Final Fantasy X-2

Hands-on impressions of the English-language playable version of FFX-2. That Yuna sure can sing.

The First Final Fantasy Sequel
Final Fantasy X-2 picks up a bit after the events of Final Fantasy X as Yuna teams up with Rikku and newcomer Paine. Dubbed the Gullwings, their mission is to find several spheres tucked away in various areas of Spira. Activities range from exploring dungeons and defeating bosses to handing out balloons to promote a rock concert. Final Fantasy X-2's structure is mission-based. From the deck of an airship, you travel around Spira, and the difficulty of each potential mission is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Although you can finish the regular missions (and hence the game) in fairly short order, X-2's real hook is the side quests and extracurricular activities. Thorough exploration not only yields hard-to-find items but also results in nostalgic encounters with familiar faces from FFX. FFX-2 also brings back the Active Time Battle (something missing from FFX), where battles are ongoing and there's no delay between exchanging blows.

Clothes Call
X-2's biggest change over its predecessor is the Garment Grids. As you progress through the game, the trio collects various spheres that enable the girls to cast different spells. The number of Ability Points won after a fight depends on what dress a character is wearing. During battle, you can change costumes on the fly, and there's a new combo system where consecutive hits delivered to a single target inflict massive damage. The menus are intuitive and easy to use (as they were in FFX), and you can skip all the talky scenes with the touch of a button. Interspersed within the action are various high-quality CG sequences, which have become a trademark of Final Fantasy games. Speaking of trademarks, the frequent bonding and posing---more than a coincidental homage to Charlie's Angels---are too excessive. Despite the overly cute cut-scenes and somewhat goofy dialogue, FFX-2 has the makings of another immersive and addictive Fantasy. We'll have the final verdict in the next issue of GamePro.

Comments [0]

post a comment

Post a Comment