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With the recently released Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, Gaming Till Dawn decided to look at the original and highlight just why it's such an incredible experience.
Originally released back in 2001, Final Fantasy X is considered a breakthrough in the series as it utilized voice-acting, impressive visuals and an incredible narrative that could pull the heart strings of the toughest gamer. The game's story starts on the horizon of the ruined city of Zanarkand, in which we are briefly introduced to the main protagonist; Tidus - an emotional yet determined character who you'll be playing as throughout this epic adventure. Other characters can be spotted, but at this point literally nothing is known of them - this is actually a point later on in the game, but for those who haven't played Final Fantasy X, no spoilers will be given.
You'll travel throughout Spira as the guardian to Yuna - a summoner who's mission it is to rid the world of Sin, a gigantic monster who holds more secrets to Spira than initially meets the eye. Other guardians include Wakka, a larger than life Blitzball player, Lulu, a mysterious and knowledgeable black mage, Kimahri, a member of the Ronso tribe who swore to protect Yuna no matter what - those are the intial characters, later on you'll acquire Auron, a guardian of Tidus' father Jecht who promised he would look after Tidus, and finally Rikku, a member of the Al Bhed who isn't afraid of stealing items now and again. retroreview
There is so much to talk about with this game, so let's start with the sphere grid - like every Final Fantasy title, there comes a method to build up your character, and the sphere grid is perhaps one of the most unique ways of doing that. No longer do the characters simply level up and gain stat upgrades that way, rather you are encouraged to navigate a grid with upgrades dotted around the "map" so to speak, allowing you to custom design the way certain characters enhance themselves, for example, Lulu could pursue the white mage class instead - although that's not strongly advised, but is a good way of demonstrating the creativity involved with the sphere grid. Maybe you want to avoid the linear route you're expected to go and attempt to play the game in different ways by applying specific upgrades to characters in a non-conventional way.
Compared to today's graphics and visual enhancements, Final Fantasy X might not be impressive but at the time they were absolutely breathtaking and took full advantage of the PS2's software. This created some of the most visually striking environments, whether it was the sun-drenched island of Besaid full of tropical trees and small huts or the massive city of Luca, sporting the gigantic Blitzball sphere and modern technology such as video cameras and gigantic television screens - no matter where you went, highly detailed graphics were guaranteed. All of the characters had their own distinctive look, ranging from Yuna's discreet dress, Kimahri's furry blue skin or Auron's red coat and shades.
Speaking of characters, each offer an extremely interesting backstory - throughout the game, you'll get hints here and there of other characters, for example Kimhari's involvement with fellow Ronso's or how Auron got to Spira in the first place. It's nice that the game doesn't simply focus on Tidus, rather gives you a broad understanding of why everyone else is here and what their goals are aside from protecting Yuna.
The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's played a Final Fantasy game - the track "To Zanarkand" is one of the most memorable, giving you this beautiful atmosphere whenever it's played. Another notable track is "Suteki Da Ne", which is mesmerizing when heard - just a fantastic track that reflects the struggles and triumphs Tidus and the rest of the group have experienced on their travels. However, there are some really nice upbeat tracks such as "Seymour Battle" and of course the "Chocobo Theme".
Let's get down to the actual gameplay - Final Fantasy X has a gigantic library of enemies, most of which have a unique strength and/or weakness, allowing players to tactically decide their next move based on a particular enemy's traits. Before this game, most Final Fantasy titles had an active time battle (ATB) system (introduced in Final Fantasy IV), which let you choose your action once the waiting bar was filled, however, Final Fantasy X offers an original and unique system that allows you to take your time - this is known as the conditional turn-based battle system (CTB). The CTB system gives you the chance to think out your next decision without the pressure of having to worry about the enemy attacking you, which is a fantastic feature especially for those tough boss battles later on.
There's a ton of mini-games to take part in, some more popular than others - however, it's Blitzball that really steals the show, this is an underwater sports game of sorts that pits teams of five against each other. It's a nice addition and gives you something to do if you want a break from the main narrative. Other mini-games include the infamous Chocobo Trainer - a series of events that test your Chocobo riding skills, although it's often frustrating and difficult as the Chocobo doesn't exactly go where you need it to most of the time.
Overall, Final Fantasy X will give you approximately 50 hours of fantastic gameplay accompanied with one of the best narratives in gaming history, however those who wish to fully experience the game should spend 80-90 hours, making sure all of the sidequests are completed or the sphere grids are fully maxed out. Either way, no matter how you play it, this is one of the best games not only on the PS2 but in the entire Final Fantasy series. If you haven't played it, go out and purchase the HD Remaster, which actually includes Final Fantasy X-2 as well, but that's another review all together.
10/10
