Part 85: I Do Not Care What The Internet Says, I LOVE This Game!

Today I will break with tradition and first address the subtitle to this blog. I can only image many of you intend to publish a heated response to it, ignoring my supporting commentary on why I feel the way I do. For all my nitpicking and prattle about Final Fantasy X's derisible moments, and there are many, it moved me emotionally in a way games usually do not. Final Fantasy X is daring at parts and showcases a level of gall mostly absent in the video game industry. Almost in spite of its previous madness, I came around to love it.

From a technical perspective, Final Fantasy X's final five hours are a masterstroke in narrative storytelling. Well, except for one part, and trust me, we will talk about that “one part” shortly. Beyond that, Final Fantasy X avoids what I think are the three “Cardinal Sins of Video Game Conclusions.” My three rules are elementary, but the vast majority of games seem to violate one or two when reaching their codas. First, stories should never introduce new information during the conclusion. A sudden plot twist isn't good storytelling; it's a clear sign of writers not knowing what they wanted out of their narratives. My second rule is probably the hardest; don't use the ending to summarize previous events. Summary exposition is a clear sign of an author holding their audience in low regard. Finally, a well-crafted ending elicits strong emotional responses from the public. In my book, Final Fantasy X exceeds all three criteria.

Is Final Fantasy X guilty of shameless pandering and narrative bow-tying? YES, IT IS GUILTY OF BOTH! Do I care? NOPE! As a philosopher once said: "The devil is in the detail." The game panders, but it avoids pulling the rug from underneath you. Nor does it waste your time patting you on the back, or fawning over your previous accomplishments. Instead, it sets up a cathartic ending where you are left wondering what happens next. That is a sign of quality writing!

We could moan and groan about how the story uses the "Hymn of the Fayth" as a Chekov's Gun until the moon turns blue, but that's needless nitpicking for the sake of it. The story crafts compelling set pieces where genuine character drama takes place. Yeah, I think the game would have been better had it not introduced the "Tidus is a dream" horseshit, but even that services one of the most touching scenes in the game. Do I understand what "Dream Zanarkand" is and what role it serves in the story? NOPE! Do I care? HELL NO! If I cannot enjoy a little cheesiness in a Final Fantasy game, then BURN IT ALL DOWN!

Part 86: There's a Plot Twist I Didn't Hate!

Will you look at that, Final Fantasy X crafted a decent plot twist! Discovering Auron is an “unsent” is one of the few revelatory moments Final Fantasy X builds with a stable scaffold. During the party's first visit to the Farplane, Auron was brooding on the steps claiming “I do not belong here.” His excuse of not needing to see his past fit his aloof personality, but there was always a foreboding sense of him hiding something. Lo-and-behold, the Auron we know and love is an apparition of a man with unfinished business.

There's something oddly empowering about Auron being an "unsent." Outside of Belgemine, Auron is one of the few examples of an unsent using their omnipotence for good. Thanks to him, Tidus and Yuna finally break Spira from its wretched torment. It's comforting to know Auron refused to accept his death but defied nature to pursue a greater cause. He's the inverse of Kuja from Final Fantasy IX.

Auron could have been one of the many unsent we encountered during our journey. Yunalesca is the norm for the unsent. This negative precedence generates a distinctiveness to Auron. He's "special" to the world of Spira, and to us. Knowing Auron is an unsent also means we must cherish the little time we have left. The defeat of Sin means those who are condemned to roam Spira with regret, can finally be put to rest, and that includes Auron.

The memory Auron shares to Tidus is emotionally evocative. Auron discloses why he's spent so much of his time raising Tidus. Jecht made Auron promise he would protect Tidus as he developed into adulthood. Tidus may not have appreciated Auron when they first crossed paths, but he now shows a sense of gratitude. I'm a sucker for cohesive character development like this. Hours ago, Tidus and Auron were butting heads and arguing over the necessity of Yuna's pilgrimage. Now, they have developed a permanent bond not defined by carnal urges or a life debt. Their relationship grew naturally as the two learned more about each other. Fuck, the bond between Auron and Tidus is more believable than the relationship story-arc in this game!

Part 87: The Structure For The Conclusion Is A Crazed Mess

It wouldn't be a Final Fantasy blog by ZombiePie if there weren't assholish nitpicking, and goodness there's PLENTY to nitpick! I found Final Fantasy X's linear structure to be largely pleasurable. The lack of an overworld wasn't a handicap to my enjoyment. Final Fantasy X's linearity allowed for interesting experimentation by Square. The worlds we explore are visually diverse and incredibly distinct from one another. Each location does a masterful job of developing a sense of devastation in Spira; lest we forget, there are only two metropolises left standing.

That is where my fawning stops because upon defeating Yunalesca the game finally allows you to return to previous levels. I wanted to praise this decision, but the execution left a bitter taste in my mouth. Not only are certain locations locked behind super bosses or invisible walls, but what you gain out of exploring your surroundings is unfulfilling. Looking back at it, this is something Final Fantasy IX did exquisitely. Visiting the cities of Lindblum and Alexandria during different phases of the story was a romp. Final Fantasy IX takes the time to show each city in various states of glory or disrepair. Watching NPCs try to craft a life in the world of Final Fantasy IX meant they didn't come across as "Weapon Merchant #3" or "Annoying Child #500."

This attention to detail is unfortunately absent in Final Fantasy X. When you revisit the village of Kilika, it is still in ruins with the same dozen characters animating to suggest they are rebuilding their destroyed homes. We saw those same canned animations when we first visited Kilika, and they never amount to anything. Other parts of the world feel equally stagnant. Despite Sin being a roving threat, Spira's major locations remain untouched. Interacting with the NPCs is equally disappointing. Few characters recognize recent developments in the story, and fewer still mention Yuna by name. For a game centered on being an "epic journey," you'd think it would leave no stone unturned.

But there's an even bigger thorn in my side regarding Final Fantasy X's concluding structure. This game has three endings. Zanarkand felt like the logical place for the conclusion of the story. It was the city Yuna dreamed of visiting and the former home of Tidus. It appeared to be the appropriate place for Tidus and Yuna to bring the "Eternal Calm." Then the game transitions to multiple dramatic set pieces at a whim. The mystique behind Zanarkand feels inconsequential by the time the conclusion wraps up.

Sure, defeating Yunalesca isn't the same as killing a giant space whale, but defenders of Final Fantasy X would be hard-pressed to justify its THIRD "ending." Transporting the characters to what is ostensibly heaven, to fight an anthropomorphic bug, isn't the send-off this game deserves. It further highlights how out of place Yunalesca is in the greater narrative. Yunalesca’s defeat falls to the wayside as we transition to multiple dramatic set pieces outside of Zanarkand. And while the conclusion of Tidus's storyline is compelling, it occurs after deciphering terrible platforming bits and obtuse puzzles. There's no denying how much of a Final Fantasy game FFX is.

Part 88: Some Interesting Faffing About

Before we revel in how I made Final Fantasy X a boorish chore, let's discuss a few excellent character moments. The first occurs immediately upon entering the Fahrenheit. Yuna walks up to Cid, and bows. The two characters do not exchange words. For once, a Final Fantasy game has a scene speak for itself. Yuna's gratitude does not require dialogue. Likewise, Cid's happiness does not warrant a long-winded speech. I was shocked to see such creative restraint in a Final Fantasy game.

The supporting moments after this poignant aside are equally resonant. Wakka and Rikku share their belief the Hymn of the Fayth plays a critical role in defeating Sin. They excitedly ferry our party to Bevelle where they plan to share the news to Yo Mika. As they enter the city, Yuna's entourage is accosted by several guards. In what I can only describe to be Shelinda's shining moment, she spares us from a battle against a company of soldiers.

When Yuna confronts Yo Mika, he is surprised she hasn't called the Final Summoning. When she informs him she has put an end to the practice; Yo Mika loses his shit. The religious leader exclaims Yu Yevon will devastate Spira unimpeded, and without the Final Summoning, Spira is all but doomed. Yo Mika divulges Yu Yevon uses Aeons to become invincible, and if there are Aeons, Yu Yevon can never be defeated. Not wanting to see Spira become a wasteland, Yo Mika ostensibly commits suicide, and bursts into a wave of pyreflies. After Yo Mika exits the stage, the Fayth of Bahamut appears before Tidus and Yuna.

Bahamut converses with Tidus and Yuna on their present situation. Tidus informs the apparition they plan on using the "Hymn of the Fayth" to calm down Sin before making a direct assault. The fayth agrees and provides more information about Yu Yevon. Long ago Yu Yevon was the peerless leader of Zanarkand but became so impressed with summoning he couldn't stop. The former defender of Zanarkand became an Aeon due to his summoning addiction. Suspiciously, the fayth concedes Yu Yevon isn't a full-blown villain, but a neutral force driven by obsession.

The specter asks Yuna to summon the Aeons in her repertoire when she reaches Yu Yevon. If Yuna can defeat each Aeon possessed by Yu Yevon, then he will no longer have any "armor" to hide behind. The last moment worth writing about is when the fayth turns to Tidus. The ghost child reminds Tidus that defeating Yu Yevon will cease the fayth's dreaming, and the illusions created by their dreaming will disappear. Confused what this warning means, Yuna attempts to confront Tidus, but he jokingly brushes the warning away.

The story should have shown Yuna acting upon her suspicions. As it stands, Yuna conveys having a hunch about Tidus, but never follows through. She allows herself to be exploited by Tidus's ruse when we all know she's smarter than that. This dillydallying deprives the story of an emotional confrontation between the two star-crossed lovers. Adding such a scene would have added more emotional weight to the conclusion. Not only that, but the game's final heartbreaking point would have been clearer still: Yuna and Tidus have swapped places.

Part 89: The Worst Idea Ever

If there is one inexcusable contrivance I have with Final Fantasy X, it is its side quests SUCK SHIT! It's not just that the optional content rarely contributes to the narrative. The ultimate problem is side quests are soul-crushing tests of any person's patience and come in the form of nauseating minigames or byzantine fetch quests. "Fun" isn't a word which enters my vocabulary when talking about the Cactuar Village, Monster Arena, or Dark Aeons. Maybe "torture," or possibly "agony?"

I openly concede there are some of you who enjoy Blitzball. While I found the minigame to be an arduous math problem, even I enjoyed the presentation of Blitzball. Blitzball showcases a ton of pomp and circumstance, and it maintained my attention for a few minutes. The same cannot be said about the rest of the supplementary content. I think we can agree collecting the Celestial Weapons is the cruelest shit put into a Final Fantasy game.

There's a surfeit of content in Final Fantasy X. If you were stuck on an island and only had one game to maintain your interest until a rescue crew reached you, Final Fantasy X is a solid candidate. There are dozens of time sinks, and personally, I found none of them to be compelling content. To add insult to injury, most of the side quests are different renditions of tired and true Final Fantasy tropes, but "taken to eleven." Capturing monsters to fight in an arena isn't a novel idea, but having to get ten monsters of the same type to complete a set, is.

What I find most insulting is how the game cordons entire portions of the story behind this side content. Wanting to revisit Besaid throws the Dark Aeons in your direction. Discovering the history of Bitzball requires you to complete a tournament. Learning more about the history of Yu Yevon sends you to the Omega Ruins. Resolving Belgemine's story arc subjects you to the Monster Arena. WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? Why would you hide world building beneath fifty feet of GARBAGE?

This grousing leads me to my "terrible idea." For reasons which are my own, I decided to "attempt" every side quest in Final Fantasy X. I will warn you right now: my success rate was paltry. As you may have predicted, I didn't get a single goddamned Celestial Weapon. Likewise, I barely scratched the surface on the Cactuar mission. I ran after one Cactuar, lost track of it, and gave up when I read what the rewards were. Like I have said before, "brevity is the soul of wit," and that means DON'T WASTE MY TIME!

Part 90: Sidequest Nonsense - Baaj Temple

I enjoyed two side quests in Final Fantasy X, and that's it. The first is the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, which completes Lulu's character arc. The other is the Baaj Temple, which provides the only characterization of Seymour outside of a few flashbacks in Zanarkand. Likewise, I found the battle against Geosgaeno in the Baaj Temple an empowering callback. Yes, he can one-shot your party using its petrifying "Stone Gaze," but it's a breeze you can complete in a few turns.

Completing this side quest provides one of the strongest Aeons, Anima, and it is a great assist when combating the game's harder bosses. The only downside is accessing the Baaj Temple requires every Destruction Sphere from the Cloister Puzzles. This contrivance isn't great as it adds an hour and a half of needless busywork, but the reward is well worth the extra effort. If you forgot about the Destruction Spheres, and are playing the HD Remaster, then Lord have mercy on your soul.

What the Baaj Temple contributes to the greater narrative is more frustrating. At the temple, you encounter Seymour's mother. She agrees her son has become a wicked monster and needs to be defeated. Seymour's mom discloses how she sacrificed herself at Zanarkand to become Anima. She had hoped Seymour would use this summon to defeat Sin once and for all. Unfortunately, Seymour became intoxicated with his newfound power. She then offers to give Anima to Yuna if she promises to rid the world of Seymour.

I call this "frustrating" for two reasons. One, this should be in the main story because it's the only characterization of Seymour's motives. Despite subjecting you to several shitty affectations, Seymour never reveals what caused his fall from grace. Second, the game cannot be fucked to reference what we learned in the Baaj Temple. While Seymour flexes his pecs, he never mentions his mother or the fact he was a victim of racial prejudice. It's all characterization which only exists in isolated locations.

If confronting racial prejudice was Seymour's raison d’être, he would have been the most grounded Final Fantasy villain in franchise history! Not only that, but a topic as heavy as racism is an unfortunately timeless issue. Think what the story could have gained had it tackled racial prejudice with the same tact as Jecht's alcohol abuse! For whatever reason, the game fails to make good on this potential. When we fight Seymour one last time, he exclaims an added sentence if you summon Anima, but that's all you get.

Part 91: Sidequest Nonsense - Fighting A Dark Aeon & The Jecht Spheres

The Dark Aeons are without a doubt the most rage-inducing content in Final Fantasy X. The Dark Aeons ruin the straightforward process of revisiting previous locations. Let's pause for a minute so I can weave a tale of when I met my first Dark Aeon. When I initially gained control of the Fahrenheit, my immediate reaction was to revisit Besaid. I thought it would have been humbling to see where Yuna's fantastic pilgrimage started. As Yuna reached the gates of Besaid, a priest walked up to blocked her progress. After calling Yuna an "infidel," the priest summoned "DARK VALEFOR," who KO-ed my party in a single move.

The issue I have with the Dark Aeons is how they gate away entire locations I would have loved to explore. With Besaid, there's a Jecht sphere you cannot view until after you defeat Dark Valefor. This scenario is untenable. Not only are the Dark Aeons difficult, but they highlight one of the many examples of Final Fantasy X's design lacking discipline. When you add up the Dark Aeons with the other super bosses (i.e., the Monster Arena, Penance, Ultima Weapon, and Omega Weapon), you realize there are as many "Super Bosses" as there are mainline story bosses. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?

How does the game benefit from this baffling fact? The Dark Aeons are the jumping point to Penance. Beyond that, they exist for the sake of the game boasting about its many super bosses. Defeating these encounters is neither compelling nor entertaining. Even exploiting the gameplay is a trade-off of boredom for tedium. I know I could have summoned Yojimbo and pray he uses Zanmato, but I could not be fucked to care. God does not roll dice!

This audible grousing circles back to why I found the Dark Aeons frustrating. Dark Valefor prevented me from watching the Besaid Jecht sphere. Why is this such a problem? The Jecht spheres feature the best storytelling in the ENTIRE GAME! COME AT ME;I WILL DEFEND THIS STATEMENT WITH MY LIFE! The spheres are the reason I came around to Jecht. Watching the growing sense of camaraderie between Braska, Auron, and Jecht was a perfect showcase of Jecht's reformation. The surfacing of Jecht's sensitive side is equally impressive. I would even hazard to say Jecht has the best character arc in a Final Fantasy game since Vivi.

Most of the spheres depict light-hearted joshing during Braska's pilgrimage. What comes through most of all is the sense of Jecht being Tidus's father. Other orbs tell a more dramatic tale. Frequently Jecht expresses a desire to raise Tidus into a decent Blitzball player. Jecht's desire to be back with his family is another constant. These moments showcase how much he has transformed while in Spira, and how it has been a positive force in his life. The game doesn’t suggest Jecht's parental negligence is forgivable, but merely that people can change in unexpected ways.

Now there is one sphere I found objectionable. This moment pertains to Jecht almost ruining Braska's pilgrimage at the Moonflow. Here we see a dejected Jecht lamenting how out of control he becomes when drunk. He loudly promises he'll never drink again, and it appears he kept his promise. Now I have hounded Final Fantasy X about this issue before, so I'll keep my feelings brief. Having a singular moment of self-actualization put an end to an addiction is woefully irresponsible. Conquering any addiction is a slow and painful process fraught with opportunities to fail. To suggest otherwise flies in the face of the people who have had the willpower to conquer their addictions. They are heroes far greater than what this video game is willing to acknowledge.

Part 92: Sidequest Nonsense - EVERYTHING ELSE

Correct me if I am wrong, but beyond the four or five examples of side content already mentioned, nothing else is worth writing about extensively. At least the Dark Aeons are cool to look at when you encounter them. Other side quests can't be bothered to entertain you visually. In my desperate attempt to find value in the game's optional content, I ended up playing another match of Blitzball. This time I listened to the input of my viewers and tried to recruit other players.

I guess there's something oddly hilarious about watching Brother frantically swim in the water sphere, but this feeling is fleeting. The Blitzball recruitment system is more obtuse than it has any right to be. At no point do you understand who the best players are, or where to find them. I will state for the record; I dedicated an hour trying to recruit the best possible players for each position in my team. The result of this hard work was a 0-0 draw in my first non-story match.

Inscrutable game design sabotages other pieces of promising side content. I WANTED to send Belgemine to the Farplane, but could not be fucked to gain the Magus Sisters. It's not that there's anything mechanically broken with the Monster Arena. It's just an annoying time sink which forces you to interact with the worst parts of Final Fantasy X. It hurts the capturing mechanic requires you to use weapons which become a massive hindrance when facing off against higher leveled monsters. And honestly, Belgemine never came across as an interesting character. An unsent summoner using their time to train would be high summoners is intriguing on paper, but this premise isn't worth spending hours capturing monsters.

I do not understand what possessed me to think I was ready to enter the Omega Ruins, but goodness did I regret it. The random encounters you experience are beyond fucked, and the bosses are no slouch either. The concept of the Omega Ruins is decent enough. Thousands of years ago, an imprisoned priest became Omega Weapon due to his hatred of the outside world. Beyond this intriguing conceit, everything about the Omega Ruins SUCKS! The random encounters are a grind. The level design is monotonous. The environmental puzzles are elementary. Finally, defeating Omega Weapon is an unmitigated shit-show. I booked it for the exit when I discovered Omega Weapon has 999,999 HP in the HD Remaster. What a cruel joke.

Part 93: Final Fantasy X's Momentum Careens Out Of Control

Final Fantasy X’s constant stumbling is forgivable considering how good its final moments are. The several battles against Sin and Jecht are proper bookends to a magnificent journey. The game crescendos to an epic battle and the results do not disappoint. Fighting Sin on the exterior of the Fahrenheit, as the airship’s missiles blast it away, is an awe-inspiring sight. Each confrontation stresses the enormity of Sin. Fighting Sin’s pectoral fins requires two separate battles, and each does an excellent job of underscoring the monumental nature of our struggle.

Normally I would chastise a game for providing too much of a good thing, but the writing prevents this video game “sin.” As the party prepares for each battle, the characters express varying degrees of exhaustion. During one such sequence, Yuna and Tidus have a brief aside where Yuna questions if they are making any real progress. The sense of fatigue in her words is palpable, and we should know, as we have gone through the same battles. On top of that, the cutscenes leading up to the Sin battles are AWESOME!

Dynamic camera angles are dramatically used to provide cinematic flair. Each gives prominence to Sin’s massive stature. Watching the lumbering beast inch closer to our diminutive party is excellent directing. Entering the bowels of Sin and exploring that which lives there is equally stunning. Waltzing through the decrypt ruins of Zanarkand adds to the ensuing drama. Even before that, the game throws one more battle against Seymour, which I didn’t hate. Seymour's design is terrible, but it is one of the few times Final Fantasy X crafted a puzzle within a boss, and it didn’t make me want to pull my hair out.

Seymour’s story arc concludes with little pomp and no circumstance, but this quibble is moot. Seymour always sucked, and I was prepared for his conclusion to be unfulfilling. Likewise, the story moments inside Sin are robust enough to maintain my attention. Exploring Zanarkand is largely pleasurable. Sometimes the game overstays its welcome, but I can't fault the game for trying to build its mood and tone. Exploring the devastated ruins of Tidus's former home is an eerie reminder of how far we have come. Many hours ago Tidus was whining about being far away from home; now, look where we are.

Part 94: Jecht's Story Arc Is The Best Goddamned Thing In The Game!

So why am I willing to forgive Final Fantasy X’s earlier blunders? My response is relatively straightforward. The subplot between Jecht and Tidus is one of the most compelling ever conveyed in the Final Fantasy franchise. Maybe it’s the minimalism of their dialogue, which comes in awkward spurts rather than long-winded diatribes. Maybe it was the added potency of the narrative’s tasteful use of parental negligence and substance abuse. Maybe it was Tidus’s voice actor expressing a diversity of emotions most critics ignore. Regardless, the conclusion of this story arc is an emotionally tinged cocktail where its melodrama is used to the game’s benefit.

What I found to be resonant most of all is how Jecht and Tidus are far from being the father and son you imagine in your dreams. The conclusion of Final Fantasy X doesn’t magically heal the decades of abuse Jecht afflicted on Tidus. What I found commendable is how Final Fantasy X doesn’t waver in its characterization of Jecht. He still maintains his gruff exterior as he chides Tidus for being emotional. Tidus poignantly exclaims his hatred for his father and refuses to forgive his prior abuse. It appears to be a classic case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Then, when you least expect it, Jecht apologizes. He’s sorry it's come to this, and he's remorseful he can’t stop himself from hurting his son.

As the cityscape of Zanarkand illuminates, and the final form of Jecht appears, I was left speechless. Jecht takes the form of a fiery abomination. The monster bears enough of Jecht’s hallmarks you know it’s him. It’s an odd example of the game’s over-the-top boss design adding to the emotional weight of a scene. You knew this battle was bound to happen but did not understand what shape it would take.

I wish the fight against Jecht weren't a complete slog. The combination of the pagodas and several party leveling attacks made defeating him an abhorrent grind. It’s within the game’s prerogative to have a legitimately difficult final boss, but Final Fantasy X burns its furniture to heat its house. Jecht is immune to virtually every possible status effect, and he has several countermeasures to use against your party. Like previous bosses, he can shatter petrified party members, and good luck beating him with two characters. Then there's Jecht's Overdrive. GOOD LORD, his OverdriveFUCKED ME UP! When Jecht hit, he hit hard, and I felt powerless when his pagodas charged him to his maximum strength. I resolved to use Rikku’s "Mix" ability to off Jecht in two or three turns thanks to “Trio of 9,999,” but it shouldn't have come to that.

Part 95: Yu Yevon Is The Most Insulting Final Boss I Have Ever Seen

The conclusion to Final Fantasy X is almost a tour de force of high production values melding perfectly with evocative emotions. The spectacle it provides is a sight to see. There is, however, one final black mark against this game, and that's Yu Yevon. Not since Final Fantasy VIII have I seen a Final Fantasy game attempt to shock its audience and fail so spectacularly. Fighting Yu Yevon's is an anticlimax. There's no other way to describe it.

It’s a soap opera-esque storyline straight out of 1999, and the dialogue continually embarrasses itself. Watching the characters act horrified at Yu Yevon is laughable. The presentation fares none better. The party finds itself in heaven, but are transported without warning. I will give credit where credit is due, the series of battles against the Yu Yevon possessed Aeons is one of the stronger moments in this sequence. Each time you defeat an Aeon the camera pans to a pained look on Yuna's face. She's emotionally torn as she kills the Aeons she has grown to love.

Yu Yeon’s dramatic entrance is little more than a second-rate knockoff of previous Final Fantasy games. Most Final Fantasy villains pop out of nowhere to prevent our heroes from a glorious victory, but something about Yu Yevon feels especially off. Say what you will about Necron from Final Fantasy IX, but at least he's a threat to the player. And while Sephiroth and Ultimecia are held back by unnecessarily convoluted plotlines, the spectacular production values of their final battles saved them from boredom. The battle against Yu Yevon boils down to a waiting game. For fuck’s sake, its own gravity spells subject it to more damage than your actual attacks. Not only that, but the game grants you the “Auto-Life” ability which dissolves any semblance of difficulty.

Asspull bosses are one thing, but what makes Yu Yevon all the more insulting is how it concludes no story arcs. Usually, final bosses provide lines of exposition as you fight them. This dialogue clues you into why they tried to bring death and destruction to the world. During the battle, Yu Yevon doesn’t make so much as a peep. He floats in the air as he harms himself until he's down for the count. It’s a battle that just happens, and when it is done, so is the game’s investment in Yu Yevon. No one walks away from this fight looking stronger. The game leaves you with a brazenly schlocky final battle which the “real” ending salvages by sheer brute force.

Part 96: It's Not The Ending You Want; It's The Ending You Need

Nothing quite brings you crashing down to reality like the realization the protagonist you have followed for the last forty hours is not long for this world. Their journey is yours as their vicarious experiences are an extension of your accomplishments. This highly personal relationship is a primary reason games rarely challenge the notion of the "happy ending." Any defiance to the standard video game rigmarole could be interpreted as an affront to the player. The player has put in hours of hard work to get to the end of a game, and developers rarely wish to question this sense of entitlement.

As Tidus dematerializes, the game makes it abundantly clear you are not getting the happy ending this game's previously smarmy tone demanded. I cannot help but applaud the writers for taking this monumental risk. To think a game populated with forced laughter and J-Pop induced love scenes DOESN'T end with everyone living happily ever after, is shocking. For once, a high budgeted three-dimensional era Final Fantasy game dared to challenge its audience. It feeds them a bitter cocktail of tears, heartbreak, and crushing reality. Better yet, Final Fantasy X does it twice!

The moment Yuna begins her sending ritual for the remaining unsent on Spira, and everyone notices Auron is disappearing, sent shivers down my spine. Knowing one of the most consistently great characters is leaving for the afterlife is desperately sad, but somehow life-affirming. In a game as provably stupid as Final Fantasy X, even it can take the time to remind you of the important things in life. Auron leaves his friends knowing he’s done his part to break Spira of its vicious cycle, and fully confident they will usher a new era where all can grow and prosper. It’s equal parts bad-ass and touching.

There are other small touches during the conclusion worth discussing. Watching the Aeons petrify, and then burst into dust, drew an audible gasp from me. Watching everything I spent hours to gain shatter before my eyes, was a powerful but disquieting visual. The callbacks to characters like Gatta, Elma, and Shelinda wonderfully underscore how epic of a journey this has been. The blue pillar of fayth exploding into a mountain of pyreflies provides a similar intimation. With the fayth finally released from their slumber, you know the game has reached its conclusion. It is at this moment you are reminded of the gravest consequence of your party’s accomplishments.

What got me most of all is when Yuna runs to embrace Tidus, and she tumbles through him. Tears stream down her face as she realizes there’s no stopping this depressing conclusion. After forty hours you empathize with Yuna. Someone as tender-hearted as Yuna deserves to live out the rest of her life in leisure. No other member of our party has sacrificed more and received so little in return. When Tidus walked up to hug a distraught Yuna, and his arms phased into her body, I lost it. Watching Tidus thoughtfully adjust his geometry to better comfort Yuna is one of the most compelling visuals I have seen in a video game. It’s amazing how subdued the game’s final moments are. There’s no overwrought goodbye from either character. As Tidus jumps into the Farplane, he waves goodbye and leaves to join Braska, Auron, and Jecht. For once, a Final Fantasy game lets its ending speak for itself.

When the game transitions to Yuna, it once again reels in its melodrama for an emotionally realistic scene. Yuna recognizes the sacrifices everyone has made to reach their well-earned respite from Sin. Yuna hesitates as she speaks, and the wispy nature of Yuna’s voice feels appropriate for the scene. I enjoy how Yuna isn’t a great speaker when provided a podium. How would you and I handle the pressure of having to address thousands of grief-stricken people? I think we would all struggle to form a coherent sentence without coming across as inconsiderate, or using the tired trope of telling people “this too shall pass.” I also think Yuna’s insufficient confidence adds to the sense of an uncertain future. The people of Spira have had their society upended from the ground up. It’s almost as if knowing what happens next would have been worthy of a sequel.

Part 97: What An Ending; What A Game!

I end each Final Fantasy blog series with a mini-essay on whether I think people should play the game in question. Here, I feel doing so is an exercise in redundancy. I greatly enjoyed Final Fantasy X and highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t yet experienced it. Final Fantasy X has one of the best endings I have ever seen in a video game. The relationship between Yuna and Tidus adds emotional honesty to the greater narrative. The dynamic between Tidus and Jecht is one of the best stories conveyed in a Final Fantasy game. Finally, the production values of Final Fantasy X ensure it will stand the test of time for as long as video games exist.

I understand many of these claims may come across as histrionics. Final Fantasy X is a game with a myriad of flaws. The voice acting draws plenty of ire, and with good reason. When the dialogue swings and misses, the voice acting places the writing under an even brighter spotlight. There are sequences and story set pieces which drag far longer than they should. Tidus’s characterization is inconsistent, and his plot-twist is catastrophically terrible. I recognize these points being legitimate criticisms of Final Fantasy X. I’m not some maniac who views this game as being a perfect crystal worthy of trollish defending.

But through the mist and madness, Final Fantasy X perseveres. Crafted with loads of sincerity, when the story hits its targets, you cannot help but cheer it along. Beyond that, even the most ardent of Final Fantasy X’s critics would be hard-pressed to deny it was a massive risk. Lest we forget, the Final Fantasy franchise is as much about Square trying novel ideas as it is about using a family of tired storytelling tropes. This, more than anything else, is part of what earned them a place in video game history. Final Fantasy X takes risks just as previous games did. Not all risks played out perfectly, but you have to credit the game for trying new ideas, and not relying entirely on the Final Fantasy playbook.

Mechanically, Final Fantasy X has one of the best combat systems I have seen in a JRPG. Final Fantasy X's rejection of the ATB system is indisputably its greatest attribute. This game PROVED the franchise didn’t need to be held back by the ATB system, and future entries could experiment with combat systems free from its rigidity. This emancipating point proves Final Fantasy X has a legacy worthy of academic discussion. And let's be honest, Final Fantasy X is fun to play. Being able to swap characters seamlessly in and out of combat encourages player investment in each character. The same sentiment applies to the Sphere Grid. While the Sphere Grid is daunting, it becomes gloriously liberating when you finally wrap your mind around it. You are free to convert any character into whatever you want, and each pathway on the Sphere Grid provides compelling results.

I want to take the time to address the most common criticism Final Fantasy X receives. Well, at least the most common criticism the game receives on the internet. Many like to claim it ushered a new era of Final Fantasy games which lost sight of what initially defined the franchise. This sentiment is categorically false. I hate to break it to you, but it wasn’t Final Fantasy X that forced out Hironobu Sakaguchi and the quainter era of Final Fantasy games. It was Square’s insistence that their eye for technical excellence was conducive to making a hundred million dollar movie!

Let’s be honest here, much of what Final Fantasy X is maligned for, started with Final Fantasy VII. The Final Fantasy franchise’s current reliance on narrative melodrama and technical excellence, rather than mechanical brilliance and straightforward storytelling, began with Final Fantasy VII. What I do not understand is why one game is revered for ushering JRPGs to new heights, whereas another receives mountains of shit due to ONE SCENE pulled out of context. Fuck that jazz! If Final Fantasy VII and X swapped places on the Final Fantasy timeline, I think this conversation would be different. Take this with a grain of salt as I am someone who has yet to play an 8 or 16-bit era Final Fantasy game, but this is my impression as an outsider looking in.

So I’ll repeat what I hope is abundantly clear. Final Fantasy X is a fun game with largely pleasurable characters. It’s a journey with plenty of moments worthy of condemnation, but these points do not distract from the “bigger picture.” Final Fantasy X features a story of self-actualization and sacrifice, and when its character drama sinks into your heart, you’ll realize how emotionally honest the game is. Check it out if you haven’t already done so, and I promise you will not regret it.

REPUBLISHING THIS COMMENT AS SO ORDERED:

I think I'll always tear up at the ending of FFX. It's just such an obvious, bittersweet conclusion to everything you've seen coming at you over the course of the entire pilgrimage. Of course there's no happy ever after here, that would be absurd. Spira's been essentially contending with a floating genocide monster for hundreds of years, there's no way to get out of that situation without a scratch. I just love it. I love it so much for being the whole package in every way you've explained. Of course, if you examine every second of the journey with a magnifying glass you'll always find flaws, basically no work could ever stand up to that amount of scrutiny, but FFX is an amazingly paced, character-focused story, that also manages to be fun to play and listen to along the way.

I feel like I've gone out of my way to dump on it a few too many times since I played it, but the amount you grow to care for the cast of FFX is the primary reason Xenoblade Chronicles fell totally flat for me. It's a beautiful world, it has an amazing soundtrack, the lore of the world is crazy, the gameplay is great, but the characters are nothings. The entire cast is dull with no individual arcs to speak of. It's also why I roll my eyes at Lightning fans from FFXIII - she is also just totally flat and boring. I value memorable characters, and how those characters bond and persevere over a long and arduous journey, over almost anything else. Yuna, specifically, is an incredible character who I will remember for basically ever.

In any case, I'm rambling. FFX is phenomenal and absolutely, IMO, the best Final Fantasy game. I enjoyed following you along through it all. Kind of makes me want to replay Lost Odyssey, which has a similar kind of slow and steady ensemble cast adventure thing going.

Yeah I think you just sold me on playing through this. I always liked Auron (for the obvious reasons an adolescent might), but this all sounds kinda genuinely awesome

I saw the very end a long time ago and thought it was a pretty fucked up resolution for your protagonist, but was also kinda into it, even without knowing any of the story reasons for it. Hearing about the other parts of the ending and that it actually manages to nail it all--yup, I think that's another one added to the backlog.

Thanks!

(I lost my place as first poster. I am morally outraged by this and will be seeking damages in the future, but for now...)

For all its faults, one thing I feel like even the critics seem to agree on is that it has an excellent and memorable ending. (Barring Yu Yevon, of course.) It's not my favorite Final Fantasy, and hardly my favorite RPG, but it's very hard to name other games with endings on par with FFX. Which the game deserves extra credit for, because even otherwise excellent games often stumble with wrapping things up in a satisfying and memorable way. Also, Auron is indeed the game's MVP.

On a more (perhaps too) personal note, Jecht has always reminded me of my own father to an eery degree. Not only does he look eerily similar to my dad in his 20's-30's, but his personality and my relationship with him isn't too far off either. He's not a famous Blitzball star that magically got transported to another world, but close enough. I won't say it resonated with me on a super deep level or anything, but it did make me appreciate Jecht's arc a bit more than I might have.

I'm really glad to hear you liked it, Zombie. We talked a lot about that ending already, but I'll say it again - Yuna's broken "I love you" is one of the best story moments from games, period. It's beautiful.

Thanks for all these write up's, zombie! It was a blast to read through your journey. You summed up my feelings on the game pretty well and X is without a doubt my favorite FF for all the ways mentioned. To be fair I played this when it was new and when I was an angsty teen that ate up all the melodrama but I hardly need an excuse because the things this game gets right it gets really right.

X's finale sticks with me more than most video game moments. Yuna falling through Tidus's arms will never not give me goosebumps.

It's a well shot, well timed (the high-five thing Tidus and Jecht do is great), but man does nothing in that ending actually mean shit to me. The Tidus/Yuna relationship is so forced and uncomfortable that the idea of them being in love at any point in that game seems completely backwards. The father/son stuff is a little better, especially because Jecht is the best character in that game, but Tidus being whiny and immature just takes way too much away from that relationship for me to actually enjoy it.

Even with that the ending is still charming. It reminds me of the endings of Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, which have great timing of their final shots with music swelling and holding on an image before cutting to credits.

I agree that the gameplay is peak of the turn-based Final Fantasy games, a lot of games since have done the bar with turn order. Just for the record, there are still decent turn-based games coming out of Square Enix. Bravely Default has a similar system that lets you take multiple combat turns at once, World of Final Fantasy is essentially just the FFX combat system, without as much focus on abilities that shuffle turn order. The mainline Final Fantasy series is kinda taking a backseat to all the spinoff/inspired by games for me nowadays.\

Man, have fun with X-2, knowing the entire time that they really should have just made a prequel about Braska, Jecht and Auron.

Good thing you didn't play the Japanese version then!

You said, "There's a dearth of content in Final Fantasy X."

Dearth means 'a scarcity or lack of something.' Given the follow up sentences, I think you meant abundance. That's all I wanted to point out; otherwise, it was a nice write up.

Congratulations on getting this last FFX blog finished! Unfortunately, I have a pretty good idea of how your next few blogs are going to go, and I don't envy you trying to write up your thoughts on that game. The 2,500 word blog I wrote on Mass Effect Andromeda was hard enough.

Hooray you've done it. The blog that really didn't want to be written is finished. I've enjoyed reading these mostly positive takes on Final Fantasy X compared to the other Final Fantasy games you've written about. Pretty sure that tone is going to be 90% gone the next time I see you post a blog.

I knew you'd like the ending. FFX having such a perfect ending only makes X-2 even worse than it already is.

Yeah, the last truly great FF game for me.... but it did go out swinging for the fences. People who complain that it was the beginning of the end because X is structurally very similar to XIII which people dislike are making the incorrect argument that it is structuring a FF game like this is what makes the games not good anymore..... but X did it and was good....

What later games are missing that 4-10 had to varying degrees is emotional honesty and weight to back up their melodrama and convoluted plots. That is what got us invested in their journey, and FF 10 probably did the best job of this outside of FF 6. Recent FF games have had bits and pieces of character arcs and emotional storytelling, but they largely get dropped or dumped in favor of twisty storytelling instead of getting actual payoff.

I don't think they are incapable of making these sorts of games anymore either. FF XIII really went off the rails as it went along (and honestly it seems like they patched it together to put something out) but pretty much all the characters have interesting starting points and personalities and end with interesting changes to their character as well..... the problem was that getting from point A to point B in their arcs was pretty much completely botched and unearned.

Still my favourite game of all time, and I tend to get wound up when people criticise it unfairly. Luckily, this has been a fair critique. In my mind, Final Fantasy X does four things very well: 1) it packs such emotional punch, that even when it falters, it cannot unravel its extremely heartfelt narrative. 2) The combat is actually really good. I think it works in layers--between the simple task of using the correct character to eliminate specific enemies and the way the game encourages you to develop more complicated strategies that leverage each party member's specialities--you feel as if it's more than just your sphere level getting you through the tougher encounters. 3) The sphere grid. I think people who don't like the sphere grid are broken inside. It took me awhile to figure it out, because I was twelve, but once I did the sense of control was unlike anything I'd experienced at the time. In some ways, I still think it's among the most satisfying progression systems out there. 4) The world. Spira captured my imagination, it always felt 'alive' to me. From the small island communities to Luca and Bevelle, each locale had character and all of them (save Bevelle) felt like places I'd wanna be. I think the Guado and Al Bhed, though they present overly simplistic allegories for racial tension, feel like otherwise believable cultures. Spira let me run away with my imagination, I sorta filled in the gaps when it came to what life in Guadosalam might be like. The game offers you just enough to do that.

Anyway @zombiepie, I'm glad someone else 'gets it.'

I didn't finish FFX myself either (got bored and quit on the giant plains), but I agree: if X and 7 switched places, 7 would barely warrant a footnote compared to FFX.

FFX is by far my favorite FF game and I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. It is by no means a perfect or flawless game but the story it tells and the characters it brings together make the game what it is. Thank you for this blog series, it has been a fun read.

What resonated so much with me is how this game spends practically HOURS convincing you it's smarminess and whimsy trump all. If there was ever a game I felt I could safely bet would end with a heavy-handed J-Pop love scene where the protagonist rides into the sunset with the female lead, it was Final Fantasy X. But someone at Square had the gall to push aside the obvious answer and tried something truly magical. To me, the characters end up becoming more real and memorable because they don't all end up living in a happily-ever-after world with rainbows and unicorns. They have work to do to earn their true happy ending.

Sweet, I promise you will not regret giving this game your time and attention. It's a game with a reputation that in some regards is well-earned. There are moments which flat out do not work, and I cannot deny feeling like the game was not respecting my time. BUT, much like how I felt about Final Fantasy IX, it pulls through. The characters reveal their true colors, and they evolve beyond their initial tropes. Say what you will about Tidus or Yuna, but they have a lot of depth by the time you reach the game's final movement.

The HD Remaster is definitely the way to go, but let me warn you. You are basically buying the HD Remaster just for FFX. FFX-2 is a train wreck, and the rest of the additional content is HOT GARBAGE! I have no idea how I am going to talk about the "Eternal Calm" mini-movie, but BOY is it a collosal waste of time.

It's amazing that in a franchise as provably dumb as Final Fantasy, even it knows the importance of a good ending. With the exception of Final Fantasy VII, I have enjoyed every ending cutscene to a Final Fantasy game I have played. Sure, FF8 has that fever dream sequence, but after that, when Eyes on Me plays one final time, it really is a magical moment. FF9's ending is just a treat. And for me, FF10 is one of the greatest inversion of player expectations in a video game. It's a twist the game entirely earns, and it's simply the best damn thing I have seen in a video game in a long time.

I see people I know in Jecht. It's not my father, but others I know and love. And much like Tidus's final moments with his father, moments of tenderness do not magically heal years of abuse. That's part of the reason why I fell in love with FF10. It not only has a little bit for everyone, but it's realism adds to its timelessness.

That shot is great, but my personal favorite visual, and I didn't have a great screencap of it from my playthrough, was when Tidus has to adjust his arms to make it appear as if he's hugging Yuna. But, because he's in the process of phasing out of existence, he has to constantly adjust his geometry to keep the fascade going. Here's what I'm talking about:

I do not know if I made this clear on the blog, or in my supplementary comments, but I was honestly going into this game thinking I would hate Final Fantasy X. I had heard about the "terrible" voice-acting. I saw video montages of Tidus whining. Internet scuttlebutt burned the laughing scene into my head before I even played it. This has been a truly enlightening experience. I honestly learned a lesson in not judging a book by its cover.

I also was not prepared for Final Fantasy X to have as strong a subplot as it did. The dynamic between Tidus and Jecht is almost comparable to what the game accomplishes with Yuna and Tidus. While the story's use of alcoholism is clumsy at times, I cannot help but praise the game for trying to tackle an issue as real as substance abuse. Shit, it's been over sixteen years since FFX launched and few games are willing to improve upon what it started.

• I enjoy Yuna and Tidus's relationship because in many ways it is the polar opposite of what Final Fantasy games usually do with two love interests. From VII to IX the male protagonist wins over the female lead via emo angst or continual harassment. With FFX, these two start off liking each other, and just continue to respect and love each other throughout the story. Sure, they are awkward, but it's nice to see a relationship that's just vanilla and free of angst or melodrama.
• Jecht is great. Why his character arc is hidden behind collectible items, I will never understand. His character arc, and watching him josh around with Auron and Braska is pure joy.
• I have never played a Kingdom Hearts game, BUT, given my defense of FFX, I have no idea why those games get as much shit as they do. If the internet is willing to defend a game as convoluted and byzantine as Final Fantasy VII, it should have a wee-bit more tolerance for anime-ass twists and turns in FFX or Kingdom Hearts.
• The combat in FFX is great... why in the world did they scrap it for a return to the ATB system in X-2?
• X-2... is one of the most insulting games I have ever played. It is a complete betrayal.

You are the second person who pointed this out to me. It's amazing I do not make more of these kinds of errors and grammatical blunders. These blogs are over 7,000 words after all. Fun fact, if you wanted to know why this blog was delayed for well over a month it had a lot to do with me writing this blog on a new text editor. On a whim, I decided to test out Grammarly after seeing it advertised on YouTube and other websites. So, I tried out their text editor to horrible results. First, like 99% of all grammar and plagiarism checkers, it hated every possible Final Fantasy based proper noun I used. So my "grammar score" was always ten or fifteen points away from a perfect score. This pales in comparison to when the service ate a days worth of work for no goddamned reason in particular.

Grammarly has an auto-save feature. Well, while I was editing this blog, my internet went out and I did not notice I was editing my document offline. The moment my internet restored itself, Grammarly "restored" the document to most recent version of the document while I was online, which mind you, was about four hours ago. This wouldn't have been such a big issue if Grammarly had an easily accessible document "history" feature like every text editor made in the year of our Lord, 2017. Grammarly doesn't have a publicly accessible history feature. Instead, you have to contact customer service within fourteen days, otherwise, no dice.

So it goes without saying, DO NOT BUY GRAMMARLY!

I was gladly following your adventures with FFX the last few months. It is one of my favourite games, even with all it's flaws. I agree with your point about FFX not being the start of the downfall of the series and FFVII probably getting more heat if the releases were switched, but we cannot change history and that, as they say, is that.

I'm wishing you good luck with FFX-2, the real downfall of the series. Unnecessary. Disgusting. Not even mixed feelings, just bad. Bad! I pretend it doesn't exist and make up my own story after Tidus. FFX-2 almost made me do something impossible, I began to hate Yuna...but you will probably have your own thoughts about that and write them down sometime. I'm sorry and hopefully it doesn't ruin your FFX experience.

Also on a side note, was it really necessary to capture enemies for the Belgemine / Magus Sisters side quest? I cannot remember it correctly, but shouldn't you just get all the available Aeons and fight against Belgemine?

My first draft for the first Final Fantasy X-2 blog is over 7,000 words. I keep telling myself I am going to get better about writing blogs which are readable and NOT giant college dissertations, but this time I just couldn't help it. Final Fantasy X-2 is going to be the death of me.

Jeff/Brett was right. It is a game which manages to disappoint and disgust at every turn of the corner. It's just... never have I ever seen a game use a winning formula and fuck up the execution so royally. Its awfulness should be worshiped on a Pantheon.

"Tone" is a big issue with my current run through of Final Fantasy X-2. Say what you will about Final Fantasy X being primarily a happy travelogue, but even it dares to drum up turmoil and strife in its story. X-2 "tries" to craft moments of emotion, but they are so few and far between you really cannot reasonably give the game credit for trying. It's REALLY TOUGH to buy into Yuna being surprised to see unsent Aeons or fiends if the scene prior to that was about her enjoying a bubble bath or messaging her friendly foe.

But what I cannot fathom is how X-2 has the exact same writing staff as X. I'm not kidding, I looked this up and the two games have laregly the same writing and development team. So, who told them to make a flaming trash pile?

There's so much I cannot even begin to understand about X-2. Why is less than half of the game the main story? Why is getting the "True Ending" a collosal pain in the ass? Why does the game not have a clearly defined villain or hook for three chapters? Why is the music hhot garbage? Why did they get rid of the combat system from FFX? Why is the UI DOGSHIT?

I get it. I get that Square thought they could make a movie after a string of unmitigated successes in video games, and failed miserably. I get they were in a bind for money. I get they needed to publish a new Final Fantasy game with limited resources so they could buy their leading competition. But what I do not get is why they could just carbon copy the tone and structure of FFX to the adventures of Jecht, Brask, and Auron. Or why they could not be bothered to maintain everything that made FFX special in X-2. FFX did well for Square, so why have X-2 be such a radical departure from its predecessor?

• For all the complaining XIII gets for being as linear as it is, and I'm not trying to excuse the game for its faults, I think too many people forget how the same format benefited FFX. The linear structure freed the developers to really put their all into every level you visit. The consequence is that the environments do not change over time as they did in previous games, but the world you explore is so visually diverse you can almost forgive this point.
• The emotional honesty of FFX is what I ended up enjoying the most. It was a breath of fresh air to see characters just try to make sense of terrible circumstances, and care for each other like decent human beings. Too many of the Final Fantasy games I played before FFX relied too heavily on angst being a defining character trope. It was a relief to see a more emotionally diverse cast play off each other. Also, FFX is one of the few games which take the time to build interpersonal relationship between characters that are not the protagonist. By the time the game ends, you honestly feel like there is a long-term relationship between Wakka and Lulu.
• I don't know... what concerns me, and this is something @thatpinguino has echoed as well, is how the current direction of the Final Fantasy franchise is placing a greater emphasis on perfecting gameplay rather than storytelling. For me, Final Fantasy is about a journey. It's about an ensemble going through an adventure which is littered with a handful of storytelling tropes consistent with the franchise. It would be nice if it played well, but the story is where the meat and potatoes when it comes to my enjoyment of the franchise. So when I hear how Final Fantasy XV is a great game to play, but the story is just so-so, I'm enthused about the future of this series, or even for this franchise.

I almost universally agree with each of your points. The world and its locations are beautiful and a joy to explore. I exhausted my options in terms of exploring the world and learning about its history during my playthrough. The story was a huge surprise for myself. My perception of the game was entirely colored by the internet scuttlebutt surrounding the game. I had seen clips of the laughing scene, and angry rants about Tidus and Blitzball. I thought that was all there was to the game. But, I'm happy to say the game's charm and honesty really won me over. It's a game without an ounce of cynicism, and while it does make a few mistakes here and there, I feel like it is a groundbreaking work of art in the medium. Games today do not pack as much an emotional punch as Final Fantasy X, and this game is over fifteen years old!

And it was the most fun I have had playing a Final Fantasy game! @thatpinguino has it on good authority I will enjoy the job system in @Final Fantasy V, and the streamlining of the ATB system in Final Fantasy VI. But as it stands, I really wish the bright minds at Square would take the time to realize the benefits of having turn-based combat. This isn't just about my personal affliction of "analysis paralysis." This is about how real-time combat can suck the "role-playing" aspect of RPGs. And many of FFX's reforms to the ATB system provide many of the benefits of real-time combat, but without gutting the spirit and heart of what made the franchise special or fun to play.

The thinking that FF games lately are about perfecting gameplay over having good storytelling to me seems like just scoring the results and applying it to their intent. No doubt the gameplay of the FF-12 on is by far the best part of them, but there is a lot of story and attempts at character development in them.... often to their detriment. I don't think its that they are de-emphasizing it so much as they are doing that part clearly worse and its easy to make the argument that its because they are spending less time on it. There are good fundamental starting points on all of the recent games, and a lot of time spent on making interesting worlds that they inhabit.... they just botch the part where there is any flow or arc in the middle. More like they have they have fantastic locations, settings, story, and character moments in mind and mostly developed... then someone at the end has to take all the pieces and jam it together to get an actual game out of their crazy dev cycle that is busting the bank. The battle system by contrast doesn't greatly depend on bringing it all together and can shine even when they fail at story.

I think you will hate Final Fantasy V. It has an interesting job system that people rave about, but pretty much everything else about it is a throwback to almost NES level RPG stylings. The characters, the plot, the world, it all has little driving force and it is pretty much a pure gameplay driven thing.... which is fine but we are talking 1992 version of that type of game. It is hard to keep grinding and putting up with that games older game design when the characters and plot dont even try to keep you going.

I think you will love/hate Final Fantasy VI much like you have most of the games in the series you have played up to this point. The story is a great driving force and it has a lot of real consequence and world changing events in it. The battle system is fine, something much more like FFIX with very different but very defined characters... but with a large cast. There is a lot to like about it even today.

Speaking of ATB systems in jrpgs though, i'd be interested to see you try a game like Grandia. It is a really good example of doing that type of battle system far better and making the timing of attacking/defending etc part of the gameplay that really matters and is fun. I will agree with you though that the ATB system in FF games (except 13) has been mostly an annoyance more than a benefit even if the end result is just a hard to read turn based game.

The linearity doesn't just refer to hallways, it's also the complete lack of any towns/NPCs (all shops are just floating orbs), the fact that half the dungeons are literal hallways (FFX at least had a few branching paths and side areas), there's essentially no sidequests or optional areas outside of one big plain that has a bunch of "kill X monster" quests, and at some point they straight up throw in a dungeon with the ingame explanation for its existence being "this is a place where we can grind a few levels".

FFX is definitely more linear than your average FF game, but XIII is on a whole other level man.

Also I give the XIII trilogy a lot of shit for being absolutely miserable in the story/gameplay departments but at least those sequels tried to improve on the criticisms of a poor mainline entry. I'm realizing with your hints that the disappointment (disgust?) that someone who enjoyed FFX moving forward into FFX-2 is timeless. People playing the FFX duology 20 years from now can have the exact same experience as someone who played them on release did.

I am a big fan of JRGPS of all eras and I will tell you right now that Kingdom Hearts is THE MOST byzantine and convoluted of all the games I have played. They get a lot of shit from people who haven't played them that is for sure but they are extremely at fault for near nonstop philosophical meandering that puts the rest of the genre to shame. I am usually the last person to agree with internet mobs about JRPGs in general, in fact I am often very defensive about them even mediocre games but the Kingdom Hearts franchise kinda lives entirely on fanservice.... either Disney or Square (take your pick). They are kinda the poster child of all the worst traits of the genre. Final Fantasy VII has nothing over Kingdom Hearts, it is like fanfiction made canon.

To be fair KH is aimed at much younger people, and almost all of its fans were children when they got into it. I just dont think it has anything for people coming to it later in life. It is like trying to get into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when you are 30 by watching the original animated show.

The first time I beat FFX I hated the ending; I was young and thought any video game ending that wasn't happy was total bullshit. I've grown up a lot since then and I really respect the ending now. I don't always love how it got there, but they really stuck the landing.

Regarding FFX-2, I read once that the reason it's tone was an extremely deliberate decision by the writers. That with Sin gone, Spira would be releasing 1000 years of tension and fear all at once and everyone would want one giant, endless party; and the way to show that would be by having a light-hearted fun adventure. And I get that, even if the execution often fails. The bigger problem to me is the gameplay design decisions, which are baffling to me.

Also, @zombiepie: , have you already, or are you planning to, gone through FFXII? Other than the original FF, it's the only numbered, single player FF game I didn't beat prior to FXV (no PS4), and I'd be really interested to get your thoughts on it. On paper I feel like I should love it, but its just never clicked with me.

HOLY CRAP! FINAL FANTASY X-2 IS BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD! CHAPTER 3 AND 4 FEATURE SOME OF THE WORST AND MOST DISAPPOINTING VIDEO GAME CONTENT I HAVE EVER SEEN! HOW DID GROWN ADULTS WRITE AND PRODUCE THIS?

First, you should fix not having completed Final Fantasy X. The end game is the best part of the package. Honestly, had the game not ened with the emotional resonance it does in its ending, then I think my praise would not have been as high. It's just that the conclusion of Jecht's arc, and what the game accomplishes with Tidus is so far and above what most Final Fantasy games attempt.

I'm glad to see someone else agree with my Final Fantasy X/VII theory. I was afraid that would be the most controversial aspect of this blog post. As someone who liked Final Fantasy VII, but able to identify its many shortcomings, it baffles me that game gets a pass, but other Final Fantasy games do not. Shit, why does Final Fantasy VII get a pass on its convoluted nonsense, but KIngdom Hearts doesn't?

Thank you for the positive feedback. Final Fantasy X is indeed a great game, and it is always nice to see those who agree. Well, I do not even mind the comments from those who disagree. I didn't realize until now that there was so much positivity associated with Final Fantasy X. I was under the impression it was regarded as the awkward step-child of the franchise. Then again, that might be Final Fantasy X-2.

Because let's be honest. X-2 is a collosal trash fire.

You know what? No. That scene is too much. It's a perfect example of how the writers for these games have to always go one step further than they should with their emotional scenes. They had Yuna ball her eyes out, and Tidus tries to comfort her. It's a great scene that basically speaks for itself. Then they need to go one step further with Tidus jumping into the Farplane and high-fiving his father. Which, by the way, does not make a goddamned lick of sense! The last scene Tidus has with his father features his father openly mocking him as he cries over his father's death. They STILL do not "get" each other! WHY THE HELL TIDUS HIGH-FIVING HIS ASSHOLE FATHER!

Then again, this tonal dissonance is the prerogative of X-2. Which is exactly why I think it is a dumpster fire.

It's almost as if the world of Final Fantasy X deserves a proper follow-up! Final Fantasy X ends on such a curious point. You want to see how Yuna leads the rebuilding effort, as well as who fills the power vacuum left by Yevon. Understanding the true impact of our actions would have been an honestly fun experience. And you know what? X-2 has its moments, but those moments are punctuated with brutal awkwardness and nostalgia exploitation. The creme de la creme would have to be Chapter Two. The last three hours of X-2 are well done, and set up a premise I found both interesting and worth exploring. The moment when Yuna confronts Bahamut, and she's thoroughly flabbergasted, is a great moment. Likewise, there are interesting ideas proposed in the first two chapters of X-2 that may have been worth exploring. Unfortunately, the first three hours of chapter two are the BIGGEST PILE OF SHIT I HAVE EVER SEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE!

In the HD Remaster, in order to get the Magus Sisters, you need to capture the Monsters from Mt. Gagazet. This means you need to capture ten each of teh random encounters at Mt. Gagazet.

@purpleoddity: @fatalbanana: @sparky_buzzsaw: @zeik: @marokai: @monkeyking1969: @hassun: @nux: @sjaak: @dudeglove: @teddie: @kid_gloves: @fezrock:

Hey, everyone and this includes @thatpinguino, I need to call an audible. I may well be moments from tapping out on Final Fantasy X-2. I know... I have yet to do this, and eagle-eyed users may recall me wanting to do this during Final Fantasy VII and IX, but this time things are different. I feel like Chapter 3 and 4 created an empty void in my soul. This game is insulting and a colossal waste of space and time. I get a ton of people enjoy the J-Pop induced whimsy, but I have found it to be grating. So here's the deal. If I am going to finish this train wreck of a game I have a few simple questions.

1. Can I just steamroll the main story? I'm happy to watch YouTube clips of notable side quests or optional content, but actually completing the side missions is killing me. Digging for shit at Bikanel Desert wasn't fun when I first started, and it sure hasn't improved.
2. Which dresspheres do I actually need to get? Please tell me I do not need to get the dressphere they hid behind the bad Pokemon minigame they added in the International Version.
3. Do any of these Garment Grids matter? There are so many, and it's impossible to feel like you are on top of knowing which ones are useful to use.
4. Are there any items worth going out of my way to get?
5. What's a good party composition that would allow me to steamroll the main story?

Again, I cannot preface this enough, this game is slowly killing me.

@zombiepie said:

There was always been a decent amount of love there, but I think a lot of the negativity around the game has cooled in the years since, as fans have seen where the series has gone after X, and come to realize the merits of X and recognize it was still a Final Fantasy-ass-Final Fantasy game. Sure, you've still got people that love to throw around the Tidus laughing meme, but it's not much more than a meme these days. Its successors get all the real attention. (Although FFXIV tends to get glossed over, understably so I suppose, despite it having gradually become the best and most Final Fantasy-ass story since X.)

Unfortunately I cannot help you with X-2. I played it once many years ago and I don't remember jack shit about the intricacies of its mechanics or gameplay. I wish you well on maintaining your sanity.

@zombiepie: Alchemist, berserker, and black mage is a real solid combo. Swap out berserker with... I want to say samurai as needed.You can definitely steamroll the story.

@zombiepie:
1. It's impossible to get the best ending without playing that game in the most exacting way possible, and you'll miss the stellar hot-spring bikini scene. In all seriousness, just steamroll it and look up the perfect ending on YouTube.

2. Dark Knight and Berserker are the only optional ones I think are must-haves. Dark Knight you can get in the Bevelle underground as early as Chapter 2. I think the Berserker can be gotten at Lake Macalania in chapter 3.

3. Not really, no. Unerring Path is the best because it gives you quick access to the special dresspheres should you want to use them.

4. Other than the aforementioned dresspheres, there are a bunch of powerful accessories, but the best ones are a nightmare to obtain and are probably not worth the trouble.

5. I would go with a white mage, and either two dark knights or a dark knight and beserker. Dark Knights have the highest defense in the game, Berserkers have a high damage output but miserable defense. There's a bunch of good party combinations, but these are probably the simplest options. I can't recall a lot of enemies that won't go down with either of the above combinations, my preference is to go with the double dark knight combo, unless I'm missing a lot, in which case, I'd take advantage of the berserker's accuracy.

FFX-2 is not a great game. There's fun to be had in playing around with different party combinations, but beyond that, I didn't find it very satisfying. The story is mostly garbage, but I appreciated the perfect ending for its heartwarmingness. Play through it if you have to know, but I won't blame you if you don't.

1. Steamroll it, no one blames you if you skip ridiculous side stories and just watch them on Youtube. The history of the three faction leaders of new Spira is the most interesting, but also soooooo full of coincidences it's pathetic. You could give each of the Chapters a earnest chance, but every second you spend on a side quest that feels too much, is too much.
2. Dark Knight and Alchemist.
3. Nope.
4. Just looked up a item list and I gotta say no. Some are good, but hidden behind stupid quests or in Via Infito, which is a place you don't even want to tip your toe in.
5. Unfortunately they have weakened the Gunslinger + Cat Nip combo in the International / HD version which you could use do to massive damage. Cat Nip let's you do 9.999 damage if your HP is critical and combining that with the Gunslinger's Trigger Happy ability was a gift too sweet to ignore, even if Cat Nip is to be found in Via Infito. However from what I read on the web, the item makes you Berserk + Slow in the HD version, which takes away the Trigger Happy ability. So don't waste time on that item. I think a combo with 2 Dark Knights + Alchemist is enough to beat the main story.

When I was younger I beat the game and did most of the side-quests, but when I bought the HD version I didn't get past chapter 2, so I wish you the best of luck in the last couple of hours in this nightmare.

Can't help you much with X-2 because I tapped out of that game pretty quickly. Lame as hell video game.

@zombiepie: A bit late but I feel like I may as well say that, sadly, I have very little X-2 advice to give, because I've actually never beaten it. I got to the end of the game as a kid when it came out but couldn't actually beat the final area because my party composition was so fucked up somehow, and I've never been too compelled to go back to it since. You can totally mainline the story, though, from what I recall, since the "true" ending is just terrible anyway.

X is such a good game. Even reading about the ending brings back heavy feelings. Seems like the internet mostly uses it as the point in time where Final Fantasy lost the plot and became bad. It's an easy target, since it's such a different game compared to 7,8,9 and the main character has it's whiny moments and a fairly wacky appearance. But if you went through that entire game, i have a hard time imagining that you would hate the game.

When it comes to prioritizing gameplay mechanics throughout the series, i feel like that has been a goal for Final Fantasy from FFX on forwards. I remember reading this dutch game magazine that would often state that the action in the cut scenes look mindblowing, but when you play the game you're just waiting on timers before you can do the spectacular stuff .I feel like they were trying to address that complaint from FFX on forwards and make it a more dynamic action game.

FFX : You don't have to wait for a bar to fill up anymore , makes it feel more snappy.

FFXII: you can actually see the enemies and move around the world while fighting.

FFXIII: Now you can actually do awesome combo's , and switch roles with the press of a button.

FFXV: Now you directly control the sword slashing!.

For a series to stick with ATB systems for so many years, to suddenly have the battle system change in every new release is quite a shift. To be fair, in all of those systems you still will see remnants of the ATB-system, but it plays quite different from 4,5,6,7,8,9.

I never played FF X-2 but i'm morbidly curious to give it a shot. It surprises me that Square never made a game revolving around Laguna or Jecht. Especially since they are so highly regarded. Instead , we got a Vincent game and a Charlies Angels game.

I am so glad you enjoyed it. I've always been "into" video games but Final Fantasy X was the game that really pulled me into the J/RPG genre. Luckily, when I first played it I was ~15 so I was able to forgive some of the poor writing and dialogue, but it's just one of those games I genuinely love.

In previous blogs, I think you hit it right on the head with Yuna's sense of duty and her, well, somber-ness. While she's often a blank page, when she's performing the sending it's graceful and manages to tug on the heart strings. The sense of despair in the world caused by Sins destruction was just so prevalent to me in the game, and gave me a sense of duty as the goofy hero, Tidus. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because it was my first final fantasy, but everything felt so much more important in X. In IX, Zidane just seemed cheerfully ambivalent in a way, and Vivi, to me, was the only character with any sort of (lasting) emotional resonance. Maybe the ass-grabbing scene just made me jaded.

Anyway, I'm really glad you enjoyed the ending. I don't know what else to say except that FFX is one of those games that really "got" to me. That being said, good luck with FFX2. I like the costume changes and all the jobs, simply because I'm a fan of variety, but mannnn, is that game something.

@zeik: @sparky_buzzsaw: @purpleoddity: @sjaak: @hassun: @marokai: @onemanarmyy: @azulot: @dudeglove: Apologies for the incredibly delayed response, but I wanted to thank all of you for your response and input. In lieu of recent events, my weekend is wide open after I publish the next Community Spotlight and tinker around with the wiki queue. So... I'm probably just going to lock myself in my apartment and play the game non-stop for ten or twelve hours. I know this is the exact opposite of what everyone told me to do, @thatpinguino even told me to play the game in short bursts of thirty minutes, but I want this game out of my life ASAP.

This could be the end of me so I just want to say I love you all very much.

One of my favorite games of all time, definitely my favorite FF, and definitely the most surprising ending in a video game because it lets characters die in beautiful, heart-wrenching ways. Final Fantasy (I have only played 7 and on, please don't hate me for it) to me has always been in a fight with itself. It seems that some writers want to think more, and be more, for the player, while others want to continue on with standards and cliches like there's nothing they can do.

XII, XIII, and XV did the same thing: they had paths, moments, twists, and scenes that tested the typical story tropes you'd expect, but never to the commitment of FFX. I love that game warts and all, and thanks ZombiePie for reminding me why.

FFX is the best FF

Jecht for life!

I wish they'd held onto it's combat system for something else.