Final Fantasy X is widely regarded as one of the best releases for one of the best video game franchises in all of the video game industry. That's thanks in large part to a storyline full of rich, interesting characters and a world full of mysteries for the player to uncover while playing through the game. The story focuses on a young man named Tidus who is sent to this new world from his own, where he soon finds his dad lived a similar fate before him. Tidus soon teams up with a group of warriors traveling with a bright young summoner named Yuna, and players will be wrapped up in this magical journey for a good 30 or 40 hours before completing the game and switching over to Final Fantasy X-2, where Yuna returns as a playable character and teams with a couple of her girl pals in a new adventure in the same magical world. Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 were the first games in the series to feature a fully narrated storyline, and it only helped to further establish it as one of the best narratives Square Enix has ever told.
Final Fantasy X-2 isn't completely different in gameplay from its predecessor, though there are some new features players must adapt to. Battles are a bit more fast paced, and players will use dress spheres to change jobs in battle and gain new abilities. The system works well and takes more criticism than it probably should, and it's pretty easy to go back and play the game today and see how it had influences on later games in the series, and in particular, the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy. Final Fantasy X-2 also features plenty of content that is clearly designed to be more gamer girl friendly both it the game's story and gameplay, and while it's a breath of fresh air for the series, it's sure to be something not every gamer will enjoy.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is based on the international versions of the two games, which means the new releases has bonus content not seen in the original North American versions of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. For Final Fantasy X, players won't notice any huge differences in the game until a good portion of the game has been completed and Dark versions of the Aeon summons begin appearing in locations around the world to attack players. These boss monsters have incredibly high statistics and very large amounts of HP. On the plus side, they drop some great loot and can help players unlock some Trophies. Final Fantasy X-2 also comes with some bonus content available very late in the game known as the Last Mission. Players can also find a Creature Creator to mess around with, though it's addition isn't quite as substantial.
Despite all the positive improvements for both games in the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster collection, players will still have some complaints with the new release. Both games are old, and there are parts of each game that can be frustrating to play through at times. In Final Fantasy X blitzball hasn't changed; matches still take a long time to complete, and some matches are unavoidable, though there are sure to be some players that actually enjoy the mini-game mode. Leveling with the sphere grid system can also be long and tedious at times as well, and navigating the late game temples can be a nightmare for players not very adept at solving puzzles in games. Final Fantasy X-2 obviously has its own problems that aren't limited to the often corny cutscenes and mini-games players will encounter throughout the game, though many gamers skipped the title the first time around and may just be glad to add more story to the Final Fantasy X narrative.
There are some differences between the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita version of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster that are worth mentioning as well. The PlayStation 3 version features both games on a single blu-ray disc that allows players to easily switch between the two games from the main menu. The PlayStation Vita version only comes with Final Fantasy X on disc though, and a voucher to download and redeem a digital copy of Final Fantasy X-2. The PlayStation Vita version of the game does allow players to enjoy the game on the go though, and there are some exclusive controls for the handheld version as well including an ability to enter commands with a touch or swipe of the screen. Players will also want to know that the games do support shared saves across both platforms, but Cross-Play is not available, so players will need to purchase two different copies of the game to use this feature.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is well worth picking up with its new release, but it's up to players which version is the one that should be owned. Both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita have their own reasons for being considered the definitive version of the new release, but either comes with two of the best games to ever release on PlayStation 2 with new features never seen before in North America. The price is good at $20 per game, and players are sure to easily get right around 100 hours of gameplay out of the games combined. Improved graphics and better presentation overall make the games better than they've ever been, but the classic games are both well worth owning at least one copy of, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster just happens to be the best way to own both. Check out Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster in stores now!
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is now available from all major retailers for the MSRP of $39.99 and can be purchased for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. For more information on the game, check out the official Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- HD Graphics
- International Version Content
- Two All-Time Classic Games in One Package
- Trophy Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PlayStation 3 (reviewed) & PlayStation Vita
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Score: 9 out of 10