Review By

Jeremy Fones

FFX does have some good points, mainly its extremely solid art direction created by some of the industry's top talent. This is Squaresoft after all. Even games I didn't enjoy from the software developer have production values that go above and beyond the average game. Square does not skimp when it comes to the look of their games, and all the creative minds that work there should be applauded—the main reason why I couldn't bring myself to score the game any lower.

Besides the graphics, what really seperates FFX from any other entry in the Final Fantasy world? Admittedly, not much. And therein lies the real problem with the Final Fantasy series as a whole—it's become akin to beating a dead horse. It's starting to remind me of the Friday the 13th movies. Sure, the movies were great slasher fun when I was a kid, and the few afterwards still held my interest, but things basically got old and I never saw any of them past Part 3. Does the presence of new protaganists and new locations magically make the next movie in the series feel original? The average consumer of entertainment constantly seeks out new and unique experiences to stimulate the imagination and bring a little excitement into their lives, which is why those later Friday the 13th movies bombed and why the Final Fantasy series is starting to lose its luster.

As far as the religious message in FFX, it's handled with kid-safe gloves (I'm sure one reason for this was to avoid the game being branded with that 'M' on the case). The absolute intolerance of others that was present in History's darker times of religious fervor does not exist in FFX. Yevon shares elements with and drew inspiration from...an underwater polo game? Definitely not the makings of controversy. Sure, the Al Bhed are viewed as heathens by the followers of Yevon, but that doesn't stop the faithful from travelling with the heretics. Nor does it stop the Al Bhed from entering Yevon's sacred temples. Tolerance is liberally spread throughout the world of Spira, without a hint of the blind hate and senseless murder that made times such as the Middle Ages infamous.

I also think there are quite a few role-playing games that have already dealt with the subject of religion, some are even past Final Fantasy titles. Xenogears, Grandia II and Final Fantasy Tactics, just to name a few. I do agree with Jon that religion is a great subject matter on which to build a deep, thought provoking game, but even after playing FFX, I have yet to see any video game really tackle religion with the seriousness the topic demands. I can not share in the sentiment that FFX is a "pioneer" of the subject matter.

Even though FFX fell victim to the series' worst traits--predictability, lack of innovation, random battles—its absolute worst fault, and a first for the series, is something Jon already talked about; the absence of a world map. What made Final Fantasy games so great in the past was the sense of adventure and the exploration possibilities that the world map afforded to the player. Now that it's gone, FFX is simply transformed into a mundane linear quest. I fail to see the logic in ommiting this important part to these games.

Over all, FFX was a huge let down and reminded me that the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is not always true. Considering that Square is creating the next installation of the series to be playable online only, maybe FFX truly represents the final Fantasy. Call me a heretic, but I won't be sad to see it go.

Review By

Brad Gallaway

Specifically, I'm of the opinion that Wakka is one of the most well-written and human characters that I've ever seen in a console RPG. The portrayal of his growth and relationships throughout the story was masterfully done, had emotional weight, and would make the game worth playing even if you ignored everything else.

People can rag on the game for not pushing the limits or breaking from tradition, but Final Fantasy X is the only RPG where I felt that the characters actually captured facets of true humanity.

Blitzball does suck, though.

Buffoon says...
With respect to the comments by Jeremy Fones about the absence of a world map in FFX, I can't say I missed it. I expected to miss it, but I didn't. Sure, the game is linear and highly scripted, but it's meant to be, and no Final Fantasy game has been different, world map or otherwise. FFX still provides a lot of things to do once the game has been completed, and in my opinion is the best in the series. But is the series itself getting tired? I don't think so, but I understand how others might thing it is. Not much has changed, gameplay wise, since FFVII. But for me, the pure joy of being within a Final Fantasy universe is reward enough.

RATING: 9.5

Graphics? Who gives a flying F*#$ about graphics?!?! I want deep and detailed gameplay (Final Fantasy Tactics), not graphics. I especially don't want to watch endless amounts of cutscenes. When I want to watch a movie I rent a damn DVD. The best game in this series is, and probably always will be, Final Fantasy III. Find yourself an SNES and try it for yourself if you don't believe me.

Hey Squaresoft! Do us all a favor and play Baldur's Gate for ten minutes before you make the next Final Fantasy. Don't you realize who the RPG market is? I'm 30 years old and RPGs are by far my favorite type of game. Please don't try to reinvent the RPG.

Final Fantasy X is a candy-ass piece of trash game that only a moron would enjoy playing. I feel embarrassed that I fell victim to the enormous amount of hype surrounding this disaster of a game. At least I was able to get $20 for selling it back to the game shop.

RATING: 1.0

"It's like putting on your favorite slippers."
"It's like going home again."
"It's like the smell of grandmother's chocolate chip cookies, just out of the oven."

Add to that list "It's like Final Fantasy X (FFX)." Totally nonrevolutionary, apart from enhanced graphics and voice work, FFX plays like the previous three entries in the series. The battle system and character archetypes are the same. There are airships, limit breaks, Chocobos, summoned creatures, and mini-games just the way you like them. The story starts out grounded in reality, and devolves into metaphysical mumbo-jumbo. You've done all this before.

And it's awesome.

Change and evolution in gaming is vital to the industry's survival. So too is predictability. I like that I can pick up a new Final Fantasy game, and know exactly what I'm going to get. FFX fine-tunes all of the beloved franchise elements and serves them up just the way you like them. It's the tightest of the modern Final Fantasy games, with all the fat trimmed away.

A couple of specifics - the new ability to swap characters during battle is much appreciated, but I wish some of the boss battles forced you into using different character combinations; it would have been an interesting strategic element. And Blitzball ultimately proves completely unhelpful in finishing the main game, and by itself it's just not much fun. I miss the card games.

RATING: 9.0

Squaresoft is a CORPORATION that seeks money in exchange for a product we wish to consume. This game was an utter disaster. It started incredibly slowly, and ended even more slowly. To put it simply, this game wasn't much of a game at all. This game was more of a movie. It was extremely linear, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, if followed with positive storyline. However, almost half of the game consists of watching cut-scenes, which are filled with horrible dialogue from shallow characters that have very little build.

I am sick and tired of seeing a company like Squaresoft release a game like this and continue to make millions of dollars on it. I personally bought my copy used off eBay. After hearing bad things about it, I did NOT want to buy a copy off the shelves and add to Square's profit. With that I must say that gamers have to recognize that those who create games seek to make money. They will do what they have to in order to get us to take out our wallets. Please don't give them a reason to continue making poor games... things will never change unless we make them change.

P.S.: Square couldn't care less what some critics say about their games, because square is still making money off them.

RATING: 3.0

I was pleasantly surprised of how much I enjoyed this little 50-hour interactive movie. It was a welcome and relaxing change of pace to the hack 'n slash fare that I'm used to, like playing battle chess. I didn't mind the game being linear, seeing as that how it fit with story being a pilgrimage. I also enjoyed the religion vs. science aspect of the story, although I do agree it was written in a rather tame tone. Overall, I love this game very much and am hoping they port over that second FFX game to the U. S.

One complaint: Blitzball. I hate math; I hate Blitzball.

RATING: 9.5

The battles are very intense, and allow you to carefully plan your attacks unlike normal games where you just run into a room shooting randomly hoping to kill someone. You have to be clever about your moves and think carefully. I also applaud the excellent sphere grid. I think the idea of gaining new skills and powers by collecting items is excellent, as you also have to plan your route through the sphere grid too. The Aeons are very powerful and fun to use. Every one of them has special powers and skills, and the extra 3 Aeons that you can get are even greater. The random battles also add some excitement to the game, as you never know when you might be drawn into a fight.

As I have never played another Final Fantasy game before, I cannot comment about how it is similar to previous titles. But from a first time player's point of view this game is a must-have and one of the best games I have ever played. 10 out of 10.

RATING: 10

First of all, let me say that I am enjoying it: the character development, collecting and using items, increasingly challenging battles, wonderful graphics and sound (which I do feel add to a game's overall effect, unlike Jyax). The Sphere Grid works well, the turn-based battle system is also solid, if occasionally repetitive, the puzzles are well-judged, challenging without being maddeningly difficult, and the game ticks along nicely. When it's allowed to, that is. Here I agree completely with Jyax: by far the worst feature is the constant intrusion of cutscenes that you can't even skip. A linear structure can work if it's well written, but continuous interruptions are just maddening.

It's these cutscenes which make the overall tone of the game so infantile. How did such a well-crafted game gets saddled with such atrocious plotting, characterization and especially dialogue? The cutscenes plod painfully along, oozing feeble lines and long pauses. The two main leads, Tidus and Yuna, are the mushiest, most simpering dolts I've ever had the misfortune to come across.

The average age of gamers is now around 25-35, and games can be written to appeal to that audience; unfortunately, FFX still feels like it's for teenagers.

RATING: 6.0

RATING: 5.5

Simply Put: This is possibly the worst Final Fantasy game I've ever played. And finally, it's good to see someone rate this game lower than a 9, so, way to go, Fones.

RATING: 0.5

RATING: 9.5

RATING: 5.0

RATING: 2.0
Published: October 6, 2004

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