Oh, I guess I lied. I'll make an actual blog post, but only to get this off of my mind. The subject is of course Final Fantasy X-2, and why so many gamers seem to dismiss and, worse, dislike it. It seems every time X-2 peeks its little head into the world, be it in a photo of a games collection or a list of "worst games ever," there will always be a user comment expressing their disgust or boredom with this game.
I will start off by admitting that I actually don't understand this viewpoint. Of course, it is just that- an opinion. When an opinion is shared among so many people, however, it's hard to think there exist any like-minded players. So what is it about this game that people just don't like? Is it the gameplay? The story? The most common answer is probably the in-your-face, Charlie's Angel themes the main characters initially portray. It's true- they act pretty girly throughout the game, and there are silly cutscenes aplenty.
What you must consider, though, is that this is just one facet of the characters. This is a Final Fantasy game, after all, so you should expect each character has a layer under this energetic, girl power tomfoolery. I take these scenes to portray the ways that Yuna has changed; how she has adapted to her new Spherehunter life. It's clear she has cast aside much of herself, having grown up with the teachings of Spira and her duties as a Summoner. Midway through the game, however, she once again feels the drive to be a hero, a duty to save Spira once again, and she shows a more serious side of herself because of it. Not Debbie-Downer, mind you, but she's got another side of herself besides happy-go-lucky.
Could it be the battle system that people dislike? I personally thought the battle system itself was great, but the main complaint from people who dislike the game is that the job change system is in a "let's play dress-up" style. True, the spherechange cutscenes do lend credence to this, but it's not as if job-change concepts were pioneered by X-2. The costumes themselves match up to each job quite well, being silly where they need to be (i.e., the Mascot job), and the rest stay true to their origins. I think it's no different than changing equipment in an MMORPG, that it's no more different than your character wearing the gear that represents your character class.
So I ask all ye dissenters, to put aside these preconceptions and enjoy Final Fantasy X-2 for what it is: a formidable entry to the series, deserving of the Final Fantasy name. I'll spare you more of my dull 6 A.M. writing, so get out there and game on. :)
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