Note: This review will inevitable contain spoilers as some elements were just too big to be left out. It’s mainly around the difficulty section.

I acquired a PlayStation 2 mainly because my PSX wasn’t working properly. I didn’t play that many games – I moved out of my parents’ home less than 2 years after acquiring it. Nevertheless, I did get to try Final Fantasy X. After the great deception of Final Fantasy IX – the worst of the series; even Final Fantasy I had a better storyline – I didn’t know what to except. Fortunately the game was outstanding, almost better than Final Fantasy VIII.

Graphics: 9/10

Square Enix keeps on the tradition of always improving its games compared to the previous one, and FF X is no exception.

The game is now fully in 3D. All your characters can be seen from all sides and they are life-like: their clothes are neatly drawn – but still have that weird “sexy” look for women like Lulu’s dress that shows her legs or Yuna’s skin-tight wedding “dress” she wears at one point – and are colorful. Their faces show true emotion and their lips move relatively well in sync with dialogues.

Their movements are also very fluid. Although walking on the world map looks like they are running against the wind – especially when Yuna tries to escape Via Purifico, which is why it’s not a 10 – they can nevertheless walk well. During dialogues they even move around to realistically express their emotions (like when Yuna tries to whistle). And when it’s in cinematics, it looks even more realistic. When Tidus and Yuna make out in the water you can see that they are completely wet; people’s hair also moves about as fluidly as in Final Fantasy: the Spirit Within. Their weapons are also nicely drawn, especially Lulu’s dolls. Her ultimate weapon is Final Fantasy III’s Onion Knight!

People you interact with are also in full 3D. Although they end up looking pretty much the same like most RPGs, they are nevertheless well-drawn. There are even some non-playing characters that will come around often like other summoners trying to defeat Syn. There is this black-skinned one dressed in laces (literally) that is well-drawn. You will also meet this other summoner who will help you improve your summons like giving them the Haste spell. Finally, there is this very old “historian” who will tell you about the history of Spira and the damage caused by Syn wherever you meet him.

The environment you walk in is very vast, rich and varied. You will come across several types of environments and they are all lighted realistically: the Thunder Plain is rainy and dark while Mihen Road is brighter because the sun is shining. Walking in canyons shows a blue sky but more shade because of all the rock surrounding you. And the final dungeon is a very dark and mysterious place, very appropriate considering where it is.

Finally battles are also very-well done. It’s “absolutely” turned-based like the NES Final Fantasys, but this time you know exactly what the attack pattern will be by looking at the upper-left corner of the screen. It shows you who will attack when, and it’s subject to change depending on spells (Haste, Slow) or actions (quick hit) taken.

Speaking of spells they are also very-well drawn. Except for confusion – I preferred when the affected character span around – they are all very realistic and their gain in strength (fire, fira, firaga, etc.) is very obvious. Holy even goes up to the sky to make the white rain

But since the main character in the game is Yuna, the best spells are summon monsters. A little like FF VIII they take the summoner’s place, but unlike that game they replace the whole team for as long as they are alive, that Yuna casts them away or that you run out of money (for a bonus Aeon, Yojimbo). The best one is probably the Magus Sisters (Cindy, Sandy and Mindy… sounds familiar?) who, despite their VERY independent character – you can only give them general directions but will act according to their will, which might include “taking a break” – have an outstanding strength. And most fortunately, you can SKIP their animation (intro and their limit break action) once you saw it at least once. It’s a relief since Anima’s lasts over a minute, and it gets also tiresome.

All those summons are very-well drawn and have realistic shapes. Their movements are also very fluid: Shiva throws a veil away one she breaks her ice barrier when coming down from the sky, Bahamut is so strong and big that Yuna stumbles when he lands and Valefor’s feathers are colorful and very easy to distinguish.

Slight caveat (another reason why it’s not 10): the world map has been oversimplified. Unless you find coordinates for a special place (like some bonus items of dungeons), you can only really “teleport” back to places you’ve visited – you don’t even see the ship fly around.

Music: 9/10

Once again, Nobuo Uematsu outdoes himself with this soundtrack. It is the best FF soundtrack, only second to FF VIII.

Considering my deception with FF IX, of which I can only remember like 25 percent of the tracks, I was happy that Uematsu was back in business with such a grand composition. What impressed me the most was the sheer variety of tracks available. Since there is no “world map” per say, he made sure that every place sounded distinct. Granted, like previous games many of them are variations on a single theme (here, it’s Suteki Da Ne, the main song, that inspired Yuna’s theme, Scenery of Spira and a few others). However the orchestration is different enough to make them distinct. All characters also have a theme, including the ultimate villain. However, the best theme is Jecht’s (Tidus’ father, whom you mainly see in a sidequest to find his about his past) with its excellent guitar.

Just the introductory movie once you start the game will blow your mind with “Another World”, a (very) heavy metal song where the singer screams his lungs off. It’s very appropriate for the high-tech environment where Tidus plays blitzball. Speaking of appropriateness, themes like Assault (a very upbeat track where you are about to free a friend), Dread (the very creepy and mysterious final-dungeon theme), Suteki Da Ne (a very romantic song that translates Yuna and Tidus’ romance very well, and fortunately it’s still in Japanese), just to name a few, are all masterpieces.

Because the game is so big and involves so many fights, there are quite a few battle themes. The “classical” battle theme isn’t back (and the Prelude is too high-tech), but the classical victory fanfare is still there! The “ordinary” boss battle sounds dramatic enough, but the best theme is Challenge, the “major boss battle” theme. It’s hard to describe it but the introductory beat gives it such an interesting dramatic twist. Seymour Battle sounds a little joyous for such a dramatic fight – the drum almost have a “dance” beat – but it’s good nonetheless. Finally, Summon Monster Battle and The Decisive Battle (the second-to-last and last fight, respectively) have very dramatic orchestrations, especially the latter; the piano player must have destroyed those keys! All Aeons have a theme too. It’s a mere variation of Song of Prayer, but the distinction is neat.

Special mention to Brass de Chocobo, probably the best version up to FF X, the blitzball theme, which features both futuristic sounds and electric guitar and Path to Repentance, that sounds better in-game than with real piano (it’s also very relaxing).

Sound effects are also very good. The game is fully voiced and you can hear the main characters – even some of the importance NPC enumerated above. Although the voices can get annoying – Tidus’ voice is too high-pitch for my taste – they are nevertheless well-incorporated. You can even hear them inside fights. My favorite is Lulu’s, who makes interesting puns the first time she uses a spell for the first time (“icing on the cake”, “don’t get so shocked”). Her voice in general has a low tone I love, like Auron’s. And Seymor’s voice is deliciously evil; that’s probably how Kefka would have sounded like, although Seymor is a little saner.

The other sound effects are excellent too. Inside the battles the weapons all sound very distinct; Lulu’s dolls make goofy sounds when they walk to the target. There was a nice, er, “jello” sound when you try to hit a jelly for example, showing that magic is better. And Anima’s screams of anguish might give you some goosebumps.

Addictiveness: 10/10

Although the music is good, it’s not the most addictive thing in this game. I will only name a few of the sidequests – there are so many that you would need over 60 hours to complete them, assuming you are not an insanely skilled person.

First and foremost there is blitzball, Spira’s national sport. When she first introduced me to the game, a friend of mine told me how addictive it was. Now I believe her! This game was given a lot of thought. Like any game your players can gain experience and learn new moves so your team gets stronger. You get all sorts of goodies for winning, mostly powerups of Wakka. Although you don’t really see the water flowing around you the whole concept is well-drawn nonetheless. If you can acquire Jecht’s Shot (and it can upgrade, making it more deadly), your team is basically invincible.

There is also the quest for the ultimate weapons. But unlike most games, these weapons as such are extremely weak at first – they give you no experience. But as you complete quests, they get more and more powerful and are finally worth it, like having your overdrive gauge charge at triple speed, evade and counter attacks or break the 9999 damage limit. Finding them AND their powerups will require both brain power and a sharp eye.

In each trial when Yuna gets her aeons there is a Destruction Sphere which contains a special prize. You automatically get it when you get Bahamut, but the others are well-hidden. You even get a special prize if you can get them all.

Speaking of Aeons there are a few bonus ones hidden through the world. Some will just come to you while others will involve intense fights. And until Bahamut, they can only do a maximum of 9999 damage; you will need to look further to make them break the barrier.

Finally, although not as elaborate as Final Fantasy VII, the Chocobo game is done very well. On the Calm Plain you have the possibility of catching a wild Chocobo and taming it through an obstacle course. Since they are wild they are VERY difficult to maneuver. And once you maneuver them well you must get them to do a race under 0:00 (by catching strategic objects, of course).

Story: 10/10

That alone would have easily outdone FF VIII. The story, while slow to unravel and sometimes complicated, is second only to FF VII.

You play Tidus, a young man from the futuristic city of Zanarkand. He is the star player of the Abes, the local blitzball team, just like his father before him. He seems to have quite an animosity towards him…

During a game, a gigantic mass, Syn, appears. Auron, who used to know Jecht and is overseeing Tidus, seems to know who/what Syn is… After the destruction of Zanarkand Tidus wakes up among Al Bheds, an outcast people that speaks a foreign language and use forbidden Machinas (high-tech machines). Fortunately, one of them understands Tidus but think he’s crazy; Zanarkand has been destroyed for 1000 years!

After helping the Al Bheds recover an artefact's of some sort, Syn appears again and knocks Tidus unconscious again. When he wakes up, he sees blitzball players; finally something familiar! However, Wakka and his teammates still think you’re crazy for saying that you’re from Zanarkand…

What I just described is not even one percent of the scenario. The game really starts when you meet Yuna, the real main character of the story. You follow her on her quest to gather all the aeons in order to defeat Syn, just like her father did 10 years ago.

Since Tidus is not from Yuna’s world, you will be able to learn quite a lot about Spira, its history but also certain customs the people maintain.

Depth: 10/10

And accordingly, the story goes in very deep – the main story line can take at least 35-40 hours if you want to be properly levelled.

Syn, that mysterious being that seems to be coming back cyclically, has wreaked havoc for centuries despite people destroying it every decade or so. Is there something wrong with the method? Will Tidus, who brings a different look, be able to come up with a different solution?

Other than Yuna and Tidus, all characters – there is unfortunately no bonus character – have a story of their own that unfolds. Wakka, for example, is part of a blitzball team that “a statistical impossibility”: they never won a single game at the Luca tournament! Will things change this year?

Lulu, that seemingly heartless woman, is actually a very caring person. Her serious looks is actually what helps Wakka toe the line, as his easy-going nature makes him a little careless. You will learn later why she is so serious…

Kimhari, who has looked over Yuna since her father died, is also someone very serious yet very caring. He is part of the Ronso Tribe, a people living in the North. His is a tragic story, and he will have to confront demons from his past later in the game.

There’s of course Auron, Tidus’ “guardian angel” if I may say. He helped Yuna’s father defeat Syn 10 years ago and has some unfinished business to attend. Like Lulu for Wakka, he helps Tidus toe the line so he doesn’t get into too much trouble. He too has some dark secrets…

Finally, there’s Rikku the young Al Bhed you meet at the very beginning. Like Tidus she has few inhibitions but has a little more self-control. Her knowledge of machines – and family connections – will be helpful for the team.

As the story unravels you will see shocking (as in unexpected) plot twist that will blow your mind. I will just say this: Spira has an insane cult of death.

Difficulty: 4/10 (SPOILERS)

It may be just me, but I found the game to be incredibly easy, probably the easiest Final Fantasy to date (I’ve played ALL of them from I through X).

First, the experience system is incredibly easy to learn and master. For each fight you gain experience, and after a certain amount of experience you can move your character along a “sphere grid” where you can improve their characteristics. You can acquire these statistics by acquiring the appropriate spheres from enemies (they are easy to come) – you can even fill the holes with bonus spheres. And all the grid is interconnected; when one character is done filling is space, he can use the appropriate sphere to overlap someone else’s. You can decide to make Tidus a super fighter or give him some of Lulu’s magic.

In addition, knowing exactly who will fight when makes for excellent planning. In one fight for example you need to maneuver your ship in order to fight a giant dragon. You can give the order to the pilot, but he will act only when his turn comes.

Furthermore, once you acquire the Magus Sisters (about 2/3 of the way in, before fighting some major and very tough bosses) the game is basically a joke. Despite their “taking a break” to often for my taste, their incredible strength – their individual strong attack attacks enemies numerous times – more than makes out for it. Had there been an auto-fight option, they would have been the perfect candidate for it.

Finally – and I don’t know if it always happens – the final fight is even more of a joke. EVERY TIME I fought it my characters were on auto-resurrection. And since the final boss is easy too, you will have no difficulty destroying him – hell you won’t even have to test your auto-resurrection.

The main difficulty in this game resides in the sidequests. Taming the Chocobos take a VERY long time, capturing all the monsters for the coliseum can take a while since some only appear after secret actions – and the monster you fight after getting all the monsters from a specific area is a nightmare – and getting the appropriate powerups for your ultimate weapons is likely to end up in a scream fest of frustration – it did for me…

Also some bosses (usually with Challenge playing) will indeed prove to be challenging. For Yunalesca for example you will see two main stages, and the transition between the two might be fatal if you don’t plan accordingly.

And if you don’t have the appropriate equipment to avoid fights late in the game (anything names “peaceful”), you will find yourself fighting after (nearly) every second step, which is very frustrating.

In short, Final Fantasy X is one of the best games ever produced. The graphics are outstanding, fluid and realistic, the soundtrack is out of this world and the voice acting is very credible (despite some annoyances) and the sidequests will keep you awake for a while. Top that with an excellent (albeit complicated at times) story line that has very substantial developments and you have a masterpiece worthy of your attention.

You did a wonderful job with this Final Fantasy X review. I totally agree with you about how fantastic the entire game is. You did a great job explaining why you think this is one of the best Final Fantasy games out there. Definitely a 5 worthy review.

Love this game, great review. All my friends hated the Blitzball game, and only did it for Wakka's Reels. I put over 150+ hours into it, and would show off to my friends. My favorite thing to do was, give the ball to Tidus, swim back to my goal, and normal shoot the ball, making it in the goal, every time. Or purposefully round up all the enemy team members, and nap shoot them all, and still score. XD   Blitzball was the best.

One of my most favorite things about FF X though, was status effects were actually good. In SO many previous FF games, just about every boss was immune to every status effect. You couldn't blind, poison, silence, or anything, any of the bosses. In FF X, poison can wreck a boss. Blind him, and he'll rarely touch you. Status effects are the best. Love this game!

F. Starr : They probably failed at acquiring Jecht's shot. When I finally found out HOW to get it, I enjoyed blitzball so much more.

As for status: which bosses, exactly? I know underwater foes can be sensitive to petrification, but I never tried any other status.

janus : What? Seriously. Just about every boss is susceptible to status effects, even Seymour. Try using berserk or silence on Flans, they're forced to hit you with weak basic attacks. Blind a behemoth, he'll miss SO much. Status effects ruin enemies.

Oh, and don't even bother with Jecht Shot 2. Sure, you can take out 3 guys, but regardless of the enemy catcher's catch score, he still has a chance to grab it. Pretty useless. The Jecht Shot isn't terribly great, either. At first, it'll win you games, but later, it takes so long to actually shoot the ball, you end up not getting too many points. Status shots are best, They're the quickest and they increase your Shoot score. Nap Shot 3 is my favorite. Just go around collecting the enemy team, and Nap Shot as many as you can. Also, even if the catcher has a chance to catch your ball, he also has a chance to be put asleep. Allowing ANYONE to be able to make a goal. Toss the ball back to your defenders who need more exp, and let them score. It's the best.

Now, I want to play FFX again just to make an all female Blitzball team... Again.