Final fantasy X

[Dracos]

This review gets that rare benefit of being typed with the ending music still playing....

First off, this is Square's best showing in a final fantasy game in years.  By far.  While the game does have flaws, many very noticiable which I'll harp on soon enough, overall it is an enjoyable story with a superb battle system.

The animation in the game was all around stellar.  Despite the rare lag you'd encounter, always incredibly noticible though especially when in battle, the graphics ran smoothly and provided a feast for the eyes.  The summons were their best yet, particularly Yojimbo who provided a beautiful flash of Japanese culture.  The FMV scenes were also impressive throughout, though the japanese subtones in the artwork were fairly visible due to the vast amount of FMV's.  Only begrudgings I have here is the whistle scene during the game, where the animation/dubbing effects were just absolutely awful in their timing.  The artwork was still good but the execution was poor.

The sound, while occassionally repetative, was also superbly done.  The essence of their scenes really was accented by the wonderful musical score that was drawn up for the game.  The final boss music was particularly refreshing and yet another in a long line of impressive final boss themes from square.  A side note though.... the dubbing job in the American version is less than stellar.  Expect consistant out of sync actions and words.


Unfortunately the controls were less than what should have been expected from such a high quality game.  The lack of camera rotation (manual, it would automatically rotate the camera at times) was quite a pain and really made things more difficult sometimes.   The controls during the minigames, notably Chocobo Racer, were nothing short of pathetic.  Square could have done a hell of a better job with them but didn't.

The story...while amusing and occassionally touching, ran far more like an interactive movie than an RPG.  It failed the most important job of an rpg, giving the perception on non-linear freedom to the player.  This game failed that with spades.  By far the worst job square has done regarding linearity in an FF game ... ever.  The perception wasn't even this bad in Final Fantasy 1.

The airship and world map in particular lead to this.  Something I found that Square did a horrendous job on.  First off, when you originally see the map, it becomes shockingly clear how linear the game is going to be, it doesn't give you a 'map' as per old square games but instead a 'map' with a dotted line that you perfectly follow (As in Illusion of Gaia come to think of it) going directly in a set path with no room for exploration until the absolute end (When you are staring the last boss down) of the game.  Even then, the airship you use for this is pathetic.  It fails internal consistancy in a nutshell... you have an airship that can travel anywhere in the world and can pick you up from anywhere in the world too... but it has to drop you off often miles away from where you want to be... even though it can pick you up where you want to be easily.  I hate logic flaws like that.  In the end, what  could be a truly nifty airship system turns out to only accent how the game is designed to be utterly linear.

Another really stale element here is the minigames.  Square forgot the cardinal rule that  major quests (Like getting the most powerful weapons) should never be dependent upon minigames.  Yep, annoying minigames are the hallmark of almost every weapons quest.  Generally annoying.  Of particular note is the Chocobo Racing, which suffers from both poor controls (Having a five step range of motion is pathetic in the days of analogue for a racing game) and the requirement of a near perfect run to get the weapon.  Sorry, but that takes the gloating rights from the bloodyminded people who get perfect runs just so they can gloat.  The integral need to play blitzball for one character's quest is also quite annoying as it is absurdly time consuming (most of the quests take at best an hour or two....  this one takes at best ten to twenty without constant resets).

Script wise, they really should have done better.  Nothing bugs me like a character getting up to give a dramatic speech and not giving one.  Jecht was excellent in his script.  Auron was as well.  No one else had good script writing in the least.  And notably Wakka was came across as almost unbelievably stupid sometimes due to the script writing.  Additionally, whoever came up with the continual "THIS IS MY STORY" shit, should be canned.  That killed dramatic scenes dead quite often.

The big redeeming point to all this though is the Arena.  A royal pain in the ass to open, BUT one that really leaves a mark.  I consider myself a conssieur(sp) of great hidden bosses.  Which the final fantasy series hasn't seen in a long time (it's last set of great hidden bosses for those who care were Omegaweapon (Mark 1, in Final Fantasy Five) and Shinryu? from the same game).  But, they finally redeem themselves, setting a truly impressive set of demonic entities in the arena, completely extraneous to the game at large and existing (like any good hidden boss) almost solely for your amusement.  The combination of extraneous glory and incredibly difficult enemies just touches my evil heart.  Square truly earns great marks for this... actually making up for the horrid job they did in FF 7-9 with the hidden bosses.

Character designs could have been better...  this game demonstrates once again you can have weenie protagonist and still manage a good game.  Tidus, especially the american tidus, is a weenie.  Whichever nuthead came up with a barbarian beastman blue mage should be canned on the spot.  It was utterly disgraceful to see that.  Auron is the saving mark here.  An impressively well designed and thought out mentor type character.  The Japanese culture he represents in his design make him the most likable character in the cast, also surprisingly enough, the one with the deepest backstory.  Rikku was a better selphie..... but the character design is still weak.  Someone needs to remind them that 'bimbo' and 'tech wiz' are generally mutually exclusive terms.  Wakku.... they attempted jock and got retard most of the time... which was depressing.  The female protagonist was very likable in her actions.... again, the script writers dropped the ball when coming up with particularly heartfelt or moving lines for her.

On the battle system, it isn't entirely unique as they might claim... instead ripping rather candidly off the Breath of Fire 4 system done by Capcom, but this is still a good system.  You have three characters in at a time and can swap them out on their turn.  Only characters who participate in battle get experience and they used a 'sphere grid' level system (Basically each character had a set pattern which was equivelent to gaining attribute points and abilities).

On a personal note, I have to wonder at the lack of villainry from their historian in the game.  He so looked the part too.  I kept waiting for him to just spout fangs and attack in the middle of one of his many historical (Backstory) rantings.

And that, as they say, is that.

Dracos the Dark Heretic
Thinks he is a fair hand at reviewing

[Anastasia]

Ah hell, I can't resist posting on this.

A. You are absolutely right about the Chocobo Racing game.  That is perhaps the most annoying minigame ever, and it's for Tidus's ultimate weapon to boot.  I smell the work of Satan in that minigame....

B. On the other hand, I have to disagree with you about the FFX hidden bosses.  If anything, this was my least favorite batch of them in a long time.  Let's see....Capture X number of monsters, mix them together, and voila!  One super monster, hot off the presses.  Also, most of the lower two brackets were just color changed normal monsters, and a good chunk of the last bracket were old FF bosses.  Yeah, it was cool to fight Catastrophe and Shinryu again, but some originality would have been nice.  

The kicker is that the highest tier of extra bosses wasn't even in the US version.  In Final Fantasy X International(Also know as FFX v more money)  They are just super powered versions of your Aeons and a uber Sin as the final hidden boss, but they could have at least added them in.

Well, this is my two cents.  If you disagee, just take it with a grain of salt. :)  Enjoy. :)

[nemesis_zero]

I haven't played FFX yet (can't really afford a PS2, and even if I could I doubt I'd buy one) but it looks like just more of the same from square.  I can honestly say that I haven't enjoyed any FF games since 6(3 US), mostly because the system keeps getting farther from the stuff I liked and the ever-increasing feeling that this is a movie, not a game.  

I played 7 and 8 through just out of curiousity for the plot, but 9 completely failed to make me care about these freaks and I haven't looked back since.  Oh, for they glorious days when charecters were more individual than just different graphic sets and limit breaks on the same generic hero template, and summons were something special, not to be wasted on every creature you run across.

[Anastasia]

I was talking to everyone's favorite rodent a few days ago about FFX. I made a comment along the lines of: "Tidus was a shitty hero. Auron or Yuna would have made a better POV with a dab of plot tweaking". This got me pondering...

Do you think Tidus was a good choice for the hero and  main POV? Just curious, Drac.

[Dracos]

Tidus ended up contrived as a good one, simply because the whole story was written behind him.  The whole "This is my story" Shit.  No, I don't think putting Yuna as the focus would have salvaged this.  Nor do I think Auron would have done well as primary spotlight character.  It wasn't in his design.  The problem was far and above with the writing style.  Which is why revolving the main character wouldn't have salvaged it as they would have included many of the same quirks in story writing which would have decoolified ANY protagonist they put there.

Simply, they didn't have a good protagonist character.  Following Auron properly would have made it less free roaming even then it already was.  Following Yuna would likely have resulted in the same.  But then, I will admit, Yuna would have felt far less like some SI bullshit than Tidus.

The problem was with how the story was written and conveyed more than the weenie protagonist.  Conveyed properly and they could have convinced us Tidus was cool, even though he isn't.  Done how they did it and even a very interesting protagonist would have fallen apart.

There's a fine line between mystique and weenie...  and they were way past that.
^_^;

Fearless Leader
BLATHERS!

[Anastasia]

Tidus ended up contrived as a good one, simply because the whole story was written behind him.  The whole "This is my story" Shit.

I shall gladly second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh eighth, ninth and TENTH that sentiment. The line 'This is my story' ala Tidus was twenty pounds of moldy BS jammed down the gamer's throats. Fuck that.

If it was anyone's story; it was Auron's or Yuna's story.

Nor do I think Auron would have done well as primary spotlight character.  It wasn't in his design.

To a degree, I do not agree with that. IMO, Auron had all the bones to be a main character - First and foremost, he was interesting, the obvious must have for a good main.  Dark, older and brooding, he brought mystique and his own blunt charisma onstage. Tidus lacked this, or any good personailty. He lacked it hard...I dunno, did he trade it in for Meg Ryan's shemale body?

Anyhow, I digress.

Secondly, he has the tragic past thing going for him. Certainly, that aspect is cliched to Sulpher Pit, Hell and back, but it is still a workable aspect when done well.  And IMO, it was done well with Auron. Really, he played that to a shining T.

Thirdly, while Yuna was the party leader in name, and Tidus may have made a claim to it, Auron was really the force behind the party. He kept things going in the direction he wanted, and nudged events to the path he needed them to go. He just seemed to run things, you know?

Simply, they didn't have a good protagonist character.  Following Auron properly would have made it less free roaming even then it already was.

Truthfully, the game was so deficient in free roaming or non linearity(or whatever you wish to call it) that sapping more of it for a character change would be a minimal loss.

But then, I will admit, Yuna would have felt far less like some SI bullshit than Tidus.

Tidus struck you as SIish? Huh. Care to elaborate on that? I'm curious.

I'll quit there...I rambled a good deal.

[Dracos]

The reason I disagree with Auron is simply, he wouldn't have been as cool being on camera the whole time.  It was the little bits off camera which really brought his mystique to focus.  He's more of a guiding wiseman character, and does that extremely well.  He wouldn't be nearly as nifty if he was the main...  primarily because of square's fashion of having to have the main develop in some fashion over the course of the series.  I mean their personality, not so much their story.  Auron was solid throughout, I don't believe he really 'developed' because he was already developed before we first met him.  The only difference by end game is we know his story.

Thinking back on it, I do verily think that Tidus was SI'ish.  The whole "Yeah yeah, I know, I can't die.  The story revolves around me."  Type of bullshit.  He wasn't native to the story really, father bullshit aside which was, for the most part, irrelevent.  The whole story could have gone off without him being there without a hitch I think.  And this is primarily as he's inserted into the story, not native to it.  If not SI in the traditional sense, he is definitely a foreign element in the story.

Fearless Leader

[Anastasia]

The reason I disagree with Auron is simply, he wouldn't have been as cool being on camera the whole time.  It was the little bits off camera which really brought his mystique to focus.  He's more of a guiding wiseman character, and does that extremely well.  He wouldn't be nearly as nifty if he was the main...  primarily because of square's fashion of having to have the main develop in some fashion over the course of the series.  I mean their personality, not so much their story.  Auron was solid throughout, I don't believe he really 'developed' because he was already developed before we first met him.  The only difference by end game is we know his story.

Myself, I think with a deft touch and not playing 'OMG LET'TS MAKE HIM SoFTRY GROW LOLLOERSZ!' with him, it would have worked. Done well, I think that mystique could have been maintained and even enhanced... *Shrugs*

You may very well be right about Square forcing development on him, though. -_- Still, in spite of that, I feel confident in holding to the assessment Auron would make a better main character/POV.

That kind of hits on another point, also - Would a static character have jived as the hero? I've always felt dynamic characters to be just a bit overrated...

Thinking back on it, I do verily think that Tidus was SI'ish.  The whole "Yeah yeah, I know, I can't die.  The story revolves around me."  Type of bullshit.  He wasn't native to the story really, father bullshit aside which was, for the most part, irrelevent.  The whole story could have gone off without him being there without a hitch I think.  And this is primarily as he's inserted into the story, not native to it.  If not SI in the traditional sense, he is definitely a foreign element in the story.

Hmm. I think his insertion into Spira and his attitude can very well be percieved as SIish. I did not see it that way ingame(I payed more attention to Auron and how dickgirl supreme needed to drink paint thinner...But again, I digress.) Following that line of though, the entire plot of FFX could be seen as no more than some guy's SI.

Scary thought that a FF game may have fallen to that depth.

[Dracos]

I do not believe there is any problem with a static hero.  There are indeed times when a static hero is best.  Unfortunately, I also don't think Square's writing squad for FFX could have done it.  They simply didn't have the calibur of writer to write what you are talking of.

SI'sh rpgs aren't something particularly unsurprising, nor is Square sinking to that level.  I've played King's Knight!  Nothing Square can throw at me shalt phase me!

Fearless Leader
"Your characters are all already dead..." "What?! I've only been playing for fourty five seconds!"

[Anastasia]

I do not believe there is any problem with a static hero.  There are indeed times when a static hero is best.  Unfortunately, I also don't think Square's writing squad for FFX could have done it.  They simply didn't have the calibur of writer to write what you are talking of.

I can understand your sceptism on that front. That's more than fair.

SI'sh rpgs aren't something particularly unsurprising, nor is Square sinking to that level.  I've played King's Knight!  Nothing Square can throw at me shalt phase me!

King's Knight? Dare I ask?

[kpjam]

Hmmm....

1)  Tidus had to be the main character.  The concept behind him, the part he played in the story was an extremely cool concept.  The ghost of a long dead civilization becomes sentient and destroys the other ghosts that were taking over the planet.   That's cool shit.  Unfortunately, they ruined with the actual character of Tidus, the 'this is my story', which since he's a construct pawn is wrong, as well as highly annoying and just doesn't fit.  If you change the main character, you really throw that entire perspective away.
2) If they wanted to re-write the perspective of the whole story.... Yuna would have been a fine protagonists.  It's probably the reason she gets a sequel, although Rikku in the seguel would be cooler since she's way cooler.
3)  I don't think he was SI, or more than any other square or RPG character.  Dracos' eloquent arguement fails in regards to two essential aspect of an SI, "omniscience" complete problem solver.  I don't know how other people finished the game, but my biggest guns were Rikku, Yuna, Auron, and the occasion hit of black magic and petrifying moogle from Lulu.  

gah.  I could go on, but I've stated the points I think are most important.  Oh, Rikku looks great in the trailers for FFX-2.  I want the game just for her!

[Dracos]

I think you raise an excellent point KPjam.  The problem was more the execution of the main and who they choose to be it.  Had he been punk ass cool, we'd have liked him.  Instead he's lame ass extreme.  Therefore we hate him.

While he wasn't omniscient in any sense of the word, if you actually do finish his damn side quests, he's pretty fucking omnipotent.  Complete that with easily the most powerful route through the sphere grid and we get someone who's just uber.  Anyhow, I still feel he feels like a foreign element to the story.  That's more from how the executed him than the actual story construction.  They didn't help it either with making it appear as if he was totally unnecessary to the story.  The whole battles against sin were quite contrived.  "Yeah, why exactly are we down here fighting his fin?  Oh yeah, because we don't want to use our uber cannons until we've beat it up!".  bah, I blather, damn headache X_X

And no, you do not want to know about King's Knight.

Kind Fearless Leader

[Anastasia]

And no, you do not want to know about King's Knight.


Heh, was it that bad? It sounds like some bad Apple II game on 5 and a 1/3 floppys.

[Dracos]

Let's just say, there is a reason Square was at the edge of bankruptcy in the pre-FF era.

Fearless Leader

[Dracos]

...  Yes, it was an NES game.

Fearless Leader