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Arguably the most popular RPG series in the world, the Final Fantasy games have basically launched Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) into the monetary stratosphere. Release upon release, the Final Fantasy games are exponentially increased in quality, both by fine tuning the RPG elements and by bringing along mind-blowing cinematics and sound that other developers can only dream of using. The other claim to fame with the series is that each game is unique in its storyline. No "regular" Final Fantasy title has any relation to previous entries outside of the series theme and core engine. Square has stuck by this adage for ten straight editions, but eventually wanting something new and the desire for the series to "branch-out" led the company to develop its first ever direct sequel to a previous Final Fantasy. And thus FFX-2 (pronounced "ten-two", NOT "ex-two") was born.
Plot-wise, FFX-2 follows the last game�s sheepish, conservative summoner, Yuna, on a quest across Spira to uncover the mystery behind a video of a man that looks strikingly similar to Tidus, protagonist and Yuna�s love interest from FFX. Of course, as you probably know, Square-Enix (or as I like to call them, Squenix) couldn�t leave the last game�s character design�s alone, and not only decided to limit the party to THREE people, they threw in some cheesy "Charlie�s Angels" bubblegum pop feeling to go along with that! Yuna is joined by Rikku (from FFX, as well) and a shadowy new character named Paine as they search for answers that will lead up to the game�s predictable and less-than-satisfying ending.
That�s not all that�s wrong with the mood of this game. Developers on the game decided to, for no sensible reason, make the three heroines act, dress, and even think like ditzy "sexed-up" pop queens. I would be fine with this rather�odd�.choice if Square bothered to EXPLAIN the sudden change in demeanor, but they don�t, leaving me to supposedly believe that in the two years between FFX�s ending and X-2�s beginning, Yuna and Rikku worked at a strip club. I don�t know, and frankly, I don�t care. This change extends to so much of the first ten hours of the game that La Pucelle�s cutesy beginnings seem exhilarating by comparison.
Perhaps in hope of targeting a larger audience outside of the usual die-hard fans, Squenix brought about some major changes to X-2�s gameplay. Firstly, they replaced the traditional turn-based combat with an improved version of the "Active Time Battle" system. Those who played any of the Final Fantasy games 4 through 10 know about ATB. Each player has a bar attributed to when they can act. Once the bar fills after so many seconds, you can input a command to attack the enemy or whatnot. Typically, if multiple characters acted at the same time, they would take turns performing the action. Not so in X-2. Now battles are a sort of "free-for-all", allowing chains of attacks to occur and rack up massive combo damage. This area of the game is solid, and battles are over quicker than usual, speeding up the drudge of combat in the game.
Second on the game�s massive list of changes is homage to Final Fantasy Tactics� Job System, except now it�s the "Garment Grid". This system allows players to allocate different Dress Spheres onto miniature grids akin to FFX�s Sphere grids. During battle, with a flick of the L1 trigger, you can move along the grid and have one of the girls change jobs, which will affect the character�s status in different ways. It also acts as a replacement for the long, drawn-out summons of past titles by giving all you obsessed fan boys out there costume changes. Each job has a different look, and each heroine has a unique "style". So here you are, changing jobs in an otherwise fast-paced battle, and your treated to a long, meaningless fashion show EACH TIME YOU SWITCH JOBS. Sure, the perverted otaku wouldn�t mind this one bit (find a girl, losers), but for everyone else, it gets old, and it gets old fast.
Lastly, and probably most drastic, on the list of changes is mission based gameplay. Gone are the freely-explorable, interconnected world maps of Final Fantasies past. Now you have the basic "hub world" (your airship) that lets you choose areas to go explore and complete missions. Once you select a mission area, you are taken to the field screen where you mosey around talking to NPCs and fighting random battles (which are still all too frequent!) using the same field engine utilized in FFX. Despite X-2 taking place two years after Sin ravaged through Spira, the local people apparently haven�t gotten around to adding anything new, kind of destroying the whole believability.
And when I say nothing much has changed, I mean that this applies to the ENTIRE game. Perhaps out of laziness or unrealistic release planning, Squenix copped out on putting much effort into the new Spira. Characters are always speaking of "how much our lives have changed" and "how Spira is so wonderful now", yet every environment looks the EXACT SAME as it did in FFX. Besides Kilika, which has been totally rebuilt after it was destroyed last game, the most drastic in changes usually involve the addition of a secret doorway or whatnot in each town. With the advent of machina and airships, couldn�t the Spirans have devised a way to speed across desolate open plains and uniformly straight streets that was better than walking!? Maybe I�m asking too much, but don�t tout change in the story and then recycle the last game�s environments� Adding on to the laziness theory, Square apparently didn�t bother to update the graphics engine to make it look like the third-generation PS2 title it should be outside of character models. Why am I still seeing tons of jaggies in 2004, people? Concerning the staff�s perverse need to show every tentacle or wing of every six-story-tall monster: it makes the battle screens look like crap. Due to the arrogance toward dynamic camera angles in-game, I would sometimes mistake FFX-2 battles for something from pixelation-champ FF8. Too bad the PS1�s graphical shortcomings were explainable!
The final thing in my list of disappointments for X-2 includes the music. Nobuo Uematsu, you�re a good man. Please come back. Please save me from this cacophony of 80s guitar riffs and bubbly techno ditties. Spare me from having to listen to a horrible localized intro "song" and the cheesy, emotionless performances by this "voice talent". And while you�re at it, write a memo to Square-Enix USA and tell them to fire Yuna�s voice actress from any future FF titles. It hurts my ears.
As you can most likely tell from the above review/rant, I am very disappointed in this game. It is by no means unplayable, but it just reeks of improperly cooked cheese. Maybe melting the cheese found in the game and giving it a bit more focus-testing (outside of the sex-starved fan base) would have improved the game. Bottom line: FF fans should decide if they can swallow the changes implemented into the game before they play. In hopes of gaining a wider audience, I think Square scared off their main fan base in exchange for a new one, but I still have hope for future Fantasies. Here�s to hoping FFXII is phenomenal enough to make up for this merely-average cash-in�
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