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A counterpoint to the effiusive praise this game gets.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 43 / 74
Date: January 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I understand that many people love this game. I understand that people love the characters, the storyline, and the visually stunning cutscenes. There are even people who like the levelling up system, find the combat fascinating, and feel that the emotional development of the characters is well done and genuinely touching.

I am not one of them.

There are a lot of things wrong with Final Fantasy X. One of the first, and most noticable changes from previous Final Fantasies is the completely voiced dialogue. This lends itself to a more natural and immersive feel when done right, but FFX's dialogue is so poorly delivered, it is more cringe inducing than inspiring.

As though the scriptwriters felt they had to come up with dialogue to match the lackluster acting, the storyline is one of the most blatantly obvious and hamfisted statements I've ever seen in any medium, poorly written children's books included. The main enemy is "Sin." Please.

In regards to the game itself, the gameplay consists almost entirely of walking towards a red dot. I understand that that statement may seem confusing, but on the "map" on screen, there is a red dot pointing to exactly where you need to go to progress in the story. Looking for secret items? Head exactly in the opposite direction from the red dot, and you're more than likely to find some helpful items. This is not "gameplay." This is merely the illusion of interaction in between movies. Movies that will make you want to tear your ears off, the dialogue is so horrific.

The combat system is rote RPG fare, with subtle alterations to the norm that don't end up making it a better or worse experience. Grandia II's combat system stomps all over it, and honestly, after Grandia II, no company, big or small, should be making "turn-based" RPG combat systems that are as dull as this one.

The new level up and skill development system supposedly allows for character customization, but there's simply no point. Each character starts out on the grid in a position that has an optimal path, and the *only* benefit to diverging from that path is for the novelty of having your brawler actually be a weak spellcaster, and have no brawling abilities. Whee!

I played about 25 hours of FFX, before finally realizing that not only would I never bother to finish this game, I found that I hated it. Hated it with a passion. The insipid storyline, the pathetically stupid main character, the horribly written relationship between the two leads, and the god-awful, ham-fisted, ridiculous writing makes this a game that I simply cannot recommend to anyone. The fact that it's as popular as it is is a strong statement about how much influence marketing and pretty graphics have on the game buying population as a whole, and it's not a statement that I could repeat here without it getting edited.

I love videogames. I love RPG's. I love a quality story. I do not, however, have any love for Final Fantasy X.

Only The Best For PS2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 30 / 47
Date: November 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is Incredible, i have been waiting for this since Early Summer, and counting down the days till i played it was slowy winding down. Just a week or so ago i found out it was to be released this december, how sweet is that? Everyone who speaks english can now have the oppertunity to play the greatest game ever, forget solid snake, he is fantastic, i admit that, but this game makes him look like elmo. I have played the last 3 Final Fantasy's and each of them made improvements in each one, this game, FFX however, will combine anything and everything you could ever want from any video game, and puts a pretty ribbon on top. Too bad it doesn't come out before Christmas, Oh well, I guess i can wait another month or so until that date where square makes history and sells more copies than anyone ever thpught could be sold. Final Fantasy is a dream come true, really. The graphics, the everday graphics (don't get me wrong, they are FAR from everyday, i mean they are always like this) of this game are very similar, even exceding the great CG cinematics of previous Final Fantasy's, such as VII and VIII. The battles are so fast paced, that is all you cn think about in them. I could think about what time basketball practice started while beating EDEA and SEPHEROTH, not too fast battles, but they were fun anyways. The frame rate is blistering, and the visuals are stunning (have I mentioned that?!) ... you will see that this game will easily surpass any game for a long time. ADMIT IT XBOX OWNERS,BUYING AN XBOX WAS A MISTAKE, JUST ABAD COMPUTER THAT CAN ONLY PLAY GAMES, SO SIT DOWN AND PLAY UR ...GAMES, CUZ U CAN'T TOUCH THIS WORK OF ART BABY! Anyways, if u have a brain, buy this game,if u don't, buy this game, along with a ps2. Any Questions?...good. Have fungamers, keep it real!

Mediocre (At very Best)

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 15 / 18
Date: September 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The story starts of much like any typical Final Fantasy game - gorgeously rendered graphics, eye-opening CGI scenes, moody lighting effects, etc. We start the story in a futuristic metropolis gilded by structural expressionist skyscrapers, elevated highways and walkways, and entertainment quirks that we could relate to in our own modern world. The plot immediately takes us into the life of a trendy-fashioned "Blitzball" player called Tidus who is gearing up for an important match-up. While playing, the city of Zanarkand falls under attack and is decimated within minutes. Tidus is then taken to a world that he is completely unfamiliar with and this is where everything goes wrong for Titus and consequently for the entire game. Much of the early story line revolves around the question of this world called "Spira" and its relation to Zanarkand. With the exeption of the beginning, we are not given any opportunity to explore any of Zanarkand and we certainly aren't given a formal introduction to it. Therefore, why should we care about why Tidus should get back there? Of course, we find out that the one ultra-lame concept of the game, which is "Blitzball", is what connects the two worlds - Give me a break.

But it really is worse than that. As soon as Tidus makes himself comfortable with the fact that he is in another world surrounded by strangers, we are introduced into this abstracted hokey religion called "Yevon" that everyone apparently follows devoutly. Great, so everyone is not only armed to their teeth with weapons, but also are religious zealots. The repetition of "Praise be to Yevon" etc, etc, is so abominable in its diction, and so jaw shattering that one can easily understand why religious extremism sucks. As if Blizball wasn't lame enough, we are eventually forced to play it. Basically, Blitzball is like soccer, except it's played with the hands while underwater. It's more like handball - a game I played in gym class in 7th grade. I have nothing against sports games, but if I wanted to play a sports game, I would have bough NFL Blitz 03, not FFX. The controls to Blitzball are frustrating, and the game is simply boring. I would have preferred the card game from FFVIII.

Enter the Sphere Grid (the magic/skill system): Every time I pick up a Final Fantasy game, a new conceptual battle engine bothers me. The sphere grid is no exception. Although a bit confusing at fist, I understood it eventually and not only that - realized it was a drawn out version of the "Materia" system from FF7. At later stages in the game you are given more options with the grid, but you just realize how flawed the system is and how it would have been much more convenient - not only to the gamer but to the developers -- to just use another experience system much like that found in FF4 or FF6. But overall, the Sphere grid is one of the least annoying problems in FFX, believe it or not.

Titus, what are we going to do with you? Whiny, immature, and hopeless, it gave me great satisfaction to see him fall in battle so I didn't have to hear his whiny voice. He has no business being the leading character because he lacks leadership and personality. He reminds me of Bill and Ted in how corky his sense of humor is. I found myself just covering my eyes when he tried to flirt with Yuna. Although she was equally lame --tying to fain innocence, it was just an eyesore to see the two of them "flirt." Basically, a thirteen year old could have shown better emotion and class than Titus and still be "cool" at the same time. I just feel that it was the voice acting that ruined it for not only Tidus, but also the entire crew - well maybe not for Kimhari - Oh yeah; he didn't say anything to begin with. I had no problem reading text and it just seemed like the voice acting just served the purpose of showing off rather than innovation.

Perhaps the most consistent failure in Final Fantasy X was the dismissal of the world map system. To me, that was one concept that tied all Final Fantasy games together in an unctuous way and as if FFX wasn't bad enough, the map system was gone just like that. What in the "world" were the folks at Square thinking? There was no sense of "worldliness" at all since much of the game was on foot, or on Chocobos, or that elephant-Rhino thing. Has anyone ever seen "River Rat"? Basically, that was the sense of travel you get from it. There is virtually no exploration of towns, cities, and villages and that was another important interest in the Final Fantasy series. Since Zanarkand and Bevelle were both important cities, one would think that we would get to explore them or know little more about them-naturally we don't. We basically only get to see Besaid, a tiny part of Kilika, some, but not enough of Lucca, and Guadosalaam for a brief period. And that is it, no sense of exploration, no depth, and no sense that Spira is a planet just like Earth. There were fourteen cities in Final Fantasy VI -- all of which you were able to explore thoroughly. I'm glad that there were different ethnic groups in Spira, but all they accomplished were psychological complexes and ethnocentric tendencies - like we really need that kind of rubbish. Did anyone else see the parallels drawn in the stereotyping of the Al Bhed and the Arabs?

In closing, there were just too many inconsistencies in Final Fantasy X. The whole Zanarkand plot was interesting and kept me wondering, but I was disappointed in the end. There was too much religious jargon and explaining towards the end - it looked like the ending of a Twilight Zone rather than a Final Fantasy game. The characters were a great disappointment because they could have all been so much better, the concept of Sin was decent but flawed, and that Seymour person was just lame. Anytime there is glorification of a villain, the person is no villain. Kefka in Final Fantasy VI was the best example of a villain because he was not glorified at all. He was just a freeky degenerate that was even hated within his own contingency. No world map, an unimpressive battle engine, repetitive music (I usually love the music to all FF games, but this one was lacking), asinine voice acting, and all in all flawed. The storyline was also much too drawn out for what it ended up saying, and much too short of considered thought, analysis, and interest. I understand why people give it great ratings; for it is the price to pay when we live in an age of sullen creativity and instant position taking based on visual eye-candy.

Finally a FF for PS2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 37 / 63
Date: December 17, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I have played the Jampack demo. This thing get's ten's all over the board ladies and gentlemen. WOW! Obviously I cannot speak about the story or the full musical score of the game. With the advent of the FMV we saw the FF series transformed. The opening and early FMV's in these games are impressive and leave you with your mouth wide open with amazment. Which leads me to wonder what the heck lay in wait when you get to the those final awe inspiring FMV's at the end.

The enemies are so amazingly drawn. The spells are so in depth. The water spells look watery and real and just so amazing I cannot even describe it. The Characters are drawn exceptionally well also.

AND FINALLY WE HAVE A MAIN CHARACTER THAT IS NOT A WEAKLING! Tidus converses and has a personality.

There is a map with an arrow that steers you where you need to go. It litterally points you in the right direction. It is not possible to get lost. Which is a great improvement from the earlier versions.

Overall this game is awesome. There is no doubt that this game will redefine all future releases of RPG's across all the game consoles.

*Keep in mind that this review is based entirely on screen shots that I have seen and the demo that I played on the Jampack

It is possible to teach and old dog new tricks!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: December 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy is the ultimate Role Playing experience. From the first NES game to this Tenth Edition, every game has offered a new world to explore, new characters to fall in love with, and new enemies to hate. The Final Fantasy Series is what video games are about, and it is very rare to find such a series of games that offer something for every gamer that exists. Final Fantasy X continues this trend! It offers fresh ideas to the old format we have all come to know, and shockingly they are all for the best. With Final Fantasy IX, the gameplay was beginning to get rather stale, however Final Fantasy X, literally rejuvenated my love for the series. This game has everything, Voices!!!, Amazing Graphics (thanks to the Power of the PS2), and a new Battle and Leveling System; which are truly supurb! Final Fantasy X also has an outstanding game called Bliztball, which is basically the best parts of Soccer, Basketball, and Water Polo all mixed in one! This is the must own game for the Playstation 2. Every system has is own special franchise themes, Nintendo has Mario, X-Box has Munch, Sega had Sonic, Well the PS2 doesn't have one character, it has an epic! Final Fantasy! Final Fantasy X is the must own game of the holidays and the year!

Final Fantasy Revolution Take 2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 18
Date: January 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy X is a revolution in terms of gaming let alone rpgs, and even if you're not interested in the genre, this game is well worth a look at. Incredible graphics and sound, combined with a very involving story line makes this game become by far the best thing to happen to PS2 along with MGS2. The jump to a fully 3D environment is a revolution for the series, and as FF7 provided a leap in quality and ambition in terms of presentation, FFX has surpassed this further. The inclusion of actor voice-overs means that you can take in the story easier than before. However, should you not like the voices provided, there is the option to have subtitles only as with every FF before it. The battle system now provides the order of the characters attacking, which provides a better strategic element to the game. The new CTB system will also favour those that didn't like the 'waiting for your turn' system, as you can see whose next to attack and tell them what to do without delay. The game is set in an entirely new world, as with every FF in the series, and should last a veteran of the series about 40 hours to finish. That's without including any of the many side quests and mini games hidden around the world.

For all FF fans, this game is obviously worth a look at as with every FF game in the series. For all those new to the series, this is definitely worth 1000 times its weight in gold (as DVD's generally don't weight much), and I hope you enjoy it. For all those who have a PS2 click the `Add to shopping Cart' tab at the top of this page ASAP, and for all those without a PS2, get off your arses, click the links in this site and buy the bloody thing.

Final Fantasy How I Love Thee

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 23 / 39
Date: November 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

ok some people will love this review others may hate it, but I'm getting tired of every one comparing RPGs to Final Fantasy! I mean thats like comparing a so called "prophet" to Jesus!! In other words there Isnt any comparison!...It just means that there is no way that a game can beat it love it or hate it I have sale records to prove my point that it is the most selling game EVER. now on with the review.This game is going to be the best game ever Finaly the PS2 is using it's Power!Final Fantasy X was released in Japan on July 19, 2001. The game sold through 90% of the 2.14 million units that Square shipped. and this final fantasy will be the first that has voice actors now at first I was a little concernd untill I found out who was doing them Actors James Arnold Taylor (A Moment of Silence, Futurama, Team Atlantis) and Hedy Burress (Valentine, If These Walls Could Talk, First Monday, Boston Common, Gideon's Crossing) will provide the vocal talent for lead characters Tidus and Yuna, respectively. so this game has a bunch to offer and will deffintly be worth the money so go out there and BUY this great game.

OMG THE BEST GAME TO COME OUT...EVER!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: November 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

FFX is enough reason just to go out and buy a PS2! This game features 50+ Hours of pure RPG PLEASURE! It has graphix that blow away any games i have seen (including X-flops!) All the charecters are massively detailed and move smmothly! If u own a PS2, U MUST GET IT! If u don't have a PS2...THEN GET ONE...U WILL BE A FOOL TO MISS THIS ONE OUT!!!!!!!

Unofficial Review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: September 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've picked this game up as an alternative to a game I've really wanted, which was Lunar 2. Apparently, I didn't expect the game to be very impressive, however, when I started it, I was dazzled by the true graphics of the PS2 and the stunning effects and voices.

If you've played the previous Final Fantasy Series before, you'll definately enjoy this game. At first, it is a little strange, due to the uncompared graphics, and a little bit of a difference in the battle system, but once you get used to it, you're off.

The leveling up system is a little different in this game however. If you're a patient and a good Role Play Gamer, you should be over enjoyed with the Sphere Grid system. It allows you to teach, level, and adjust your character in the way you want them to.

For instance, if you would like to teach your black mage some skill ablities, or non elemental properties, you can; if you'd like to teach the main character healing magic from the Summoner, you can; it's just so wonderful how the game is based.

The cinematic sequences are very great, although only one downside to this game is that the voiceacting sometimes didn't fit very well to the original Japanese Version. Alot of times, when a character would say "Okay" they had to word it for " Hai!" which means okay in Jap. So there's a little problem with wording, but everything else, you'll enjoy the awesome storyline.

Expect to be impressed.

Incredible Graphics

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: January 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is really close to a '5' but it has some problems. first, to clarify, FFX isn't really a RPG but more like a dungeon crawl like a Diablo II with a very detailed storyline. your path is clearly mapped out on what to do next (even has an actual arrow on the mini map to get you going to the next area/storyline) and i think there will be hardcore RPGers who would object to this 'forced' structure. you also cannot skip the cut scenes (at least i couldn't) and some of these are lengthy -- at times it seems like you're watching a video with some breaks for actual gaming rather than the other way around. the plot is also weaker than other FF's, although still well presented.

HOWEVER

this game will completely floor you with just the graphics. it looks pretty good when you're exploring the world (backgrounds are very detailed) and during dialogue scenes BUT it will hit you every time you see a prerendered cut scene is played just how unbelievable this game looks (especially using s-video or component out). there is a lot of dialogue and cut scenes (so if you didn't care for it to start, you might not want to get this game) -- i'm really impressed at how much work went into it. this game is big, easily 40+ hrs, but you'll find yourself trying to just get to the next stage.

the sound is very well done and the voice acting isn't bad. the combat system is phased turn based and pretty tactical when your characters' gained a few more abilities. there is one member of you party, Rikku, who can actually customize weapons/armor/items and imbue them with additional properties (btw, i would suggest adding poison to every weapon you have... if a creature is suspectable to poison it does a lot of damage each round the creature remains affected, this often does more damage than any one of your character's main attack).

any weapon equiped w/the ability 'sensor' will instantly tell you the hp of the energy and any immunities or weaknesses it might have. although you can only fight at most w/three members of your party, you can swap the backup members in instantly to fight. this is important since each of your characters have specialities/abilities that would turn the battle for you. being able to re-equipt a character's weapons & armor mid-battle is also useful.

then of course, even with a game as linear as FFX, there are mini games and some side quests (just try and find all the books to translate the Al Bhed language). there is the blitzball game (like water polo) where you can actually recruit players and play a season, and the ubiqidous Chocobo games.

i think if you're a big fan of RPG, you may want to rent this game out first. otherwise, this is a must have game and a very worthy representative of the legendary Final Fantasy name (FF7 is still the best, though -- that's a '5' in my book).

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