Reviews > Final Fantasy X

Squaresoft’s Final Fantasy X is definitely a winner. The first in the Final Fantasy series to be done in the new PS2 format, this game has many differences from VII, VIII, and IX, but those differences, as well as similarities, will keep RPG gamers coming back for more.

Characters

Sin: A gargantuan creature, Sin wreaks havoc on the world of Spira, destroying towns like no tomorrow.

Tidus: The main character of the story, Tidus is a blonde blitzball player from the large city of Zenarkand. He is carried to Spira after his first awe-inspiring encounter with Sin. He has major resentment issues with his father, Jecht, who disappeared ten years before the starting point of the game. Unlike Squall from Final Fantasy VIII and Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, Tidus is an upbeat, energetic character that is always ready to point out the silver lining in the storm clouds. For those of you that played Final Fantasy VIII, this character is reminiscent of the character, Zell. In fact, the same person used as the model for Zell was also the model for Tidus.

Yuna: Daughter of the last high summoner to defeat Sin and the namesake of the first summoner to take on this massive task, Yuna has a lot to live up to. Unlike the other Final Fantasy games, Yuna is the only one in your party that can summon monsters to fight with. She also seems to be Tidus’s main love interest in the game. (Ahh…romance…isn’t it sweet?)

Rikku: Rikku is a young Al Behd girl, and the first character Tidus meets when he arrives in Spira. The Al Behd are a race of green-eyed people that are reviled by the general public, and they have their own language, which is one of the most fascinating aspects of this game. It is rare for a gamemaker to create an entire language that actually works and is fun to learn, but Square’s game gurus have accomplished just that. Aside from the language, Rikku is a fun character, and will remind many of a perky teenager, which, I suppose, she is.

Wakka: The second character that Tidus will meet is Wakka, Besaid Village’s resident Blitzball captain and guardian to Yuna. Wakka, with his friendly face and Brooklyn accent, decides to take Tidus underneath his wing.

Lulu: Dark and sexy, Lulu is the primary black magic user and guardian to Yuna. Caustic and practical, Lulu contributes a lot to the game’s atmosphere.

Kimahri: Another one of Yuna’s guardians, Kimahri is a member of the Ronso tribe. In other words, he is a furry beast with a horn protruding from his head. Those that play this game should pay extra attention to Kimahri’s stats, as he can be a valuable asset if leveled up properly.

Auron: Auron is a ronin—a samurai without a master. For any of you that were wondering, this is the reason that he keeps one arm inside of his shirt and carries that big jug of sake on his hip. I suspect he may have issues with alcoholism. He was once guardian to Yuna’s father and a friend to Tidus’ father, but his actual role in this game is a mystery until later, and I don’t wish to spoil it for you. He is a very powerful character, and one of the most enigmatic personalities of the game.

Story

The story begins with Tidus in Zenarkand, where you learn that he is the Michael Jordan of blitzball, as was his father before him. However, in the middle of his big (and beautifully done) game, he encounters sin for the first time. Initially rescued by Auron, Tidus fights the Sinspawn before ultimately being zapped to Spira, which also has a Zenarkand—one that has been destroyed for 1000 years. Tidus must now find his way home.

The plotline of this game is deep and well done. I have had to force myself to level up because I am so driven to rush through to just find out what will happen next. In my opinion, this storyline is second only to that of Final Fantasy VII.

Battle System

Although the names have changed for some things (ie. limit breaks are now overdrives, etc) the battle system is similar enough to the previous games in the series that fans should catch right on with no problem. The major change is in the leveling up system.

Stats in this game do not automatically change. You must collect spheres and place them in appropriate slots on a large sphere grid in order to increase your stats and learn new abilities. While this is different, it is not a bad system, and, once you get used to it, you should find it rather enjoyable.

Mini-Games

Thank goodness the card game is gone! In Final Fantasy X, the main mini-game is blitzball, and it is awesome enough to deserve its own title. Similar to underwater basketball, this mini-game provides a way to win items you wouldn’t otherwise find, as well as being just plain fun. An added feature: You can find and recruit different players by hitting the square button, and chicks really dig you if you play well.

Graphics

There are, of course, dozens of fantastic movie scenes in Final Fantasy X. Honestly, I expected nothing less from Squaresoft. The bonus is that the actual gameplay graphics are hard to distinguish from the movie scenes. With real-time facial expressions and interactive backgrounds, you feel like you are actually living the game.

Voice Acting

The voice acting in this game is the only area in which I feel it fell short, but most of the voices are still good. Lulu’s voice is particularly good. With husky, sensual overtones, she is sure to keep gamers enthralled. However, the voices of Yuna and Rikku sometimes sound like women trying to disguise their voices over the phone, and badly at that, with lots of high-pitched giggles from Rikku and silly expressions of surprise that will make you cringe.

The Bottom Line

Does this game have replay value? Oh yeah—and then some. Not only that, but you can easily spend over 100 hours playing the game the first time through.

Will you get an adrenaline rush when you play this game? Again, yes, yes, yes! Beat the game, and you’ll be shouting “Boo-yeah!” for at least a week.

Should you buy this game? Only if you want to own one of the best titles yet created for PS2. It’s your call.

Deanna J. Jones may be contacted at http://www.authorsden.com/deannajjones deannajjones@yahoo.com.
Deanna J. Jones is a freelance writer, wife, and mother. She is also a self-proclaimed history buff who spends her free time building web sites and working on her first novel.