Final Fantasy X-2

"Utterly disappointing *Die Square Die!*"

This is my review for Final Fantasy X-2, the sequel to Final Fantasy X. Before I break into my review, I will give some background information on the game. Final Fantasy X was the first FF game on the PS2. It was a wonderful, and sometimes beautiful game. It was obvious in most people's minds that FFX2 would not match up to it, nor should it. X2 is the first direct sequel the FF series has known, and it is not a good first venture into sequels.

I have watched the FF series grow to what it is today, from the early (not the earliest) Ps1 days. Each installment has been an astounding, excellent game that succeeds in every aspect. FFX continued that tradition, and blew me away with one of the greatest and emotional endings I have seen in a game. However, our friends at SE have taken everything that made FFX great and not included it in FFX2. Amazing elements such as the sphere grid, storyline depth, and blitzball have been leftout, and will be (and have been) sorely missed. Needless to say I have played through FFX2 and am not very impressed with what I experienced.

First off, let me commence by saying that this game, had it been an independent game, would have simply been a "good" game. I would have played it, beaten it, and said "Hmm, interesting." However, the fact remains that this is not just any game, it is a Final Fantasy game, and an immensely disappointing one at that. Ultimately, the plot is somewhat interesting, but attempts to encompass conspiracy, the supernatural, and romance in a way that just seems facetious at some points. I will continue with my categorized review, but that is mainly what I think of the game.

Graphics-7/10
One of the worst foibles of FFX2 was that SE created NO new envioronments for the existing areas from FFX. While this may seem minor to the trivial game player, an new game should always contain new content. As for the quality of the visuals, they were strikingly reminiscent of the not-so-recently released FFX, which visuals were amazing at the time. However, technology has progressed rapidly, so this fact only makes the graphics in FFX2 "good". Frame rate is pretty well handled, but the FMV's look slightly cartoonish at some scenes. Overall, graphics are always nice in big time games, the gameplay/story is what matters.

Storyline-3/10
Meh. Meh. Meh. Horrid. Humorous in serious moments. Serious in humorous moments. Basically, without revealing too much, Yuna has apparently lost all self respect and become a thieving wascally pwayboy wabbit. But, NO! Yuna can't just have her disasters with Rikku, the respectable dignified Al Bhed! They need a gothic chick decked out in black leather to be sarcastic and rude. (Can somebody say Squall?) This trio takes part in some of the most annoying and for lack of a better word, stupid dialogue I have ever heard in any game, movie, or story for that matter.(Square, you just lost quite a few respect points) The plot often falls flat, and is downright boring. Overall, to avoid spoilers, the storyline is inane and ruins most of FFX. FFX2 does to FFX for me what Hannibal does to Silence of the Lambs: it ruins one of my favorite experiences of all time with horrible follow up. It is almost as if SE was indecisive about what to make X2 about, so they through in something about the past, a dude who looks like Tidus, and BAM! Instant storyline. To quote a friend, at certain parts of the story, I didn't know whether to be amused, horny, or sad. Such is the abscence of decent storytelling. Another thing that irks me about the storyline is that you get these stupid spheres (Spira's shiny blue videotapes), watch a minute of the past, and the characters get all solemn and despondant as if watching their friends die. It is all very strange and bothersome.

Sound-2/10
This is where the fun begins. Yes, you are reading that correctly, I give the sound/music in this game a 2. Unfortunately, unlike the masterful FFX composings, X2's music falls short in every possible way. The battle theme gets tiring almost immediatle after the beginning of the game. Another annoying song is the Airship theme, and trust me, you spend a LOT of time in your airship. This latter case actually drove me to keep my remote adjacent to me during playing so I could mute the TV while I spent time in the grand old celsius. No songs stand out in my mind from this game, while I could hum a song off the top of my head from just about every other FF I've played. Don't make me drone on about the voice acting. Both quality AND quantity have decreased from FFX, and it is for the worse. The woman who voices Yuna sounded often like she didn't know the emotion behiond the scene, and Paine's voice could have been any person in America. Perhaps the silly dialogue and conversations are my motive for feeling this way, but I will never know. That is why the sound receives a 2.

Gameplay/things related to it-5/10
One of the most rudimentary aspects of producing a game is to make sure it had solid gameplay. Evidently the makers of X2 believed they could make this game fly with "Kick ass-ness" and "Hot chix". The result is a VERY evident lapse in gameplay. It seems now, that your characters can stop everybody else (including the enemies) and change clothes on the battlefield! Cool right? Wrong. Not only is the concept completely absurd, but it does not fit in with the much faster paced battles. Not only that though, but if you change into all your sets of clothes in one battle, you can change into a "Special Dresssphere"! Bleh. Meh. Uggh. All this along with the most scantily clad warriors you will ever see in your life might be the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in a game, including flying snakes in "The Jungle Book" for SNES. Although the battles are intense and often fun, the enemies often aren't at all challenging, so holding X will get you through most trivial battles, as well as help you level up your characters in no time. Also, goodbye sphere grid and the unique leveling system it brought, hello LEVELS! WOOHOOO!! I had been hoping for the return of boring, bland levels ever since FFX too! </sarcasm> In addition to all these failures of the game, you can complete it in 20 hours if you like. This is the most blasphemus thing SquareEnix could have possibly done. Not only does the story not tie in well even if you experience the whole damn thing, but you can completely bypass 80% of the storyline and never be any the wiser. Heh. Nonlinear? No. This game just doesn't have a direction. With airship controls, you can visit "hotspots" to advance the "storyline" and miss some of the main events of the game. Not only is this un-Final Fantasy-like, it is just a dumb idea. A game such as Final Fantasy relies heavily on its story. Hmmm....Square must have missed the memo. Not only that, but the completion percentage system is so nitpicky (you must talk to every person in GS, then examine this twig in chapter 4 to get .2%), that I imagine getting 100% completion in under 3 tries is impossible without the use of a game guide to the anywhere below astounding gamer. I will acknowledge the fact that the main minigame, Sphere Break (No, Blitzball is no longer playable as a player, you must play with boring text), is quite interesting and fun to play. I guiltily admit that I largely enjoyed finally beating the champion in the tournament in Luca on my third try. This, however, is not enough to save the gameplay as a whole, I am afraid.

Characters-6/10
This partially has to do with storyline, but I felt that the characters were better than the story they were involved in. This may be the most enjoyable element of the game. Though truly bizarre, after all the events of FFX, reuniting with the old "gang" was fun, but other than that the characters are pretty lame. Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal are an interesting trio, without giving away their secrets. I almost would have preferred a game on these three during the events *Spoiler censor*. Other than that, the same old annoying youths, fuddy dutty priests, and shy women make up Spira, along with zombie aeons. Go figure, I thought I just killed them with Tidus, Auron, and Lulu. It is interesting seeing the plights of the old FFX crew, but it brings up the Star Wars I-III question: Would I enjoy this aspect of the game/movie if it didn't tie in to the game/movies I played/watched my whole life and loved? I think not, but without doubt this game's characters are at least somewhat interesting (for the most part).

Wrap up
Overall, I rate this game a five. If you are a Final Fantasy fan, I recommend that you give it a try, since by now it's dirt cheap anyway. If you haven't played FFX, or just aren't a fan of RPG's, don't waste your time or precious money on this game. If you do buy this game, do not expect a typical FF game. If you keep your expectations low, maybe this game will wind up being more satisfying. Thanks to this game, I will not buy future FF spinoffs.

If not for the well designed battles, interesting customiztion, and lengthy side quests, this game would not have kept me busy for long. It is overrated by many, and underrated by just as many. If you want a game that will keep you entertained, this may be a game to buy. If you want a game that will blow your socks off, this isn't your game. This game is pitiful in many aspects, and is extremely disappointing.

Ultimately, this game is astonishingly mediocre. I could babble on and on about why, but there is no need to, and the fact remains, this game is just that, mediocre. Perhaps SE will think twice before they make another half-hearted attempt at a sequel. Do not expect a great game. I hope this review was helpful to you in your decision oor opinion of FFX2. Thank you for reading this review.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/24/05