Developer: Squaresoft Publisher: Square-Enix
Reviewed by Pearl on 3/30/04
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First
Impressions:
Many
were apprehensive about this particular title - what with the short
trailers and releases featuring skimpy outfits, pop concerts, changing
costumes in the midst of a battle, and the fact that sequels had
misgivings attached to its name. Frankly, it didn't seem a very
likely candidate for a Final Fantasy title.
In exchange for an ultra-Charlie's Angels-esque display of fiend-fighting
ability, Yuna ditches her demure Japanese style dressing for tight
shorts. Indeed this game throws a whole lot of intended sexuality
towards players, perhaps conveying the impression that they are
more interested in capturing the interests of the male gaming population.
Or simply, this could be a ploy in an attempt to gather attention
- regardless of judgments given.
Final Fantasy X-2 features a theme that doesn't just remind gamers
of Charlie's Angels - it downright imitates that style. In this
equation, three females are needed. One, the lead, is often embroiled
in personal matters and will learn more as the game passes by. This
is Yuna, your tour guide of a personal journey filled with memories,
moral lessons, and a whole lot of senseless side-quests.
In fact, the trio perhaps also will need a character that is slightly
ditzy, with Bimbo-like characteristics. Here we have Rikku, the
epitome of perkiness. This character is klutzy and dangerously silly.
Her redeeming points - A great voice and likeable enough. Perhaps
one of the biggest controversies about her is: As a Thief, she doesn't
need to run around Spira in a bikini. But she does - leading players
to wonder: Surely the world of Final Fantasy X is no beach?
The character Paine is a stereotypical figure who might occasionally
get on the nerves of the player. She is cold, aloof, and hides a
great deal of secrets, which the player will have to patiently unlock
through (what else?) mini -games and side quests. The characterization
of Paine doesn't exactly play out well, as there are several parts
when she undergoes a baffling change and back into her indomitable
attitude before you can blink. Her personal story, judging by the
build-up of intrigue and mystery surrounding it, was a sure-fire
guarantee of a good plotline - until it unfolded. Words like 'boring'
and 'overly simple' to describe it may be an understatement.
Graphics:
The
aesthetic portion of this game is like its predecessors - doubtlessly
pleasing on the eyes. Although the amount of full motion videos
has been lessened drastically, it is the sheer length of each
video that will be impressive to even the harshest critic. The
two music videos - 'real Emotion' and '1000 Words' are crowd pleasers,
even though the taste in the featured music is a matter of preference.
Sound/Music:
Unfortunately,
Final Fantasy X-2 retains a horrible fault of its predecessor
Final Fantasy X - unimpressive voice acting. Yuna's voice is inconsistent
throughout the game, sometimes having driven the player insane,
tries to better her attempt at a speech, making it an unforgettable
and inspiring moment, but that's before she reverts into her usual
breathy tone. The voice acting in Final Fantasy X-2 is mediocre
and isn't one of the game's strongest points.
It is clear that Final Fantasy X-2 endorses pop and bouncy music.
Even the most melancholy theme has certain bounciness to it. This
completely sets off a different atmosphere for the game. There
are certain very memorable tunes, such as, 'Memory of the Lightwaves'
and 'Yuna's Ballad'.
Gameplay:
The
Switch system of Final Fantasy X has been thrown out in favour
of the ATB battle system, and the pace of battles have been quickened,
leading to swifter responses. Dresspheres are now featured: A
sort of costume-changing session, complete with suggestive actions
and clothes, is now in place in and out of battle, permitting
the three allotted characters to switch jobs to use unique abilities
to defeat enemies. This very much reminds players of Final Fantasy
Tactics - basically, the Dressphere system is just a spiced-up
version of a Job system.
A never-ending plethora of mini-games and side quests has been
ruthlessly imbued into the game itself - leading to a title that
plays like Final Fantasy VII's Gold Saucer. Then imagine playing
over forty hours of mini-games in Gold Saucer, toss in a story
and eye-catching characters. For mini-game addicts, this is Heaven.
Some of the games are nicely done, some can be tedious at times,
and some just don't make sense.
Enjoyment:
This
game is enjoyable - even if you don't like certain aspects, others
will appeal to you. For once, this game has extreme replay value.
Upon completion players can retain Dressphere abilities and certain
key items in the subsequent game. Depending on the player's actions,
secret conclusions - better ones - can be unlocked. This further
encourages the player to take up the game again.
Multiplayer:
n/a
Overall
Impression:
Final
Fantasy X-2 is a good sequel, one that rounds up a satisfactory
conclusion to Final Fantasy X. Although mediocre by Final Fantasy
standards, the effort is commendable. If only the voices have
been further improved; if only there wasn't so many cloying attempts
at charm; if only the characters weren't archetypes. Rather, the
fundamental problem with Final Fantasy X-2 isn't any of its gameplay
or artistic elements; it is the image carved and conveyed that
isn't up to par. If players are prepared to overlook this single
fact, this game is as good as a Final Fantasy can get in terms
of gameplay and artistic value.
Marketing
Efforts Towards Women:
If
Square-Enix decision was to portray females as ass-kicking, independent,
sexuality flaunting, annoyingly charming sex objects, this is
as good as it gets. UNFORTUNATELY, this isn't what the masses
were looking for. Although the game itself is a good sequel, nice
effort, it would turn out to be a more acceptable title if the
featured themes and images were set straight.
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