Final Fantasy X-2
Square Enix finally drops the first direct Final Fantasy sequel on eager gamers. Find out how it turned out inside.
Published: November 18, 2003
My God, Final Fantasy X was a good game. It didn't really hit me until I revisited some of the key locales in Final Fantasy X-2 how much the game really stuck with me. Square's incredibly ambitious RPG had an unusual way of getting under your skin and hitting you exactly where role-playing games are supposed to: on just about every emotional level.
So perhaps it was a bit jarring to go from a game that centered on not only the end of the world, but the people in that world that took the process almost as commonplace to a game that shifts gears in tone, characterization, and pacing. On top of all that, X-2 seems squarely aimed at reeling in a bit of the female market, something I wouldn't have imagined given that the game is in many ways a throwback to more classic RPG truisms.
So it's hardcore... but it's meant a bit more for the ladies. Confused? Yeah, I was too. Luckily, there's plenty here to occupy your thoughts as you piece through the design dichotomy. Spira is a changed place in the two years since the last game. Yuna, once High Summoner and savior of the world, is now a globe-trotting, song-singing vixen in hotpants. Partnered up with spiral-eyed supercutie Rikku from the original adventure and leather-clad strong, silent-type Payne, the trio go by YRP when hitting the stage and The Gullwings when working on their ship.
The whole motivation for the YRP/Gullwings escapade stems from a sphere containing a video of a character that looks remarkably like Tidus, the hero from the first game that hasn't been seen on Spira since the end of Final Fantasy X. Yuna forms the group to hunt for more spheres in the hopes that there are more clues to who/where this mysterious look-alike actually is.
What interesting is how much Square focused on not only revisiting the major locales from the first game, but rewrote the people and attitudes to really give the impression that the two years since Sin (the big baddie Yuna and Tidus defeated, thus restoring peace), things have changed dramatically. Followers of Yevon, the enigmatic religious figurehead that was ousted at the end of the first game, have sprung up and founded a new sect while those unhappy with anything having to do with Yevon have formed another. The two groups are constantly butting heads, and as the game unfolds, you'll quickly discover their conflicts are merely a glimpse at a very real and very far-reaching threat to Spira.
This is where things become interesting, because FFX-2 is arguably the most open-ended Final Fantasy game yet. Almost right from the start, every area that you were hand-held through in Final Fantasy X is open to be explored. Oddly enough, the looser narrative means some gamers will charge through the required events and finish up the game in under 20 hours - even with the requisite leveling runs to boost stats - and in the process they'll miss quite a bit of the outlying story that really helps thicken things up. I, still stuck a bit in FFX mode, did just this and hand to play through the game twice to really get everything.
Luckily, extended play really does reveal some of the game's stronger points. While the new active battle mode is definitely a throwback to older Final Fantasy games, the dresspheres and the garment grids that allow you to change jobs and abilities are a welcome addition, though especially when you first get into playing, things can seem incredibly overwhelming and hectic. Transitioning from one job to the next in battle often nets you extra offensive or defensive bonuses like magic or armor depending on the garment grid you choose, which adds an impressive amount of strategy to battles, but the knowledge is dropped in your lap all at once, and it takes a few hours to digest things. It would have been nicer to adjust slowly to things, especially with the game's harder than average difficulty and heavier focus on status effects.
The thing is, with all this new info, I can only guess anyone who hasn't played Final Fantasy X will be quite lost at first. FFX is definitely a prerequisite for anyone hoping to get more out of the whole experience, as the locations and many of the jokes are aimed at people already familiar with the world of Spira. Not only this, but unlike FFX's slower, more even-handed approach to rolling out the game, X-2 is incredibly uneven, surging forward in some chapters and lagging in others. There's still a good story to be found, but without a steady pace to deliver it, the impact is lessened quite a bit - especially for those that see fit to merely blow through the main events of the game all the way to the end.
Final Fantasy X's graphics were incredible for their time, adding yet another PS2 game to a laundry list of titles that really showed off what a developer familiar with the hardware could do. Two years later, things are still impressive, but a lot of the punch that FFX had has been softened by some of the engine's rougher areas. While the animations in-battle are gorgeous, and the high-poly versions of the characters (complete with limited lip synching) still look as good as any character models on the system, the low-poly versions leave quite a bit to be desired. Things are still impressively detailed, and the particles and effects in place blow most other efforts out of the water, but close inspection reveals some of the engine's age.
It's also a bit of a shame to point out that the audio in the game doesn't really do justice to the series. While the main themes are plenty stirring, most of the other tunes played throughout the game (which are rather minimal and recycled heavily) are nothing more than quasi-jazzy fluff. In fact, one of the background arrangements was nothing more than a lightly remixed version of a royalty free song loop that's been used in everything from Nocturne on the PC back in '98 to episodes of Fear Factor and Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV. It's disappointing to hear something like this in a series that has been praised for its original compositions.
Fortunately things are saved in the effects and voice acting departments. The familiar Squaresoft chimes and beeps are present and do a wonderful job of giving even the most simplistic of movements some real punch. Most of the original cast from the first game (including some great cameos) have returned to voice their respective roles. In particular, Hedy Burress' treatment of the new Yuna is a dramatic improvement over the stoic, bland character she played in the first game. Everyone else lends near-perfect performances and the ability to hear quite a bit more dialogue from Tara Strong's adorable voice coming out of Rikku's mouth is almost enough in and of itself for me.
There's a lot to love in Final Fantasy X-2, but the new team working on the project has delivered a bumpy ride in contrast to FFX's smoother but perhaps too slow storytelling process. Minigame elements and even the ability to climb and jump over objects seem tacked on at times, and while they offer plenty of variety to the game, more time should have been spent making sure the flow of the game was a bit more locked down. The freedom to go anywhere in the world right from the start is a welcome one, and letting the story move forward at the player's pace is something I'd love to see in future Final Fantasy games, but things needed just a bit more control to keep players hooked on the story.
I'm happy to see Square Enix taking chances and venturing into new territory with their most beloved franchise. Innovations like the garment grids and dress spheres were brilliant and welcome ones, and for a first collaborative effort things turned out admirably. Unfortunately, the Final Fantasy series has built up quite an impressive legacy, and living up to that - and the fans that demand games that continually meet that standard - is a tough act. Final Fantasy X is arguably the most accomplished and well-rounded game in the series' 15 year history; trying to follow that up is a tall task and while X-2 drops the ball on a few core points, the overall experience is solid enough to warrant it a recommendation for the hardcore Final Fantasy fans, and a tentative invitation for those looking to get into the series. Just make sure you've digested Final Fantasy X either way and you'll walk away from X-2 with a nice, satisfying ending.
So perhaps it was a bit jarring to go from a game that centered on not only the end of the world, but the people in that world that took the process almost as commonplace to a game that shifts gears in tone, characterization, and pacing. On top of all that, X-2 seems squarely aimed at reeling in a bit of the female market, something I wouldn't have imagined given that the game is in many ways a throwback to more classic RPG truisms.
So it's hardcore... but it's meant a bit more for the ladies. Confused? Yeah, I was too. Luckily, there's plenty here to occupy your thoughts as you piece through the design dichotomy. Spira is a changed place in the two years since the last game. Yuna, once High Summoner and savior of the world, is now a globe-trotting, song-singing vixen in hotpants. Partnered up with spiral-eyed supercutie Rikku from the original adventure and leather-clad strong, silent-type Payne, the trio go by YRP when hitting the stage and The Gullwings when working on their ship.
The whole motivation for the YRP/Gullwings escapade stems from a sphere containing a video of a character that looks remarkably like Tidus, the hero from the first game that hasn't been seen on Spira since the end of Final Fantasy X. Yuna forms the group to hunt for more spheres in the hopes that there are more clues to who/where this mysterious look-alike actually is.
What interesting is how much Square focused on not only revisiting the major locales from the first game, but rewrote the people and attitudes to really give the impression that the two years since Sin (the big baddie Yuna and Tidus defeated, thus restoring peace), things have changed dramatically. Followers of Yevon, the enigmatic religious figurehead that was ousted at the end of the first game, have sprung up and founded a new sect while those unhappy with anything having to do with Yevon have formed another. The two groups are constantly butting heads, and as the game unfolds, you'll quickly discover their conflicts are merely a glimpse at a very real and very far-reaching threat to Spira.
This is where things become interesting, because FFX-2 is arguably the most open-ended Final Fantasy game yet. Almost right from the start, every area that you were hand-held through in Final Fantasy X is open to be explored. Oddly enough, the looser narrative means some gamers will charge through the required events and finish up the game in under 20 hours - even with the requisite leveling runs to boost stats - and in the process they'll miss quite a bit of the outlying story that really helps thicken things up. I, still stuck a bit in FFX mode, did just this and hand to play through the game twice to really get everything.
Luckily, extended play really does reveal some of the game's stronger points. While the new active battle mode is definitely a throwback to older Final Fantasy games, the dresspheres and the garment grids that allow you to change jobs and abilities are a welcome addition, though especially when you first get into playing, things can seem incredibly overwhelming and hectic. Transitioning from one job to the next in battle often nets you extra offensive or defensive bonuses like magic or armor depending on the garment grid you choose, which adds an impressive amount of strategy to battles, but the knowledge is dropped in your lap all at once, and it takes a few hours to digest things. It would have been nicer to adjust slowly to things, especially with the game's harder than average difficulty and heavier focus on status effects.
The thing is, with all this new info, I can only guess anyone who hasn't played Final Fantasy X will be quite lost at first. FFX is definitely a prerequisite for anyone hoping to get more out of the whole experience, as the locations and many of the jokes are aimed at people already familiar with the world of Spira. Not only this, but unlike FFX's slower, more even-handed approach to rolling out the game, X-2 is incredibly uneven, surging forward in some chapters and lagging in others. There's still a good story to be found, but without a steady pace to deliver it, the impact is lessened quite a bit - especially for those that see fit to merely blow through the main events of the game all the way to the end.
Final Fantasy X's graphics were incredible for their time, adding yet another PS2 game to a laundry list of titles that really showed off what a developer familiar with the hardware could do. Two years later, things are still impressive, but a lot of the punch that FFX had has been softened by some of the engine's rougher areas. While the animations in-battle are gorgeous, and the high-poly versions of the characters (complete with limited lip synching) still look as good as any character models on the system, the low-poly versions leave quite a bit to be desired. Things are still impressively detailed, and the particles and effects in place blow most other efforts out of the water, but close inspection reveals some of the engine's age.
It's also a bit of a shame to point out that the audio in the game doesn't really do justice to the series. While the main themes are plenty stirring, most of the other tunes played throughout the game (which are rather minimal and recycled heavily) are nothing more than quasi-jazzy fluff. In fact, one of the background arrangements was nothing more than a lightly remixed version of a royalty free song loop that's been used in everything from Nocturne on the PC back in '98 to episodes of Fear Factor and Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV. It's disappointing to hear something like this in a series that has been praised for its original compositions.
Fortunately things are saved in the effects and voice acting departments. The familiar Squaresoft chimes and beeps are present and do a wonderful job of giving even the most simplistic of movements some real punch. Most of the original cast from the first game (including some great cameos) have returned to voice their respective roles. In particular, Hedy Burress' treatment of the new Yuna is a dramatic improvement over the stoic, bland character she played in the first game. Everyone else lends near-perfect performances and the ability to hear quite a bit more dialogue from Tara Strong's adorable voice coming out of Rikku's mouth is almost enough in and of itself for me.
There's a lot to love in Final Fantasy X-2, but the new team working on the project has delivered a bumpy ride in contrast to FFX's smoother but perhaps too slow storytelling process. Minigame elements and even the ability to climb and jump over objects seem tacked on at times, and while they offer plenty of variety to the game, more time should have been spent making sure the flow of the game was a bit more locked down. The freedom to go anywhere in the world right from the start is a welcome one, and letting the story move forward at the player's pace is something I'd love to see in future Final Fantasy games, but things needed just a bit more control to keep players hooked on the story.
I'm happy to see Square Enix taking chances and venturing into new territory with their most beloved franchise. Innovations like the garment grids and dress spheres were brilliant and welcome ones, and for a first collaborative effort things turned out admirably. Unfortunately, the Final Fantasy series has built up quite an impressive legacy, and living up to that - and the fans that demand games that continually meet that standard - is a tough act. Final Fantasy X is arguably the most accomplished and well-rounded game in the series' 15 year history; trying to follow that up is a tall task and while X-2 drops the ball on a few core points, the overall experience is solid enough to warrant it a recommendation for the hardcore Final Fantasy fans, and a tentative invitation for those looking to get into the series. Just make sure you've digested Final Fantasy X either way and you'll walk away from X-2 with a nice, satisfying ending.
