(no subject)
Amnesiac
Final Fantasy X-2 Review
Final Fantasy X-2 is the first true sequel in the history of the FF franchise and is markedly different from most other FF games. X-2 is Tactics-esque in that it's gameplay is non-linear and mission-based, but provides more freedom - players can travel to any location in Spira at any given moment. There is, however, a job system akin to other mission-based FF titles. Again, Square ups the ante by making the job system much more dynamic and fluid. For example, you can switch jobs mid-battle.
In any case, the story of FFX-2 takes place 2 years into the Calm that High Summoner Yuna brought about at the end of FFX. Bored with her sedentary life on Besaid Island, she has since become a sphere hunter at Rikku's request. Machaen, Spria's resident scholar does a good job of providing lots of back story and explaining the political, social, and religious landscapes of the story, so I won't get into it here.
Sphere's act as recorded histories of Spira - kind of like old videotapes for us today. Yuna sees a sphere of a man, trapped in a cage, that looks remarkaly similar to Tidus, the protagonist of FFX. Is Tidus still alive? Where is he? Why is he locked up? Is the man in the sphere really even Tidus? These are the questions that drive Yuna's search. More spheres = more answers. This, in true Final Fantasy fashion, draws Yuna into a complex web of political intrigue and grand shemes to rule Spira, yadda yadda yadda. You have to save the world. Again.
I find that the story has a great amount of potential. Sphere hunters are essentially mercenaries. They are hired muscle and do dirty work for any of the three political factions that have risen to power in post-Sin Spira. These factions are trying to simultaneously recruit new members, acquire spheres, and control some sort of mysterious weapon all the while trying to sabotage the others. As a member of the Gullwings, a group of sphere hunters, it's Yuna's job to navigate the political landscape to achieve her own ends. It has the trappings of a mature game. You're a merc, for crying out loud. You lie, cheat, and steal to get what you want - from the government, from the temples, from anybody with the money to pay you.
And it fails miserably.
The dialogue sounds like it was written by overcaffinated 12-year-old girls. Some parts are painful to listen to. It seems as though Square was making a desperate attempt to persuade the 12-15 year old girl demographic to give this game a try. Reaching new audiences is admirable, but those who enjoyed the maturity of FFX will have to remove themselves somewhat from the dialogue in order to enjoy the rammifications and political implications of the Gullwing's actions. It's just hard to think of yourself as a serious mercenary when Rikku says things like "Oh, poopie." I think Square could have done a lot more to make this very intriguing game but I admire them for taking risks.
(I.e. A game in which all the protagonists are female in a generally male-dominated game was risky, I think (although I suppose some guys could get a kick out of it =/ ), as was using their premiere franchise to explore the possibilites of a sequel.)
Despite it's apparent immaturity, FFX-2 does present a challenge. The battle system is lightning fast, and a lot of the battles are genuinely difficult. The new chain system is largely responsible for an increase in speed. By timing their attacks right, players are able to inflict massive amounts of damage based on the length of the "chain." Basically, the longer the chain, the stronger the attack. This provides a welcome respite from the somewhat bland, X-mashing fiesta that tended to bore gamers. I say well-done. The battles are dynamic, fluid, and super quick.
Also, all commands have a designated "wait time." That is to say, they're not executed automatically. This is simply another way in which players are challenged. Players must be able to anticipate the flow of the game and compensate for delayed reaction time.
However, the gameplay isn't without it's faults. A few of the mini-games and missions are just silly, for a lack of a better word. Sure, they tie into the story easily enough, but they're rather simple and tedious. Again, this may be an attempt to appeal to a younger audience, and in that capacity, FFX-2 succeeds quite well. Like I said, I'm not sure how Square was trying to market this game, so I won't be too harsh. Thankfully, the annoying mini-games are few and far-between, and can actually provide a break from fiend killing.
The graphics are pretty standard: Expect what you got from FFX. There are a few new areas, but the meat of the game involves the same locales you explored the first time around. The music, however, is quite different and rather sub-par. Most of the songs are upbeat and poppy. Nobuo Uematsu was on hand to make a stunning soundtrack for this one. Go figure. Again, the light-hearted soundtrack detracts from the potentially serious subject matter, but it should appeal to younger fans.
All in all, FFX-2 is rather enjoyable, albeit kiddy. It provides a nice follow up to X and will appeal to fans of mission-based RPGs and FF alike. However, parts of it have a "thrown-together" feel, and players may feel a little confused about what exactly they're supposed to be doing. My biggest beefs where with the relatively weak (yet still intriguing) story. I think the developers could've done a bit more with it. It could also be a little longer, but overall, FFX-2 is an enjoyable and engaging game, with plenty to do and a battle system that I find particularly versatile and fun.
8/10, with 6-7 being average-mediocre games.
You're probably not interested, but that's ok.
Final Fantasy X-2 Review
Final Fantasy X-2 is the first true sequel in the history of the FF franchise and is markedly different from most other FF games. X-2 is Tactics-esque in that it's gameplay is non-linear and mission-based, but provides more freedom - players can travel to any location in Spira at any given moment. There is, however, a job system akin to other mission-based FF titles. Again, Square ups the ante by making the job system much more dynamic and fluid. For example, you can switch jobs mid-battle.
In any case, the story of FFX-2 takes place 2 years into the Calm that High Summoner Yuna brought about at the end of FFX. Bored with her sedentary life on Besaid Island, she has since become a sphere hunter at Rikku's request. Machaen, Spria's resident scholar does a good job of providing lots of back story and explaining the political, social, and religious landscapes of the story, so I won't get into it here.
Sphere's act as recorded histories of Spira - kind of like old videotapes for us today. Yuna sees a sphere of a man, trapped in a cage, that looks remarkaly similar to Tidus, the protagonist of FFX. Is Tidus still alive? Where is he? Why is he locked up? Is the man in the sphere really even Tidus? These are the questions that drive Yuna's search. More spheres = more answers. This, in true Final Fantasy fashion, draws Yuna into a complex web of political intrigue and grand shemes to rule Spira, yadda yadda yadda. You have to save the world. Again.
I find that the story has a great amount of potential. Sphere hunters are essentially mercenaries. They are hired muscle and do dirty work for any of the three political factions that have risen to power in post-Sin Spira. These factions are trying to simultaneously recruit new members, acquire spheres, and control some sort of mysterious weapon all the while trying to sabotage the others. As a member of the Gullwings, a group of sphere hunters, it's Yuna's job to navigate the political landscape to achieve her own ends. It has the trappings of a mature game. You're a merc, for crying out loud. You lie, cheat, and steal to get what you want - from the government, from the temples, from anybody with the money to pay you.
And it fails miserably.
The dialogue sounds like it was written by overcaffinated 12-year-old girls. Some parts are painful to listen to. It seems as though Square was making a desperate attempt to persuade the 12-15 year old girl demographic to give this game a try. Reaching new audiences is admirable, but those who enjoyed the maturity of FFX will have to remove themselves somewhat from the dialogue in order to enjoy the rammifications and political implications of the Gullwing's actions. It's just hard to think of yourself as a serious mercenary when Rikku says things like "Oh, poopie." I think Square could have done a lot more to make this very intriguing game but I admire them for taking risks.
(I.e. A game in which all the protagonists are female in a generally male-dominated game was risky, I think (although I suppose some guys could get a kick out of it =/ ), as was using their premiere franchise to explore the possibilites of a sequel.)
Despite it's apparent immaturity, FFX-2 does present a challenge. The battle system is lightning fast, and a lot of the battles are genuinely difficult. The new chain system is largely responsible for an increase in speed. By timing their attacks right, players are able to inflict massive amounts of damage based on the length of the "chain." Basically, the longer the chain, the stronger the attack. This provides a welcome respite from the somewhat bland, X-mashing fiesta that tended to bore gamers. I say well-done. The battles are dynamic, fluid, and super quick.
Also, all commands have a designated "wait time." That is to say, they're not executed automatically. This is simply another way in which players are challenged. Players must be able to anticipate the flow of the game and compensate for delayed reaction time.
However, the gameplay isn't without it's faults. A few of the mini-games and missions are just silly, for a lack of a better word. Sure, they tie into the story easily enough, but they're rather simple and tedious. Again, this may be an attempt to appeal to a younger audience, and in that capacity, FFX-2 succeeds quite well. Like I said, I'm not sure how Square was trying to market this game, so I won't be too harsh. Thankfully, the annoying mini-games are few and far-between, and can actually provide a break from fiend killing.
The graphics are pretty standard: Expect what you got from FFX. There are a few new areas, but the meat of the game involves the same locales you explored the first time around. The music, however, is quite different and rather sub-par. Most of the songs are upbeat and poppy. Nobuo Uematsu was on hand to make a stunning soundtrack for this one. Go figure. Again, the light-hearted soundtrack detracts from the potentially serious subject matter, but it should appeal to younger fans.
All in all, FFX-2 is rather enjoyable, albeit kiddy. It provides a nice follow up to X and will appeal to fans of mission-based RPGs and FF alike. However, parts of it have a "thrown-together" feel, and players may feel a little confused about what exactly they're supposed to be doing. My biggest beefs where with the relatively weak (yet still intriguing) story. I think the developers could've done a bit more with it. It could also be a little longer, but overall, FFX-2 is an enjoyable and engaging game, with plenty to do and a battle system that I find particularly versatile and fun.
8/10, with 6-7 being average-mediocre games.
You're probably not interested, but that's ok.