I have spent ~20 hours playing the HD remake of Final Fantasy X — out today for PS3 and Vita. In short, it’s wonderful. Play it.
To try to capture what my experience has been like, here are the notes I took while playing FFX on PS3, presented with no edits whatsoever:
- Wow this game looks great. HD as heck.
- Tidus’s face sure is goofy.
- Love this music. GJ Uematsu.
- I forgot how genuinely interesting this world is — I love the concept of a world where demise is always inevitable and everyone’s always looking for a distraction. Everything is just so sad.
- How come nobody tells Wakka to stop trying to kill monsters with a fucking soccer ball.
- Couple of technical flaws here. Sometimes the music will pause, voices will skip, etc. Nothing major at all.
- No more jaggies!
- hahaha I forgot that Auron carries around a jug of sake. I’d need alcohol too if I had to travel around the world with Tidus and Yuna.
- Why can’t I pause during cut-scenes smh
- This is kind of like Final Fantasy XIII, but good.
- The coolest thing about FFX’s combat is that mid-battle party-swapping is a major part of the strategy — instead of just setting up a party and bringing them into battle, you can swap anyone in and out at your discretion, which is really neat.
- The Sphere Grid owns. What a smart idea for a level-up system.
- Can you really poison people in blitzball? I’m starting to suspect that the Spira Blitzball League does not care about player safety.
- Man, everyone always brings up that “HA HA HA HA HA” scene, but really, all the cut-scenes are just as awkward. The transitions are clunky, the editing is terrible, and the camera likes to hang way too long on close-ups of the characters’ weird-looking faces.
- Thirteen years later, these sphere puzzles are still bullshit.
- This game really is great though.
I’ll be working on a big, meaty review to be published when I’ve spent more time with FFX and its polarising sequel, the dress-up sim Final Fantasy X-2. Stay tuned for that. Meanwhile, if you’re wondering whether FFX is worth playing today, the answer is YES. If you’ve got questions, fire’em below.
Comments
18 responses to “13 Years Later, Final Fantasy X Is Still Great”
Can’t pause cutscenes? I remember being pissed about how you could ONLY pause cutscenes. I never did a second playthough of FFX because I couldn’t skip the cutscenes.
This might actually be worth picking up since I never got around to playing FFX-2 (anti-sequel-itis) but it’s probably better than 13 (which I didn’t bother finishing) sooooo yeah.
do you research on X-2 before making a purchase.
I loved X, but couldn’t bring myself to accept X-2.
Yeah, that’s pretty much why I never got X-2 at the time. I’d loved X and the idea of a sequel just made me mad (FF games don’t need sequels! They’re stand-alone universes of awesome!) and part of me still feels that way.
Another small part says “Dude, it’s been a long time. You might enjoy it.”
And then another part of me says “Speed 2” (or some variation of bad sequels) and I say no.
I was the same as you, I refused to accept its existence but one day I found it for cheap and gave it a go and I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the game and the continuation of the story. Admittedly I didn’t let anyone see me playing it coz all that J-Pop stuff is kinda embarrassing.
^This! This is why I wasn’t able to get through the game. Although much, much worse than that was when there are a mini-game where you had to give the ‘baddie’ a massage, when you got it right she groaned with pleasure… It was super awkward. I kept glancing at the door and wondering if i would be able to get to the power button on the remote fast enough if someone walked in… This is the last moment I remember of this game.
And another reason (FFX ending spoiler)
That and the ending of FFX while tragic was good. While the chance that Tidus might come back is a good they ruined Yuna by turning her into a pop-idol with guns and a short skirtPick it up just for the chance at replaying FFX in proper HD with redone textures and all that jazz and just pretend they are giving you FFX-2 for free in addition.
Thats what I did 😀
Yeah, I thought that point of view was implied. I’d be crazy to buy it “just” for X-2. 😀
Should I link the Spoony review or does that go without saying?
I got an email today that my limited edition has finally shipped from OGS. OH MY GOD did that make me squeal like a little girl. Just in time for my birthday. (which is tomorrow and knowing OGS i won’t get it for a fortnight but nonetheless I’m still counting it as a birthday present).
I got the same email last night, was glorious.
We have the same birthday! Happy birthday for tomorrow!
Thanks! Happy Birthday to you too!
“13 Years Later, Final Fantasy X Is Still Great”
13 – 10 = 3 ….
3rd Gen 3DS Pokémon remakes confirmed.
I picked up my copy this afternoon. Mostly excited for X-2.
Played through the first “mission” to get it over and done with because holy crapsticles does the game start off in a lame way.
Hahahahahaha holy shit yes
Thirteen years later, these sphere puzzles are still bullshit.
Pretty sure all the American folk never played the international but I cannot stress this enough (and I speak from experience here as we got the international version down in AUS)
MAKE SURE YOU DO THE TREASURE SPHERE PUZZLE IN THE MACALANIA TEMPLE
You do not want to have to go through
Dark Shivato get that treasure sphere to getAnimalater in the game, and by extensionThe Magus Sisters. I came close to starting from scratch multiple times beating my head against that PITA until I finally beat it, at which point I was so ridiculously powerful that it seemed almost pointlessThey didn’t give me a option to go in the temple
Final Fantasy X-2 is amazing! Give it a chance people! It’s got one of the best battle systems of any Final Fantasy game, heaps of different costumes, a so-bad-it’s-good soundtrack and some really wacky moments. It’s basically Japan’s gift to gay men.
Forget your pre conceptions and give it another go!
Dark Souls and FFX; so many hours gone. I am looking forward to X-2 as I never really gave it a chance. I also was massively dissapointed with FFXIII, I tried playing FFXIII=2 and put it down in disgust after a few hours. But a year or so later during a game drought I decided to play through the sequel just for the story and for a range of reasons (I wont bore you with the details) it finally clicked with me.
I went back and played FFXIII and recently Lightening Returns. In short I have had lot a fun with this series once I learnt to overlook their shortcomings and discover their admittedly well hidden depths. It’s become a guilty pleasure given how much hate this series draws. The only FF from FVII onwards that I have been unable to get past the first ten hours is FFVIII. Is it worth giving another chance?