Final Fantasy X Review
 

Our story begins here.

Considering what Final Fantasy has to live up these days, it's amazing to see that Square can throw these games out with as much, or even more, quality as it's predecessors. Remarkable visual quality, emotional and likable characters, incredibly deep storylines, and gameplay which reigns at the top the RPG genre are qualities the series is known for. Yet, Square's experience in the series is clearly showing in the latest of the series, for it overshadows the rest in nearly every category.


It's just remarkable... I can finally witness my favorite characters talking amongst each other, participating in active conversation. You can also switch them in and out during battle, making every character an active participant in the game. The music is delivered better then ever, and storyline features an incredibly deep, yet comprehensible plot. I've never enjoyed an FF as much as this one, and the reasons are plentiful.

I found myself pleasantly surprised at how different this game felt. While some may think of this as a bad thing, and the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" comes clear into thought, this change was for the better. The battle system feels a lot smoother and much more fast paced then before, and the character advancement method has broke free of the traditional "leveling up" that most rpg's feature. FFX uses a completely innovative tool known as the "Sphere Grid" to strengthen your characters, and it brings a whole new area of character customization. The most notable change in this game is the use of voice acting with the important character's in the game. While this feature may not be delivered flawlessly, it's a wonderful addition to the series, and one in which I feel Square should utilize for the rest of the games in the series, and hopefully continue to improve upon as they would the rest of the game.


Gameplay

Think of "revamping everything", and you'll get FFX. Gone are the days of straight leveling up, and now come hither a totally new way of character advancement and customization.

It's known as the "Sphere Grid". After a battle, you get Ability Points, AP, towards getting a SPHERE LEVEL. After getting a sphere level, you may go to the menu and access the sphere grid, where you can move a character across a board of abilities and character upgrades. Each space offers an ability or character upgrade like "HP+20", where you may use spheres to activate these nodes in the board to get that certain attribute or ability. It may seem overwhelming at first, but it's very easy to use, and by far the best use of character advancement in an RPG.

Battles have been improved the most in this game. Think of the battle system as a super fast ATB system... just without the time in between. Speed still factors in battles, as enemies and your characters can instantly pick a command without waiting for a bar to fill up like previous FF games. Battles are very fast paced and they look better then ever. Definitely what FF's were before it, but better, while improving upon every aspect of gameplay.

Story

You start off as a popular Blitzball player from the land of Zanarkand, a city of splendor and great patriotism from its people. This blitzballer is known as Tidus, an overly optimistic and somewhat spoiled 17 year old. He knows exactly what he wants in life, and loves his current lifestyle. But, an event during a major blitzball game throws his world upside down. A strange force known as "Sin" attacks the great city of Zanarkand, leaving behind its wake of chaos and destruction. Near death as he clings on for dear life below the forefront of Sin on a collapsing bridge, a strange man with a Ronin dress helps you up, and mutters a what seems to be a question to Sin, and then speaks the words to you;

"This is your story. It all begins here."

Tidus is then sucked into a world which will seem to be a million miles away from his own.

As our story begins, we are introduced to many different characters, all with totally different personalities. You meet a young girl named Yuna, who has become a Summoner, and has dedicated her life to fighting this very "Sin" that seemed to send you to the world Tidus has come to.

Let me just start off by saying that I have never been thrown into a plot like Final Fantasy X. Brings in a totally different concept of a videogame story that I've never come across before, and offers such an enjoyable and comprehensible tale that it even passed up Final Fantasy 7 on my list as best story in a videogame (just barely though ;) ). This world of Fantasy becomes very believable as a determined set of characters risk there lives to defeat a force that seems impossible to overcome. A variety of complications in the plot are not just there to bring confusing twists and turns into the plot like many videogame stories have done before. There are a few moments in the game where I was just shocked to see what had just happened. As soon as I thought I had figured out Yuna and her task completely, I was overwhelmed at what she was leaving behind and sacrificing for her pilgrimage to defeat Sin. It was amazing to see a story like this just reveal itself before you, and is the strongest part of this game. Be warned though, the game looks very colorful and such, but you'll be playing through a very emotional, and many times, depressing game. I found myself many times in disbelief about what had just happened, and was just sad to see it turn out that way. But don't think of this as a bad thing, for it gives the story a greater sense of emotional appeal.

The great thing about the story is not only its plot, but how the story is told itself. The game starts off around a campfire, where Tidus makes it known that this may be there last chance to tell each other their stories, and begins to narrate Final Fantasy X. During the game, Tidus will interrupt the action of the game and explain what is going on or reveal his thoughts during that period of time, showing you the events in which you are playing have already happened. This method of storytelling is the most effective one I've experienced in a game, and is done very well.

Characters

Final Fantasy X features a diverse set of characters. They are all notably different in most ways, and feature totally different personalities true to themselves throughout the game. I was so relieved to see a set of characters that all seemed to know and try to understand each other. Unlike the earlier Playstation FF's where sometimes some of the characters seemed to be there just for the hell of it, FFX's characters all relate and speak among each other as part of a group, all part of the same story. This cast of character's is my favorite yet, and though there is always one who just gets on my nerves or provides a bit of quirky comic relief.

Tidus: Like stated before, this guy is very optimistic and spoiled. He speaks his mind and tends to ask too many questions before even trying to understand the situation before him. Very unlike the previous FF lead characters, this guy is a bit loud and shrill. He's a typical jock at heart, and tends to leap before taking thought. However, when he has his heart set doing something, he will do whatever he can to try and make it happen.

I just found it very interesting the way Square created the lead role this time, and I feel it fit the story very well. The most unlikely hero is basically what Tidus is. Throughout the story though, you'll understand what he's going through thanks to the narration of the story. His world was turned completely upside down, and now resides in a world not like his own. His life was taken from him so quickly, but you'll find out why soon enough.

He starts off a but quirky in the beginning, but please, give the guy a chance. He later begins to pull his head together after a huge turn in events for him, and delivers a moving performance later on in the story.

Yuna: Yuna is an ambitious, yet very soft spoken woman. Her decision to become a summoner was etched in stone a long time ago, and no one can stop her from her pilgrimage to defeat Sin. You'll soon discover the true extent of her decisions later on, and you'll truly appreciate what she is giving up to save the lives of the people of Spira.

Auron: Now this guy is just plain badass. Not only that, but a very wise one too. His part in the story is very important, and his past is told so well, makes him the most dynamic character in the entire game.

He is a man who suffered a great loss, and became a Ronin as a result of that. He carries his arm as a sign of disgrace of his failure in the past, and has a gash across his cheek, eye, and up towards his forehead. The true nature and ties between him, Tidus, and Yuna are revealed to you later on.

Auron is definitely my favorite character in the game, and one of the best ever.

Wakka: Wakka is captain of the Besaid Aurochs, a blitzball of Besaid in Spira. He has loads of personality in the game, and is a very dynamic character. He speaks with logic in mind, and is deeply religious. He has joined Yuna's cause and has become a guardian of hers to aid her on her pilgrimage.

Although he is not my favorite character in the bunch, he is definitely the most well acted throughout the game. His perfectly acted Jamican style voice and personality is just wonderful. A very enjoyable character throughout the course of the game.

Lulu: A dark and very practical woman, she brings common sense and strong upfront honesty to the party. She always tells it like it is, and doesn't worry about whether or not it hurts the person it is aimed towards. She has a very interesting past, one which will be explored throughout the game. She has strong ties with Wakka and his kin, and while it seems she puts him down a lot for his cheery nature and such, you can tell she has a soft spot for him deep down. She just tries her best not to show it. Also one of Yuna's guardians.

Kimahri: A very silent, strong willed member of the Ronso tribe, Kimahri became Yuna's guardian during her father's pilgrimage to defeat Sin. His wisdom is apparent throughout the game, as he listens to the party and only speaks when he has something important to say. Despite his silent attitude, he is a very 3 dimensional character, and while he may not exactly show it off, his pride in his Ronso people is definitely apparent.

Rikku: Very light hearted and honest young women, she is the first of the party to meet Tidus. Her sometimes ditzy actions and comments annoy the party, but she definitely enjoys the company of everyone. She seems like the "child at heart" kind of person in the group, but offers the same type of brashness as Tidus throughout the game.


Voice Acting

By far the greatest change from the series is FFX's use of a huge amount of spoken dialog. The entire game is spoken from the lips of each of our main characters, and a few other non-playbable characters and enemies. The unimportant locals do not feature voice acting, and is totally understandable, for FFX already offers an immense amount of voice, and having even more would be a task that would probably have delayed the release of the game.

I must admit, when I first heard FFX would feature voice acting, I cringed at the thought. I have experienced bad acting and dialog in games many times before this, and I got the feeling that this feature would ruin the game (I already knew it was going be good... it's an FF game after all, but having bad voice acting would ruin the experience). I ended up being pleasantly surprised at the final product and quality of the voices. Every character's voice was very well suited for themselves. A notable exception was Tidus. His voice just didn't fit his appearance at first. But as you realize what type of character he is, it'll grow on you, and become perfectly tolerable and actually well done.

While the acting may not be perfect, I really think this was one of the best uses of voice acting in a videogame. While not up to the standards of the Metal Gear Solid Series, the voices just sounded really cool, and was a great addition to the game.

For the most part, the dialog was spoken relatively well, and acted out well also. Every once and a while, a character will say something sorta stupid or weird, but it's forgivable. During scenes of great tension and emotion however, the characters hit home. Think of it this way: The voices are done very well where it counts. I can remember numerous occasions where I was moved by what a character had said, felt or implied.

The best examples of the voice work are done by Auron and Wakka. Auron's voice fits him like a glove, and a perfect example of what great voice acting should be like. Wakka's voice brings out so much personality in him, and was the most "true-to-life" character on the screen. Tidus' voice seemed sorta weird at first, but during a lot of moments I was impressed at his voice acting. Yuna's voice is done well also, but her soft spoken nature is a bit too overdone, for it seems like she is whispering while she speaks. Lulu's voice was pretty great, but seemed a bit forced in some places, trying very hard to fit her character. Kimahri rarely speaks, but when he does, it's done superbly. His wise character traits were shown through his voice. I'd say Rikku's voice was my least favorite, but it was perfectly tolerable.

One negative aspect I'd like to point out is some of the random "noises" that would emit from a character. No, not passing gas or burping or anything of that nature.... sometimes characters like Tidus and Yuna would just randomly make weird sighs or giggles. Tidus would say "Huh?" a bit too often, and Yuna seemed to chuckle at the most unlikely things every so often. But, it's no big deal. Like I said before, where the game needs good acting most is where the characters' shine.

Oh yeah, lay off insulting the off lipsync during normal conversation. Square didn't have time to correct or match up the lips to the characters during normal (usually not so important) conversation, and would speak over the formerly Japanese placed lip movements. However, during FMV scenes and real time cinemas, the lip sync is right on, and is one of the best uses of lip sync I've ever seen in a videogame.

Graphics

It is somewhat common sense for top-tier graphics and a Final Fantasy game to go together. Fortunately, FFX is not an exception. In fact, the overall visual quality of this game is the best I've ever seen so far in a videogame. But the visual quality varries a lot from place to place.

The most beautiful parts to this game are the FMV's and real time cinemas. We all know Square's incredible ability to create superb Computer generated scenes, which we've come to know by FMV (Full Motion Video). However, on a technical level, I really feel the real time cinemas are almost as impressive as the FMV's themseves, simply because they are rendered using the graphic engine of the game, powered by the Playstation 2. The real time cinemas are the best real time graphics I've seen anywhere, whether it be the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, or PC. The character models are brilliantly crafted in the real time cinemas, for videogame characters have never looked this good. The facial expressions are absolutely amazing. Cheeks, eyelids, lips, and even eyelids move incredibly realistically, and are the best display the power of the Playstation 2 yet.

However, the normal character models during normal speech and during battle pale in comparison to their real time cinema counterparts. During battle, the characters still look great (though I must say that Kimahri's model looks great all the time) and high resolution, but aren't as high polygonal and detailed. It was slighty dissapointing to see a super high resolution version of Tidus during one part of the game, while seeing a less impressive character model in others. If you have no clue what I am speaking of, you will once you experiance the game first hand.

The game's enviorments, while being very rich and full of life, suffer from something known as "aliasing", a sorta shimmering effect on textures, or the jagged look of polygons. It's really not a big deal, as the game still looks beautiful, but it's just more of an annoyance that will hopefully be improved upon in the future.

The game's visuals don't just look good to a technical level, but just at its level of style and its use of incredible realistic emotion capturing. The game is brought to life with an incredible, high polygon world, as well as a great range of emotions coming from each and every character. This level of capturing a characters emotions is far above anything seen before. For example, the main character Tidus, is a very lively teen, and just by the way he acts, you can tell. His range is shown with excellent skill throughout the game.

From all those realtime images of Tidus, you can get a small example of some of his emotional actions during the game. This "bringing polygons to life" adds to the overall effect of the game, taking this game to the next level of cinematic RPGs.

Making these characters act more realistic was not an easy task. One of Square's first projects on the Playstation 2 was just to learn how to utilize the hardware to their best of their abilities. They were in constant contact with Square to try and get around things, find new techniques, and push the PS2 to a near limits to what they could accomplish. Of course, their is always room for improvement, but the game looks excellent, no doubting that.

Music

A huge part of the series has always been to include a memorable score for the epic fantasy. Final Fantasy X, while may not include the highly memorable pieces like "Liberi Fatali" or "One Winged Angel" of the last few FF's, FFX overall sounds so incredibly well done and the music fits everything perfectly. There are a few tracks that will get your heart pumping, while other's just make you want to cry. The Mt. Gagazet theme is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard in a long time, and I really don't know how they get the inspiration to create such themes. Overall, I'd defintely say FFX had the most solid, all around musical score of all of the Final Fantasy's.

Minigames and Side Quests

Of course, no FF would be complete without its fair share of minigames and side quests. It's safe to say that FFX offers the greatest amount of these yet. I finished my game at 120 hours, and I still had plenty to do. I could easily see this game going into the 160 hour marks; maybe even more. The thing is, while they have there share of fun-factor, only a few of them were really enjoyable, and some felt a little too hard or long.

Some of the sidequests are defintely only meant for the "hardcore players" of the series. Many will take you a great amount of time to accomplish; other's not so long. There are even a few that will make you go insane at there difficulty and/or length. Once you do accomplish most of them however, it makes the game more satisfying. I just couldn't beat the game before I had completed most of the side quests, and it left me with a greater sense of accomplishments.

Conclusion

While I sit back and ponder about the game's story, or remember great moments between the characters or events that take place during the game, or even just gawk at the beauty of the game, I realize that this has been the most enjoyable game I've ever played. I know I've always said that FF7 was my favorite game of all time, but FFX just had a little more in every catagory. And with good voice acting to tell my story, it was just a wonderful gaming experiance overall. Whether it be very likeable characters, a moving story, emotional quality, or maybe even the incredible look of FFX, you'll find this game to be sheer enjoyment to play. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.




Gameplay :: 96
Traditional FF system improved upon in every way I can imagine.

Story :: 97
Incredibly deep story, yet very comprehensible. Best tale yet.

Characters :: 95
I just liked 'em. A lot.

Voice Acting :: 89
Very well done, but can defintely be improved.

Graphics :: 98
Overall, the must impressive looking game I've ever seen. Style wise.

Music :: 94
Most well done music scores of all the Final Fantasy's overall, despite not having one or two incredibly memorable tunes like the former of the series.

Minigames and Sidequests :: 81
Very cool minigames and long, hard side quests offer a great challenge for even the hardcore's of the series.


Overall :: 98
My favorite game as of yet.