| Title | Final Fantasy X |
| Year | 2001 |
| System | PS2 |
| Developer | Square |
| Publisher | Square |
Final Fantasy X is a game that I have many fond memories of. It's one of the very first games that I can remember buying for myself (at EB Games -- now that's a blast from the past). I know this game well and I have previously enjoyed it, but it's been 15 years since the last time I've played it. Does it still hold up today?
Final Fantasy X is the first game in the series with spoken dialogue. This seemingly minor change along with the next generation (at the time) graphics make a huge impact, giving the game a very cinematic quality. This style suits the game well as it is possibly the most plot-focused title so far -- there are very few sidequests until the endgame. I personally enjoyed the pacing and presentation of the game, but my wife complained about the frequency of cutscenes, especially in the first couple hours.
It goes without saying that such a plot-focused game needs a good plot. Thankfully, Final Fantasy X has one of the best plots in any RPG I've played. The game introduces several major characters early but does not make anyone obviously "good" or "bad" immediately. (There is no trope like an evil empire or wizard conquering the world.) The setting of Spira feels much more immersive and cohesive than the settings of previous games. The main character, Tidus, is foreign to this world which allows the game to explain the setting naturally. This leads to several memorable plot twists. Yuna's impending death and everyone else's knowledge and acceptance of it really caught me offguard during my first play. While I certainly did not understand the ending the first time I beat this game, this time it really moved me the way Tidus and Yuna's fates were swapped. That said, I don't understand that final post-credits teaser showing Tidus once more and I felt that it cheapened the ending.
Final Fantasy X replaces the classic "ATB" (active time battle) system from previous games with a new battle system. Battle is turn-based again, but quick characters (and/or quick actions) can "lap" slower characters and act again before the slower characters. The game provides a timeline preview so you can determine when every character will get their next action. I really enjoyed this system as it felt very tactical yet there was no anxiety over an enemy moving before I could select my action. The game also lets you swap an active character with any other inactive party member. This is a great mechanic because most characters are specialized for certain enemies and it helps keep the party evenly leveled. Overall, this is one of my favorite RPG battle systems. The only downside is that very high level superboss strategy mostly devolves into just spamming Quick Hit with Auto-Haste so that the enemy cannot use their party wipes.
Final Fantasy X does not have conventional character levels -- instead there is the sphere grid system. For lack of better description, this is essentially a board game in which you move your characters along to unlock stats and abilities. In theory, the numerous intersections allow for a lot of customization. In practice, most of these intersections are restricted for much of the game (at least in the original release), so characters mostly just complete their section first anyway. The optional superbosses require very high stats, so I ended up sending a few characters all the way around the board anyway. Ultimately, I think the sphere grid is more of an illusion of customization than an actual customization device. Unfortunately, to truly max stats, you need to actually erase and rewrite a significant amount of the board! This is a very tedious grind and it is not really worth the effort in the original release. (Re-releases added even harder superbosses which may justify it.)
The only significant complaint I have about this game are the minigames. Thankfully, these are optional so you are not forced to complete them, but many ultimate weapons (only needed for superbosses) are locked behind them. I found all of the following minigames painful and I abused save states to finally beat them for the first time ever: dodging lightning, chocobo training, and butterfly catching. Many people will also include blitzball in this category although that challenge is not difficult, just very time consuming (minimum 9 hours). I personally enjoy blitzball and have sometimes loaded the game just to play it, but even I did not unlock Wakka's ultimate weapon before I was finished with this play.
10/10
After completing a game, I add it to my overall enjoyment ranking which orders the games I've completed from those I most enjoyed to those I least enjoyed. Clearly this is still one of my favorite games of all time, but it's getting crowded at the top. I preferred the plot just a bit more than Final Fantasy IX, but the painful (yet optional) minigames leave it just under Final Fantasy V for me.
More Enjoyed
- Final Fantasy V (SNES)
- Final Fantasy X (PS2)
- Final Fantasy IX (PSX)
- Final Fantasy VII (PSX)
- Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
- . . .
Less Enjoyed