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What happened? | | A gamer from Melb Australia says (25/Feb/2002): | Writing a review of the most recent installment of the final fantasy franchise is difficult. This is because despite the fact that I enjoyed the game so much there were blatant flaws that I just cannot look past. And what makes these flaws all the more frustrating is that they are so apparent and could have been so easily fixed. I will go through them one by one
Cant skip through cut scenes: why didn’t the game have the option to skip cut scenes! It absolutely astonished me that the game developers did not include this option. Surely when it was being play tested this problem was recognised. Before almost every boss battle there is lengthy dialogue, so each time you try and defeat the boss you have to watch this scene again and again and again. Not only is this incredibly frustrating but even worse it eventually detracts from the dramatic impact of some scenes. For example the scene before you challenge Yunalesca was truly what I thought the best in the game. Auron’s challenge to his comrades to ‘take control of their stories’ was inspiring to say the least. Yet I had difficulty defeating Yunalesca and found myself watching this at least half a dozen times and after a while, the scene lost its sparkle. Imagine being forced to watch Sephiroth killing Aeris 5 times before you could move on in the game. Scenes like this should be seen once or twice at the most, or they’ll lose their impact and wont be as memorable as they could have been. This problem of inability to scene skip is not at all minor in final fantasy x. This is because it is a game that aims to deeply affect the audience, so anything that reduces the games impact can be considered as a major flaw
Voices: I’m one of the lucky Australians who have been able to play the game well before a local release and I think that I have a problem with the voices that most in the US wont. Pretty much most voices in the game are generic, meaning that the characters don’t have a distinct nationality and accent(other than Wakka who has a Jamaican like voice). This is import because it will not alienate any players. Yet why oh why out of all the characters does the protagonist Tidus have to be American. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the US, its just that it was weird to say the least when I heard Tidus’s voice. I just couldn’t connect with him and felt alienated. I had absolutely no familiarity with his character. This is the most dramatic of all the flaws in the game. The hero is someone who you should want to follow, who interests you, who you can bond with and follow until the climax. But I did not at all care for Tidus’s character, because he seemed distant to me. I bet that the voices will not be changed for the PAL version and I guarantee that once this game is released in the UK and Australia this annoying and frustrating problem really comes to the fore. I have showed many people the game, mainly because im the only one around who has a copy and everyone has had the same problem with Tidus’s voice. They all loves Auron, Lulu and Rikku, who all have extremely cool voices, but couldn’t stand Tidus. To tell you the truth, Tidus’s voice ruined the game for me and will for many other non-American players. And this connects to my next major complaint. How easy would it have been to include the option of turning of the voices. The written dialogue was already there! All it takes is one option in the configuration. This problem is so fixable. I just pray that Square notices this problem and includes such an option in the PAL version. In fact, even if the voices were perfect I would prefer not to have them because half the fun of an rpg is imagining the voices for yourself. That way the hero and other characters can be like the player want them to be.
Finally I want to briefly state that the absence of the sense of exploration that characterises most other rpg’s is a catastrophe. The world map of previous final fantasy’s gave the games a feel of vastness and grandness. During this game I instead felt limited and constrained due to my inability to decide my destination. This is a fairly obvious flaw that critics and gamers have noticed
On the positive side the graphics were outstanding, although I would have liked an adjustable camera. Although the background was not pre-rendered it may as well have been because I felt as limited in the FF10 environments as I did in the Psone rpg’s and the resident evil series. The new styles of background music impressed me heavily. This was one gamble that truly paid off.
But overall, most gambles didn’t’ and made the game fall short of the standard of ff7 and chrono cross. Although FF10 had moments of brilliance, it fell short because of these glaring flaws which truly ruined my experience. But all is not lost. What I am extremely confident with is the potential that Squaresoft showed on this still relatively new console. I hope that eventually they get it right and I pray to God that one day a game is released that doesn’t make me turn away and say WHAT A WASTE!
| infreaking-credible | | Link Hero of Time from NY says (16/Oct/2003): | Final Fantasy, one of the best RPG series in the world. This amazing game proves why. I was really disappointed and debating this games success after that mess of FF7. Luckily i trusted my instincts and bought this game. I am sooo glad i did. what do i have to say about it? the best RPG ever made thats what. not even the amazing chrono trigger can top this. first of, the graphics. square did an amazing job with the ps2s very limited hardware (300mhz? give me a break). the chracter models are the most creative i have ever seen, FF7 had very " rip off" style characters, but FFX has completely original designs. their faces are very well designed and look completely human, almost real. the frame rate is also very smooth, no hitches, and the animation is very very smooth. some of the attacks, like the aeons overdrive(espcially anima and the magus sisters) look unbelievable, its amazing that anything survives them by how powerful they look. the music and overall sound is also incredible. the spoken dialogue is done beautifully, and adds much life to the characters and game itself. the music is also very fitting, smooth for a time of sadness, and adrenaline pumping for battle and times of intensity. the controls are basically moving tidus aroung and navigating menues, all of them are easy to do.the battle menus are the best yet of the FF series, packing so much into such an easy to navigate setup. changing characters is a breeze and a very strategic element to fighting, and adds alot to the gameplay. stronger charas or aeons can take a hit for a weaker chara to ensure that they get AP after the battle. the leveling up and stat raising system is new, and very innovative. there is now a sphere grid that allows you to level up you charas how you want to, any cara can learn any move,which helps, you can even have yuna be your main attacked if you want, its not advised but you have complete customization. the story is the best i have ever known. better than any movie book or game ever. it takes you in from the begining and drags you along, ingaging you in every twist and cliche along the way. thing you never imagined will happen by the end, and the game is long too, the main quest is about 40 hrs, so theres plenty of time to unravel the story. the characters are the best yet for square. each of them has their own distinct personality and fighting style that develops amazingly throughout the game. you know the character so well by the end you can almost say word for word what they are gonna say.many people dislike the fact that there is no world map and you cannot control the airship, these are the best things that have ever happened to FF. in 2d world maps are good, but in 3d they look so cheesy. its like a monster roaming the world and looks rediculous. the fact that FFX does not have a world map makes it much better, it is imposible to get lost and frustrated. you cant control the airship but you still use it, instead you select a location and are warped there. the weapons in FFX dont really raise you stats, but they have special effects, and each character has a special weapon that needs a crest and sigil to unlock its power. not only is there the main quest, but there are other things to do along the way too. blitzball is one of them, and very addicting. only one blitzball match is required, but you team sucks and it is REALLY hard to win. if you want to make a good team, scout other players to form the perfect team. there are also CG sequences that are weaved into the game and fit in perfectly, and look amazing. they give the game even more life than it already has and elaborate the story even more. the game has tons of relplayability, once you beat it once, you just want more and more, it never ends. the story seems fresh and new everytime you play. overall, this is the best RPG ever, and close to being the best game ever. anybody who says vice city is ps2s best game is either a stupid n00b, has never played FFX or the dumbest person on the planet. if anybody tell you FFX is not a good, if not the best FF game ever, smack them, because it is the best, they are just demonstrating humankinds biggest flaw, thei inability to change, for the better in this case. i VERY VERY VERY highly recommend this game for anybody, not just FF or RPG lovers. buy it, play it, love it, and enjoy, you will be VERY glad you did.
| It's actually a good game, though not the best one in the FF series... | | Nevyn Slash from Califonia, United States says (30/Oct/2003): | I bought FFX because I love the FF series. However, when compared to the others, this one has something to live up too. Sure the graphics are good, and yes, there are voice-overs, but there are a lot of old experiences missing in this game.
When comparing the good and bad sides of the game, I'd have to say that there aren't many things wrong with it. Other than things that are simply annoying.
For example:
There are some areas of the game where every couple of steeps, you’re encountered with a mini boss or simply a normal monster but there are more of them than you and they can hit you more often than you them. And it doesn't help that you're running out of equipment and magic. Though, because I am so stingy with my supplies, this wasn’t the case. It was just getting rather annoying that I had to fight so much. I like the role-playing aspect of the game. I’d like for it to as enjoyable as possible without getting annoying in the process.
I like being able to control my camera angles. I don't like this game's game play for that reason. There is too much emphasize on the graphics and not on user capability. I sometimes find that I have to run around in circles before I am facing the right way to see what I want. In the previous versions, you could control this. In this came, you cannot. It was especially annoying when I was in the Calm Lands, looking for the chocabo lady because I forgot where she was. Had I been able to move the camera, I would not have had to run around the entire place for nearly half an hour. (even though she was right in front of the save area)
The voice-overs for some of the characters where chosen well, however, Tidus' voice was not and Yuna comes off sounding like a weakling. She’s too soft and in some regards this makes her more annoying than Aries out of FF7 (no offence for all those that liked her). After a while, you get used to Tidus’ voice and you don't realize it as much, but it is very noticeable early on how annoying it sounds. (no offence to the person who did his voice)
Another point I would like to make is that I like having the ability to rename my characters. I like having that freedom. It makes a game more enjoyable. In FFX, you don't get that freedom and it really annoyed me. There are ways to go through conversations without saying someone's name. So, even though there are voice-overs, you should've still been able to rename them.
Finally, once again they are putting a romance in the game with a female character I don't like. For once, I'd like to play a Square Soft FF game that doesn't have a romance in it with a pathetic female. Someone that can actually fight instead of just cast spells. That would be nice. This is just a personal opinion by the way and doesn't really affect the game in anyway.
The game wasn't all bad. I can list a few things I like about it too.
For starters, I really liked Blitzball. It has become my favorite sport. If there were such a thing as Blitzball in real life, I'd be a total fan and would have my favorite teams memorabilia all over my room. I finished the game and now I all I do is play Blitzball. It's really enjoyable.
The graphics are good. Better than some games out there. I really like the real movie scenes where the hair movies and the pictures are clear. I'd have to say that I like the graphics in here, but I like the graphics in FF9 better. But that is just me.
Finally, I liked the Al Bhed language system. The tongue they speak in sounds interesting and it is enjoyable to hear. I can't even begin to speak it, it sounds so weird, but it gives the game a foreign touch for those of us that have to get the game in English because we don't know Japanese.
In short, there were some bad things and some good things about the game, admittedly, I found more bad things about it that I did not like because some of the things in the game rubbed me the wrong way, but the game is actually pretty good and it has an interesting plot. So, I definitely recommend the game for anyone that likes good graphics and a fun plot. For those that can't stand stationary camera angles as much as I can't, then this game is not the one for you. However, if this is going to be your first FF game, I’d suggest another, like FF7. That is still, in my opinion, the best FF game that Square Soft has made to date.
| The Fantasy Continues... | | Wireless_Genie from Newcastle, UK says (23/Aug/2002): | After much anticipation and waiting with baited breath, Final Fnatasy X is now in stores smashing the records its predecessors once set. And with little surprise! Square have once again released, not so much a game but, a second life. In this latest installment we join Tidus in his quest to rid the world of an all encompassing evil known only as Sin. After coming in contact with this entity he is sent 1000 years into the future and teams up with a group, fighting to restore peace and order to the land of Spira, and hopefully find the answers to send him home in the process. The first thing you notice in this game is the jaw-dropping graphics. Square have out done themselves. Obviously taking full advantage of the technology developed for the Final Fantasy motion picture, the smallest details in the characters and the landscapes have been created with mouth watering quality, from the individual strands of hair to the bricks in the buildings. The cut scenes too, will have you staring in awe thinking if this really is a game, from the immense blitzball scene at the games start right through the end movie. But then would we expect anything less from square?? In addition to the awesome graphics, Square have finally heard the pleas of FF followers around the globe by adding speech to all the main characters. Although some of the voices can be a little irritable, this feature brings the series to a whole new level and has you connecting to the characters and the story in a way not seen before in a game. The storyline is intricate and vast, leaving you wondering, thinking, and intrigued right through to completion. The writers creation of a whole world, with religions, and histories, almost makes you think that it all happened once upon a time. FFX sees the birth of many new features to the series. The mid-battle character change enables you to have the right character at the right time for any particular monster encounter. The sphere grid, a completely new way of gaining stats and learning abilities, where you get the chance to choose you characters development. Although at first glance it looks complicated, it doesnt take long to master. In many ways FFX can be said to be the greatest FF game yet, but there are a few points that prevent it from getting a coveted 10/10 score. Unlike the previous games, FFX has lost the world map, and to this effect has become quite linear, with your characters being led from place to place. A map in the scren corner indicates where to go in every part of the game, and removes much of the exploratory style to the FF series (although this map can be turned off). The Chocobos, although they are in the game and you can ride them at certain points, do not play as big a role as in the other games much to many gamers dissappointment. The cut scenes, although beautiful to watch, can stretch on at times, and at some points you could spend half an hour just staring at the tv and not playing. The inclusion of a pause function mid scene can be a welcome one at times!
These few gripes aside, FFX is a game all PS2 owners should possess, and if you dont own a PS2, this game makes it worth buying one! But be warned, in buying this game, you are likely to have your summer pass you by, your girlfriend/boyfriend will no doubt forget what you look like and the Ps2 pad will need to be surgically removed from your grasp!!
Its a cracker!
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| | Rene from El Monte, CA, USA says (6/Dec/2003): | I have always kept up with the series of Final Fantasy, I even played the Nintendo version when I was a kid! anyways the game was good due to the graphics and thats about it. They mainly consintrated their time on the graphics and not really anything else. The characters looked good but when you see the little FMV-Movies (or whatever) the characters look too asian. Im not trying to be racist in anyway but I mean you try to make him look one way then you make him look completely wack the other. The good things about this game which I liked where the Sphere Grid and the Battle System. Its cool how everyone can learn any ability that the other characters have such as in Final Fantasy 6. The battle System was nice because you can swap characters any time, but the down side was that you encounter the Same monsters over and over but the only difference is that there color changed. In all the previous Final Fantasy games there is a whole lot more. The music was ok but they should have brought back some of the old music. What also sucked was the story, It didnt get my attention and Ive talked to alot of people about this and they agree with me, the Story was just weak, it needed improvement (alot). I also noticed the camera system which really sucked, in all most of the other games you can control the camera but not in this one which caused problems when you move around. The major thing that Really sucked in this game was that you really dont Explore the world alot like in all the previous games such as in Final Fantasy 5,6,7, and 8 (I didnt even bother with 9, that one was just a mistake, Little Kids! come on whats up with that!). That used to be alot of fun when you can get the air ship and fly around (but you can manuver it) and explore new areas and come back to areas which you didnt have access too before. Nope this game didnt have it which was really sad. One more thing which was disapointing was that you dont get enough Aeons, theres only like 6-8 which really sucked!I feel awful typing all these negative comments on a Final Fantasy game! I have always loved Final Fantasy but along the way (starting with 9) they lost the meaning of a good game. One last thing which really sucked was the Main character, he was such a wussy! In previous games characters such as Cloud and Squall where serious and strong. But this guy Tidus is a complete wimp who cries about everything, not only that his outfit is just stupid! The voices on the characters where ok but... they did sound kind of cheap from time to time. But once again cheap story line, cheap Main Character, and they removed alot of the fun things, also The game is very short! I have played hours and hours on one game, this game i beat it under 40 hours, which honestly I think is short for a Final Fantasy game even after you have gotten alomst everything in the game. (oh yeah that reminds me that Your Inventory gets full which is cheap compared to other games where you have a Infinite Amout of space) And you really dont get powered up from your weapons and armor such as in FF 6 and 7. Thats about all I have to say for this game (needs alot of improvement) And if squaresoft ever reads this, they might never see a purchase of the Final Fantasy Games from me anymore (and from most of the people i talked too), I will just stick to the classics, im not even going to buy FFX2 because FFX
| The single greatest game of all time. | | ffx - best game of all time from London, United Kingdom says (15/Dec/2007): | I have been playing games for most of my entire life which has spanned 17 years and I can say, hand on heart, that absolutely nothing even touches Final Fantasy X. It is the only game that I can ever call perfect because, in my honest opinion, it has absolutely no flaws. None. It's graphical beauty is matched by the most insanely fun battle system and engrossing storyline.
With a very atmospheric soundtrack, addictive and gratifying battle system and leveling up process, and a deep storyline with evolving characters I travelled through the world of Spira until the very end and relished every second of it. Even after you have finished the story (a long one at that) there are plenty of extras such as Monster Arena and Dark Aeons that will keep you thoroughly entertained.
In summary:
* GRAPHICS - Even to this day the CG cut scenes are eye-wateringly brilliant.
* SOUND - An atmospheric tracklist accomodates the touching game perfectly and really cements the deep ambience that is core in this game.
* GAMEPLAY - The turn-based system was most certainly the right way forward for Squaresoft as it allowed you to simply take your time and enjoy truly outsmarting your opponent as opposed to rushing tactics. The overdrives have really cool animations and the temple of trials sections add a nice little touch that ensures that the game is not solely concentrated on fighting.
The sphere grid system is a very original and fun way to level up your characters.
* LIFESPAN - The game is extremely long and there is LOADS to do afterwards. Even once you have completed the game you WILL want to do it all over again.
* FUN FACTOR - This is not a game that you can pick up and play for five minutes. The cutscenes alone can be up to half an hour. But if you have the time to spend on this game (time well spent might I add) then the gratification of owning bosses and blitzing Blitzball is enough to satisfy any gamer.
* ORIGINALITY - Clever and engrossing story that constantly twists and turns and keeps you hooked to the very end. This may not be a point on originality - but the fact that the characters now talk is one of the many reasons why this is lightyears ahead of any other final fantasy.
* VALUE - Now at £20 (and the official strategy guide for only 12 odd quid) this game is more than just a bargain. It's a steal.
I really cannot emphasise enough how much you NEED to play this game. It is absolutely outstanding in every single possible way and words alone really cannot tell you how perfect this game is.
Get it. Now.
| I'M A FINAL FANTASY JUNKIE! :S | | Anastasia from The Netherlands says (10/Sep/2005): | I am so brainwashed!I must play the game every single day!If I lose a fight, I'll do it over and over again, I MUST see what happens next!
The game is so beautiful, I started with Final Fantasy 4 and 5 for the Playstation, and that was so cool already!!yaaaaay!
So you can imagen how I reacted when I got Final Fantasy X (and X-2, promised myself not to play it until I finished X) ánd my playstation 2 :P
The grapics are beautiful indeed, the monsters are weird and sometimes veeery irritating, calling bad names at them when they are allowed to attack 600 times and I have to wait! >:(
-I like Tidus(smexy no?) but not in the beginning with his ''alrighty'',He is very weak in all my fights, I use Rikku,Auron and Yuna alot.
-Auron...ooohoh, I think I'm totally in love with him :P weird, but whatevah, He is VERY strong and has the most Hp...I always use him :P
-Lulu, a wonder her dress doesn't slip down a little with everything she does, jessh, I think the fluffy part just hides her nipples, BUT I like her alot, she is my sarcastic pessimist.
-Wakka, When I saw him for the first time, I thought he talked very weird, like if he was ''simple'', but now I''m used to it, Wakka is very nice, very naive yes.He has alot of Hp, but he isn't super strong, and weird enough all the enemies hate him and hit him first, Is that normal :S
-Rikku, I like her alot, yes she tried to kill Wakka and Tidus(ack, I called my Tidus ''Damy''), but still she is nice, she is sort of the little happy eek-what-is-that-thing girl, I like her eyes.
-Yuna, I don't know what to say about her, It was cool that she and Tidus kissed :P But now I don't what her to die too, but when I look at FF X-2, she isn't....I like the Icequeen aeon (don't remember her original name anymore, I called her Anastas) the most, she is so strong and she get's mad quick.
-Kimarhi...hmmm..hmmm, He looks cool, I really like him, pity he's the only Ronso now(I hate Seymore, he is an irritating dead guy, hope he stays gone).But he's pretty weak, only use I have is his ''Doom'' when he got's an overdrive.
---a few other things---
The music is gooooood.
the movies are goooood.
the story is SO goooood.
Jecht is jerk!
Maester Mika is totally flipped!
Maester Seymore can burn in hell if you ask me, ya?!
Blitzball is crazy difficult, I almost thought you were supposed to lose, ya?!
I WANT TO RIDE A CHOCOBO< remove me > at
this was my review,
and remeber folks: ''Final Fantasy is wonderful, but that doesn't mean it's a gift from heaven, ya!''
| Its not all that | | Rene from El Monte, CA, USA says (6/Dec/2003): | I have always kept up with the series of Final Fantasy, I even played the Nintendo version when I was a kid! anyways the game was good due to the graphics and thats about it. They mainly consintrated their time on the graphics and not really anything else. The characters looked good but when you see the little FMV-Movies (or whatever) the characters look too asian. Im not trying to be racist in anyway but I mean you try to make him look one way then you make him look completely wack the other. The good things about this game which I liked where the Sphere Grid and the Battle System. Its cool how everyone can learn any ability that the other characters have such as in Final Fantasy 6. The battle System was nice because you can swap characters any time, but the down side was that you encounter the Same monsters over and over but the only difference is that there color changed. In all the previous Final Fantasy games there is a whole lot more. The music was ok but they should have brought back some of the old music. What also sucked was the story, It didnt get my attention and Ive talked to alot of people about this and they agree with me, the Story was just weak, it needed improvement (alot). I also noticed the camera system which really sucked, in all most of the other games you can control the camera but not in this one which caused problems when you move around. The major thing that Really sucked in this game was that you really dont Explore the world alot like in all the previous games such as in Final Fantasy 5,6,7, and 8 (I didnt even bother with 9, that one was just a mistake, Little Kids! come on whats up with that!). That used to be alot of fun when you can get the air ship and fly around (but you can manuver it) and explore new areas and come back to areas which you didnt have access too before. Nope this game didnt have it which was really sad. One more thing which was disapointing was that you dont get enough Aeons, theres only like 6-8 which really sucked!I feel awful typing all these negative comments on a Final Fantasy game! I have always loved Final Fantasy but along the way (starting with 9) they lost the meaning of a good game. Thats about all I have to say for this game (needs alot of improvement) And if squaresoft ever reads this, they might never see a purchase of the Final Fantasy Games from me anymore (and from most of the people i talked too), I will just stick to the classics, im not even going to buy FFX2 because FFX disapointed me.
| Final Fantasy where Zeros always become Heroes | | J.I.B. from Pinckneyville, IL, USA says (11/Oct/2003): | Final Fantasy 10 was one of the best games I ever played. The major factor in the game, I would say, is the graphics. The regular graphics were as good as FF8's movie graphics. Besides the graphics, I was impressed on how many people had voices. I didn't expect everybody in the game to have a voice, (I know it would take probably another 2 years to get a voice for everybody in the game). The music was pretty good also. The sphere grid was acceptable, I liked how it let you grow as many levels as you want, and it let you get as strong as you want. Final Fantasy 10 was one of the few games that let you go over 9,999 in damage, and thanks to the sphere grid, I was able to get all 255's for all of my stats. The amount of bosses was incredible, I mean if you tried to rush through the game, you'd probably hit a boss every 10 min. Final Fantasy 10 is very different than the other Final Fantasys. This is good and bad. The sphere grid would be a neutral difference. The battle style of being able to switch during battle was really neat. It was only one disc, and surprising longer that the other ones too. The storyline was above average, but it had a lack of something. The ending sucked. Unless Tidus comes back for sure in the second one, Final Fantasy 10 will be different than the rest. In the others, Cloud a shinra soldier, that thought he was in SOLDIER ending up going on a quest to save the world from meteor. In the beginning he was just a guy working for a gang called AVALANCHE. Final Fantasy 8 also followed the same pattern as 7. Squall a guy wanting to be a SeeD in the garden of Balamb, ended up being the Lengendary SeeD to defeat Ultimecia the Sorceress from the future. Also FF9 Zidane kidnapped Garnet with Baku and his gang. Later he ended up saving the world by defeating Kuja. In those Final Fantasys, the endings were all good, they all got the girl. Except FF10, Tidus was a star blitzball player, which saved the world later, mostly Yuna's effort though, and he didn't get the girl, he ended up being a dream that just disappeared. Well enough of that. FF10-2 will probably make it a little bit more like the others, although the main character is a female. Final Fantasy averages out to be a 10 to me, I give the storyline an 8 though. Square-enix, previously Squaresoft, will do fine in business for a while, as long as they don't make gays for the main characters, that would suck.
| Cultual Differences | | Halfdeaf from Fantasy, TN says (24/Sep/2003): | Before knocking this game for "bad plot" or "unbelieveable story-line" remember that we are westerners (most of us reading this) and we are not accustomed to so-called Thick Japanese Plot.
I am not going to compare this title to previous Final Fantasy titles because the nature of that comparison is entirely subjective. I don't know how you feel about previous FF titles, nor does it matter.
Final Fantasy X is breathtaking. The best part (or worst part) about this game is that you can beat it no matter what. Basically, you can use any of the characters you wish, they all have strengths and weaknesses. I beat the game in something like 40 hours. It can be done in less time... but I suggest taking your time.
My second time through the game (60+ hours) I chose to go on lots of side-missions and attempt to procure the characters' Ultimate Weapons. Before you can get their Ultimate Weapons, however, you must get a Crest and a Sigil (each cerst and sigil are corresponding to the particular character's zodiac sign).
This, frankly, is a _major_ pain. Also, I found Bitzball to be an equally futile game. It bored me to no end. Fortuantely, playing Bitzball is not required, unless you want Wakka's Ultimate Weapon.
The graphics blew my mind and the movie scenes are top-notch. There are three basic levels of graphics here:
1. Map level - running around before random encounters. These renders are tight, but are only surpassed by the fight and movie renders.
2. Fight level - Fight level renders move more quickly but have INSANE multilayers. The fades and shading renders are not to be believed.
3. Movie level - Um, Wow. Check out the reflection on the characters' irises. (Corneas? Whatever...) Yes, the love story is a little derivative, but who can argue with such BEAUTIFUL renders? The scene where the Sending is performed comes to mind.
All said, I can't complain much about this title. When it comes down to it I felt that the game play was fun, but the difficulty level varied. The fights were either a push-over or they were IMPOSSIBLE. I beat the final boss no sweat and only had one character's Final Weapon.
I can't complain, it held my interest and attention for 100+ hours, twice-though. Just buy it, and wait on X2.
HAVE FUN!
| Final Fantasy X... feel the joy! | | Adam from Sparwood BC, Canada says (3/Mar/2002): | Ok this i have to say is the best Final Fantsy game ever! For one, the graphics kick some a$$. If you think other wise your crazy. Two, they finaly put some voices in. It would have been even better if every sing person had a voice... but oh well its grate anyway. Three, the new battle sistem and sphere grid, personally i think, is better then beeing stuck with only 3 or 4 characters and having to get all that exp. The only down side with the sphere grid is everyone can learn the exact same things, so there is nothing to define each charater except their overdrive. The battle sistem with the aeons is way better then just sommoning them and they do one thin and they'er gone, you accually get to fight with them like a normal character. At the end they become your top force agenst Braskas Final Aeon (but then again im cheep when it comes to end bosses).
There is only a cuple flaws that I can see, unlike mr. alstrailia up at the top, kid thinking Tidis's voice should be changed, that is so insaine. One, yes it would be better if you could skip those seens that are so long. I found my self stuck at Semore, (after he is dead) that pissed me off so much having to watch that seen over like 20 times. Almost too much watch not enuff play. Two, After when you get to the end it gets kinda dull fighting those mosters in Sin because if you just constantly fight you become allmost immortal, especially your aons with like the average health being 10 000 those Magus Sisters are sumthin elce with their helth at 20 000, the end boss dosen't stand a chance. Other than that the game was pritty kickin some ass! There aren't as many side quests in this Final Fantasy, as for say Final Fantasy 9. There is the all mighty Blitz Ball which is pretty great especially with that Jeckt Shot. Buy winning Blitz Ball tornaments and lege maches you can get Walkas overdrives and some pritty rare items like Dark Matter. And then theres the Chocobos', you get to train and race them, which is pritty sweet considdering you dont get much interaction with chocobos' in other final fantacys', basically just rideing them (oh grate fun). Well that concludes my review, excuse the spelling erors. I rate this game as one of the best game that I have ever played for the PS2.
| The Fantasy is still among us...happily! | | Ricardo Assais from Sao Paulo, Brazil says (11/Jan/2002): | The Final Fantasy series is one of the few that always keep amazing us, gamers from around the world, with its magical storylines and graphics with one always unrelated to the other. The tenth installment is no exception; this time around the hero is Tidus, a famous player of blitzball (a mix of soccer and waterpolo but underwater) of Zanankard.
Differently from others FF characters like Squall, Tidus is a cheerful and lively young man with a bright future in blitzball.
But his world is turned upside down when his homeland is devastated by mysterious force only known as "Sin". Tidus however is miraculously saved by a man named Auron which fought Sin ten years ago, now Tidus must part in a new adventure to destroy Sin and return peace to the world. On his long journey he'll encounter many new friends including Yuna, a woman who can summon Aeons, spirits of yore, along the way.
This newest version brings many changes when compared to other versions. The most noticeable one is the inclusion of voiceovers which adds a more realistic look to the game and brings it even closer to life. Now you can switch characters anytime during the battle by simply pressing the L1 button. Another new feature is the Sphere Grid, this time the characters don't level up by gaining EXP points after battles but in the Sphere Grid System where you can select different nodes for each type of ability you want to level up in. Others new features include the Facial Motion System that add even more realistic details to the characters and the 3D environment which substitutes the old-fashioned pre-rendered backgrounds.
In terms of sound the melancholy orchestras by veteran Nobuo Uematsu still impress but nothing out of the ordinary.
The gameplay is still great and brings the good feelings of the previous FFs back to action.
In a nutshell Final Fantasy X is a wonderful installment to the series and a great introduction on the PlayStation2 with an emotional storyline, incredible graphics and beautifully orchestrated but hasn't yet surpassed the legendary Final Fantasy VII, I said "yet".
| Final Fantasy X The RPG Gods | | Neo_Squall from Malaysia says (19/Jul/2002): | This game is great awesome graphics and amazing story line but the problem is the characters. They look too realistic, while it does look great, it takes some of the mystical fantasy out of the game, maybe if they weren’t so human if they were elves or something it might have looked better but oh well... too late now.
FF series was always the best. The best story the best graphics. FFX is the best though. I love how they can talk on this one. But after playing all the final fantasy games you tend to notice some similarities such as the story always starts out the hero goes on a sojourn that is about him but ends up about saving the world, The hero and the heroin always fall in love, The hero’s weapon is always a sword or dagger, And most of them have a person named Cid in it. But all in all it is a great game.
Graphics, story line, and an awesome new abilities system . What else can you say but WOW! In terms of story line I'm still fighting over whether XI or X was better, and the same goes with the abilities system ,both were much better than the materia system in VII and the junctioning system from VIII, but I'm not sure which I liked better. But one thing is for sure no other FF game can hold a candle to the graphics in X. I also enjoyed the Blitzball, it was entertaining, gave you a chance to customize your team and you got prizes out of it much better than the card game from IX (which I saw absolutely no point in). This is the
best final fantasy game ever!! When I played this game I experienced great graphics, more detail on the characters, and fantastic game play!! This games graphics are like the movie! The best part is the Overdrive that you must see or suffer the major loss ….
A ten star with lots of action. A double thumbs up for the great job of Squaresoft and Final Fantasies are just damned good pack with Aeons that stays in battle to support our heroes . For all RPG DIE HARD FANS that is a must to own a Final Fantasy X or else.
| Good game with great graphics! | | victoria from elk grove, ca says (31/Jul/2002): | Here's my ups and downs for this game:
UPS: I like the game because of the incredible graphics, voice acting, and battle system. The aeons look great except Bahamut looks like a machine. Spira is beautiful and the graphics of this game just blew me away. I love the blitzball sidequests and able to replay FMVs in Luca. I love Auron because he's tough and he looks cool. He's also the most strongest character in the game. Yuna is beautiful and a talented summoner alongside her young father, Braska. Rikku is a great thief and "cute". Wakka is a good guy to be in the party once he is beefed up. But the only characters i like are Auron, Yuna, And Wakka. Basically because their legendary weapons are easier to get and so are their sigils.
DOWNS: The sphere grid. Okay, we do need something new apart from the junctioning and materia of FF7 and 8. But the sphere grid takes a longer time and it can be slow. Worse, finding the spheres after running out. Tidus is the weakest and "annoying" character of the game. I don't even use him anymore after i beefed up Auron, Yuna, and Wakka. I don't like the way they designed Lulu. Her face and hair is fine, but the rest of her is not okay. Although some "fanboys" may like it.
The Chocobo sidequest is hard (ex: the race) when you're trying to get Tidus's sigil. As a matter of fact, some of the sidequests in this game lack fun and is either tough or boring. Thunder plains sidequest for Lulu is too difficult.
Anyway, to make this short, FFX is a great game with several downsides. After getting everything you needed, it's just not worth playing anymore. FF7 and FF8 are always worth playing even if you won it. Unless you want to replay movies in 10 or play blitzball to win potions is fine. I usually replay movies and go level up for no reason. Same with blitzball. It's too easy. But thank goodness they put that in just in case players get bored. But I think getting the movie spheres in Luca are better.
| Final Fantasy X - the ultimate RPG | | Peter from Eastbourne, UK says (23/May/2003): | The Final Fantasy series has spawned over 10 games, and none of them dissapoint. This one though, bringes in more depth, character development, story and length ever! The first things that will strike you in the game are the graphics and the voice overs, a first in the FF series. Although not completely co-ordinated with the actions all the time, they are pretty good. The graphics are beatiful, completely lianear, and with stunning backgrounds.
The actual story of the game isn't that long, but there are loads of secret bosses and minigames that will keep you busy for ages. None of those bosses would be beatable if it wasn't for the new system introduced, the Sphere Grid. This allows brilliant character development so you can develop your character how you want to, be it getting better at white magic, becoming a master of physical attacks or just raising some defense. You can now have a max HP of 99999, and bosses can have about 1000 times that, at least.
Blitzball is another of the games features, one of the main minigames in Spira, (the world FFX is set in) and is very addictive. You are in a water filled sphere dome, with 2 opposing teams in it. They have to tackle the ball from each other and score goals. Sounds like football in a way but trust me, it 'aint. That can take up loads of your time, and bring your play time above 100 hours if you play for long enough.
The music is another great thing in this game, with "Suteki Da Ne" and "To Zanarkand" standing out above them all. The lyrics are performed by Rikku, a singer picked out by Nobuo. The character development is brilliant, and you get to see more of thier personallity, and thier feelings. The closest we've ever got to this is Squall, the loner from FF8.
To finish my review I would like to say that this has to be my favourite game of all time. It is really fun, worth the money and pretty different to any other rpg around. The next game you buy has to be this.
| The best RPG Yet | | A gamer from Lakeland, USA says (25/Jul/2002): | The thing that stands out most to me in FFX is the storyline. The characters are developed, have personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. You even develop likes and dislikes towards certain characters, I actually found Yuna irritating, despite the tendencies of the main character :). Especially with the voice overs just don't look at their lips when they speak :), this game draws you into the stories. When Auron gave his "Now is the time to shape your stories!" speech, I was actually excited and I felt like tearing the hell out of the next boss. The ending is short, but it can reduce a more sensitive audience to tears because it is so powerful.
Battle System is great. I never liked having to select my Ultima spell in .25 seconds just to get an attack in before the enemy.
Leveling system I like a lot more than other games too. In FF8, I thought the leveling system was too fluid -- every character was almost the same as the next, it only mattered which GF was Junctioned. In FF9, I thought it was too rigid -- every character could only learn his or her specific abilities. The Sphere Grid provides the rigid flexibility that I like.
The mini-game Blitzball is fun up to a certain point, and then it gets too easy (although the card game in previous FF games was the same way). My current hasn't had a goal scored against them in 42 games straight (out of a total of 61). Some of the other mini-games, like the Lightning Dodger, are insanely frusturating (however, they are optional).
Many people dislike the somewhat linear storyline of FFX, but I think it is an advantage. I hated having to roam around the world map to find tiny little pinpoint lighthouses and towns because some clue led to the location. Everything in FFX is easy to find, but still allows for sidequests, mysteries (the airship passwords take a lot of effort to find without a strategy guide), and minigames.
| This RPG is on Top of the Heap!! | | Sarah from Roswell, Georgia, USA says (19/Oct/2002): | Square has always pumped out unique games. FFVII, VIII, and IX are all fantastic games! Wait, let me correct that: They are all fantastic gaming experiences. The charcters are loveable, and you can feel an odd connection with them. Even if you can't stand them at first, they eventually will grow on you. The storyline for FFX is an entrancing one, and you sometimes will be playing just to see what happens next in the story. This enthralling game includes everything, from mystery to revenge to betrayal and the search for truth. There's even a small dose of humor tossed in for added effect. Sometimes one aspect of the plot will leave your head spinning and you wonder about what it means, but then it comes to you at 2:36 in the morning, most likely. The FMVs and graphics will smack you like a ton of bricks, they're that gorgeous. The characters' faces and movements are both so fluid and detailed you'll swear you're watching a movie, not playing a game. There is one FMV that will always stick in my mind, and that's the one where Yuna walks on the water and perfoms a sending. That scene is the perfect FMV in my opinion, because it does an excellent job portraying FFX's stunning graphics and music. Very spooky, but also very beautiful. While the game is long, it doesn't feel like it's dragging about. The voiceovers are a nice touch, and fun to listen to, especially when one of the characters get peeved. The music is perfect, after all, what else do you expect from Nobuo Uematsu? I used to kill off the party just to hear the "Game Over" music. Pretty sad, now that I think about it... Yuna's aeons are nothing short of fun to actually control, and the summon and overdrive sequences are nifty. There are a million more things I can say about this game, but I can't seem to place it in words. If you don't already have this game, BUY IT!!!!!!
| this game captivates your imagination, it makes you feel as though you were there | | tricee from detriot mihigan usa says (6/Aug/2004): | i have played many games but i must truthfully say that final fantasy 10 is the best i really like role playing games because it makes you feel as though you were there it makes you emotionally bound to the characters yuna with a sweet spirit willing to give her own life to save the people of spira and tidus a very optomistic person always trying to think the best and always helping even though its scary because he cant ever go home rikku so adorable trying to keep her cousin alive even though on the outside the albed look bad they really have good intentions when it comes to saving the summoners lives wakka although really silly he has a heart of gold and he is very supportive of yunas decision even though it is a sad one and there is lulu so strong and kind of and advice giver even though sometimes she seems very hard she still is very soft in the inside and kind with a very good heart i love kimahri he is so protective and always there for yuna he is someone you can count on always and auron at first i thought of him as a leader but he kind of a quiet person but he makes you feel like every thing will be okay he is always one step ahead if not just for these characters you should love this game but if you are still not convinced the graphics are a real great step from the last nine final fantasy the storyline has always been good but now its even better in this game and the side games like chocobo racing and blitzball a very creative game when i first saw it i totally wished it was real the only thing i dont like is the annoying constant fights but you can over look it because of all the other great attributes of the games with the great characters that make you like you are really there the great graphics that are not perfect but are realistic and the beautiful but emotinal storyline i rate this game number one in my book
| Brilliant Rpg, Hard to complete too! | | Mr Hardcore from London says (19/Jun/2003): | Firstly, I must say, that if you are a great fan of the previous Final Fantasies like I am, then don't hesitate to buy this game! This game has splendid and detailed graphics, with swaying grass and birds in the skies. You can play as seven different characters. Each with their own special moves.
If you have never played Final Fantasy before, the chances are that you will get very confused at the start, but gradually enjoy and understand the game. There are also two special mini games, which are Blitzball ( I am not very keen on that), and Chocobo Riding (Which can be annoying!).
The game is very very very long! It is soooooo long and HARD!!!! It took me a few months to complete the game( which is about 40+ hours long). After completing the game, you have secrets and special events to unlock.
The cutscenes are very realistic and go from the rock hard hair and shaking bodies to the smooth and swaying true cutscenes.
The monsters and enemies are fabulous and the storyline is good, and gets very tense towards the end with very sad and weepy ending!
There are so many places to visit, but the bosses get harder and harder, in which the sphere grid really comes in. Summoning Aeons are the best, and the overdrives are spectacular.
Graphics- 9 out of 10: Detailed and realistic, sometimes fake cutscenes let it down.
Sound- 8 out of 10: Translation dodgy, but music score is very high.
Gameplay- 9 out of 10: The fighting is easy to master and spectacular. Special moves are an extra bonus. Except repetitive appearing enemies can be very annoying.
Life Span- 10 out of 10: Long enough to last you an age! Secrets and mini-games can make the original even longer! Will it never end?
OVERALL:
9 out of 10- Final Fantasy fans rejoice! Newcomers are still welcome! Square! Keep up the goodies!
| A half-hearted effort | | A gamer from TX, USA says (27/Nov/2002): | After its blockbuster success in FF7, squaresoft has not needed to actually make good games in order to sell millions of copies. I will point out that this game is trash not only compared to other Final Fantasies, but to other RPG's in general. The major advantage Final Fantasy has had over competition has been its characters and storyline, with FFX this has hit an all time low. Our Hero, Tidus, is a whiny jock loser who garners no respect at all. I think that overall he would be on an even playing field with Ash from pokemon, definately not Cloud. Now this would not be too bad if it were not for the fact that we must constantely listen to this loser talk in THE MOST ANNOYING VOICE possible. Yuna (looks and acts like she has down syndrome)is also an annoying loser and I wont even go into rikku(think yuffie with an EXTREMELY annoying voice who cant fight worth ****, even late in the game). The dialogue is ridiculous and makes me cringe, the phrase "ya know" is used eccessively, in many cases MORE THAN ONCE A SENTANCE! Music has always been a strong suit, and while this game doesn't have any tracks that stand out as annoying elevator music like the others, it doesn't have any outstanding tracks like FF7's battle and boss battle. Storyline is feeble compared to not only other FF's but to other RPG's in general. Summoner for PS2 has a better story even though it doesn't spend 3/4 of the game on retarded dialogue. Graphics are outstanding but character movement is wooden especially after seeing MGS2's realistic movement. Character design is ridiculous, overall the standard style is ten times worse than that of the eighties. The Al-Bhed look like they ran away from the circus. Heck, the FF series isn't even anime anymore. Squaresoft knows you will buy this game anyway so why bother to make it good?
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