Like all Square-Enix games (and RPGs in general), Final Fantasy X suffers from a dead turn-based combat system that...
User Rating: 6.5 | Final Fantasy X (Mega Hits!) PS2
Final Fantasy X is a both a beautiful and extremely flawed game. The aesthetic beauty of the game is obvious--vibrantly colored environments and characters are appealing to the eye, and the game shares the gorgeous and unique visual style that Final Fantasy series has become famous for. Characters' personalities are surprsingly well developed (however archetypal and cliche), and the storyline's depth is rivaled only by those of contemporary high fantasy. Final Fantasy X manages to convincingly create an entire world of it's own. However, like all Square-Enix games (and RPGs in general), Final Fantasy X suffers from a dead turn-based combat system that isn't nearly as enthralling as its storyline. Unfortunately, the RPG genre has refused to evolve with the times. The truth that no one seems willing to admit is that this style of gameplay is dead--completely and utterly dead. Like all games in the Final Fantasy series, FFX requires hours of effort put into "leveling up." These breaks interrupt the game's elegantly crafted storyline, forcing you to focus on the weak and uninspired combat system. In addition to the tepid combat system, FFX requires you to spend hours collecting "gil," (Final Fantasy's equivalent of Rupees) which you will then use to purchase numerous variations on the original weapons your characters started out with. Although all the weapons function in the same way, their strength differs greatly. Because of this, you can never be sure which weapons to purchase. There is also a silly "skill tree" function that you are required to utilize if you hope to advance your characters abilities. The point of all these things is distraction, distraction from the awful combat system that is forced upon you in every single Final Fantasy game to date. The majority of gameplay is spent roaming through numerous areas and occasionally encountering a "fiend" or two that needs to be killed. At first, it doesn't seem so bad, but this quickly grows increasingly dull as the storyline progresses. You get to the point where you just wish the game would end already, without wasting any time with the wretched gameplay and combat system. But that's not all, Final Fantasy X suffers an even greater flaw than the dead and decaying combat system-inconsistency. Boss battles are incredibly difficult and tedious in stark contrast to the common enemies you will face and overcome easily throughout the game. Areas of exploration range from incredibly linear and confining to expansive and disorienting. There is no middle ground or balance, everything is extreme. Final Fantasy X is an exceedingly flawed an overrated game with a beautiful storyline. It would make a wonderful film, but it is a sad excuse for a video game.
