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Incredible

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 212 / 281
Date: December 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

My first impression of the game was that it would have a summoner type feel (which isn't bad, but not usual FF to me.) However, the game has a very well done story line. Good voice acting and it flushes out the characters so well that they talk to each other and goof on each other in battle. The graphics are very good, though a little jittering and jagged edges on the vector at times. The cutscenes however are superb, and almost movie like in quality.
The game has a great combat interface, though I am not sure yet if I like the sphere system for gaining skills and abilities.

The storyline seems good so far and I am approximately 10 hours in. The music is very good, but I still think the FF3 soundtrack is the best one ever. Overall this is turning out to be my favorite in all the FF series that I have played.

Leveling Up as a Way of Life

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 91 / 110
Date: April 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Not having a lot of experience with the PS2 platform, I am less than jaded when it comes to comparing role-playing games on the PC to their platform-based cousins. Having only the PC version of Final Fantasy IX as a basis of comparison, I was amazed by the graphic richness of the new game. This is not just a matter of higher powered engines and CGI wizardry. It really springs from the artistic commitment of the staff designing and creating the game.

Character design still shows its heritage from Yoshitaro Amano, one of Japan's greatest graphic artists. In addition, the background and 'set' design is equally imaginative. Massive use of CGI work simply makes all this magic spring to life with movement and gesture. No less an effort has been spent on the game's sound and music, making the experience of the game intense, and sometimes even spellbinding.

Tidus, a young blitzball professional, is thrust, mid-catastrophe, into the world of Spira, where an incredible monster (Sin) is gradually destroying the world as punishment for its ecological missteps. He meets Yuna, who is a Summoner, capable of calling up Aeons as battle weapons. Yuna has begun a voyage from temple to temple, a quest that must end in a confrontation with Sin to bring peace to Spira. In typical RPG style, they and their companions follow a path of ever escalating monsters and challenges, culminating in a prolonged, exhausting final struggle.

The story and dialog are fine, with a few twists to keep player interest, but for the most part it is predictable. Since people come to this game looking for different things, the creators have tried to manage a difficult balance between narrative and play, and, for the most part, are successful. The dialog is sometimes silly and sometimes touching, but it is never unbearable.

This is an incredibly large game. It is possible to stick to the basic story line, minimum leveling up and barely make it through the game in 50 to 60 hours. A quick perusal of a good walkthrough quickly reveals that nearly half of the game is hidden from view, and that diligent playing can be very rewarding. My time using the walkthrough was 90 hours, and there were still possibilities left unexplored. Obviously, the game will stand up to replay.

I have to give the game five stars. I can quibble about storyline and some predictable gameplay, but there is too much that is simply outstanding. This will be considered one of the peaks of RPG gaming for some time to come.

Living the RPG -- Worlds in the PS2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 40 / 46
Date: December 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I must say now, even though some amazing games have come out this year, such as Soul Reaver 2, Devil May Cry and the spectacular Metal Gear Solid 2, the defining game experience in the coming months will be, without a doubt, Final Fantasy X. No other RPG series has come close to the success and immense enjoyability that the Final Fantasy series has gained over the years. Although there have been some frustrating titles (FF VIII) and some sleeper hits (FF Tactics), Square has established a track record of produce the most realistic and moving story-based games on the market. Final Fantasy X will be no exception.

One of the newest and truly amazing features of this game is the life-size adventure system. In previous RPGs, the adventurer would explore a large outside world, but when entering a specific town or dungeon, the player would often have to walk up to a small icon and confirm entrance. In FFX, your character will be walking in the world from his or her own perspective, and will see oncoming castles or mountains in the distance. When encountering them up close, the scale is life-size in preportion to the character, that is to say, the mountains aren't going to be head hight, they're going to span up into the clouds. As an additional note, fights will now take place on the screen you are in, and not transfer to a pre-rendered background. This takes an amazing amount of effort on the game designer's part, and I want to thank them for making this such a realistic experience.

Another change is the battle time system, previously known as Active Time Battle. The fights now take place in CTB, or Count Time Battle. Instead of constantly waiting for action meters to reach an end, you will be able to use a character immediately on his or her turn and see the list of the next 4 enemies or allies waiting to act. The turns will proceed in sequence, as opposed to the old system of racing the enemy to confirm an attack. This allows for more strategy and twists in battle; a Stop spell could shake up the order of actions a great deal. (As veteran FF fans may notice, this is very similar to the time system in FF Tactics, Square's small unit battle manuvers RPG.)

As not to worry the long-standing fans of the series, some classic FF features will be returning. The special limit attack feature (limit break / trance) has been dubbed Overdrive. It's nearly the same as FF VII's limit break system, each character having a meter that raises when the character is damaged. Chocobos once again live in the environment of the game, as do summons (now called Aeons, and you even get to fight as them in battle!) A leveling up feature, the Sphere board, lets you custimoze characters nearly any way you want, almost like the Materia of FF VII and the Job System of FF V.

This game has so many virtues that it's hard to expound on all of them in a simple, one-page review. The beautiful graphics, amazing storyline, and wonderfully rendered characters (who speak, smile, and scowl) all combine to form one of the greatest RPG packages on any console to date. Kudos to the programmers at Square that spent years designing the most involved game I have ever played. If you only try one role-playing game in your entire life, make it this one.

Final Fantasy and the beginning of a new era....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 42 / 54
Date: November 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I broke my neck off this get this fantastic rpg, and it was worth all the money I payed for it...

Well anyways... Final Fantasy X gives a new indepth feel in battles and also in a new way to gain up HP,MP, and stats... I definetly was wow-ed by the game in the very beginning, when Tidus plays a game of Blizk Ball... (I hope I spelled it right....) but gets interrupted with an enemy (who shall remain nameless.... as of this point...) who totally levels a whole town within seconds...

But as the game progresses on the scenes get way better... (*As also another note... you happen to arrive into your very first battle within maybe 10mins top into the game) more characters arises and battles get even sweeter than before the last...

This (I truly admit...) is a MUST-BUY rpg... and I hope that you fanficts of rpgs will enjoy this game as much as I did.

Sayoonara!

FFX is the reason you buy a PS2!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 50 / 76
Date: November 17, 2001
Author: Amazon User

FFX is enough reason to get a PS2 all in its own. X-box nor Nintendo has it so YOU BETTER GET A PS2! This game kicks (...) with EXTREMELY SUPERB OUTSTANDING SENSATIONAL SPINE-TINGLING GRAPHICS. I can't say enough about them. The 3d backgrounds are awesome and the story is just amazing. This game should be passed up by no one, even if you don't even like RPG's. Voice acting adds a huge new element and the battle system is Greatly improved, the music is beautiful, and the CG's are SWEET! The only thing we could hope for more is some kind of a special edition bundle. Like I said I cannot say enough about this game. Square HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

A FANTASTIC JOURNEY THROUGH SPIRA

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 25
Date: July 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy Ten is the greatest game for the Playstation 2. The graphics are almost better than what most high-end personal computers can display, and the music is richly composed and is always geared to the different situations (battle music, tavern music, etc..). The game's essence is similar to previous Final Fantasy titles, with turn-based combat and world exploration. I will say that the voice acting is sometimes childish and over dramatic, but you can pass through the cut scenes by tapping the x button. Essentially, the game is a full-blown RPG, which will probably bore and confuse those unfamiliar with the genre. Final Fantasy one was first released for the 8-bit NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) in the late 1980's, and I became a fan instantly with the game when I purchased it. FFX is not as short as some people would make you think. To build up your characters you must fight literally thousands of battles, which means you must quit your job and your personal life if you wish to invest the proper time to fully appreciate this RPG. If you like RPG's and science-fiction/ fantasy epics, you will be very happy with this title.

Above and Beyond

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 16
Date: January 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When I heard that Final Fantasy X was coming out in December rather than February, I was ecstatic. I had long awaited the next chapter in the Final Fantasy series, and the wait was worth it. This game is beyond belief. The graphics in regular gameplay are incredible, and those of the FMVs/CGs excel the rank of phenomenal, and the cinemas no longer have that feeling of "slow motion" as in final fantasies 7-9. Also, the character's speech is another plus, and the voices fit perfectly with the characters they come from (though the lip-synching is a bit off). Another pro is that there is a new enhanced battle system, which you will see in the tutorial b/c it is quite difficult to explain. There are many more things that make this game awesome, but I dont want to spoil them for you! I highly reccommend purchasing this game, which is filled with fun, action, adventure, romance, and puzzles (just wait until the Cloisters of Trials!). This could quite possibly be the greatest game ever made, at least I think so.

The Evolution of Entertainment

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 25
Date: February 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Man first expressed himself visually by scrawling blood on cavern walls, depicting the important motifs of that era: food, fire, and nature. Eventually language was set down on hide, on clay, on parchment scrolls, adding depth and resonance to recorded experience. Then light and shadow and sound were captured and made immortal via mirror-reflection recording, fashioning stories anyone could watch, learn, and emote in turn. Visual entertainment has progressed by leaps and bounds over the last few thousand years, the potency of the message expressed growing astronomically by each new innovation. And so it continues: twenty-five years ago, the epitome of interactive entertainment was Pong, table tennis with 0's and 1's. Now pathos, bathos, high comedy and farce, tragedy and tension and archetypical myth are solidly represented in the latest, `truest' hybrid of the novel and of film: entertainment has taken yet another step forward on its evolutionary scale. Welcome to the Final Fantasy, version 10.0.

It is inevitable that sequels invite comparison to their predecessors, the natural method in which to judge quality control and advancement, or the lack thereof. For video game producers/programmers, I imagine this is a difficult paradox to wrestle with: innovate enough to prevent stagnation, yet retain the same features and qualities that helped establish its fan base and profit margin. With Final Fantasy X, Squaresoft has succeeded admirably in the task, keeping mainstays of the series (Airships, Chocobos, rich & exotic locals, RPG elements) while vastly improving on certain foundation elements (leveling up, combat, graphic & story transitions). Square haven't so much `innovated' as `streamlined' its core product, resulting in their closest equivalent (so far) of interactive storytelling.

Final Fantasy 10 resembles volume 7 in the series. Both were the first issue on a new gaming platform. Both feature groundbreaking graphics and dramatics. Both have complex plots interwoven with intricate themes and marvelous character building.

The details:

Graphics: Almost pointless to judge, as Square has always pushed the limits for visual flair & design. Final Fantasy 10 breaks the mold, however, in eliminating the rather jarring contrast between FMV (Full Motion Video) and in-game graphics, something that hurt previous versions, FF8 being the most prominent example. The transitions between cut-scenes, world-map wandering, combat and FMV are well textured and the closest yet toward a `seamless' experience.

Sound: The addition of Voice Acting to Final Fantasy seemed a dubious choice, at first: previous installments read like books, featuring large amounts of exposition dialogue. By trimming the story into a mean, lean beast of a tension-ride, however, Square eliminated the plot thread congestion of FF8 and FF9, giving us the most coherent and urgent Final Fantasy yet. Plus, the Voice Acting helps greatly to establish the characters and subsequent conflicts. Some of the VA is unbelievable good (Auron, Wakka), some merely adequate (Tidas); but none of it descends below an acceptable level, an impressive feat given there is more that 5 hours of recorded text in the game. The one-liners the characters quip during battle ("This won't hurt...much." "Pray-NOW!" "I'm good, ya?") is an unexpected and extremely enjoyable addition.

Gameplay: Important innovations here. The re-vamped battle engine and the malleable sphere grid make leveling up an enjoyable (rather than tedious) process. Actual strategy is now necessary is order to defeat the monsters and melodramatic bosses. The range of development for each character is incredibly vast; simply completing the sphere-grid for all the characters is a 40-hour endeavor in itself. The mini-games are as frustrating as ever, unfortunately, but thankfully they are optional.

Music: Nobuo Uematsu is a genius. Though not quite on the thematic level of FF 7 or FF8, the soundtrack for FFX fulfills its purpose to perfection: it establishes the mood, underscores the voluptuous drama, and adds subtle emphasis to locals.

Plot/Theme etc.: Though often clothed in archetypical garb, Square's storylines usually feature realistic character development; multiple themes; subtle symbolism; dramatic arcs of impressive intensity; metaphysical motifs; along with comedic episodes to break the tension. Final Fantasy 10 is no exception, and the VA and improved graphics augment the overall impact of the presentation.

The evolution of entertainment continues; we are just a few short years away from the mainstream advent of virtual reality. And though the basic tools of entertainment remain the same, the quality of the presentation continues to advance at an ever-accelerating rate. Final Fantasy X is an important step to the future, and one of the most satisfying experiences I've had to date. _Well worth_ the time and money spent.

Pretty Awesome Demo

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 37
Date: December 17, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I got the demo for FFX the other day and I just keep playing it over and over. The battle system with the ability to be the Aeons is awesome and if you have a hard time against an enemy just switch characters to someone who can deal with it. You can also swim in the water and under it. Blitzball just looks incredibly awesome. And the voices are really darn good. The only thing I didn't like was how much Tidus whined but that's only a minor thing in my case. The graphics are flawless and the music is great. Overall I think this is definately going to be the best final fantasy yet. But I guess you already figured that.

Final Fantasy X

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 14
Date: December 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I just bought this game yesterday ( Dec. 19th ) and its very impressive. I haven't made it into the game very far but from what I've seen so far this game won't disappoint. Everything about this game is good. The new battle system is AWESOME! The only thing I'm not really into is the Sphere Grid system. Its kinda weird but, like I said before, I haven't made it very far in the game so I'll eventually end up getting used to it. This is a great game. Coo bay.

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