Final Fantasy X Remaster Review and Other FF Thoughts · 6:27pm Mar 24th, 2017
As I focus on a few sidequests (a couple Celestial Weapons, the last Aeons, some Monster Arena hunting) before I head off to face Sin, here's my thoughts on the game.
This is a remake that did not need to exist, and barely does, anyway. Yet, replaying FFX, I have to re-evaluate my opinion on it and absolve it of a dubious distinction I've made about it in the past.
So, before I talk about FFX in general and how my opinions on it have changed in this replay, let's talk about this game strictly as a PS3 remaster. And talking about it in that way, it sucks. Like, watching comparison videos, I can tell the graphics are better, but replaying it, eh. The character models are a bit more detailed, mostly, but as I've said in past blogs, it's mostly just for the major characters. A LOT of NPCs are still flat-faced and blurry. I do wonder if for some of them they did just re-import the PS2 model and maybe give the texture or model a once-over pass to improve it slightly.
If I'm going to talk about FFX on PS3, I think I also have to talk about FF13. Because there are so many problems with FFX's graphics that FF13 lacks. The mouth slaps are still here and they frustrate me to no end. The character animations are often still jerky and uneven. The models and textures are too smooth and shiny, especially with the hair. We're doing to spent a lot of time looking at our party's hairstyles in cutscenes, so when Yuna's hair is just a mass of brown shading with some lines in it, it looks even worse than it actually is because my attention is being drawn to it.
This feels like a quick and lazy cash-grab. Yes, the PS3 version looks better, but not in any way that'll blow you away. But, that aside, FFX was a game where even among its critics, graphic quality was not the problem. The PS2 version still looks perfectly fine, if there's a criticism I have of it it's more related to the game's art direction with its ridiculous costume designs. You can give their models a quality rivaling Noctis and his friends, but Lulu and Dona are still going to look stupid in their outfits, and Tidus and Rikku will still look out of place in their relatively modern clothes travelling alongside Auron and Yuna in their Japanese robes.
So, yeah, the only reason to play this remaster for me is the new content from the International version. I am so glad Square Enix has broken this terrible habit of "Final Mix" releases where they re-release the game only in Japan and add lots of new stuff. Granted it's probably due to the progress of technology - easier to release a DLC or patch than re-release the whole game - but I also appreciate them remaking these Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts titles so Western audience can finally get their hands on those Final Mix additions. I've not gotten to the Dark Aeons yet - FFX never got much out of me for sidequests beyond the Omega Ruins, Celestial Weapons, and Aeons - but I look forward to them.
Moving on to my thoughts on FFX in general. I have to admit, the story is not as awful as I remember. Oh, it still sucks. Yevon is still a straw religion of idiots and fools, Operation Mi'ihen is still a waste of time that clashes with the climax of the game, Wakka and Lulu are still annoying assholes I want to see die in a carfire, Seymour is still a piss-poor excuse for a villain, and I have way too many questions about Dream Zanarkand.
But there are things I like. I like the thematic consistency of standing up and thinking for yourself, the game demonstrates in many aspects of story and character that it is better to question and defy than just be an obedient follower. I mentioned before how the Aurochs dynamic with Tidus reflects that of the main storyline, dunno if that's deliberate or not but it's a cool parallel anyway. I like the deep backstory given to Aeons and Summoners. I like the idea of a pilgrimage to a specific destination to keep our party focused, it makes them seem more proactive than just "the Empire is attacking, stop them." I like the build up of what's going on Tidus and Zanarkand and Auron and the unfolding mystery surrounding these elements. I actually noticed a lot of subtle foreshadowing of things like Jecht being Sin and Auron's status as an Unsent.
So, while I still really don't like the story, it's not as terrible as I thought. There is more here to like and appreciate than I noticed before. And on that note, my opinion on FFX has shifted. I once declared it the worst main series Final Fantasy game. I have to strip it of that title. When all is said and done now, comparing them...
*pins the Worst medal on Final Fantasy VIII*
Oh, these games and their problems are so similar. Annoying party members. Pointless and useless NPCs. A complex and confusing backstory with lots of plotholes.
But you know what? Final Fantasy X's story is at least consistent with its themes. It explores themes of death, life, hope, religion, faith, and family, and most of the ways it explores those idea in different plot elements and character arcs point to the same conclusion for all of them. False hope is bad, if you don't try to change things they never will, don't believe blindly and think for yourself, honor your family's legacy, and so forth.
Final Fantasy VIII's themes are all over the place. It tries to tell a romance story about a girl Squall barely knows and is visibly annoyed by until out of nowhere he's obsessed with getting Rinoa help. The party likewise tries to force them together for no real reason, and even Squall notices they're doing this. Squall is appointed the commander of all of SeeD despite the fact he graduated just a week ago, has regularly shown disdain and frustration with having to work with several of his allies, and is only 18! When you're hiring someone to drive the school bus you don't hire the teenager who just got their license.
On the first disc Squall relays a message about how he doesn't believe in black and white good and evil, it's just different people holding different perspectives that divide them. An idea ripped apart when the party at no point attempts diplomacy or reason with Seifer, gives us President Deling and Adelle who are evil for no reason, and Ultimecia who at one point they state outright they don't know why she's attempting Time Compression, but it doesn't matter, let's stop her. Don't believe? Here's a direct game quote.
Compressing time with magic... Vat good will it do for ze sorceress to compress time? There may be many reasons, but it doesn't matter. Let's just figure out vat Ultimecia is up to.
You don't get to try and preach a message of moral ambiguity when your villains are either cardboard cutout evil, or the party shows no interest in understanding their motives or goals.
And oh man is this game screwed over by how hard it pushes the destiny theme and mangles it. It's a major theme at points that the party, particularly Squall, should not just be mindless soldiers who blindly follow orders, they should be able to think for themselves and operate under their own judgement. Related is Squall trying to sort out his emotional turmoils involving his life and in the process becoming a kinder, better man.
This is completely fucked by how the game reinforces repeatedly its themes of destiny and pre-destination. Squall is destined to lead Garden, Garden is destined to stop the Sorceress, Seifer and Squall are destined to face each other. And then the time loops stuff with Ellone and Ultimecia is discovered and yeah, they're right, all of this stuff is destined to happen. Free will is an illusion, your feelings and thoughts on the matter are irrelevant. Our party members have no control over their own lives, their fates are already written. Squall and the party WILL kill Ultimecia, Edea WILL become evil, Ellone WILL fail to change the past. Except conveniently no that one time when Squall is somehow able to revive Rinoa starved of oxygen and floating in space. So I guess destiny is only a thing unless contrived and forced love is part of things. Fuck you.
And ya know what? FFX's battle system has really held, my frustrations with it are the hard-countering enemy/party member dynamic and how you have to drag out battles swapping around party members in order to make sure they all level up. But it's still a good system! It's well designed, you have enough flexibility in growing your characters without them becoming clones, the game is challenging without being frustrating, you're encouraged to try out new weapon and armor abilities and farm items from enemies.
FF8's battle system is only appealing in how utterly broken it is. Let's give Squall 3000 HP and the ability to deal 1000 damage with his normal attacks before you reach Timber. Not enough? Here, have his ultimate weapon and Limit Break on Disc 1. Still not enough? Junction some Death to your status attack and one-hit-KO enemies. Still not enough? Have Limit Breaks that instantly kill all enemies even bosses. Still not enough? Have a spell that lets you use Limit Breaks any time you want without being at critical health. Still not enough? Have some Triple Triad cards that refine into 100 Megalixirs, or 10 Holy Wars that make the party invincible to damage, or 100 Heroes that make a single character invincible to damage. Go on, cast Aura on Squall, slap a Hero on him, and spam Renzokuken-Lion Heart to deal 20 hits of 9999 damage every single turn. That's good design, right?
FFX, you are absolved. I thank you for your attempt at subtlety, your good gameplay, your deep world that does have at least a bit of history.
FF8, enjoy your medal.
Here's looking forward to FF12 for PS4 later this year, one of my fav FF games.
Cool thoughts, bro.
Such an underrated game. I still love it to this day, even if two of the characters become absolutely obsolete and irrelevant story wise a third of the way through.
4470640 I wonder if it might not have new life breathed into it now, now that shows like Game of Thrones and House of Cards are so beloved, especially the former.
I absolutely love 12. Never before had I faced such a seemingly unassailable challenge in the forms of Ultima, Chaos, Zalera, the Hell Wyrm, Omega Mk XII, and of course the big guy, Yiazmat, and to finally bring down that final 1% of HP on the tankiest enemy in RPG history (?) still remains the most satisfying thing I have accomplished in any game. After playing 7, 8, 9, and 10 with their romantic themes, it felt so refreshing to play a game where the characters not only string their sentences together with some of the most beautiful old-style English, but also completely cast aside any kind of romance in the plot between characters. My only real critique of this game is that Vaan sucks as a main character. Why not Basch, or even better, Ashe?
8 confused the hell out of me at many points and the fact that many GFs are missable also irked me. The Sphere Grid, Job System, and Gambit System/License Board are all much better than the Junction System. I've only beaten 8 twice as opposed to many other finishes on the others (Post-SNES era I mean).
Glad your thoughts have shifted regarding this game. It's weak in places but goddamn if I don't play it a few more times before I die.
4470908
Back again, with more trivia!
Originally, Vaan and Penelo were not in the script. Balthier was going to be the main hero, along with Ashe. It's one of the reasons why Balthier considers himself "the leading man." The game was going to open with the party that Vaan crashed. However, some of the higher ups decreed that the game needed a younger male lead to appeal to a wider demographic. It worked for the previous games so why not here? This also explains why Vaan and Penelo cease to be relevant about a third of the way into the game. Their story ends but they keep tagging along while the grownups do all the plot relevant stuff.
From what I've been able to gather, the developers and writers were NOT happy about this but didn't get a say in the matter.
I think the writers were really banking on gamers falling for the whole romance plot and focus on that instead of whatever the hell was going on. To some degree, it worked, but I think the game sold well simply because Final Fantasy VII rocked everybody's nuts off.
4470942
Goddamn execs ruining good games and tv shows :(
4470942
4470944 My favorite memory of VIII is when I bought it. Used game store near my high school, go in to buy FF7 (had borrowed it to play it but didn't own it), friend is there playing one of the game stations they had set up. I don't have enough for V7 so I buy 8. My friend perks up "8 isn't too bad. At least it doesn't have a whiny emo bitch named Cloud."
I think those jokes make themselves.
4470949
I don't get this complaint. Cloud, in the game at least, isn't whiny. Hell, he's cocky and self assured almost to a fault. He's driven and urges the party to go on even when terrible things happen. Even when we get the big twist with his character, he still acts like a guy that gets shit done.
If we're talking "Advent Children", then yeah, he's a emo git in that. Too bad that's the characterization that the fans seem to remember.
4470958 Yeah, FF7 fanboys IMHO kinda have self-serving memories on how the game and characters went, and SE has pandered to them. One thing that bugs me is how Cloud and Tifa are NOT childhood friends, it's a major plot point they didn't know each other very well. Not that it matters anymore since everyone glosses over that detail. Oh, and Aerith is not some sweet and innocent flower girl, it was her suggestion for Cloud to crossdress to infiltrate Don Corneo's manor and she subsequently threatened to rip his balls off while questioning him.