Final Fantasy X-2 Remaster, 1: Introduction.

Welcome back dear friends, as we set off on a new adventure...

Using my phone is such a simple way to get screen caps... I'll work on holding it straight.

I was pretty happy for finally catching up on the blogging to the point where I had beaten FFX. Then I did a bad thing. I went and beat FFX-2 before even writing a single post about it. For shame! Is that how my parents raised me? It all started out innocently enough, I was planning to play for an hour or two. Then I was like, "just one more hour." I was fighting through the final dungeon to see how far I could get, not expecting to be able to make it all the way. Then I realized it was going to happen... I was going to beat the game that night. Afterwards I realized I probably played for 8 hours straight! Yikes... now you know why I immediately felt a kinship with The CRPG Addict upon discovering his blog.

Final Fantasy X-2 is a big departure from many of the established norms of the series. Most importantly, it is the first sequel in the series that uses the same world and characters from a previous game. Also, the tone is quite different from its predecessors, to say the least. It starts with Yuna as a pop idol singing to a crowded Luca stadium. Go ahead, if you haven't played the game, reread that last sentence a few times. This is likely the first, and hopefully the last, time a fantasy role-playing game has started with a pop concert. Yes, you in the back again... Final Fantasy 8 does have a rock concert in it, it's a lot more mello, and is part of a mini-game. It's not nearly as jarring.

So that happens... then Yuna, who in the first game had about as much spunk as your average grandmother, shows up on the scene in hot pants and wielding akimbo barettas. That's not all, our Charlie's Angels inspired crew rides around in a Harley-esque airship called the Celsius.

Errm... Wert now?

I really couldn't fault any sane person for jumping ship at this point and saying, "This game is just not for me." The thing is, underneath the trappings of ridiculousness, lies an actually pretty damn good game. Although they are called "dresspheres" here, this game brings back the often lauded job-system of some of the previous games. Essentially "jobs" are classes, and your characters are able to switch between them and learn a wide variety of abilities. The newest things is that here in X-2, you can switch jobs even in the middle of battle. This type of gameplay is tried and true for the series, and has worked well in such games as FF3, FF5, and Final Fantasy Tactics. Between the jobs, the "garment grids" (like I said, you have to be okay with a little ridiculousness), accessories, and numerous mini-games, there is an almost endless amount of stuff to tinker with in this game. There are even decent story moments, and an interesting background to the new characters that are introduced.

Two years passed on Spira, after Yuna and her guardians brought the Calm. This one was hoped to be the Eternal Calm, with the cycle of death ended, and Sin never to return. After the lies of Yevon had been exposed, there was a renewed interest in the true history of Spira. Many began seeking spheres that held recordings of the ancient world. Teams gathered to seek these spheres, and they were called "spherehunters." Yuna joined on with Rikku, and a mysterious woman named Paine, to be spherehunters. They were the active arm of "The Gullwings", which also included their nominal leader Brother, pilot Buddy, and boy-genius Shinra.

What adventures awaited our friends in the new Spira, the Spira without Sin? Find out next time... at This Bard's Tales!