Final Fantasy X Review by Sky Render Tagline: The RPG that made owning a PS2 worth it, but how does it stand up now? Graphics - 8/10 FFX's graphics were, for their time, a huge feat. They still stand out now for how smooth and well-designed they are, as well as how thoughtful. Very few environments feel bland and uninspired, and the character models (while of varying quality at times) are very solid and expressive. The FMV's, in a first for the FF series, aren't obscenely different from the main game visuals, and actually add to the immersion of the game instead of detracting from it. On the whole, there's not a lot to complain about with FFX's graphics. Sound and Music - 8/10 Generally a very good combo of music and sound, FFX is a first for the series in that it has three composers instead of one. This works in its favor, on the whole, as each of the composers' styles adds a different aspect to the game's music and gives a pleasant variety to it. While Junya Nakano's compositions are generally below the complexity of the other two composers' works (except for Summoned Beast Battle, which is easily one of the most complex songs in the game), the arrangement is very pleasing to listen to on the whole. The sound effects, as usual, aren't particularly annoying or bad. Some of the voice acting is decidedly sub-par, mostly due to poor direction, but it's by and large good to passable. Gameplay - 8/10 It has its flaws, but FFX's system is very solid and well developed. The game utilizes a "Sphere Grid", in a break from the usual RPG norm, meaning you're gaining far more levels than you would normally, but you also have control of how those levels impact your characters. You can even opt out of raising their stats entirely, if you so desire. At first, you're basically limited to one path per character (which is a pity, but was fixed in the International release that never came out in the US). However, you eventually get special Spheres that let you unlock alternate paths and move about the Sphere Grid, and the game's complexity and flexibility really starts to shine. The battle engine is a step backwards from previous entries of the series, opting for a full turn-based model, but it at least is a good implementation of one. Skills, spells, and other abilities and attributes gained from the Sphere Grid can be used in battle to make each fight quite unique, and who you choose to use in your party (which is instantly swappable without penalty) can have a huge impact on how battles play out. The biggest gripe I have about the engine is that, if all active party members die, you get a game over; why can't 3 allies step in and take their place? They're just standing around doing nothing, they might as well. On the whole, though, this doesn't impact the gameplay much at all, and is a gripe that can be applied to almost every RPG in existence. The side-quests are what drag the score down a bit here, but even they are far more tolerable than the two previous FF's sported for such things. A few of them (Chocobo Racing, Butterfly Catching, etc.) are painfully bad, largely due to sub-par controls or pre-determined paths you must take to complete them, but the others are all passable (if tedious at times, as with the lightning dodging). On the whole, FFX's side-quests don't leave the player feeling like they're stuck until they can complete them, because (with one exception that has no impact on anything if you don't complete it victoriously) the mini-games and side-quests are 100% optional. On top of that, they're almost all 100% unmissable. Unfortunately, they're also almost all at the tail end of the game, so about the first 90% of your FFX experience is point-A-to-point-B travel. Story - 8/10 Nothing stellar, but not bad either. FFX's cast sports more personality and depth than FF9's, which is a nice change. The cinematic presentation and voice acting help bring additional charm and character to the characters that simple text alone really can't accomplish quite so well. The overall story is very linear and usually pretty predictable (though there are a few surprising and occasionally unexplained twists). A handful of plotholes in the backstory of the world exist too, though ignoring those allows for enjoyment of the story as a whole just fine. The weak points of the plot are no worse than previous FF's, and the most important part (the consistency of flow of the main plotline) is very much present. Replay Value - 7/10 There's not an overly huge amount to replay FFX for, but there are still a number of things that make it worth it. The story is interesting, particularly with the surprisingly large number of optional bits you can engage in to add depth to events or even make a few of them turn out entirely different, so there's a bit of value there. Then too, you have a decent level of control over how your party develops (particularly in the latter half of the game), so you could also go for a totally different way through the game development-wise than you have previously. And of course, there's the monster arena (which you build up by gathering monsters, and fight super-bosses in for ultra-rare and ultra-useful prizes), so there's some value there too. Overall - 8/10 FFX is still a pretty solid game, even now. There are some definite flaws in the game (the graphics are starting to show their age, the music has a few tracks that aren't that great, a few side-quests are very bad, and the plot is pretty predictable at times), but the strong points work in the game's favor to counterbalance these negative aspects. It's not quite the super-great-ultra-fun-must-have title it was when the PS2 was in its infancy, but it is very much a solid and defining RPG for the system. Pros: + Decent and consistent graphical style + Lots of good music + Well-developed main gameplay engine + Entertaining storyline overall + Plenty of stuff to do besides the main quest Cons: - A few side-quests from hell - Several predictable plot points - A collection of very minor other issues dampen the experience a bit Target Audience: Fans of turn-based and cinematically presented RPG's. Buy or Rent? Buy. If you fit the target audience description, FFX is a pleasantly sufficient game.