The latest Final Fantasy improves on the old elements of the series in every way possible. Play it or die.
User Rating: 9.6 | Final Fantasy X (Mega Hits!) PS2
Wow, what a game. One minute I'm playing blitzball in a city arena, the next I'm fighting undead sorcerrers in a ruined city. Of course, all the Final Fantasy games have been known for their variety. So while this shouldn't feel like anything new, it does, just like always. But this one is the first Final Fantasy on the Playstation 2, and so obviously it should feel like a brand new experience. This game has taken lessons from other sucessful games in recent memory like Metal Gear Solid 2 and combined some of the best elements to help the game. More than anything, this game feels like an interactive movie. I'd say this game has roughly around two hours of slightly-enhanced game engine cutscenes, with voice acting, and maybe 20 minutes of games done in extremely high CGI, unmatched by any game to date. And I'd also say this game takes about twenty hours to complete, so if you come to think of it, one tenth of this expierience you aren't even touching your controller. One of the reasons Square has made the whole interactive movie thing work is because it creates a storyline only surpassed by a handful of games. You are Tidus, a star blitzball player (something between water polo, football, basketball, and rugby. It's really pointless.) In the middle of one of your games, a large being attacks the city you are playing in. While fleeing, you see one of your deceased father's friends, and you follow him to the monster. The monster sucks you in and you wind up in some ruins 1000 years later. After you escape from the ruins, this creature, which people know as Sin, carries you to an island where you meet Yuna, a summoner, who is on a pilgrimmage to the temples of the world to gain the power of Aeons, which are mystical spirits you can summon, to defeat Sin. You decide that maybe if Sin is defeated, you will go back to your home so you join her. And so your mystical journey begins. One of the first things you notice going into this mystical journey is the beauty of the game. The environment is incredibly well done and is in 3-D and the character models are simply gorgeous and are so incredibly detailed. Considering this game came out way back during the beginning of the PS2's lifecycle, it is really sad to say that no other game on the PS2 has surpassed this game's graphics. So the movie aspect comes into full play while watching characters that look real. Another thing that makes this game work is its sound. The Final Fantasy series is known for its soundtrack (I still can't get the theme from Aeris's death out of my head from FF7). But Square decided "You know what, soundtrack isn't enough. Let's put in hours of voice acting". The voice acting is incredible and sounds very natural, and the lip work that goes along with the voice acting is great. So enough about this game playing like a movie, what about the game itself? Well, Final Fantasy is known for its in-depth battle system, and with each installment, they make changes. The changes in this installment are okay, but the new Sphere Grid idea is gimmickly. Instead of leveling up, you gain sphere grid points, so you must go into the sphere grid menu and spend one point to move forward and earn a skill. It's really dumb, but it still allows you to learn all of the classic abilities. You can also switch characters on the fly, in the midst of battle, and this proves to be very beneficial and it is an idea I would love to see Square expand upon in the future. So while the changes made to the battle system in the latest installment were not all great, they were getting close. So overall, this game is an RPG at its finest, and with an incredible story, great playability, and amazing graphics, this game is not worth missing. I will laugh at your face if you never get to play this game. It is so flat-out fun and you should be embarrased if you haven't played it yet. So go buy it or I will hurt you.
