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Cross My Heart: Why Final Fantasy X-2 Rules


On 03/07/2013 at 09:35 AM by natron

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Released just two years after Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2 was the first direct sequel in franchise history. Despite being warmly received by critics, it is remembered as a misstep in the annals of Final Fantasy history. Many Final Fantasy fans wrote off Final Fantasy X-2 as a cash-in on the massive success of Final Fantasy X. While it was most definitely an attempt to stretch the assets created and the money spent developing Final Fantasy X, it was none-the-less filled with original ideas and a rich story that is surprisingly self-contained.

At first glance X-2 can easily appear as juvenile fan service, short on substance and depth, but that really is the brilliance of the game. Final Fantasy X-2’s best feature, the compelling story, is almost entirely optional. Doing a bare bones play through, X-2 can be completed in 20 hours, but in order to achieve the full experience and a 100% completion rating, 40 hours or more may be required.

In the end, depending on your level of completion, Yuna’s character arc reaches its conclusion in one of two entirely different ways. The multiple endings, another first for a Final Fantasy title, push the wanton need of the player to explore the world in increasingly greater detail, scrounging for extra percentiles to add to the overall completion score. This in turn reveals an ever-increasing depth to the game’s story and characters.

Final Fantasy X-2 takes you back into the world of Spira, now free from the overbearing religious dogma that once ruled its people. Yuna has transformed from Summoner to a celebrity sphere hunter, part of a rogue crew called the Gullwings. Consisting primarily of Al Bhed, Yuna’s cousins Rikku and Brother among them, the Gullwings traverse Spira in search of spheres, small treasures that hold both great monetary and academic value.

It is the period known as the Eternal Calm, just over two years since the defeat of Sin and the end of Final Fantasy X. Not long after Sin’s final defeat, the truth about Yevon was exposed by its priests for the purpose of allowing Spira’s populace to decide for themselves whether or not to continue following the disgraced religion.

Many inhabitants of Spira were quick to rebel against Yevon’s teachings. Aligned under the banner of the Youth League, these rebels dedicate themselves to uncovering Spira’s history by gathering spheres.

These spheres, which contain camcorder-like recordings, may hold the secrets of Spira’s past.

Growing political strife and ever escalating violence between New Yevon, a group founded to preserve the Yevon way of life and keeps its secrets hidden, and the aforementioned Youth League, threatens to tear Spira’s people apart.

You soon discover the true motive behind Yuna’s adventurous turn with the Gullwings – after Sin’s defeat she was given a sphere containing images of a young man imprisoned and begging for help. The man in the grainy sphere appears to be Tidus.

The emotional core of the story is Yuna’s search for answers, and it is masterfully dressed up on all sides by the compelling side story of a world’s rebirth, the efforts to control that world, and the ever-widening gap between politics and the people they govern.

Having an almost entirely optional story, there is a lot to miss in the game. If you miss something the first time through however, Final Fantasy X-2 has a New Game+ option that becomes available upon completing the game. The New Game+ allows you to carry over your weapons, items, and completion percentage while at the same time beginning the story over from the start. This gives you the opportunity to pick-up those lost percentage points in an effort to get the full 100% and see the “perfect” ending.

In another series first, you are given three party members at the start of the game that remain your sole playable characters all the way through. Having only Yuna, Rikku, and new comer Paine as your permanent battle party at first glance may seem restrictive, but X-2′s masterful battle mechanics quickly add ease of mind on the matter.

In the most refreshing advancement since the ATB gauge revolutionized the series, Final Fantasy X-2 introduces the Dress Sphere / Garment Grid system. Throughout the game you collect Garment Grids and specialized spheres called Dress Spheres.

Each sphere contains a set of skills that each character can utilize in battle. Each Garment Grid can have two or more Dress Spheres placed upon it, and equipping these Garment Grids to your character grants you the freedom to switch between the Dress Spheres on the fly. Changing Dress Spheres during battle provides an additional layer of complexity, as moving through the Garment Grid gains various stat boosts and special abilities.

This battle mechanic, when combined with the ability to chain and coordinate your attacks for maximum efficiency and damage, results in fast paced, frantic battles and a deep level of character customization.

The fun, airy, fast paced style of story telling and game-play was initially criticized by series die-hards for deviating too far from Final Fantasy X, and the franchise as a whole. However, viewed on its own merits, X-2 stands out as an innovative and highly stylized JRPG that intentionally casts off the shackles of its predecessors.

This new lighthearted sensibility is as much about up-ending the series status quo as it is a reflection of the growth of Yuna as a character, as well as the revitalization of Spira in the era of the Eternal Calm. What Final Fantasy X-2 really delivers is a study of the processes we endure healing old wounds, as well as the violence that inherently stems from establishing fresh paths into the future.


 

Comments

Surfcaster

03/07/2013 at 09:45 AM

I rented FFX-2 when it first came out and I liked the battle system, but it was a little too Charlie's Angels for me at first, haha.

Also, I was totally jaded that this was the first sequel to an FF game, when I was (and still am) pining for a sequel to FFVI.

natron

03/07/2013 at 09:51 AM

I would love a sequel to VI, but it will never happen. VI is fairly unpopular in Japan, compared to the first 4 certainly, and it just never gets any love. 

Surfcaster

03/07/2013 at 10:02 AM

Oh yeah, I know what you mean. My teenage self couldn't rationalize, though, haha.

I still hold out hopes for a 3D remake of FFVI on the 3DS. Now that Square Enix seems to have Matrix Software developing games like 4 Heroes of Light and FF Dimensions I'm thinking the 3D remakes are over. Frown

natron

03/07/2013 at 10:14 AM

That would be so good. Final Fantasy VI remake for 3DS and an English localization of Dragon Quest VII for 3DS. My 3DS would pretty much melt.

Surfcaster

03/07/2013 at 10:28 AM

Agreed. There'd have to be a special 3DS containment unit for amount of awesome.

Dragon1989

03/07/2013 at 10:24 AM

This might sound silly, but for me Final Fantasy x-2 made me fall in love with the final fantasy games.

natron

03/07/2013 at 10:27 AM

I get it. X-2 is amazing. One of my favorite FF games, and right up there with Tactics as far as spin-offs go.

Julian Titus Senior Editor

03/07/2013 at 10:59 AM

Good for you! X-2 is so underappreciated. I think it's the best use of the ATB system so far, and on-the-fly job changes are great. People complain about the Charlie's Angles vibe, but this game is about Yuna getting to let her hair down and live, after a lifetime of knowing that she'd have to sacrifice herself to stop Sin.

I really want to go back to this one. Too bad FFX HD isn't including it.

GeminiMan78

03/07/2013 at 11:35 AM

I ended up have a strong dislike for FFX. But I rented FFX2 and I have to admit I liked it for the most part. I actually ended up with free a copy of it a few months ago but have not got around to playing it. Your blog has reneiwed my interest. Soon as I get through the Mass Effect trilogy I may have to give it another go.

Ryan Bunting Staff Alumnus

03/07/2013 at 12:00 PM

To be perfectly honest, I hated FFX, and never even bothered to give FFX-2 a shot, because I already couldn't stand the characters, and the only redeeming factor from FFX was the fact that I enjoyed Blitz Ball, and that was about it.  I just might have to try FFX-2 and see if my bias towards the 16 bit FF games can be put on hold just long enough to get something out of it!  Great read by the way!

asrealasitgets

03/07/2013 at 02:48 PM

This game is awesome. Loved the sphere grid system.

SanAndreas

03/07/2013 at 04:14 PM

I thought FFX-2 was pretty awesome. It was a great implementation of FF5's job system and I loved the costumes.

Aboboisdaman

03/07/2013 at 04:20 PM

I guess I'm the opposite of most people. I hated FFX but loved X-2. I've been meaning to replay this game for forever. My sister in law had tried to get 100%, but eventually gave up and said it was impossible.

Super Step Contributing Writer

03/07/2013 at 05:19 PM

My only experience with X and X-2, is renting X and watching TheSpoonyOne's X-2 review.

I think the relatively silly storyline may have helped me like it, if I ever played it, even though I mostly avoid JRPGs.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

03/07/2013 at 05:27 PM

I loved X-2 as well. I haven't finished it, but I've played through like four times.  I want to play it again soon.  

Daniel Iverson Staff Alumnus

03/07/2013 at 05:38 PM

I've always defended FFX-2, so it's great to see another fan. Gameplay-wise, it's the pinnacle of evolution for the ATB and job systems. Even after I finished it, I continued playing to master all the jobs simply because it was fun. That's extremely rare for me.

natron

03/08/2013 at 04:10 PM

I can relate. I went through the game immediately after I beat it the first time via new game+. I just didnt want the experience to end. It didn't hurt that my completion percentage was embarrassingly low that first time through...

Julian Titus Senior Editor

03/07/2013 at 05:58 PM

This is so, so weird. I had to sell people on X-2 so hard when I was in retail, and no one seemed to like it. But now we have comment after comment of love for this game.

This community rocks. That is all. Way to go, people!

natron

03/08/2013 at 10:30 AM

I agree! I kind of felt like I was the only one! It seems like everyone else I talk to about the game has a pretty strong hate on for it. I am glad to see this excellent little game gets some love!

stratu23

03/07/2013 at 08:11 PM

Yeah I never got the FFX-2 hate. Although there are enough FF fans who never even liked FFX, so there you go.

Anyway, good to see some love for this wonderful game! Good job.

P.S. This game also has one of the coolest start-of-battle quotes.

Paine: "Bring it, punk."

Halochief90

03/08/2013 at 02:10 AM

Well, both sides are kinda right. It is a cash-in in the sense that it is mostly just re-used assets of FFX. The battle system rocks though and they added enough other stuff to make it a really good game in its own right. Is it a worthy sequel to FFX? No and it is unfortunately the start of a trend where Square Enix started whoring out the FF brand which at this point has sapped most of my enthusiasm for newer entries.

chocobot

03/08/2013 at 03:08 AM

I think the story in FFX-2 was garbage. I liked the ending of FFX and believe they should have left it alone. 

...but X-2 was a lot of fun to play and sometimes that's all that matters. Gotta love those dress spheres :P

BrokenH

03/08/2013 at 10:39 AM

It's not a bad game. It was hard for me to get into at first though. I remember referring to it as "Charlie's Angels in a fantasy rpg" but ironically it was that quality which later endeared me to it. Over the years I've become less serious and more appreciative of off the wall cheese!

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