Final Fantasy X-Thoughts and Concerns

User Rating: 10 | Final Fantasy X (Mega Hits!) PS2
By raza3 | Review Date:
Well well well...the first screens (as I'm sure everyone has seen by now) are "in", finally. At around this time last week, I was starting to doubt if Square would meet their March deadline. When Square first showed video of Final Fantasy VIII, there was a steady flow of information and pictures/art that trickled out IMMEDIATELY. With Final Fantasy IX however, that changed completely. (Well, kind of. MANY of those "rumored" pictures and artwork that thegia.com had actually WERE used in the game ((don't believe me? Take another look at them. Beatrix is there, Quina is there, etc.)) but I'm talking about OFFICIAL material). Still however, FFIX is a PSOne game, so there was hardly any doubt as to Square being able to "finish" it quickly. (I use that term lightly as one can only wonder when the game was REALLY finished, seeing as how FFVII and FFVIII were developed almost simultaneouslty, but I digress). With Final Fantasy X however, the technology is completely different, and has been stated as very hard to program for. Only minutes after I mentioned my "concerns" to a friend of mine, thegia had updated their site, and sure enough, there was information about two new characters. Then, a few days ago, I look again, and there are actual PICTURES of the game, and these aren't the upside down under people's heads and shoulder's "bootleg" footage from the S.Millennium or VJump Festival. These were REAL pictures. My first reaction at what I saw was utter joy. While it would seem 99% of the world deems Final Fantasy VIII as a bad game, as well as the outcast from the series, I loved it. (NOTE: I did NOT, however, like the Junctioning system OR many of the game's "plot twists". I liked the characters and the scenario. The whole love theme part could definately go, but oh well). Looking at the pictures of FFX, I truly got a feeling that FFVIII is making a return. Tida looks EXACTLY like Squall (altough he's lost his black hair from the Square Millennium video) and as some fan sites even offer comparisons of, there is a striking, STRIKING, similarity to one of the 6 game pictures of FFX and the classic scene of Squall in school uniform on the vessel on the way to Dollet. Yuna also "reeks" of FFVIII, but I see her looking more like Selphie than Rinoa. (Why can't there be a girl like Qustis as the lead female?!). Additionally, as can be observed, the game has the same realistic look of Final Fantasy VIII, in that the characters are NOT SD, etc. ((I am hoping for Square to again make the decision to have all three party members on screen at once, but as seems to be customairy in 3-D RPGs (save Grandia II), I doubt this will happen, as the Square Millennium footage had just Tida.)) Perhaps this will be Square's chance to "do Final Fantasy VIII" right, as X has Magic Points and all the likes. There are some concerns I have with the game however. Well, not really with the game, as I'm already sold on it. (Yes, in this case, the character designs "sold me". Unless Square makes the game an Action-RPG-which they aren't-there was little chance the gameplay could be worse than FFVIII, so I was kind of sold just by there being a FFX. I AM NOT stating that the game will be good, or anything else, just that I DO like what I see so far, which is a lot more than I can say about FFIX, which I HATED (copying Dragon Ball's plot down to the last detail is not exactly what I call an original plot) because of the plot and especially the character design/return to the old school FF, but had great gameplay.). My concern is generally with the American release of the game. As we all know, Square released Final Fantasy IX on July 9, 2000 (I believe it was the 9th) in Japan. Less than 4 months after that, Square/EA released Final Fantasy IX in America. (And those of you in Europe...I hear there has been ANOTHER delay?!). This was simply amazing, as it took 9 months to release Final Fantasy VII in the USA, and something like 7 months to release Final Fantasy VIII here. This is all well and good, but there is something I think very few people realize (or perhaps more realize than I think): In Japan, the Playstation 2 will be over a YEAR old when Final Fantasy X sees release. Japan does NOT currently have the SHORTAGES in Playstation 2's that we have in America. Thus, WILL Square port the game quickly, or will they wait the 7 months, the 9 months? We would ALL applaud them for another quick translation with FFX, but the thing is, just how many people could actually PLAY the game? Until enough people have a PS2 in America, releasing the game 4 months or so after the Japanese release will HURT Square, as they will NOT be able to even recover for the translation costs alone, let alone make a profit. There just aren't enough people here who have a PS2. While I would love to play FFX in July, or August, I sadly believe Square may wait until November or even DECEMBER for an American release. By that time, more PS2 units will be shipped, and what better way to sell the thing for X-Mas season than to have the next blockbuster RPG released around this time. Big name releases are meant to sell MORE systems, not to instead generate more hype/desire for an UNOBTAINABLE one... While I'm on the subject, I thought I may as well also mention my thoughts about Final Fantasy XI. While I still am extremely vexed at Square for having the nerve to put the XI moniker on an ONLINE ONLY game (why not just title it Final Fantasy Online and make it a gaiden or something), I have the Import version of Phantasy Star Online, and my concerns at to how the game will work has been somewhat subsided. I do NOT like online games, as I feel that making an online game, just like with having 40 different characters (Chrono Cross) truly DETRACTS from the overall experience, as the plot is nowhere near as solid as it would be by making the game one player only/having only 9 characters. ((This is just my opinion)). Phantasy Star Online is a terrific game however, and I am actually seriously considering subscribing to Sega's online network so I can play it online. If FFXI is anything like PSO, I think it won't be that bad afterall. On a side note however, PSO is an action-RPG. It's like Zelda 64, but in RPG form. Final Fantasy XI will most likely also be an action-RPG, but the difference is that there aren't nearly as many Phantasy Star games as FF games, and thus the "change" to completely real time battles will be MUCH more drastic to the FF series. Additionally, PSO offers BOTH online AND offline play. FFXI is NOT, and that is another problem. There is still "hope" however, as just as we saw with FFX's PlayOnline combatibility (it no longer has it), FFXI may too be "toned down" and avalible to play online AND offline.

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