perfect, but too similar to what we used to hear. I mean, take other game series, Gabriel Knight, WarCraft, Command & Conquer, they all have almost entirely different music score from each game in the series. Final Fantasy on the other hand, starts creating a powerful universe almost as powerful as Star Trek and Star Wars which also can't accept to change some of the songs that we all probably heard zillions of times, and will continu hearing them. Sure, soundtracks exist for that purpose, but let different games have different music. For sake, FF games aren't even sequels to each other. Why treating them as such.

Cinematics in FFX are most of time useless as graphic ingame doesn't differ that much. Well, for Tidus it does, but for most of others, not that much. Square should rather make the cinematics a bit longer than 2sec and use them at right needed moments, and not having them all over game you don't even know what's what.

This game isn't something that I expected it with so much joy to be - unique. (sigh)

The Bottom Line
Not the finest game that came out of Square, but could be considered finest in the Final Fantasy series up to date quite easily. It brought so much more to the FF titles, many differences and kept most of stuff still the same (enemy types which probably drag their way from the early FFs, like that giant tomato from hell... hmm, did Id took it from Square or was it vice-versa). On the contrary to prequels, this one is much more linear and even gives you the mini-map that constantly points your needed direction. Hardcore fans might not like that change, but many of you probably will. I know I do. The truth is that you cannot find too big of a choice for PS2 games as you can for PC, so this one can be considered among the top of PS2 games so far. If you would exclude some really creative PS2 achievements like Metal Gear Solid 2, Silent Hill 2, or a few more rare, this one would be on top of it all. And you probably should have it in your collection no matter whether you like Square or not. Personally, I ain't so attached to them, but they made one of my all-time fav games, Parasite Eve. Gotta love 'em for that matter.

The Good
Being the FF title in next gen I was skeptical like everyone else about how it would out. Final Fantasy X is a timeless classic with a deep storyline relatable characters and conflict rivaling Final Fantasy VII. New changes include a sphere grid leveling system and turn-based strategy like Xenosaga. Both welcome changes to the usual grinding of leveling up via experience points. The graphics engine also push the PS2 to the limit. The environment feels so alive and CGI really makes Final Fantasy games what they are today. But what really makes or breaks games are emotion, attachment to the characters and music above all else and thats when you bring in Nobue Uematsu. He has complied possibly the greatest soundtrack of all-time in Final Fantasy X. And lets not forget about the story, with so many plot twists and turns and depth into everybody's backstories makes it so hard not to love (almost) everyone.

The Bad
I know every main character can't be a hard ass like Cloud or Squall but Tidus was a little too whiny through the first 1/3 of the game for my taste but he tends to grow on you. The difficulty level in Final Fantasy X also worried me. It seems with the new Sphere Grid system the game is a little too easy until about the second battle with Seymour. Every RPG has to have puzzles I know ut the Cloister of Trials was just laughable. It felt more like a choir than a brainteaser, especially in Bevelle. Every RPG also has to have mini-games and side quests and most of those were just stupid like blitzball or chocobo riding. Blitzball may have been more fun from a first person view perhaps? I know these things lead to bigger and better aspects of the game, but it just feels forced upon you. I know all these things are small but can scare some people away.

The Bottom Line
Minor quibbles aside, this game came out seven years and is still one of the best games I've ever played and most definitely the best RPG. Since the PS3 isn't backwards compatible or never had a PS2 in the first place I suggest picking one up cheap on ebay because this the single best reason to pick one up.

The Good
*Note: Reviewer has only played Final Fantasy 8 before playing this game.

Catchy title, eh? Must think, who in the hell is this egghead? Doh.

Well actually, I really don't have anything bad to say about Final Fantasy X, regardless of the one-line summary. What I DO have to say is that because games like Final Fantasy, other games out there become REALLY BAD in comparison, I mean really bad. I think it was the words of ol' Unicorn Lynx that said "with games like Final Fantasy, you'd wonder what all the other games are for?" True, so true. AND because of games like Final Fantasy, those crappy games out there, don't become "mediocre" or "all right", they become "dang that's an 'orrible game" or "didn't the developers who made this RPG ever played Final Fantasy?".

Don't you just love a good outlet before a getting into a review? Hahaha.

O.K. About Final Fantasy X. Considering the only other Final Fantasy game I've played was FF8, that's the only game I can compare it too. Final Fantasy is an odd exception. You can't compare it to other RPG's, because it CAN'T be compared. Even other hit games can be compared with other games of the same genre, but not Final Fantasy. It stands in its own league...its own legend.

First things first. The story was incredibly way better than FF8. At least that's what I think. More depth, more feel, more emotion. Which is probably why I love and hate it too (I'll explain the hate in the BAD section). Although I really wonder why all the FF movies suck, considering the games have such imaginative and visionary storylines. I won't get in the story, you can read other reviews for that.

The second is the combat system. I don't know about you, but I immensely enjoyed it. The fact that you can trade heroes at any point in battle makes a lot of new possibilities, as you try to get all the heroes to act in combat for experience purposes. It's nice that you don't have to get stuck with a certain type of combat possibilities because your heroes have different fighting styles.

The third. Acting. Egad, I know its eye candy but I do respect the level of detail they put in the body movements. Most of the dialogs are well put (underline most, not all...next, bad section). I really enjoy anything Waka the blitz player says in a dialog, that bloke cracks me up with his Polynesian style of speech and funny dialogs. Auron is always "mister serious", Lulu is...uh, don't quite notice the dialogs...you notice everything else though! Yuna is this nice conservative girl. The type you want to bring home and introduce to your parents. Basically "nearly" all the heroes have excellent balance in role and dialog, which makes you more acquainted and closer to the story.

Fourth. The music ahh...the music. Some shoot me because the music hit me through the heart and it never healed. More on the music in the bad section. And no, I'm not going to say the music's bad...it's something else.

Last but not least. B L I T Z B A L L!!! Go Aurochs. Dang it, I've never liked sport games. But half of the time I played Final Fantasy X, I was playing Blitzball! He shoots, he scores! Goal!! My personal record is 9-0. Dang my players are good and mostly all of them are original Aurochs. Even Waka is in my team. Though the blitzball section needed some major upgrades, especially in the configuration department, but considering it's just an "add-on" for fun (of which the fun part did very well), I ain't complaining.

The Bad
Hmm. There are several things that bothered me in the game. Not in any particular order, I'll start with Aeon, the Guardian Forces of FF8. As I recall, one of the "brands" of Final Fantasy were the summoned monsters that are really tough. In Final Fantasy X, the Aeons are wimps. Seriously, wimps. You know that because in the middle to the end game, you hardly use the Aeons as your heroes are powerful enough. At the end game (sorry, possible spoiler), you fight your Aeons. I defeat each of them with one hit. Even by my weakest hero, that is Rikku (Yuna can cast Holy). So much for the mighty summoning monsters. Wasn't surprised they got rid of it in FF X-2. The Aeons were much more like a spell than the title they rightly should deserve.

In regard to the Aeons, your heroes get too powerful too quickly. Which is probably why you don't use your Aeons. The reason why you use those Aeons is because usually they're the only ones that can reach the 9999 damage limit (or more). But when each of your heroes can do that in a single turn, plus they have more moves and abilities than your Aeons, the poor monsters don't have much use anymore. I would go as far to say that you can play Final Fantasy X without even using a single Aeon to win the game. Now something's wrong there.

A lot of the Aeon abilities were also useless, or I missed something. With spells like Life that can be taught to an Aeon, I though there were parts in the game where your heroes and the Aeon could fight together. Obviously, Life has no use as you can't use it to the Aeon (though I never tried it to a KO'd hero though). As I said, I could've missed something.

My harshest critic for the game refers to the fact that the games is incredibly EASY! Compared to FF8, this game is mother goose! The monsters are also quite unbalanced in the game. I was expecting Sin and all those bosses in the end game to be extremely difficult. They were child pickings! What gives? The monsters in the ARENA could kick Sin the behind easy! Now how can the monsters in the ARENA be tougher that Sin and the gang? I don't get it. I really don't.

Though the story is good, the story-line is somewhat bothersome. It's that quick to finish the game if you want to. After you control the airship, it ends pretty quickly unless you do something otherwise. The game is very short compared to FF8. I expected 30-40% of the game to be finished when I controlled the airship...not 60-70% of the game! (100 hours of game play is still short in my RPG book).

The Acting. The acting was good for MOST of the heroes/characters. Except of our leader (what's his name?) and Yuna. All the other characters were perfect. The leader is this adolescent kid that talks and acts too much. Probably because of the market, though some of his dialogs are quite "grown-up" most of them are really childish. Yuna is nice when she's being a not-so confident shy girl. She get's really corny and acts really bad when she tries to become the "hero" tough-girl. Though many of her body gestures were really good on her defense.

Lastly, the music. Dang I hate the composer, not because the music's bad. But because it's really good. Though they're weren't as many good tracks compared to FF8, the few that did were much better in "quality". Some of those songs really stabbed me in the heart and soul. They carried the essence of some of the truest forms pain and sorrow I've experienced in my pathetic form of existence. When I finished the game and listened to the song, I cried for hours. Like downpour crying...it is a true work of heart. But it touches closer to home, more than one would like it to. Maybe some people out there get my meaning...

But regardless...Final Fantasy says "IN YOUR FACE OTHER RPGS!"

The Bottom Line
The gameplay of Final Fantasy X is divided into 3 major sections:

1. 35% Playing FF X the RPG.

2. 35% Playing Blitzball

3. 30% Drooling over Lulu.