"WAAAAA this series is getting stale" was muttered by some gamers after part 9. While I certainly was not one of them, I do believe the series has taken a much better approach this time around. The whole FF system that everyone has gotten used to has been overhauled to make way for a much more innovative one that has to be one of the best ever for a RPG.
The first thing you may notice "different" about this title from past ones, is the voice acting. Never before had square dare attempt to take a chance and include voice overs for their FF series. Now that they have I can honestly say it was great. While it may not be the greatest VA ever in the history of mankind, it did what it was designed to do, which was to give characters emotions. I personally loved it and saw no problems with it whatsoever. In fact it was a welcome change from the silent FMV's of past titles. Don't think it is just a small amount dumped into this game either. There are huge amounts of it. In fact anytime each main character talks you get to hear it. Square may have taken a gamble but I welcomed the change with both arms as the gamble payed off big time as the whole cast became much more memorable than any other. In fact this may be the best cast ever assembled. I don't know though. I will have to do a little retro playing to make a final decision, but it is a great cast indeed.
Next up is the graphics department. And what graphics they are indeed! There is really no need for FMV's at all since all of the real time graphics surpass almost any other game's graphics done to date. In fact this title does not have nearly as much FMV as any past ones for the simple fact that the in game graphics are good enough to make a scene move along without cutting away to a FMV. Want to see the summon eye candy? Don't worry it is all here. If the entrances were not enough, just wait until you have the oppurtunity to unleash a summon overdrive. Anima, a new summon or Aeon, has THE coolest looking attack I have ever seen in a game PERIOD.
Okay so it has great graphics, but what is a RPG without a story that makes gamers want to finish the game? Well if you play this game then you will never know the answer to that question because I have never seen a storyline with such teeth. You hate your dad, who turns out to be the????? I won't spoil the surprise but lets just say it has THE BEST STORYLINE of any RPG to date that I have played. And unlike Metal Gear Solid 2, it won't leave you confused at the end, or the middle for that manner. It is like a whole new world that has its own religion, and terrorist group, sort of, and where race plays a major role in the game. I believe this is the first game to mesh together all of the above. Followers of the religion Yevon hate the Al-Bheds. It is just a fantastic storyline that is gripping from beginning to end.
So whats left? Oh yea, the gameplay. The most drastic changes has to be to the combat system. Gone is the older slower combat system, while a new faster paced system has been implemented. There is no waiting for a time bar to fill up. You go in turns that are displayed to the right of the screen. This allows you to see when the enemy will attack and lets you plan out a better strategy. Also you can change party members at a whim. Hit a shoulder button and switch out a injured character for one with higher HP without losing a turn. Also gone are levels. No longer do you gain experience points. What you do get is AP after every battle which in turn earns skill levels. What are skill levels and what are they used for you ask? Simple. There is a innovative new feature called the sphere grid. Every character starts on a different part of the grid and each skill level gained is one space you can move. It resembles a board game, except what you win may be strength points or agility, HP, or abilities. Which way you go is up to you. Want a sword slashin magician? Well you can have it. It all depends what route you follow. Want more strength and HP. Look for HP nodes. The combinations are virtually endless. Throw in items that allow you to move anywhere a friend is or where you have been and the possibilities are endless.
The last two things that I want to rave about is the awesome music. Square has abandoned their crystal theme for a new piano solo that was just awesome. That song almost made me shy away from actually starting up and loading a game. I never wanted the song to end. That piece of music is some of the best I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. And while they remix it throughout the game, that first version, also played at the end, is the best piece of Final Fantasy Music ever, and dare I say in any game ever. But that is not the only great piece. When Sin first attacks Zanarkand with auron looking on some heavy music plays that any veteran gamer would not expect to hear in this type of game. But it got me hooked and got my adrenaline pumping and ready to go. In short just buy the soundtrack. You'll be happy. The ending was also satisfying. After feeling cheated with FF7's end I wanted to see how this ending would fare. Well it is a nice length, somewhat of a tear jerker, and with the great acting the best maybe in the whole series. The very end was great and as with all FF endings I watched through all of the credits to see the famous THE END screen. As soon as that screen hit and the opening theme hit I knew my life was complete. I sat there listening to my new favorite song for a few minuites thinking of a game that could possibly follow up to this epic masterpiece. I finally did choose Chrono Chross but while playing that I was thinking about the state of happiness I had just experienced.
So whats bad then? Well you have not read anything about the new mini game called blitzball. Well thats because it really is not any fun. I played it once and it was because I had to. If you get into all of the salary and trick shots then it may provide a fun experience, but I would not know since I wanted to continue on with the main game. They should have stuck with the cards from FF9 with the rewards from FF8, which I think may be thee deepest ever. Also traditionalists might not like the way the game pans out. I mean that you go to one point then get a cutscene then on to the next point. In fact not until the very end do you get to do whatever you want, which may bug some but did not really affect me. There is no world map, which may anger some, and there are not as many random battles, which I liked personally.Also those damn trials which are almost impossible at times. Puzzle solver will enjoy them but I dreaded them. But other than those reasons everything else is perfect.
BUY NOW!!!!!!! This game is now the best in the series, I keep saying that after each one. I loved the new changes. Everything just seemed to click and as a result this game gets a perfect score.FF10 gets a well deserved 10. Amazing story and characters with a new killer battle system and more great tunes than you can shake a stick at. Buy the game and the soundtrack while you are at it! Epic in every way this truly surpasses anything done before it and has paved a new way for RPGs everywhere.
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