I just finished Final Fantasy X for the first time. It was fine. It's better than I remember, but I think nostalgia is clouding my judgement. It's more... Final Fantasy than more recent games, and I think that is the primary reason I enjoyed it. Here are some last thoughts, just written as they come to mind.

Tidus is still the absolute worst character in the entire franchise. I did find the other characters more likable the second time around, though. I enjoyed how Auron's character is developed in the past, that worked well. Too bad that the weakest characters, Yuna and Tidus, are the most important. Their "romance" scenes are probably the worst and most awkward in the world of JRPGs.

Gameplay wise, it holds up. I understand why they changed the battle system, and I enjoyed it. I still prefer the classic ATB style, but I like this more than XIII's paradigms. I like the sphere grid more than I did the first time around, but it was poorly designed in some ways. Kimahri is handicapped right out of the gate because of poor design.

Interestingly enough, the same team that made XIII was behind X. There are some definite similarities between the two games. Most apparent would have to be how linear each game is. Honestly, X and XIII are the most linear games in the series. X was the first game to omit the world map, and the entire game is mostly running forward, just like XIII. The major difference is that someone made an attempt to add a little variety to the areas in X. Places like the Thunder Plains mix things up. The maps are just designed better in X, as well. None of them are floating catwalks. Finally, the areas don't feel dragged out like they do in XIII. Though it's just as linear, the linearity of X never frustrated me like it did in XIII. (On a side note, I think just as many comparisons could be drawn between X and VIII, which seems to have been the primary inspiration for X's gameplay system).

X probably has one of the better musical scores in the series. Of course, because it is so good, they had to top it off with the absolute boss music ever conceived. I wanted to kill my self when I found Jecht.

I just want all of your ears to bleed with mine.

So, because I am a human who plays video games, I have some strange attachment to lists. I will now rank the Final Fantasy games I have completed from favorite to least favorite in the order that pleases me at this very moment. The order changes pretty much daily, though the first four are always the first four. So you all know, I adore each and every one of these games. Being at the end of the list doesn't mean I dislike the game. Not included are spin-offs or MMORPGs.

1. Final Fantasy IX
2. Final Fantasy VI
3. Final Fantasy VIII
4. Final Fantasy V
5. Final Fantasy XII
6. Final Fantasy VII
7. Final Fantasy IV
8. Final Fantasy X
9. Final Fantasy XIII

So, there you have it. I'm now about halfway through III, and hope to finish it soon. Then I'll move on to II, and finish it off with the original. I've also been playing FFXIV, and I enjoy it. I know, crazy.

Please, share with me your thoughts.

*Oh, as a historical final note, you may all find it interesting to know that FFX is the first game in the franchise that I purchased after having anticipating it's release. I had already played VIII extensively, but not until a year or two after it was released. I played X until I decided it was the worst game ever made, and then sold it. That's not interesting at all, but I typed it, so it's going to stay right here.

I just finished Final Fantasy X for the first time. It was fine. It's better than I remember, but I think nostalgia is clouding my judgement. It's more... Final Fantasy than more recent games, and I think that is the primary reason I enjoyed it. Here are some last thoughts, just written as they come to mind.

Tidus is still the absolute worst character in the entire franchise. I did find the other characters more likable the second time around, though. I enjoyed how Auron's character is developed in the past, that worked well. Too bad that the weakest characters, Yuna and Tidus, are the most important. Their "romance" scenes are probably the worst and most awkward in the world of JRPGs.

Gameplay wise, it holds up. I understand why they changed the battle system, and I enjoyed it. I still prefer the classic ATB style, but I like this more than XIII's paradigms. I like the sphere grid more than I did the first time around, but it was poorly designed in some ways. Kimahri is handicapped right out of the gate because of poor design.

Interestingly enough, the same team that made XIII was behind X. There are some definite similarities between the two games. Most apparent would have to be how linear each game is. Honestly, X and XIII are the most linear games in the series. X was the first game to omit the world map, and the entire game is mostly running forward, just like XIII. The major difference is that someone made an attempt to add a little variety to the areas in X. Places like the Thunder Plains mix things up. The maps are just designed better in X, as well. None of them are floating catwalks. Finally, the areas don't feel dragged out like they do in XIII. Though it's just as linear, the linearity of X never frustrated me like it did in XIII. (On a side note, I think just as many comparisons could be drawn between X and VIII, which seems to have been the primary inspiration for X's gameplay system).

X probably has one of the better musical scores in the series. Of course, because it is so good, they had to top it off with the absolute boss music ever conceived. I wanted to kill my self when I found Jecht.

I just want all of your ears to bleed with mine.

So, because I am a human who plays video games, I have some strange attachment to lists. I will now rank the Final Fantasy games I have completed from favorite to least favorite in the order that pleases me at this very moment. The order changes pretty much daily, though the first four are always the first four. So you all know, I adore each and every one of these games. Being at the end of the list doesn't mean I dislike the game. Not included are spin-offs or MMORPGs.

1. Final Fantasy IX
2. Final Fantasy VI
3. Final Fantasy VIII
4. Final Fantasy V
5. Final Fantasy XII
6. Final Fantasy VII
7. Final Fantasy IV
8. Final Fantasy X
9. Final Fantasy XIII

So, there you have it. I'm now about halfway through III, and hope to finish it soon. Then I'll move on to II, and finish it off with the original. I've also been playing FFXIV, and I enjoy it. I know, crazy.

Please, share with me your thoughts.

*Oh, as a historical final note, you may all find it interesting to know that FFX is the first game in the franchise that I purchased after having anticipating it's release. I had already played VIII extensively, but not until a year or two after it was released. I played X until I decided it was the worst game ever made, and then sold it. That's not interesting at all, but I typed it, so it's going to stay right here.

I always felt like Tidus was a worse character in retrospect than he was at the time. You're right that he's pretty much insufferable at this point, but over ten years ago, and going through it for the first time, he felt slightly better somehow.
 
The combat system of X was always my favorite, though. The previous ATB systems were fine too, but everything that came after X started to feel worse and worse for me. XII started to make things automated, and XIII was too mashy with an anemic number of job abilities and spells. X allowed for a greater degree of strategy. What I mostly appreciated in battle about X compared to the others, though, was the way they handled summoning. I was just better. They were more powerful and useful, as opposed to how useless they ended up in XIII.

@Marokai: I agree about Tidus. I had always disliked him, but I found him much worse in this second play through. His battle taunts and his whining in cut scenes just make him unbearable.

What I like about X's battle system is how it was adapted to allow you to switch out characters on the fly. Further, it encourages you to use every character. I like how they mixed up the enemy types so that some were best handled by certain characters. Overall, the system is very smartly designed, and well balanced. Playing it 10 years later, I was actually shocked that it felt so fresh. I'm now hoping that someone attempts to make a more traditional (and simple) turn-based RPG like FFX, because this game has shown me that it can still be fun.

As for XIII, I don't think the poor spell variety meant anything, because I never felt the need to do anything but auto-battle. I did try to look through my spells once, but the game does nothing to help you learn about the different spells. The most I ever did was change paradigms until I unlocked each character's super ability, which I then abused for no other reason than that it looked cool. I didn't ever use summons because, as you said, they're totally useless. I also preferred to forget that someone at SE thought it would be a good thing to make Shiva a motorcycle and Odin a transformer.

I never did finish that game. All I remember is just flying around the world gathering the legendary weapons and going to the secret dungeons but never committing to the "no-turning-back-now point" even though I'm fairly sure I could 2 shot the final bosses. One day I'll finish it and then play more than 45 minutes of X-2.

FFX was alright. I certainly like it better in hindsight than I did upon its release. I disagree about Tidus. For some reason his character really began to resonate with me. I think it's because the farther you go along in the game the more ... mature he seems to become? You should definitely check out FF Tactics. Even though it isn't numbered it's still tied with Final Fantasy IX as my favorite.

@PokeIkzai said:

FFX was alright. I certainly like it better in hindsight than I did upon its release. I disagree about Tidus. For some reason his character really began to resonate with me. I think it's because the farther you go along in the game the more ... mature he seems to become? You should definitely check out FF Tactics. Even though it isn't numbered it's still tied with Final Fantasy IX as my favorite.

This. I think Tidus is a great character honestly, Same with Yuna. I should also mention that the laugh scene totally makes sense once you play through the game along with the more subtle moments. Seriously, hate for the two seems really stupid to me. I guess realistic characters are the worst I guess.

X happened to be my introduction to the franchise, so I think that nostalgia and my being 11 years old at the time has definitely colored my opinion on it. I never found the characters annoying including Tidus, though I'm sure that would change if I went back. Any particular reason you're going through all the games? I imagine some are hard to go back to. I remember finding III being a little too old school back on the DS.

@Jay444111 said:

@PokeIkzai said:

FFX was alright. I certainly like it better in hindsight than I did upon its release. I disagree about Tidus. For some reason his character really began to resonate with me. I think it's because the farther you go along in the game the more ... mature he seems to become? You should definitely check out FF Tactics. Even though it isn't numbered it's still tied with Final Fantasy IX as my favorite.

This. I think Tidus is a great character honestly, Same with Yuna. I should also mention that the laugh scene totally makes sense once you play through the game along with the more subtle moments. Seriously, hate for the two seems really stupid to me. I guess realistic characters are the worst I guess.

Ok. I want to hear this. How is Tidus not the culmination of everything that is wrong about characterization in Japanese RPGs?

Also, @BoG: Looking forward to your Final Fantasy X-2 write up soon.

FFIX is so weird. The first half is a classic 16-bit FF, the last half is crazy-go-nuts city with all of Zidane's existential quandaries and whatever the hell Necron was, its release went by with almost no-one noticing and it has probably the worst antagonist of any FF game. Yet people find it charming. I find I'm largely indifferent.

I did love the hot and cold Chocobo game though. That was addictive as hell.

Wait this is a FFX blog. Oops. Drownball, am I right everyone?

@ProjektGill: I'm glad that I didn't end up the same way you did. I was close. I usually do all sidequests and get all of the best weapons, but I decided to move on in X. I checked GameFAQs, and the tasks you must complete to obtain the celestial weapons are more annoying than difficul. Dodge 200 lightning bolts? Yeah right. I tried doing the chocobo quest for Tidus, but the final race is the absolute most horrendous thing ever conceived. I did get Auron's weapon, I decided it was worth the pain. In the end, I still wiped the floor with the final bosses after doing the Omega Weapons sidequest.

@PokeIkzai: I've played Tactics, and I love it. Honestly, I came in to X this second time hoping to like Tidus. Sadly, I only saw deeper into his character, and didn't like anything about it. In real life, he would have no friends.

@Jay444111: The laugh scene and underwater Tidus x Yuna makeout scene are anything but subtle. Yes, there are touching moments, but the painful ones are the most memorable. Do tell, why do you like these characters? Why are they so real to you? I found Tidus to be over the top. He's a spoiled, conceited, and immature crybaby. I hated how he would yell "Miss me?" when he came into battle. I despised how he would freak out over anything that happened. I can understand becoming emotional, but he would scream like a little kid. I think the iciing on the cake, for me, is when he says "this is my story!" when you're approaching Zanarkand, as if none of the other characters mattered. I could go on about him. Yuna, on the other hand, it just empty. Honestly, I think her terrible voice actor is a reason I dislike her so much. It's even more baffling that the two end up together. Rikku would have made more sense for Tidus, she's just as annoying.

@NegativeCero: I'm going through so that I can say that I've completed every game in the series. That's... about it.

@ArbitraryWater: Oh, don't worry, X-2 is probably next. I'll probably play X-2 and III simultaneously.

@BoG: Tidus was real mainly because of the things he had went through in his journey... I mean... dude, one day you are playing underwater soccor, the next, a thousand years pass by and everyone you know is DEAD other than your jackass of a father...

That would make everyone a cry baby. Imagine if I was to pick you up from your job place, then strand you 1000 years in the future and tell me how you feel when I tell you it is a permanent residence alongside the person you hate the most and had ruined your life. What would your reaction be?

Besides, he does have father issues much like a real life kid with a horrid father would be, (trust me, I know.) He is also spoiled because he was a damn famous blitzball player and that simply comes with the territory. That is pretty damn realistic. His reactions to everything and his growth to becoming more mature in the game is great. He becomes very likable the more you get into it and the more things he goes through. That is realistic and is also great writing. The only reason I could actually find in terms of hating him is that is outfit is pretty bad. Other than that... he is a great character.

Also, I don't think Yuna had a bad voice actor, sure she was average in FF10 but I feel that if they got to redo her lines now, she would be much better. (Listen to the voice actor who did Yuna now in dissidia compared to back then. Holy crap is there a great difference in quality.)

Her lines are great and well written, but I can tell that she was a new voice actor. I have heard much... MUCH worse voice acting. Ever listen to the Fist Of The North Star voice acting from the original movie in english? It actually made my ears bleed.

Also, why do I feel that Spoony is the one writing all this... I have no idea why I feel this but I do.

Edit: Realistically, Tidus does have problems, but is a nice kid and is helping support Yuna in her own journey, not just to see his father, but to help her and he is a overall nice guy to everyone overall. IMO at least.

Also, sorry if this was written really fast to you... I am really tired from helping taking care of my nephew/chopping wood/doing everything for everyone in my household. I am surprised that I haven't passed out yet.

Best combat, the music's okay, the story is pretty good, the characters are a little annoying. It's okay. I'd say it's at the bottom of FF games, but I dislike XII more than any other game of the series. The only Final Fantasy that I didn't finish.

I disagree about Tidus being the worst character in the entire franchise, i dislike Vaan and Penelo way worse than Tidus. To give my thoughts on X after playing through alot a few months ago: I really like being able to switch party members mid battle and the sphere grid is nice, combat is one of my favorites but ill agree with IX and VI being at the top of the list.. still lile the song towards Zanarkand.

I thought the whole cast from VIII was about a billion times worse than Tidus could have ever hoped to be.

As for the game overall, I dunno. FFX falls somewhere in the middle of the FF road for me. I don't like or hate it, I feel nothing towards it.

@Jay444111: Well, it's established that these events do not make Tidus a crybaby, that he was as whiny and annoying before being swept thousands of years in the future. You also confuse his relationship with his father. Jecht didn't exactly ruin Tidus' life. You learn more about why Tidus hates him as the game goes on. Yes, he was a tough father, but Tidus remembers at one point how his dickishness wasn't what inspired the haterd: it was the fact that Jecht drew the attention of Tidus' mother. So, among other things, Tidus hates his father because of some selfish Oedipus complex. This also shows us how spoiled Tidus is, though it's becuase Jecht was a blitzball player. Jecht disappearing probably strengthened the hate, but Tidus hated him before all of that. Of course, none of this ruined Tidus' life, as he still became an all-star blitzball player. Is Tidus' personality logically the product of his upbringing? In many ways, yes it does. This does not make him a good, likable character, just as it doesn't make Kim Kardashian likable.

Here is a good scene where Tidus' reactions just make my blood boil. As I stated in a previous post, I can understand being emotional, but Tidus yells and screams like a child. It's annoying. Skip to about 3:40.

I could find better examples, but I don't care to dig right now.

Someone else mentioned Vaan and Penelo, who I don't dislike nearly as much. This is probably because they aren't as present as Tidus is.

I always hated the fact that you could name TIdus whatever you wanted, which essentially, made everyone call him nicknames like "the new guy" or "kid", it was a really dumb idea to do that.

@BoG said:

Tidus is still the absolute worst character in the entire franchise. I did find the other characters more likable the second time around, though. I enjoyed how Auron's character is developed in the past, that worked well. Too bad that the weakest characters, Yuna and Tidus, are the most important. Their "romance" scenes are probably the worst and most awkward in the world of JRPGs.

Agreed. It's a shame an otherwise strong cast of characters (Wakka notwithstanding) is marred by two lame protagonists. Perhaps it might not be so bad if they weren't voiced? The romance is unconvincing but that is a pretty common theme in Final Fantasy games. The romance between Cecil and Rosa, Cloud and Tifa and Squall and Rinoa were no better. Celes/Locke, Zidane/Garnet and Snow/Serah were handled better.

@Jay444111 said:

This. I think Tidus is a great character honestly, Same with Yuna. I should also mention that the laugh scene totally makes sense once you play through the game along with the more subtle moments. Seriously, hate for the two seems really stupid to me. I guess realistic characters are the worst I guess.

I assume then, that you do not hate Hope as much as everyone else does? Since he is probably the most realistic character in FFXIII and possibly in the series. Just cos they're realistic doesn't make them likeable.

@BoG said:

Gameplay wise, it holds up. I understand why they changed the battle system, and I enjoyed it. I still prefer the classic ATB style, but I like this more than XIII's paradigms. I like the sphere grid more than I did the first time around, but it was poorly designed in some ways. Kimahri is handicapped right out of the gate because of poor design.

I would turn this on its head. I prefer the CTB (I think that's what X's system is called) and the Paradigm system to the ATB. I think both allow for more strategy. This is especially important in X and XIII since bosses have absurd amounts of HP and if you were on the old ATB they'd rip you a new one. I think the Sphere Grid is amongst the best levelling systems in the series (I think VI's is better for its ease and your ability to make everyone a god). At the time, it was a fairly new level of customisation, at least for me. I made Rikku and Yuna into bitchin' Black Mages since Lulu's grid slows down pretty quickly and Tidus turns into a powerhouse if you take him through Auron's route and vice versa. Kimahri struck me as a character for people who are on a second/third playthrough and are crazy prepared and have mapped out exactly where they want to take their characters.

Interestingly enough, the same team that made XIII was behind X. There are some definite similarities between the two games. Most apparent would have to be how linear each game is. Honestly, X and XIII are the most linear games in the series.

The linearity of both games didn't bother me first time around and X's continued to not bother me for multiple playthroughs whereas XIII's did. Ultimately I think it is because, as you said, areas in XIII drag more than in X, although X has its moments (Mi'hen Highroad, the road to the Moonflow). I don't play FF games or JRPGs for open worlds, anyone who does is bananas. Even the more open worlds of other FF games are pretty limited. Areas in X are more varied and interesting in XIII. The two best areas in XIII (the Sunleth Waterscape and the Gapra Whitewood) are the best because they look like they are straight out of X. That and the music for those two areas is incredible which segues nicely into...

X probably has one of the better musical scores in the series.

Agreed, the soundtrack is a good one. It is at its best when it is calmer, like in the aftermath of the failed assault on Sin and the Macalania Forest. The metal music in the opening cutscene and the Jecht battle is very out of place and I'm not sure why it was there to be honest.

So, because I am a human who plays video games, I have some strange attachment to lists. I will now rank the Final Fantasy games I have completed from favorite to least favorite in the order that pleases me at this very moment.

Agree with your top two, although in my list they are probably close enough to tie. I really hated VIII. The reaction people had to XIII is what I had to VIII. God, I hate that game.

Right on, nice read; I await your thoughts on the last three, mainly III as I still haven't played the damn thing.

You should do a write up on FFIX, I know it's probably been done before - but I feel like a surprising amount of people I know haven't touched it.

@BoG: I am sorry, but that video actually helps my point out more than yours quite a bit. If you got sucked up by a giant sea monster, spit out 1000 years into the future into your old destroyed city. I think you deserve to yell at the guy who helped do that.

Tidus is not even close to a bad character. If you read any books, watch any movies, play any video games, I could literally point you out thousands of far worse characters than Tidus.

I swear that this blog is more of a dub vs sub thing somehow. I am willing to bet that if there was an option to play in Japanese with English subtitles in the very beginning. People wouldn't have been 1% as whiney about all the characters that are very well written and are very likable.

Anyways though, this blog feels very... Spoonyish...

I also disagree about Tidus, I think he was handled very well in the game, script/story wise at least. From a star Blitzball player thats cocky, arrogant and immature (this psychology is common given how his father treated him), to maturing up. The relationship with Yuna was belivable at times given how Yuna is a highly respected figure and Tidus is essentially a nobody. The voice actors though for Tidus/Yuna could of been a lot better (in comparison to the rest of the cast). 
 
Most people just always quote that laughing scene which indeed was terrible but doesn't justify the game or those characters being bad. Compared to the likes of Cloud, Squall and Vaan (imo the worst FF char ever) Tidus has a much more real personality even if it's one a lot of people don't like.

Back when this game came out, I never found Tidus to really be that bad. However, I was like 14 at the time and probably couldnt recognize a terrible character if they slapped me in the face. But I can barely play FFX again these days because of how annoying and badly voiced he and yuna are.

@gla55jAw: I dislike it as well, but I think they did a good job on this. They wrote it in a way that you somehow forget that no one ever learns his name throughout the entire game.

@Neurotic: I do think that Yuna would be more appealing if she had a better voice actor. In the end, though, the romance in the game is highly flawed. There is little chemistry between the two characters. It seems almost completely based on "love at first sight." Yes, they share things in common, like famous fathers, but the same can be said of Rikku. I think Rikku would have been a better choice. I get the feeling that someone at Square felt obligated to make Yuna and Tidus a pair because they're the main characters. I totally agree with what you said about linearity. X simply does a better job of making a game on rails. I won't hate on you for disliking VIII, either. It was my first FF game, and that's probably the reason I have such a fondness for it.

@VoshiNova: Thanks! I would love to do a write up on FFIX, but I'd need to play it again. I like these things to be fresh on my mind. I'll probably replay it once I've played through the rest, as I've been meaning to jump back in.

@Jay444111: I never said that Tidus can't be emotional. I can understand his frustration. I think the way he reacts to the situation is immature, and annoying. Maybe it is the voice actor, but it's also what he says. He just screams at Auron and walks away and pouts. "everything everything!" Anyways, it seems you would rather insult me than provide any evidence to support your opinion, so I won't go on.

@NZt: I'm not basing my dislike in only one scene. I've stated that it has to do with multiple scenes, even down to his commentary in battle. He's just a annoying character. I'm not really comparing him to other FF leads, either. They all have their own problems. In fact, as I think about it, I can recall Cloud speaking about as often as Crono in Crono Trigger. That's not a good thing. Tidus is superior to Cloud in that he actually has a personality. Of course, Cloud never annoyed me. I don't think I've ever made the argument that Tidus is a poor character because he isn't well developed, I'm just stating my opinion that he's got to be the most annoying male lead in the entire series. Vaan is a close second.

@BoG: Yeah, Rikku was better. And she had a much better VA too. I just remembered that the game had a really weird affection mechanic. Whichever lady you talked to first whenever you had to talk to everyone to progress affected how some scenes played out. Tidus always ended up with Yuna in the end but you could get scenes where you flirt with Lulu or Rikku instead. It was kinda like how FFVII decided who you went around the Golden Saucer with.

Yeah, VIII is a polarising game, I don't think I've seen anyone say it's just okay. I appreciated the unique levelling system but the rest was really, really boring for me.

@BoG: I think... I have to show you this. The voice actors in the English version are WAY better than the Japanese version... dead serious, watch the 'laughing scene' in Japanese and tell me it doesn't sound like a crow...

I laughed so damn hard that I nearly got a sore throat from this.

I do wish the Yuna/Tidus romance had been a bit more... romantic. So the ending would be more devastating than it already is.

Wow, so much hate for FFX. I personally loved it, and I thought that Tidus was a fine character, although often annoying. Yuna, on the other hand, I sort of dislike.

Each to their own, I suppose.

this and FFVI are the best in the series imo

The only thing I disagree with you is about Tidus. I totally loved Tidus, but probably because there was a romance thing between him and Yuna. (: and I sometimes found him funny. But everybody is entitled to their own opinion (: great blog!

Jump straight into X-2 now.

Final Fantasy XII on the middle of the list. I'm always happy to see some FFXII love.

I'm still to finish the game, but in the summer I might as well ask my PS2 back so I can play that, Persona 3 Fes and Final Fantasy XII. :)

To be fair, quite a bit of dialogue was sped up to match the lip sync. Since whole voice acting thing was new at the time, Square didn't really change the way lips moved for English version of the game. As for the laughing scene, in my opinion it is supposed to sound horrible and forced. Especially from Yuna's side since she knows that she'll be dead by the end of her journey.

As for Tidus, the easiest way for me to see how much he changed is to compare dialogue at the beginning of the game with his narration. He sounds much more mature while he is narrating his journey and it shows by the time you get to that point.

As for Yuna/Tidus romance, I wasn't particularly fussed, but it did feel a bit weird. I was laying some moves on Rikku and that didn't really pay off. At all.

Just throwing it out there. The laughing scene was supposed to be awkward. That was the purpose of the scene.

FF XII is highest of all recent Final Fantasies on your list? Yay!

X was my first FF game, and while I liked it, if all the subsequent ones had been basically the same thing I wouldn't have played any other FF's. But every bit of new about XII was exactly what it needed to be to catch my interest and so I played it, and love it. Then I gave XIII a shot, and it was alright. Didn't finish it, though. Really I got to the part where the game finally opened up a bit, but felt as if I'd had my fill. Those are the only ones I've played. Actually, I messed around with VIII and maybe watched my friend play IX a bit. But that's it.

Now I wanna dig around and see if I can find your FF X-2 write up. edit: Hmmm... Maybe it doesn't exist yet?