Final Fantasy X-2

Yuna and Rikku FFX grab an airship and go sphere hunting. The result: one of the most exciting RPGs of 2003. Strange how that works.

It was sometime around E3 2002 that people began to worry about Square. Despite the wild success of Final Fantasy X a year earlier (five million copies sold worldwide), its only 2002 product on the floor was Kingdom Hearts---a fine game but not the healthiest showing for a giant supposedly on the rebound. Even worse, the online-only Final Fantasy XI, despite all the fanfare it received in Japan, was completely missing from Square's U.S. release list. For FF fanatics, it was a trying time.

This year, though, is completely different. FFXI is still in limbo, but Square has at least two new FF products (probably more later) coming down the line for early to mid 2003. Even more mind-boggling---the big one, Final Fantasy X-2, is the first real "sequel" the series has ever seen. If your Ifrit T-shirt's been buried in the closet, it's time to take it out and wear it with pride. This is your year.

Tidus's Angels
It's been two years since the defeat of Sin in Final Fantasy X, and ex-summoner Yuna is in the funk of her life. Sure, Sin's defeated and the land of Spira's never been better, but something's gone missing in her mind and she can't move on until she deals with it up front. Enter her old friend Rikku, who visits her one day with a sphere containing an image of a certain Blitzball player that changed her life before ungratefully disappearing.

These spheres, hidden away by the Yevon temples long ago, are in hot demand as carriers of ancient Spiran history. Many would-be adventurers are making day jobs out of searching through old temples and caves for the things, trading them for big bucks down at the local shop. Yuna doesn't care about the money, though. Tidus left her with barely a goodbye, and she has to find out what happened to him before she can go on with her life...and so she decides to go sphere hunting.

Take This Job and Start Leveling
The first thing you'll notice about Final Fantasy X-2 ("ten-two") is the complete freedom you...no, wait. The sizzlin' new wardrobes everyone has on is the first thing. Yes, the second thing you'll notice about FFX-2 is the complete freedom you get from the start, thanks to Rikku's brother and his spiffy new airship. Since you'll have access to any point in Spira right off the bat, the plot will be more episodic than ploddingly linear. You'll start out with a few sphere-location leads; after you follow through on them, you'll unlock access to new missions (quests) and episodes (plot points and other jobs). Which ones you gain access to depends on what order you follow your leads, meaning that no two FFX-2 games will be exactly alike.

This freedom will be reciprocated in the battle system, which will be nearly unrecognizable to most FFX players. Building your party in FFX-2 entails teaching each member multiple jobs, a system last seen in Final Fantasy Tactics (something similar was found in Dragon Warrior VII). Instead of Sphere Points, your party will use Job Points to gain levels in each profession, learning new skills and magic along the way. Battles will also be much more action-oriented: They'll run in FF's classic Active mode (enemies will attack even if you don't touch the controller), and Square promises a new set of dynamic moves that are unlike anything the series has seen before. Sounds innovative, but hopefully it won't turn into a button-mashing mess like most RPG-action hybrids tend to become.

A Break From Tradition
FFX-2 is a brand-new Final Fantasy in everything but name. From the improved story system to the overhauled battles, Square's letting its talented pool of designers throw every new idea they have into the fire. Even the music's getting revamped: Noriko Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi (The Bouncer, Front Mission II) are doing the soundtrack in place of FF series composer Nobuo Uematsu. What's Nobuo busy working on, then? Well, a few obvious guesses come to mind...but perhaps fans should enjoy their Final Fantasies one at a time, eh?

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