year: 2001
Very soon I will watch and review Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016) and I thought it would be a good idea to revisit articles / reviews I have written on everything Final Fantasy. Surprisingly it is currently limited to three reviews but that has more to do with the fact that I have been unable to keep up writing reviews for the films I have watched or video games I have finished playing. It's just too much. Anyway here is my review for Final Fantasy X.
Before Final Fantasy X I only had played Final Fantasy VII. An incredibly popular game that for one reason I always started playing with a lot of enthusiasm but eventually would stop finish playing and never ever finish it. I think I tried to pick it up many times before but like the first time I somehow stopped playing. Don't worry I have tasked myself to play and finish the game before I die. Strangely enough I never had this problem with Final Fantasy X. After reading so much about the Final Fantasy game series (in general) I just had to find out what the fuzz was about. I knew that people are infinitely crazy about FF7 (yes you are just admit it) and had some idea what attracted people to this type of game but never could I have dreamed that I would be pulled in like this game did.
It sure is the ultimate fantasy. Final Fantasy X has everything you want in a game. A good story, lovable characters, amazing soundtrack, addictive gameplay and superb graphics (The CGI cut scenes are the most beautiful I have seen on the PS2). And while the production values for this game are very high and the gameplay has been streamlined to make it more appealing for a broader public I do think that this game won't be for everyone. The game does require patience and investment. You can't just play the game little by little. It is asked of you to get to know the RPG mechanics where strategy and gaining abilities are of utmost importance. (The RPG genre is something I hadn't played in my youth because I did not have the patience to learn to use menus (in game) and turn based strategy. I did play adventure games. Only after playing FF X, I realized that RPG is similar to adventure games. But that there are more elements added to make the game more interactive and interesting.) And to be honest I think it is one of the coolest things to see your character(s) get more abilities and become more powerful. FF X does make it relative easy for people who are new to the genre. It starts out slow and takes the time to teach you the basics. But gradually the pace and the intensity of the game will increase. This is one of the few games where grinding pays off and remains fun the millionth time you battle an enemy. You will need to since the later enemies and bosses are no joke. Besides, some of the abilities of the characters are amazing. Like for example the summons done by Yuna. These summons are actually very useful and certainly more powerful than the ones used in Final Fantasy XIII.
I have loved anime and the style of anime as long as I can remember and it does help. Since the Final Fantasy series make a lot of use of that style and in particular this game. The summoning sequences are an example of the anime style graphics and is something I can see over and over again. They never fail to impress me. Once you get in the story you will get hooked for sure. The intensity of the experience I received after finishing this game was so immense I can't even describe it. This game is a RPG classic that is very replayable. There are number of side quests that can be done that are just as (or even more so) intense as the main quest. It is highly recommended that you do the side quests as they offer more background on the characters in your team but also will give your characters their best equipment.
I have played many other RPG games (Chrono Cross, Shadow Hearts, Knights of the Old Republic, Dark Souls to name but a few) after this and I am very grateful for that because they offered me the most intense and fun experiences (one can have) playing video games. If it weren't for this game I would have been oblivious to one of the best genres in video gaming. So naturally I have a big fondness and love for this particular part in the Final Fantasy franchise. A must play!
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