Game No. 144
Title: Final Fantasy X
Developer: Square Product Development Division 1
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: July 19, 2001 (Japan)
Comment: I hardly think it would be an exaggeration to claim that the arrival of the tenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series was eagerly anticipated among video game journalists and players alike, seeing as it was the first entry to be released for a sixth generation console. Along with a number of technical advances, the game featured various redesigns to the gameplay formula, as well as other changes noted below. It introduced fully three-dimensional environments and took an approach to how the in-game world was presented and explored that differed significantly from preceding entries in the series. It reinstated more realistically proportioned character designs, similar to those of VIII, and introduced voice acting. In addition to upholding the unofficial tradition of substituting the character customization system of the immediately preceding entry with a new one, the development team discarded the long-standing Active Time Battle system in favour of a new design called the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system. On the aural side of things, the title marks the first instance in which the series' veteran composer Nobuo Uematsu collaborated with others in writing the soundtrack, namely Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. Met with widespread critical praise upon release, X also went on to accumulate sales second only to those of VII.
The story starts in medias res, where the game's main protagonist, a teenage athlete named Tidus, recounts how he and his companions ended up in their current situation. Tidus, a summoner named Yuna, and several other individuals have joined forces in their attempts to vanquish an enormous, fierce creature known as Sin, which has wreaked havoc on the world of Spira.
While gameplay still generally rests on a foundation laid by prior installments, the visual presentation has now fully entered the three-dimensional realm. As a reflection of this, the game is viewed from dynamic camera angles that pans depending on the current surroundings, and the expansive overworld, a staple of the series up until this point, has been removed. Instead, exploration is conducted through smaller, segmented locations that are introduced gradually as players progress. As per usual in this franchise, the game features an assortment of optional mini-games, including an underwater sport called "Blitzball".
The system for character customization in this entry is called the Sphere Grid. Accumulation of Ability Points still plays a central role, as they replace experience points entirely. Party members acquire Ability Points through battle participation and once they have amassed a sufficient amount of these points they will gain a so called Sphere Level. Attaining a higher Sphere Level allows the character in question to move around a grid of interconnected spheres, each representing a stat boost or new abilities of various kinds. Yet, in order to actually gain what the given sphere offers, one must also spend a so called sphere item of the appropriate type. While each character starts off with relatively distinct specializations, it is possible to utilize this system to have party members gain enhancements and learn abilities that are initially closer linked to other characters. There are reportedly three different versions of this grid, one unique to the North American release, while the two others are only available in the International and PAL versions of the title.
The battle system has received a substantial overhaul in the form of the aforementioned Conditional Turn-Based Battle system. Thus, combat is once again entirely turn-based, without any filling gauges, although still occurring through random encounters. The order by which each participant will act is dictated by their Agility stats and is visually represented by a vertical display on the right edge of the screen. The amount of party members one may bring into fights simultaneously has yet again been reduced to three. But this time around, one can switch to a character not currently part of the active party whenever one see fit. Trance mode has been replaced with a new variation on the Limit Break formula called Overdrive. As before, a meter must be filled in order to activate an Overdrive attack. Initially, this mechanic works like in earlier installments, requiring the character in question to suffer a sufficient amount of damage before it can be executed. But through the Sphere Grid one can unlock other means that enable party members to unleash these strikes. These include attacking enemies, employing other abilities, and using items. In order to learn additional Overdrive techniques the different party members must engage in diverse activities, some part of the battle system while others can be found outside of it. Reinstated from VIII is an interactive element to these abilities, as they generally can be further strengthened by inputting precisely timed button presses. Furthermore, the summoning system has been redesigned. Called Aeons in this particular installment, summons can only be called forth by Yuna, and once summoned they replace the entire active party. This will last until the player withdraws them, the battle has been won, or they are defeated. Summons come with their own stats, spells, and Overdrive attacks, effectively making them separate party members of sorts.
Worldwide sales figures for the PlayStation 2 version of Final Fantasy X exceed 8.3 million copies. Critical examinations appear nearly unanimous in their acclaim of this title. Most praise seems to have been directed towards the graphics, frequently described as a stellar showcase of the PlayStation 2's hardware capabilities; the soundtrack, which has oft been cited to feature a wider assortment of styles than those of its predecessors; its perceived lasting value, estimated to range from 50 to 80 hours depending on whether or not a given player will choose to explore the game's contents beyond the main quest; and the story, for its themes, plot twists, and characterizations. Other lauded features include the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system, which reviewers appear to have considered a welcome reworking of the series' combat mechanics; the Sphere Grid, due to the varied options it has been deemed to present for character customization; the voice acting, seemingly regarded as solid in general; and sound effects. However, even though critics have showered nearly every facet of this title in commendations, there is one particular design decision which a substantial amount of examiners have responded to with pronounced rejection: the absence of a traversable overworld. Reviewers have repeatedly argued that presenting the world by way of a predetermined path makes for a thoroughly linear experience and bereaves the game of much of the element of exploration they maintain formed an integral part of previous entries in the series. And while they commonly acknowledge that the game opens up at a later stage in the main quest, this doesn't appear to have swayed their opinions in this matter in a more favourable disposition. Even so, if top games lists and readers' polls that have been printed in various publications throughout the years are any indication, this particular issue doesn't seem to have diminished X's reputation as one of the most popularly and critically revered role-playing games released for the second PlayStation platform, and indeed in the course of the sixth generation of consoles.
Title: Final Fantasy X
Developer: Square Product Development Division 1
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: July 19, 2001 (Japan)
Comment: I hardly think it would be an exaggeration to claim that the arrival of the tenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series was eagerly anticipated among video game journalists and players alike, seeing as it was the first entry to be released for a sixth generation console. Along with a number of technical advances, the game featured various redesigns to the gameplay formula, as well as other changes noted below. It introduced fully three-dimensional environments and took an approach to how the in-game world was presented and explored that differed significantly from preceding entries in the series. It reinstated more realistically proportioned character designs, similar to those of VIII, and introduced voice acting. In addition to upholding the unofficial tradition of substituting the character customization system of the immediately preceding entry with a new one, the development team discarded the long-standing Active Time Battle system in favour of a new design called the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system. On the aural side of things, the title marks the first instance in which the series' veteran composer Nobuo Uematsu collaborated with others in writing the soundtrack, namely Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. Met with widespread critical praise upon release, X also went on to accumulate sales second only to those of VII.
The story starts in medias res, where the game's main protagonist, a teenage athlete named Tidus, recounts how he and his companions ended up in their current situation. Tidus, a summoner named Yuna, and several other individuals have joined forces in their attempts to vanquish an enormous, fierce creature known as Sin, which has wreaked havoc on the world of Spira.
While gameplay still generally rests on a foundation laid by prior installments, the visual presentation has now fully entered the three-dimensional realm. As a reflection of this, the game is viewed from dynamic camera angles that pans depending on the current surroundings, and the expansive overworld, a staple of the series up until this point, has been removed. Instead, exploration is conducted through smaller, segmented locations that are introduced gradually as players progress. As per usual in this franchise, the game features an assortment of optional mini-games, including an underwater sport called "Blitzball".
The system for character customization in this entry is called the Sphere Grid. Accumulation of Ability Points still plays a central role, as they replace experience points entirely. Party members acquire Ability Points through battle participation and once they have amassed a sufficient amount of these points they will gain a so called Sphere Level. Attaining a higher Sphere Level allows the character in question to move around a grid of interconnected spheres, each representing a stat boost or new abilities of various kinds. Yet, in order to actually gain what the given sphere offers, one must also spend a so called sphere item of the appropriate type. While each character starts off with relatively distinct specializations, it is possible to utilize this system to have party members gain enhancements and learn abilities that are initially closer linked to other characters. There are reportedly three different versions of this grid, one unique to the North American release, while the two others are only available in the International and PAL versions of the title.
The battle system has received a substantial overhaul in the form of the aforementioned Conditional Turn-Based Battle system. Thus, combat is once again entirely turn-based, without any filling gauges, although still occurring through random encounters. The order by which each participant will act is dictated by their Agility stats and is visually represented by a vertical display on the right edge of the screen. The amount of party members one may bring into fights simultaneously has yet again been reduced to three. But this time around, one can switch to a character not currently part of the active party whenever one see fit. Trance mode has been replaced with a new variation on the Limit Break formula called Overdrive. As before, a meter must be filled in order to activate an Overdrive attack. Initially, this mechanic works like in earlier installments, requiring the character in question to suffer a sufficient amount of damage before it can be executed. But through the Sphere Grid one can unlock other means that enable party members to unleash these strikes. These include attacking enemies, employing other abilities, and using items. In order to learn additional Overdrive techniques the different party members must engage in diverse activities, some part of the battle system while others can be found outside of it. Reinstated from VIII is an interactive element to these abilities, as they generally can be further strengthened by inputting precisely timed button presses. Furthermore, the summoning system has been redesigned. Called Aeons in this particular installment, summons can only be called forth by Yuna, and once summoned they replace the entire active party. This will last until the player withdraws them, the battle has been won, or they are defeated. Summons come with their own stats, spells, and Overdrive attacks, effectively making them separate party members of sorts.
Worldwide sales figures for the PlayStation 2 version of Final Fantasy X exceed 8.3 million copies. Critical examinations appear nearly unanimous in their acclaim of this title. Most praise seems to have been directed towards the graphics, frequently described as a stellar showcase of the PlayStation 2's hardware capabilities; the soundtrack, which has oft been cited to feature a wider assortment of styles than those of its predecessors; its perceived lasting value, estimated to range from 50 to 80 hours depending on whether or not a given player will choose to explore the game's contents beyond the main quest; and the story, for its themes, plot twists, and characterizations. Other lauded features include the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system, which reviewers appear to have considered a welcome reworking of the series' combat mechanics; the Sphere Grid, due to the varied options it has been deemed to present for character customization; the voice acting, seemingly regarded as solid in general; and sound effects. However, even though critics have showered nearly every facet of this title in commendations, there is one particular design decision which a substantial amount of examiners have responded to with pronounced rejection: the absence of a traversable overworld. Reviewers have repeatedly argued that presenting the world by way of a predetermined path makes for a thoroughly linear experience and bereaves the game of much of the element of exploration they maintain formed an integral part of previous entries in the series. And while they commonly acknowledge that the game opens up at a later stage in the main quest, this doesn't appear to have swayed their opinions in this matter in a more favourable disposition. Even so, if top games lists and readers' polls that have been printed in various publications throughout the years are any indication, this particular issue doesn't seem to have diminished X's reputation as one of the most popularly and critically revered role-playing games released for the second PlayStation platform, and indeed in the course of the sixth generation of consoles.
