Review: Final Fantasy X 256
I expected a lot from Final Fantasy X, if only because it's Square's first RPG outing on PS2. Within the FF series, every time the jump to a new console was made, it resulted in either better graphics or gameplay, or in this case, both. Although fighting a battle in FFX initially feels like fighting a battle in one of it's predecessors there's been a significant amount of changes to the combat system.
I'm not going to discuss much in the way of plot or characters, because if you're like me, you'll want to discover that part on your own, since the plot is what keeps console RPGs moving.
What's New?
Final Fantasy games have always been rather combat-heavy, and leveling up at different times had gotten mind-numbingly boring. In an effort to change that, there are many more options during combat. Characters can be swapped in and out of combat at any time, and they can perform moves as soon as entering the battle, so it's no longer a big deal when you have to fight the weak-against-magic monster and you forgot to include a magic user in the party. In the same way, summons (called Aeons this time around) remain summoned until one dismisses them, replacing the party in battle. When an Aeon's HP drops to zero, the party is brought back into battle, but the Aeon can also be dismissed before that. There's still random battles just like previous games in the series, but it feels like they turned down the frequency of the battles a bit, especially from last year's FF9.What would be a new Final Fantasy without a new magic system? This time around, it's a little quirky, but it doesn't disappoint. Remember when I mentioned leveling up being boring? Well this time around there's no character levels. Instead, everything is determined by a large sphere grid, that the characters move on using points they accrue by fighting battles. At various points in the grid, characters can lay different types of spheres that enhance them with new abilities, increased character starts, or more max HP/MP. The result is a non-linear system which is more open ended than magic systems of the past, allowing for greater character customization. The trick is to guide a character to the places on the grid that will allow him/her to get the skills desired while using the least amount of sphere levels (which are essentially travel points). Backtracking on the grid is allowed, but is also counterproductive.
Now onto the most fun part of the game: the graphics! With the capability of the PS2 at its disposal, this is easily the best looking ever Final Fantasy title ever, and it's a beautiful world that's been painted. While walking around, the world really comes alive, as trees sway and grass moves as wind goes past. Many of the characters' facial expressions are done in realtime, and while the scenes aren't picture perfect, they are a far cry from the jagged polygonal models on Playstation as well as the two dimensional sprites from the earlier FF titles. The battle sequences look better than ever also, as characters move more fluidly, and enemies do as well. The already stunning realtime animations are augmented by amazing FMV sequences. My only small complaint here is that there's no way to skip the movies entirely. Since it's still my first time playing the game, I haven't wanted to skip anything, but I still feel sorry for the impatient. There is, however, a configuration setting to turn off the extended summoning animations, so there won't be a five minute wait for the huge Aeons enter from space.
Something else FFX features for the first time in a Final Fantasy game: voice acting! Although not every bit of dialogue is dubbed, the voices that are dubbed are done better than I expected. My only complaint is that the lips were synched to the Japanese dialogue, and never resynched during importing. However, that never stopped me from enjoying a Kung Fu movie, and it doesn't stop me from enjoying the game either. Given that the game was released two months earlier than originally planned, I'll let this detail slide.
What's the Same?
Although the magic system was overhauled, most of the spells are still the same. There's still three levels of elemental spells, and an Ultima spell, and so on. Also, it wouldn't be much of a Final Fantasy without chocobos, and they are featured yet again.When Final Fantasy IX was released last year, it featured characters with the traditional Final Fantasy classes, like summoner, white mage, blue mage, etc. I think Squaresoft found that players enjoyed the return to these classes, and decided to continue the trend. Although each character is ultimately customizable into any class, they each start with suggest paths across the sphere grid that resemble one of the classes.
Posting anon to save karma (Score:2, Insightful)
Pretty boring considering the games that make better use of a computer as a medium for entertainment.
Older Final Fantasy (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:ATB (Score:4, Insightful)
Some of the boss battles do require some intelligent choices, especially with regards to replacing party members with reserves during battle. With turn based, you have a better idea of when you want to do substitutions. If a character is in danger, you have a good idea if you should bring in a reserve or try to heal.
It's especially useful when using Lulu (trying to avoid spoilers). She starts in a Black Magic area of the sphere grid. With a low HP maximum and no quick way to improve that stat, she nearly requires constant healing at the beginning of the game.
So, while I can't gauge how much of a difference in difficulty it makes, I'm glad that ATB is gone. Especially considering that they removed the pause feature during a battle.
Re:Old school (Score:1, Insightful)
I beg to differ. You yourself are no different than the gentleman of the previous post in that you say 'stop stealing from squaresoft'. Then you turn right around and ask for a translation for your pirated FF6j ROM.
You sicken me.
Re:Older Final Fantasy (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:two months early (Score:5, Insightful)
Not to mention Sony certainly doesn't hold a monopoly on the console market. They put out a better product and the sales figures prove it. I expect to see the GameCube come along in sales over the next couple of months the games slated for future release look really good, and the $200 price tag is a huge incentive. I don't know what will happen to the XBox, there is a game or two that looks good, but not many.
I should also point out that your statements premise and conclusion are completely contrary to fact. The XBOX is MS's attempt to gain a foothold in the console market and if successful will eventually begin using their library of unfair business practices against the other players in the market. Thankfully MS rarely does things right and the XBOX will most likely be short lived.
What Monopoly?!? (Score:4, Insightful)
First off: although I don't have solid numbers or anything in front of me, I am fairly certain that Microsoft has more of a stranglehold in the Desktop OS market than Sony does in the Game Console market.
While the N64 may not have been nearly as popular as the PSX, it did have its niche as Nintendo targeted most of their games at children. Maybe that hurt Nintendo a bit, but I don't think that makes them any where near as close to death as Apple was a few years back. Nintendo also makes this nifty little handheld product called the GameBoy Advance. The GameBoy series of handheld systems HAS held a virtual monopoly in that market since its original green tinted monochrome release over 10 years ago if I recall correctly. I think that would count as more of a monopoly than Sony has right at this very moment. Would you suggest we all go out and a Sega Game Gear or somesuch in order to rebel against the establishment?
Do I really need to get into Microsoft? I personally use Microsoft products, but arguing that ANYTHING put out by them is an ethical alternative used to fight the big bad "monopoly" is even beyond some of the spin doctorying they have been guilty of. Though I am sure they would see it as an innovative approach and be glad to steal the idea from you.
I am all for making sure there is an alternative, but telling people to steer away from Sony and buy a Microsoft or Nintendo product instead is about the equivilent of steering people away from the vocal stylings of Briteny Spears and saying the more rational decision is to buy Backstreet Boys or N'Sync music instead.
So stop pretending this is another David vs. Goliath or Linux vs. Microsoft situation, because it plainly isn't. Go out and buy the system that has the games you want to play, or buy none at all. Spending 400 dollars to show how anti-establishment you are isn't going to fool anybody.
(on a side note Square probably had enough incentive to push a proven product out quickly in order to make back some of the large amounts of money lost in the making of the flop Final Fantasy movie. Did there president or CEO or whatever not just step down due to just that? If Sony DID twist their arm to ship quickly, they wouldn't have had to twist very hard.)
2 player battles (Score:2, Insightful)