Final Fantasy X is one of those games that's permanently engrained into my head as one of my all time favorites. Reasons why point to it being the first Final Fantasy I ever cleared, it's incredible story and memorable characters. Not to mention the music of course! FFX was released back in 2001 for the PS2 and marked as the franchise's first foray into 3D. This was also before the Enix merger so the company was still known as Squaresoft. With the era of the PS3, Vita and now current gen, Final Fantasy X and its sequel X-2 received HD Remasters so that generations of players new and old can experience this classic RPG. The version I played for review is the PS4 version which was released fairly recently in May of this year.
As you might have expected from the title, the most notable change between this and the original is the graphical update. The faces and textures were changed around thanks to the new advances in technology though some glitches can be seen such as hands clipping through the ground and hair being difficult since it's well...hair. There's also the option at the beginning of the game to choose between the original or a newly arranged soundtrack (which I went with and it's much better in some areas). Also note that the HD Remasters are the International/PAL versions that have only been released in Japan and Europe. So the Americans got their first taste at new additions such as the Expert Sphere Grid and Dark Aeons.
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| The Battle Screen is much cleaner |
So what's so great about FFX anyways? You follow the story of Tidus, a teenaged blitzball star whose been transported to the world of Spira after his home was destroyed by Sin. There he meets the newly fledged Summoner Yuna and travels with her on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin. Hoping that Tidus can return home when all of this ends. Most of the characters in the game are either 1 job or a mix of several classic jobs seen in past entries of the franchise. Tidus for example is a mix between a Warrior and a Time Mage. The lone swordsman Auron is more of a Samurai, and Yuna is a mix between a Summoner and White Mage.
Combat is turn based and you can see the flow of battle in a little window off to the side. It can of course be manipulated through spells like Haste or Slow. Game Over happens when your current party of 3 is either KO'd or incapacitated (Petrification or ejected from battle). Characters also have an ultimate move which can be accessed when they enter in Overdrive mode. These require either some special input (circling the analog stick as many times until time runs out, button combination, etc.) or just a selection. Unlike traditional RPG's, everyone is developed through what's known as the Sphere Grid. Here, everyone is placed in a certain spot and has a set path which increases their attributes such as HP, MP, Strength as well as learning new abilities. Once the character reaches his/her end, there's the option to venture into another section of the Sphere Grid occupied by another character. For example, Auron levels up his HP, defense and Strength, at the end of his section, he can move into where Tidus is which allows him to increase his speed thus allowing for faster turns.
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| Tidus' Sphere Grid |
The story as I've mentioned above is one of the best told by RPG standards and I expected no less from the Final Fantasy developer. Love, betrayal, and really awkward laugh scenes is inserted here. Chances are when you reach the end, you'll be close to crying or at least have your heart strings pulled. The arranged music is better in my opinion for certain tracks. Spira Unplugged has more of an acoustic guitar feel than it previously did and Zanarkand Ruins is just beautifully put together. I didn't really experience most of the extra content placed with this being the international version (I hated it actually as it screwed me out of certain items) but the optional bosses provide a definite challenge to those hardcore enough to take them on. Final Fantasy X HD is an incredible game made fresh for a new generation of gamers and I can definitely see myself going back through a second play-through in the near future.
Should you Play this Game?
Yes! Final Fantasy X HD is a great remaster of what could be called the definitive edition for those who missed out the first time. It's also perfect for people who wish to relive the beautiful story and be engrossed in its characters.
