Review
Release Date: 11.18.2003
Platform:
PlayStation 2Developer:
Square Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Square-Enix USAReviewed by
Ash Paulsen on 12.26.2003
| Review Rating: 10/10 | User Rating: 7.07/10 |
From the start, die hard
Final Fantasy fans felt
FFX-2 was doomed to failure. They had finally done it: Square had seemingly shattered and bastardized their self-imposed, "no direct sequel" tradition in regards to the
Final Fantasy series. And then they made it even worse by equipping the once meek, quiet and over-humble main character Yuna with guns and giving her a new, life-loving carefree attitude, and generally injecting the whole world of
FFX with a lot of attitude, sass, and revealing (but oh-so-well designed) outfits that turned the mythos established by the series upside down. No one, save for a select few, thought it would ever work. So does it? Abso-posi-you better believe it, but not immediately and it's definitely different than I expected, even from a game I knew was going to buck tradition from the start.
Final Fantasy X-2 takes place two years after the end of
FFX's story (
Final Fantasy X spoilers to follow). Spira is a world now filled with carefree, joyous people with ever-hopeful futures - but also a world of political turmoil. Gone is the constant threat of Sin and its inevitable return, and people can now live their lives to the fullest knowing they will most likely see ripe old ages. This is all thanks to the High Summoner Yuna, who, along with her friends and guardians, defied and exposed the fallacies behind the teachings of Yevon and found a way to truly defeat Sin once and for all, bringing to fruition what all had once only dreamed of: an Eternal Calm. However, this all came at a personal cost; at the end of it all, the guardian she had become closest to and fallen in love with, Tidus, disappeared along with the Aeons and their fayth. Since then, Yuna has been living a stable, but empty, life on her home island of Besaid receiving all sorts of colorful folks who request an audience with the popular High Summoner... folks who want to take Spira in this age of change and set it on their own courses. And that's where the political turmoil comes in: since the fall of Sin, three political parties have formed in Spira, each with their own, sharply different view of where Spira should go from here. First there's the Youth League, made up largely of Spira's youth who, disgusted by the fallacies behind Yevon, want to usher in a Spira free of rigorous religious worship and responsibility; then there's New Yevon, the quintessential opposite of the Youth League, made up of those who just can't change so quickly and who need some sort of religious influence in their lives to maintain stability, and also who still trust in the Temples of Yevon and priests of Bevelle despite what has happened; and then there's the Machina Faction, a mostly Al Bhed party that mysteriously remains neutral in the conflict and is dedicated to excavating and reconstructing ancient machina found all throughout Spira. The Youth League and New Yevon set the stage for a massive political war that becomes the cornerstone for much of
FFX-2's story, and it's all realistically portrayed and very interesting. But it isn't until Yuna’s cousin Rikku shows up with a sphere recording of someone that creepily resembles an imprisoned Tidus that Yuna makes the decision to become a sphere hunter, which is exactly what it sounds like: one who hunts spheres in order to uncover the true history of Spira. Donning a new outfit, as well as adopting a new attitude on life, Yuna embarks on her own personal journey along with Rikku and mysterious newcomer Paine to discover the truth behind the sphere and, ultimately, live her own life. Together, the three travel the entirety of Spira as the main driving force of the sphere hunting group known as the Gullwings, who desire nothing more than to make names for themselves as sphere hunters in a time where lots of other people are trying to do the same thing - and have a whole lot of fun doing it.
And have a whole a lot of fun is exactly what the girls do, and that, admittedly, is the main drive of the story for awhile. As I said,
FFX-2 is a story just as much about Yuna living her life to the fullest - something she could never do as a summoner doomed to self-sacrifice - and having lots of fun as it is about finding out the truth behind her lost love. But once the story does pick up and gives you just a hint of how deep the whole thing really goes, you realize just how good this plot is and you're pretty much there for the duration.
What truly sets
FFX-2 apart from every other RPG I can think of in terms of its story presentation is the fact that it starts out in a world where the huge, world-destroying threat has already been eliminated. It's a great idea: you've got this whole world waiting to be explored, and aren't limited to following a story about saving it because it lies on the brink of destruction. As such, the tone of the game is lighthearted, carefree, and upbeat. However, in what little of the real plot you get at first is revealed to you, you begin to see that this Eternal Calm is in fact extremely fragile and that something very dark is bubbling beneath the bright, spirited surface; actually, what surprised me most is that for a game with this much attitude, sass, and Charlie's Angels-esque antics courtesy of the girls, the story of
FFX-2 is three whole shades darker than anything experienced in its immediately more depressing, serious predecessor.
FFX-2 is the first game in a long time where I haven't been able to predict what's going to end up happening. The plot is brilliantly laid out so as to keep players guessing up until the very end, but just enough critical plot points are given away to keep you craving for more. And the best part is that you can crank the story along as quickly or as slowly as you want.
FFX-2 is mission-based, and thanks to the Gullwings' airship, the Celsius, Yuna, Rikku and Paine (hereafter referred to as their in-game nickname "YRP") have full access to all the major areas of Spira from the get-go. This means that you can go wherever and do whatever you want almost from the start. However, locations that currently have events going on that are directly related to the advancement of the plot are labeled as "Hotspots" and can be chosen to take on anytime. The catch is that skipping out on all the optional stuff means you miss out on lots of backstory. And not only that, but you'll miss out on a whole lot of gameplay as well; there are lots of cool mini-games and subplots going on along with the main story. Doing and seeing everything is also necessary to attaining 100% story completion, the one prerequisite required for viewing the best, true ending upon the story's conclusion, which is something fans that are totally hooked on seeing a real conclusion to
FFX's story will gladly do.
There's a downside of this nonlinearity though; the original
FFX was one of the most linear stories ever, and
FFX-2 being so... not... is a real shock and something that is sure to rub many fans the wrong way. I'm still not entirely fond of it, though I have gotten used to it and there're enough interesting things going on at non-Hotspots that the game keeps me constantly playing to see what's going to happen next. Still, there is a definite problem with the story's pacing and the game can and often does fall into a dread pattern of "45 minutes of direct story -> four hours of indirect story, backstory, and subplots -> 45 minutes of direct story," etc. It can get very irritating and may turn off a lot of people who want to see what happens but who also want to do and see everything gameplay-wise. It's an imbalance that is admittedly addressed (and addressed well) through lots of interesting material happening in the downtime from hotspot to hotspot, but also something that feels pretty out of place in a game that really only exists because of a massive story hook at the end of the first game. But if you stick with it and let yourself be absorbed into the game, you'll find a dark plot that is truly deep and that beautifully expands the mythos established in
FFX, with none of the new story elements left feeling tacked-on or "made-up" on a whim.
Because
FFX-2 is relatively short compared to other RPGs and so much of its length comes from optional events (that are important to the overall story, but optional no less), you get a lot more climactic, heart-pounding story moments in a lot less time than you do in your typical Square narrative. This is a good thing; whereas
FFX had a few breathtaking moments spread out over 60 or so hours,
FFX-2 has a few more spread out over a little more than half that time. It's a great balance that makes the story all the more entertaining. And make no mistake: though the story in
FFX-2 is shorter than in most
Final Fantasy's, seeing and doing everything the game has to offer and getting the entire plot will easily take you as long as the first game... probably longer.
Which brings me to the incredible spectrum of
FFX-2's gameplay. There's so much to do here it's scary; aside from the incredibly deep and customizable battle/character building systems, you'll be doing a whole lot of different things in Spira this time around.
FFX-2 is not only a RPG, but doubles as a veritable slew of mini-games and diversions wherein you'll be chasing down runaway Chocobos, gunning down monsters in an action-game setting, helping monkeys find their soul mates (yes, that's as awesome as it sounds), selling tickets to concerts, handing out balloons to people while dressed as a Moogle, backing up a company by pitching various advertisements to the denizens of Spira, playing Cupid, gunning down Cactuars in order to gain their trust so you can take them back to the desert, and much, much more. But here's the real kicker:
FFX-2 also acts as a massage simulator at one point, wherein you get to massage the back of one of the game's female antagonists for fun and laughs (and prizes, of course), and this - along with many other random and quirky things in
FFX-2 that make you go "what the…?!" and, as such, makes the game a true joy to play. Combine this with a wonderfully written and translated script, hilarious (and at other times, believably poignant) character interactions between YRP, and the aforementioned Monkey Lovin', and
FFX-2 really stands apart from its RPG brethren. It's rare to play a RPG - a kind of game usually known for their token heavy-hearted plots - and bear witness to some of the funniest and most hilarious moments that gaming has ever had to offer, but this is all true with
FFX-2. It's quite obvious that the developers took great pains to give this game a whole lot of personality and charm. The fact that they were able to keep a serious and poignant narrative both stable and emotionally effective throughout all this is unbelievable.
Of course, the narrative would not be poignant and the character interactions wonderful if the voice acting was anything less than awesome, and that logic holds true here. All returning characters from
FFX - and there are many - reprise their roles in the sequel, and many give a better performance here than they did the first time around. This is especially true with Hedy Burress as Yuna; now that she's able to portray a more free-spirited, generally louder Yuna, she really makes the character shine. If you were one of the many that was less than impressed with her performance in the first (I was), worry not: Yuna has a much more spirited performance to match her new look and attitude on life. There's really no one who did not nail their performance here, but if there's one person who takes a little time to really get into things it's Gwendoline Yeo as Paine. While by the time Chapter 2 gets going she's just fine, Paine sounds a little over-monotone and apathetic in the beginning. But this is tempered by the outstanding performances of Tara Strong as the bubbly, energetic Rikku and the voice actors of political leaders Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai. These four deliver performances that are just incredible and really draw you into the story, making their characters all the more believable (this is especially true of Gippal). Also more than worthy of note is Rob Paulsen as Tobli and Lian, two of the most flawlessly voiced and portrayed characters in the game. And of course the fact that he is my dad adds no bias of any sort to that statement...
And what is a RPG without its soundtrack? A lot less than it would be without a great one, and
FFX-2 does not fail to deliver here. Yes, I've heard the complaints;
FFX-2's music is being reviled all around and, sadly, written off as a failure of the techno and pop sort. While it's true that the soundtrack is largely comprised of pop, techno, and new age music - now pay attention here! - very little of it is by any means terrible, and there are more than enough token RPG orchestral, poignant tracks here to keep most any RPG fan happy. Make no mistake, however: you'll hear your fair share of synthesized melodies, guitar riffs and techno beats during your trip through
FFX-2, but it's all very fitting considering the upbeat, new-age feel of the game. The battle theme is particularly noteworthy: for such a simple theme comprised so much of driving bass and guitar riffs, it really works well to get you into the game and never gets old. And as I said, those hoping to hear more traditional, poignant melodies will delight in the game's opening credits which are accompanied by one of the most beautiful piano melodies I've ever heard, and locales like Besaid Island, Kilika Island, and Macalania Woods are accompanied with fittingly mellow, emotionally effective songs. And I must highlight that all the music that accompanies the game's finale - from the final battles to the "The End" screen - is totally Square-caliber and, in one word, spectacular. I repeat,
FFX-2's music does not disappoint.
FFX-2's graphics speak for themselves. Frankly,
FFX-2 is easily the prettiest game on the PS2 right now and deftly outshines quite a few titles on the
PS2's more powerful opponents. Many will complain that the character models and locales are lifted straight from the first game. Yes, this is true, but the first
FFX still stand as one of the PS2's best-looking games. So, while
FFX-2's visuals are only slightly enhanced over the first game, still means a lot. The game's battles are where most of these enhancements can be most readily observed; never have
Final Fantasy characters exhibited so much distinctive personality in battles. The level of eye candy in battles is pretty much off the charts - especially with the girls' Sphere-changing sequences - but each of the main characters vary in subtle movements, battle stances, animations... and especially Dressphere designs. Even a party comprised of all of the same Dresspheres - say, three Samurai - will look fresh and unique. Every heroine's Dresspheres are custom-designed to fit her personality and spirit, and just taking a moment to watch all three girls stand ready for action really reveals just how much love and care the designers and animators put into making each girl unique. Rikku's always the most energetic and bouncy one, and her fighting is more free-form; Paine's the most stationary, 'get-the-job-done' badass one; and Yuna falls somewhere in the middle with an emphasis on style and cuteness - but that makes it all the more enjoyable and exciting when you get a new Dressphere and equip each girl with it just to see how different each of them looks, moves, attacks, and sounds (different girls have different comments and taunts for each Dressphere). One possible grievance should be addressed here, however, and that is the very fact that many locales have been recycled from the first game. Even if it is two years later, this is still Spira and you'll be traveling to many of the same places you did during your first time through the world. Some locales have fresh, new looks such as Kilika Island and Mushroom Rock, but many more look nearly exactly as they did in the first game. Of course, this is tempered by more than a few completely new areas and some ingeniously expanded ones which breathes new life and mystery into locales you thought you knew. Depending on the person playing the game, this can be viewed as either charming and nostalgic or lazy and uninspired, but I tend to gravitate towards the former only because it's so fitting and because the effort put forth into other areas of the game's visual presentation evoke anything but the terms "lazy" and "uninspired."
As I said,
FFX-2's battles are just gorgeous. So gorgeous, in fact, that if you spend too much time ogling them you may find your ass getting handed to. It's not that
FFX-2 is hard, it's that it's FAST. The Active Time Battle system means that many random encounters won't last more than ten to 15 seconds, especially against weaker monsters but that can also work the other way around. I found that most near-death experiences or flat-out lost battles occur less with boss battles and more with random encounters in which you're just not prepared and are overwhelmed by the fiends. This usually happens when a stronger fiend unexpectedly "Oversouls." Oversoul, in story terms, is what happens when a fiend is elevated to a heightened state of being due to an overabundance of pyreflies within its body; in gameplay terms, that basically means a fiend's stats increasing dramatically and suddenly becoming a whole lot harder to take down, and in my terms, that means "oh sh**!." As if
FFX-2's battles weren't already frantic enough, this new element really adds something to the game's rather high random encounter rate and ensures you won't just mindlessly hitting X to end battles as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the game's overall difficulty is really pretty similar to what we've come to expect from Square as of late; generally very tractable and too easy at times, but it has its tough moments. Make no mistake, some of the story-required battles are no picnic, but they're always fair and if you screw up, you can be sure it's your fault. YRP and the fiends will be taking place in all-out melees, wherein things are always happening and commands are issued in real-time. It's easy to lose track of what's going on if you don't think on your feet and, especially in harder battles, the girls' HP will be in the yellow (or red!) before you know it. Even when attacks that require wait time are being used, there's always a sense of urgency and future planning to the game's battles. It's no understatement to say that
FFX-2 veritably forces you to pay attention and not just button-mash through battles, and you know what? That's extremely refreshing.
All in all there are 17 different Dresspheres for YRP to make use of, each with their own sizeable list of action and auto abilities that they will learn by gaining AP through battles. Some abilities don't become available until others are mastered, but otherwise you have full control over which abilities you want to learn. This means you can go for the higher-AP, more potent abilities right from the start or build up your jobs slowly and steadily. Additionally, there's no real limit to how often you can Spherechange, so you can decide on the go which jobs you want to master. The only limit placed on Spherechanging is in battle, wherein your Dresspheres are placed on an item called a Garment Grid. There are a whole lot of these to be found throughout Spira and each one possesses different temporary properties (such as allowing the casting of certain spells, protection from certain status ailments, or allowing the use of a certain Dressphere's abilities while in any job), but the long and short of it is that these grids are mini-Sphere Grids with nodes in which you place selected Dresspheres. No one Garment Grid has more than six or seven nodes at the most, which means that no matter which one you have equipped, no character will ever get to select from your full spectrum of available jobs during battle. This adds a sizeable element of strategy to the game's battles and their planning. All of the girls' attributes, from max HP and MP to Luck change on the fly depending on which Dresspheres they've got equipped. For example, Yuna will enjoy a lot of HP and Strength as a Warrior, but they'll both plummet in favor of higher MP and Magic the second she Spherechanges into a White Magic. This adds yet another element of strategy to battles, yet there is a considerably dread downside to this, and that is that
FFX-2 ends up suffering from the
FFVII and
VIII syndromes in which it becomes painfully apparent that when you break it right down, the only differences between your party members in battle are their appearances and animations. In other words, a Level 46 Paine with the Dark Knight Dressphere equipped will have the same exact stats of a Level 46 Rikku Dark Knight. How bad this is, of course, is entirely subjective. But getting back on track, when you add in the surprising simplicity with which
FFX-2 executes all of this marvelously deep gameplay, it becomes very apparent that the game is simply fun to play. The game doesn't even ask players to equip the girls with anything more than a Garment Grid, Dressphere, and two Accessories; the different Dresspheres come with their own weapons and armor (which, of course, all vary between the girls and jobs). An RPG that is fun to play beyond its story and characters... something rarely seen nowadays and therefore that much more refreshing.
Yes, it probably comes as no surprise to anyone at this point, but I really love
Final Fantasy X-2. There are certainly a few things I don't like but, on the whole, Square Enix has outdone itself and crafted a RPG that defines how change should be implemented into a well-respected series. It's not the amount of change that's important but how well it's executed and how much familiarity remains intact to keep longtime fans comfortable (especially true in
X-2's case, being not only a harbinger of change for the whole series but a direct continuation to a specific installment as well). It's no secret that this sequel caters first and foremost to fans of the original that were completely ensnared by Square's dastardly critical story hook at the very end; the constant question of what really happened to Tidus and if Yuna will find him at the end of the road is enough to keep anyone even mildly intrigued by the original going to the very end. As such, a lot of the enjoyment gleaned from the story and world of
FFX-2 will be lost on those traveling to Spira for the first time in this sequel (and make no mistake, I absolutely recommend playing
FFX before this). Be that as it may, however, this one can be enjoyed by anyone simply out for a fun, deep, enthralling RPG experience.
