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Review By: Christopher
Coey |
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| Developer: |
Square |
| Publisher: |
Square
EA |
| # of
Players: |
1 |
| Genre: |
RPG |
| ESRB: |
Teen |
| Online: |
No |
| Accessories: |
Memory
Card |
| Date
Posted: |
4-8-02 |
This time around, the combat system abandons the active-time
battle of the last two FF games, and moves back to a turn-based system. The added feature
is on-the-fly, mid-battle character swapping. What the new system does is
add a new layer of strategy to old school turn based games. Having to decide
which character is best at any point in the battle, not to mention which
attack or spell to use makes some battles extremely challenging. After
winning battles, you gain AP (basically experience points) which can be used
in the new level-up system, known as the sphere grid. The sphere grid is a
massive grid with every ability and spell connected in a series of 'nodes'.
Each character starts at a predetermined point on the grid, then takes steps
from one node to the next, gaining skills as they progress. I personally
wasn't overly impressed with the new system, it seemed somewhat limited to
me, and added a sense of restriction to the game.
I mentioned before the first thing that comes to mind when playing this
game; the final thought that will come to mind is: "wow, that was a
freakin' long game!" Personally, I spent a lot of time going though the added levels
and extras. I also spent a lot of time playing blitzball. So by the time I
actually defeated the final boss and cleared the game, I was at over 70
hours of gameplay (and I'll mention now that it's a little disconcerting
sometimes that the game keeps track of the number of hours each time you
save, sometimes I just don't want to know that I spent the last 10 hours
straight playing the same game.) So, as far as value for money, there's no
better game. The dollars spent, versus quality game time ratio is off the
charts.
The "extras" that I mentioned in the game are strictly for the hardcore.
They ONLY add replay value, and don't really effect the main story of the
game. The first, and most obvious is the main mini-game. This time around,
the FF mini-game is a soccer, water-polo hybrid called Blitzball. Blitzball
is as much a part of the culture in the world in which the game takes place,
and baseball was to Americans in its heyday. The game is not as crazy/involved as that damn card game in
FFVIII, and if you get into it, it can be a lot of fun. Although, it seems like the players in the game can
breath underwater, as well as a few other characters in the game, but not
all of them. I found it a little weird that this phenomenon was never
explained.
Some other extras come by way of the inclusion of a so-called "legendary
weapon" for each of the 7 main characters. Other than from what I read
online, or happen to see in player guides, there is absolutely NO references
to these weapons within the game. Nor do you need them to complete the game.
So, incase you weren't aware of these weapons before reading this article,
keep in mind that finding them and maxing out their power is more difficult
than anything else in the game (aside from the fabled Omega Dungeon, yet
another 'extra'.) The whole thing is actually pretty crazy considering how
elaborate the steps are that you need to accomplish in order use the
weapons. Especially so since the only way to get them is to buy a guide or
go online and follow the steps. It's not possible to use any of them
otherwise (there's no way anyone could actually do it on there own, or by
accident.) BUT, as I said, for the hardcore, it's a hell of a challenge.
There's a lot more to complete than just the game itself. I would estimate
over 100 hours in order to even come close to doing everything there is to
do. The game is HUGE!
HIGHS:
- Superbly crafted story and characters
- Challenging combat system
- Best PS2 RPG to date
LOWS:
- Most of the game is very linear
- Extreme length of play
- Weak level-up system
FINAL VERDICT:
Not only possibly the best
Final Fantasy game to date, easily the best PS2 RPG released so far. Square, as a company, seems to take games more
seriously than any other developer, especially for RPGs. The productions
values alone are staggering. Final Fantasy X could be compared to a big
budget Hollywood film in terms of the story, character development, music,
sound effects etc. So if any of these things are important to you as a
gamer, you'll love this game. Top quality in terms of graphics, but more
important for an RPG is the quality of the combat system. Over all, this is
a great campaign game, and offers incredible length of quality gameplay,
which stays challenging throughout. A perfect entry into an already stellar
franchise.
Overall
Score:
9.5
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