Final Fantasy X Review

Back in 1993, I was introduced by a friend to a game which incorporated a new concept in video gaming. The concept, the video role playing game, actually was not so new, but this game had something unique about it. The game was Final Fantasy for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. But wait, the gentle reader says, what about Dragon Warrior, the text-based games, and the MUD's and blah, blah blah... Okay, so the concept of making the video RPG wasn't new. Making a GOOD VRPG was the new concept. Not that those others didn't have elements that were enjoyable, but this one was different. You remember what I am talking about don't you? The game came on and suddenly your day was over and your mom was yelling for you to come to dinner and you thought, didn't I just have breakfast and only then do you notice that is was a quarter to seven and you missed the baseball game at the park and lawn dart match and (ed. ) Oh, sorry, where was I... Oh yes, Final Fantasy was different.

Hey lady, if you wipe any more we'll be able to eat off the floor.

By the power of mighty chicks everywhere, I shall smother thee!

In the latest installment of the old classic, Squaresoft raises the bar to new levels for the first edition of Final Fantasy where disk space and graphics became a non-issue and brand new heights of time eating could be achieved. The question is, did they succeed?

Well, not exactly.

Not that the game isn't a heck of a lot of fun, in fact it is, but FFX, has some problems. First, the basics. Visually, Final Fantasy X is stunning, the level of animated realism is only outdone (by Square) by the recent Final Fantasy movie project. For a role playing game it doesn't get any better, at least not yet. Some of the more unique portions of the visuals are the backgrounds, which are rendered and look stunning, each is like a work of art. Multilevel backgrounds and amazing depth of field allow a person to be transported to the world of Spira, in as much as is possible. The graphics on the encounters is also fantastic, most enemies are visually well made, even those that had humble beginnings many games previous.

The sound and music are also very well done, one of the core songs in the game is very unusual but masterfully created song called the Hymn of the Fayth. I myself have always expected a high bar from the Final Fantasy series in terms of music and FFX does not fail to deliver on that aspect. Some tracks I would consider so good I wish I could hear them independantly of the game setting. One in particular during the opening FMV sequence they have a metal rock tune that I wish you could get on a soundtrack. (Actual Reaction: Beavis and Butthead like headbanging)

So, you won't have many problems with the audio/visual of this game. The difficulties begin when the game itself starts. FFX is, with little exception, entirely dubbed. (Actual Reaction: Huh?!?) Not that this problem stems from a dislike of dubs, in fact a well-made dub is just peachy in my book. The problem is, and you will notice this in around thirty seconds, you cannot stop the dubbed video sequences. And I mean that, you won't be able to stop them or skip them. The effect? That the whole game is at least half video sequences. Not that they don't look great, they look fantastic in fact, but you better have a lot of time to waste, especially in the first half of the game. (Actual Reaction: Not another F$@%in FMV!)

FFX also incorporates the now infamous mini-game into FFX. For the last several games the mini-game was a built-in customizable card game. In FFX, the mini-game is blitzball. Blitzball, like it's card game ancestors is not necessary to complete the game and its play is a diversion at best, to be honest, I wasn't a fan of blitzball. Here's why. Blitzball, played totally underwater in a huge water globe, is supposed to be a three dimensional soccer/football mixture.

Yeah, I totally dig that last line dude...

Not a pretty sight.

Life isn't that simple. Two teams play each other, if your team has lower stats then your opponents, you lose. And trust me, you will lose. Oh and that 3D thing? Wrong. The game is very two-dimensional. Blitzball isn't as much a game, as it is complex, fast-moving mathematics. And, your team's math score is the lowest in the game, at least to start. (Actual Reaction: Oh great, I lose...again...fun...) You see the dilemma. I suppose there are a few of you out there that will try to take the time and energy to play a lot of blitzball, and Godspeed to you, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

The gameplay (once you get to that part) is well designed and a bit more user-friendly then previous Final Fantasy games. Squaresoft seemed to have a good idea of the positive and negative aspects of the gameplay in previous games and incorporated the better ideas into FFX. The game control itself is very simplified and easy to learn and understand. The use of the analog pad is very high so all you anti-analog holdouts (you know who you are) will have to suck it up for this game. The incorporation of a new system of powering ups also drives FFX into a new arena of character customization. The design of this character layout, called the Sphere Grid, is simplified to allow greater control over the attributes your characters have. (Actual Reaction: You mean I can see every possible ability in the whole game! Yes!) The game is also more suited to linear gameplay then before. Or, in layman's terms, no annoying leveling up. If played without deviation, a normal player should have all or most of his characters to sufficient strength to win the game without having to stop and power up. But, stopping is problematic. FFX, unlike previous incarnations, does not lend itself to non-linear play. Until very late in the game you can only go where the game tells you to go. For me this was a big turnoff, but then the plot drives the game along in a way that you will be able to tell when it is kosher to break off and do other things.

All in all, I think that this game easily made the Final Fantasy par, and even though it is not the best nor is it my favorite Final Fantasy to date, I liked it. Worth the money and the wait, I just can't wait to see what kind of crayzee shtuff Square comes out with in FFXI!