Fantasies never seems to be final.
The result? It is still one of the best RPG on PS2 system.
Final Fantasy X is quite unique for FInal Fantasy game. For one, it doesn't have ATB system that existed for past 9 Final Fantasy games. Major shock in a way. Also it is the first voice acted game that carries the name Final Fantasy. When will game developer add Japanese voice acting option? It shouldn't require that much space since games use midi files for the sounds. It doesn't really cost money to add this nice little feature and this little addition can please fraction of their fans. By fraction the number goes from thousands to millions thanks to their huge fan population. I think that is good enough numbers to try to please.
Well that's that. For now to talk about rest of the game.
The gameplay of Final Fantasy X is extremely linear. Final Fantasy games always has been quite linear but this takes the word to another level. This time there isn't a world map. You get to travel town to town on a single road to help Yuna become summoner. In away this isn't really bad as it eliminates unrealistic world map where town is represented as small group of small houses. This way Final Fantasy X managed to make it feel like it is one huge world and you have to travel through it on realistic size. However, it also takes away quite a bit of sense of adventure. hitting the road itself can give that feeling, but when the road is single path, it does ruin that mood.
As for more the battle, without ATB system new battle system is introduced. It is actually used in Shadow Hearts series later on. The order of the characters attack is listed on your menu so you will exactly know who will be attacking next and new characters following that. ALso depending on the magic or skills you use, the order could be changed. It eliminates alot of random decisions and more careful strategy, and it works quite well although it doesn't really make it seem like Final Fantasy anymore.
The sphere Grid might be weirdiest idea Square has tried yet. To be honest, it isn't a very good system although it leaves plenty of room to work things around. Sphere Grid looks like a board game and each of the Final Fantasy characters starts at different point. depending on the experiance points you get from leveling up, you can move your character icon in the grid and some of the grids are empty for you to fill the spheres you collected, and some are already filled in. When you land on a sphere, you are allowed to spend certain amount of points you get from leveling up to learn whatever properties the sphere contains. It might be magic, skills, or stats. Odd system, and it doesn't work entirely too well as the uneducated player who moves through the sphere aimlessly might have the result of very weak character without much useful skills. I always say, RPG should create a system that doesn't have heavy punishment, but this one does. It also has high rewards, perhaps too high as you can allow couple of characters to "meet" and spend all your spheres around them, allowing multiple characters to benefit the spheres you collecting. It isn't cheating, and it is smart thing to do, but it gives characters extra rewards.
The pacing of the game might quite good. The monsters won't feel like it is too much to handle unless you completely messed up with sphere grid. Even then, Yuna's aeon to the rescue! Aeon which is what FFX calls summon, is extremely powerful in this game and they don't just attack and leave. They actually stay this time (nice aeons *pats them on their head*) It makes summons feel much more like summon instead of flashy version of magic. Good thing Good thing.
The most impressive part of the game would be graphic and presentation. Wow it is eye popping beautiful. It is bit shameful that characters doesn't get wet. That might be a little detail this game really needed because it is largely based on water theme. Still, the waters sparkle, the characters look good, and the land is bright and beautiful. All the characters and backgrounds are highly detailed. There really isn't much you can complain about the graphic and presentation.. except for slightly girly outfit of Tidus.
The sound has some problems as it has not so great voice acting. Not that bad, and you should be able to withstand it, but it leaves alot to be desired. However the music of this game is fantastic and Suteki Da Ne might be most perfectly fitting with the mood for any games made so far (except Hikari by Utada Hikaru. No not Simple and Clean, that version wasn't as good) Plus it comes with complete soundtrack that is just wonderful to listen to.
Story is by far most important part of the game, and for Final Fantasy X.... it's not bad. Not great either. Might be considered good, but it could lean more towards being average. Like always, story seems better than how it is thanks to excellent presentation of Squaresoft to tell the story so well, it seems like classic story, but the game actually lacks quite a bit of fine details to be considered strong plot. Also there is lack of character developments outside of the party members to really get the feel of the world of FInal Fantasy X. Not to mention it is difficult to really feel threatened by a villian that has no personalities and is more of big blob floating around and destroying many things. Seymour's personalities never really became defined and most of the story was involved more with Yuna and Tidus, which isn't exactly bad thing if other aspects of the story was equally well told, but as for the story and character development goes, Yuna and Tidus was only ones that recieved the full attention. I guess you can call it star treatment, but it does takes some points off in plot development. Also as usual, the game as it's usual dramtic twist of plot, but that didn't feel that dramatic as it should've been nor it changed your perspective towards the entire plot until that point. Still, it is better plot twist than other two previous Final Fantasies (FF8 and FF9)
The characters aren't entirely lovable. Tidus isn't that bad of a character, but he does have his moment of annoyance. Yuna on the other hand is perhapse most proper, ladylike, and selfless character to date in Final Fantasy series. It's hard to not like Yuna... unlike X-2 comes along and she becamse sort of "loose" but that's not part of this particular game and X-2 didn't exist back then so let's ignore that part. Yuna has all the charm a girl can have. Good looks, great manner, quite ideal woman although to some or many it might not be their particular taste, but in more general terms and more acceptable by parents if she was your girlfriend term, she was quite ideal woman.
However, there are other interesting characters besides our "stars". Rikku steals the show when she comes in as she cheerful personality is hard to ignore. Might be too typical character of that "cute" thing going on (like Yuffie in Final Fantasy VII, Selphie in final fantasy VIII, and Eion(sp?) in Final Fantasy IX) but it is a formula that has never failed and it hasn't now. There are other characters with strong personalities like Lulu, Wakka, and Kimaru, but their personalities are more geared towards passive side and without stories reaching out to them often, they never really takes the center stage. Auron on the other hand, does have passive personalities, but his presence takes such big part of the plot and the mood, he takes over the stage anyway. What a power.
In other words, character designs and personaltiies are fairly strong and interesting, but I've seen better in other Final Fantasies, save perhaps for Yuna because until now, her type has been mostly princess and they did have that princess like flaws. Aerith comes closest to being the next angel, but she wasn't quite proper as Yuna was so I have to hand it to Yuna as being the most pure angel like character in FInal Fantasy. Though she is tad bit dorky.
Overall, with interesting characters, great presentation, music, solid gameplay, and decent story, Final Fantasy easily rules the PS2 system as best RPG. Although that should be changed soon as soon as Final Fantasy XII comes out.