Preview for Final Fantasy X-2

Intro:

When I think of Final Fantasy, I think of a never ending soap opera. The series has shown that it can mix romance, philosophy and action all into one resilient package. To be quite honest, Final Fantasy is probably the best RPG series that currently exists. No franchise has shown the ability to take a concept a reinvent it as many times as Square-Enix has. Now when I think of Final Fantasy X-2, I ask myself “Has Square-Enix come down with BMX XXX fever?”. BMX XXX was a sad attempt at taking the BMX sports genre and turning into an endless boob fest. Frankly, not even those features saved it from abysmal reviews and sales. Now look at Final Fantasy X-2, you cant help but draw some comparisons to the “extreme” idea presented here. At first glace, it looks as if Square-Enix has taken an epic RPG franchise and turned it into Barbie and Friends: At the Mall ( doesn’t yet exist by the way). I can say that I had my doubts when deciding to cover the game, but it is actually to be another excellent RPG helping from Square. What we have here, is the first true sequel to a Final Fantasy game ever. I can’t help but think that this game was a result of the fueled requests of fans who were begging for some true sequel to their favorite story line. Now will this game be any good? Well it wont be bad. It has received a lot of praise in Japan but some games are hailed there and considered to be poor ones elsewhere. So even though it looks promising, I will have to hold my kudos till it is finally released in the states. Crazed FF fans may already be filling my mailbox with hate mail but you must be open minded to the fact that they have taken a big risk. People must also understand that big risks don’t always work (ehem-- Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest). And also, that they sometimes do (Final Fantasy: Tactics). So during the course of this preview I will make an attempt at showing the bright side of things, since I have already warned you with the possible cons that may come of this.

Preview:

The game's transition into the English language is coming along nicely as its release date nears and as its receiving great praise in Japan , and that definitely tells us all something. The graphics are part of a modified Final Fantasy X engine, with some tweaks and refinements along with the typical flashy effects and explosions. The new battle systems seems to do a good job of keeping true to the prequel, while still introducing something fresh. It also seems to be much deeper than the one featured in FFX. A new little innovation is the inclusion of changeable outfits. You can gain abilities from using and changing into different clothes (the male species ultimate dream and the Barbie girl’s favorite hobby of all time). The bosses are bigger (surprise, surprise) and the game’s tone is surprisingly lighter (wow, that’s a first) Not all of my preconceived doubts are gone, but I know that the game will at least be good. I feel that if marketed and aimed at the right audience, the game will become a top seller (that is if the name alone doesn’t pull in a couple million copies on its own). The game picks up awhile after Final Fantasy X and as some of you may know, Tidus had gone missing after the final battle with Sin. Yuna is determined to find her hubby him after some clues are leaked by Rikku. So basically the game is one big hunt for the love of Yuna’s life. Gone are the sphere grid and basic battle system. You can now change clothes to gain abilities and there are many different types of guns and weapons to find throughout the game. The active time battle system has returned to mix things up a bit, as well as raising the difficulty up a few notches (for those who believed FFX was too easy).  The new character, Paine, is a bit moody and has the patience of a two year old (it must be that hairdo, damn that rock music). You can expect to engage in many quirky little adventures as the game is set up using a mission based system. There are the missions that involve the main story arc and then there are the side jobs which will make up a lot of the game’s replay value. This is a great and innovative addition to the franchise and most likely wont tamper with the fluidity of the game world. With improved visuals and many new features, the game is set to make young men drool and little girls form role models. You can pick up Final Fantasy X-2 this November and you can expect more updates as the information becomes available.

Facts:

•      First Direct Sequel To A Final Fantasy Game

•      Return of the Active Time Battle system

•      Unique graphical/ art style with improved graphics engine 

•      A quest for answers in the land of Spira 

•      Many outfits and spells for you to find, collect and utilize

•      Brand New Soundtrack

•      Release Date: November 2003