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This thread has been linked to the game 'Final Fantasy X'.
It was initially too long for the reviews section so I had to cut it down, but I may as well post the full version here. There's an edited version in the review section but needless work for nothing is not a good thing so the unused part IS being posted somewhere - and here's the best place.
----
Having been playing Final Fantasy X for well over 100 hours now, I feel I can make a good attempt at reviewing it.
However, probably the hardest thing is deciding where to start. There is so much to do and so much to see, it is unbelievable. I think I’ll begin with the story though. After all, that is arguably the best thing about the game (and indeed has been throughout the Final Fantasy series).
During this adventure, you play Tidus, a rising Blitzball star living in his home city of Zanarkand. But when a giant entity attacks and destroys the city while he is participating in a Blitzball match, he is sucked into a portal and thrown a thousand years into the future. Here, the giant entity that attacked Zanarkand a thousand years before, is known as Sin and is lived with day after day. You soon learn that it is apparently impossible for Sin to be completely destroyed. The only thing that can be done is temporarily defeat it. A Summoner must complete a pilgrimage to the ruins of Zanarkand and obtain ‘The Final Aeon’ which is the only thing capable of successfully battling and defeating Sin. However, this will only keep Sin at bay for 10 years, after which it will return and resume its path of destruction. When you arrive in this time, this time of peace (known as the Calm) is long overdue and a young Summoner named Yuna is about to set off on her pilgrimage like her father did years before. With the aid of Wakka, one of her guardians, you are taken onboard as a guardian, in a hope that you can find your way back to Zanarkand.
That’s basic. Very basic. In fact, Final Fantasy X has one of, if not the, deepest story line ever to be told in a videogame. It twists and turns with the aid of some terribly over-dramatic cut scenes and FMVs, yet never enters the realm of stupid and ridiculous. At all times, you’ll feel for the characters and their losses and you’ll be dying to find out what happens next. The only downside to this is the fact that you are left with an empty feeling after you complete the main quest. It won’t last for long though, as you’ll just play through again. And again.
The graphics allow this story to be told in style! The FMVs are beautiful to watch with incredible detail and superb effects. However, the in-game and cut scene graphics are also highly detailed. The amount of detail on the characters’ clothes is extremely impressive and some of the tiny, yet noticeable details in the environments really adds to the feeling of being there. For example, running down a forest path with actual blades of grass swaying in the wind either side of you is a sight rarely seen in genres outside of beat em ups. After all, relatively few environments must be designed for a beat em up but the number of areas and places to visit in FFX should, and will, blow you away.
It’s a vast game. Truly massive. Even after you have completed the main quest (which in itself should take you around 70 hours if you take your time and don’t rush) there are still countless other things to do and see. FFX is THE game to own for sub-quests. There are just so many of them that some times, you’re stuck for what to do. Not for a lack of things, but for a mass of things. Do you go find those final Al Bhed language translating primers you’ve been looking for recently or do you go upgrade your characters so you can beat that Dark Aeon that takes 99,999HP off each of your fighters with one move? Choices, choices.
That brings me on to the battle system. It’s turn based yes, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. After fighting a tough boss for 20 minutes and then having 2 of your men die leaving only 1 left with minimal hits is about a tense an experience as an RPG is going to give you. However, it never causes you to be frustrated with the game. If anything, you’ll be frustrated at yourself for making a stupid decision in the heaat of battle - perhaps attacking when you should be healing.
The character upgrading is done to brilliant effect also. Each battle won gives all those who participated a number of ability points (AP). This AP is then converted to sphere levels which are then spent on the sphere grid – a vast grid full of nodes with different abilities and attributes. Each sphere levels allows the character to travel one node and nodes within one space of the node that your character is on can be activated. The nodes range from increasing strength and magic to learning new abilities. This means that you control how each of your characters develop. You have a say in whether one of your party becomes a strong man who relies on brute strength to get him through a battle or a magic man who relies on ‘the ways of magic code’ (I bet that really exists).
There’s only really one thing of importance left to talk about. The sound. Although the actual sound effects are nice, that’s not really where the game stands out in the sound department. It’s the music and speech that is so good. The voice actors do a fantastic job of each and every line, and without them the story would never be as engrossing. The music is absolutely fantastic too. The only game that really matches it in terms of music is Shenmue and although that had great music during cut scenes, the in-game music never really stood out. In FFX however, both cut scene and in-game music is superb. It can be fast and furious in a battle, slow and relaxing when wandering the farplane (a place for the dead) or dramatic and emotional when played with speech in an over-the-top cut scene. Either way, it stands out as great music in a great game.
That’s it. Hope it was helpful. I have just one more thing left to say. This has so far, as I have said, provided me with over 130 hours of gameplay and there’s still a lot left in it. It has a fantastic and involving story, superb graphics and sound and it’s great fun to play. It’s in my honest opinion, the best game on the PS2 and maybe even the greatest game on any platform. If you own a PS2 and pass up the chance to own this then you have to question whether you actually like gaming. Think about it, then go out and buy Final Fantasy X, forget about your social life and just suck up everything this wonder of a game has to offer.
----
Having been playing Final Fantasy X for well over 100 hours now, I feel I can make a good attempt at reviewing it.
However, probably the hardest thing is deciding where to start. There is so much to do and so much to see, it is unbelievable. I think I’ll begin with the story though. After all, that is arguably the best thing about the game (and indeed has been throughout the Final Fantasy series).
During this adventure, you play Tidus, a rising Blitzball star living in his home city of Zanarkand. But when a giant entity attacks and destroys the city while he is participating in a Blitzball match, he is sucked into a portal and thrown a thousand years into the future. Here, the giant entity that attacked Zanarkand a thousand years before, is known as Sin and is lived with day after day. You soon learn that it is apparently impossible for Sin to be completely destroyed. The only thing that can be done is temporarily defeat it. A Summoner must complete a pilgrimage to the ruins of Zanarkand and obtain ‘The Final Aeon’ which is the only thing capable of successfully battling and defeating Sin. However, this will only keep Sin at bay for 10 years, after which it will return and resume its path of destruction. When you arrive in this time, this time of peace (known as the Calm) is long overdue and a young Summoner named Yuna is about to set off on her pilgrimage like her father did years before. With the aid of Wakka, one of her guardians, you are taken onboard as a guardian, in a hope that you can find your way back to Zanarkand.
That’s basic. Very basic. In fact, Final Fantasy X has one of, if not the, deepest story line ever to be told in a videogame. It twists and turns with the aid of some terribly over-dramatic cut scenes and FMVs, yet never enters the realm of stupid and ridiculous. At all times, you’ll feel for the characters and their losses and you’ll be dying to find out what happens next. The only downside to this is the fact that you are left with an empty feeling after you complete the main quest. It won’t last for long though, as you’ll just play through again. And again.
The graphics allow this story to be told in style! The FMVs are beautiful to watch with incredible detail and superb effects. However, the in-game and cut scene graphics are also highly detailed. The amount of detail on the characters’ clothes is extremely impressive and some of the tiny, yet noticeable details in the environments really adds to the feeling of being there. For example, running down a forest path with actual blades of grass swaying in the wind either side of you is a sight rarely seen in genres outside of beat em ups. After all, relatively few environments must be designed for a beat em up but the number of areas and places to visit in FFX should, and will, blow you away.
It’s a vast game. Truly massive. Even after you have completed the main quest (which in itself should take you around 70 hours if you take your time and don’t rush) there are still countless other things to do and see. FFX is THE game to own for sub-quests. There are just so many of them that some times, you’re stuck for what to do. Not for a lack of things, but for a mass of things. Do you go find those final Al Bhed language translating primers you’ve been looking for recently or do you go upgrade your characters so you can beat that Dark Aeon that takes 99,999HP off each of your fighters with one move? Choices, choices.
That brings me on to the battle system. It’s turn based yes, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. After fighting a tough boss for 20 minutes and then having 2 of your men die leaving only 1 left with minimal hits is about a tense an experience as an RPG is going to give you. However, it never causes you to be frustrated with the game. If anything, you’ll be frustrated at yourself for making a stupid decision in the heaat of battle - perhaps attacking when you should be healing.
The character upgrading is done to brilliant effect also. Each battle won gives all those who participated a number of ability points (AP). This AP is then converted to sphere levels which are then spent on the sphere grid – a vast grid full of nodes with different abilities and attributes. Each sphere levels allows the character to travel one node and nodes within one space of the node that your character is on can be activated. The nodes range from increasing strength and magic to learning new abilities. This means that you control how each of your characters develop. You have a say in whether one of your party becomes a strong man who relies on brute strength to get him through a battle or a magic man who relies on ‘the ways of magic code’ (I bet that really exists).
There’s only really one thing of importance left to talk about. The sound. Although the actual sound effects are nice, that’s not really where the game stands out in the sound department. It’s the music and speech that is so good. The voice actors do a fantastic job of each and every line, and without them the story would never be as engrossing. The music is absolutely fantastic too. The only game that really matches it in terms of music is Shenmue and although that had great music during cut scenes, the in-game music never really stood out. In FFX however, both cut scene and in-game music is superb. It can be fast and furious in a battle, slow and relaxing when wandering the farplane (a place for the dead) or dramatic and emotional when played with speech in an over-the-top cut scene. Either way, it stands out as great music in a great game.
That’s it. Hope it was helpful. I have just one more thing left to say. This has so far, as I have said, provided me with over 130 hours of gameplay and there’s still a lot left in it. It has a fantastic and involving story, superb graphics and sound and it’s great fun to play. It’s in my honest opinion, the best game on the PS2 and maybe even the greatest game on any platform. If you own a PS2 and pass up the chance to own this then you have to question whether you actually like gaming. Think about it, then go out and buy Final Fantasy X, forget about your social life and just suck up everything this wonder of a game has to offer.
*4000, sorry.
My reviews always come to well over 400 characters, so now I have to keep an eye on it all the time. :)
I didn't actually read half of that, sounded pretty boring.
:D
:D
AfroJoe wrote:
> You don't have to cut them down - you can still post them in the
> reviews section.
>
> Just copy and paste the review into the box, click ok and post it,
> even if it is too big.
>
> :-)
Afraid not Afro. You can post it as long as it is below 5000 characters but anything more than that and it doesn't work. This is over 6000 so it had no chance.
> You don't have to cut them down - you can still post them in the
> reviews section.
>
> Just copy and paste the review into the box, click ok and post it,
> even if it is too big.
>
> :-)
Afraid not Afro. You can post it as long as it is below 5000 characters but anything more than that and it doesn't work. This is over 6000 so it had no chance.
So it was too long for the reviews section, and you want us to read it?
Take a hint.
;-)
Take a hint.
;-)
You don't have to cut them down - you can still post them in the reviews section.
Just copy and paste the review into the box, click ok and post it, even if it is too big.
:-)
Just copy and paste the review into the box, click ok and post it, even if it is too big.
:-)
It was initially too long for the reviews section so I had to cut it down, but I may as well post the full version here. There's an edited version in the review section but needless work for nothing is not a good thing so the unused part IS being posted somewhere - and here's the best place.
----
Having been playing Final Fantasy X for well over 100 hours now, I feel I can make a good attempt at reviewing it.
However, probably the hardest thing is deciding where to start. There is so much to do and so much to see, it is unbelievable. I think I’ll begin with the story though. After all, that is arguably the best thing about the game (and indeed has been throughout the Final Fantasy series).
During this adventure, you play Tidus, a rising Blitzball star living in his home city of Zanarkand. But when a giant entity attacks and destroys the city while he is participating in a Blitzball match, he is sucked into a portal and thrown a thousand years into the future. Here, the giant entity that attacked Zanarkand a thousand years before, is known as Sin and is lived with day after day. You soon learn that it is apparently impossible for Sin to be completely destroyed. The only thing that can be done is temporarily defeat it. A Summoner must complete a pilgrimage to the ruins of Zanarkand and obtain ‘The Final Aeon’ which is the only thing capable of successfully battling and defeating Sin. However, this will only keep Sin at bay for 10 years, after which it will return and resume its path of destruction. When you arrive in this time, this time of peace (known as the Calm) is long overdue and a young Summoner named Yuna is about to set off on her pilgrimage like her father did years before. With the aid of Wakka, one of her guardians, you are taken onboard as a guardian, in a hope that you can find your way back to Zanarkand.
That’s basic. Very basic. In fact, Final Fantasy X has one of, if not the, deepest story line ever to be told in a videogame. It twists and turns with the aid of some terribly over-dramatic cut scenes and FMVs, yet never enters the realm of stupid and ridiculous. At all times, you’ll feel for the characters and their losses and you’ll be dying to find out what happens next. The only downside to this is the fact that you are left with an empty feeling after you complete the main quest. It won’t last for long though, as you’ll just play through again. And again.
The graphics allow this story to be told in style! The FMVs are beautiful to watch with incredible detail and superb effects. However, the in-game and cut scene graphics are also highly detailed. The amount of detail on the characters’ clothes is extremely impressive and some of the tiny, yet noticeable details in the environments really adds to the feeling of being there. For example, running down a forest path with actual blades of grass swaying in the wind either side of you is a sight rarely seen in genres outside of beat em ups. After all, relatively few environments must be designed for a beat em up but the number of areas and places to visit in FFX should, and will, blow you away.
It’s a vast game. Truly massive. Even after you have completed the main quest (which in itself should take you around 70 hours if you take your time and don’t rush) there are still countless other things to do and see. FFX is THE game to own for sub-quests. There are just so many of them that some times, you’re stuck for what to do. Not for a lack of things, but for a mass of things. Do you go find those final Al Bhed language translating primers you’ve been looking for recently or do you go upgrade your characters so you can beat that Dark Aeon that takes 99,999HP off each of your fighters with one move? Choices, choices.
That brings me on to the battle system. It’s turn based yes, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. After fighting a tough boss for 20 minutes and then having 2 of your men die leaving only 1 left with minimal hits is about a tense an experience as an RPG is going to give you. However, it never causes you to be frustrated with the game. If anything, you’ll be frustrated at yourself for making a stupid decision in the heaat of battle - perhaps attacking when you should be healing.
The character upgrading is done to brilliant effect also. Each battle won gives all those who participated a number of ability points (AP). This AP is then converted to sphere levels which are then spent on the sphere grid – a vast grid full of nodes with different abilities and attributes. Each sphere levels allows the character to travel one node and nodes within one space of the node that your character is on can be activated. The nodes range from increasing strength and magic to learning new abilities. This means that you control how each of your characters develop. You have a say in whether one of your party becomes a strong man who relies on brute strength to get him through a battle or a magic man who relies on ‘the ways of magic code’ (I bet that really exists).
There’s only really one thing of importance left to talk about. The sound. Although the actual sound effects are nice, that’s not really where the game stands out in the sound department. It’s the music and speech that is so good. The voice actors do a fantastic job of each and every line, and without them the story would never be as engrossing. The music is absolutely fantastic too. The only game that really matches it in terms of music is Shenmue and although that had great music during cut scenes, the in-game music never really stood out. In FFX however, both cut scene and in-game music is superb. It can be fast and furious in a battle, slow and relaxing when wandering the farplane (a place for the dead) or dramatic and emotional when played with speech in an over-the-top cut scene. Either way, it stands out as great music in a great game.
That’s it. Hope it was helpful. I have just one more thing left to say. This has so far, as I have said, provided me with over 130 hours of gameplay and there’s still a lot left in it. It has a fantastic and involving story, superb graphics and sound and it’s great fun to play. It’s in my honest opinion, the best game on the PS2 and maybe even the greatest game on any platform. If you own a PS2 and pass up the chance to own this then you have to question whether you actually like gaming. Think about it, then go out and buy Final Fantasy X, forget about your social life and just suck up everything this wonder of a game has to offer.
----
Having been playing Final Fantasy X for well over 100 hours now, I feel I can make a good attempt at reviewing it.
However, probably the hardest thing is deciding where to start. There is so much to do and so much to see, it is unbelievable. I think I’ll begin with the story though. After all, that is arguably the best thing about the game (and indeed has been throughout the Final Fantasy series).
During this adventure, you play Tidus, a rising Blitzball star living in his home city of Zanarkand. But when a giant entity attacks and destroys the city while he is participating in a Blitzball match, he is sucked into a portal and thrown a thousand years into the future. Here, the giant entity that attacked Zanarkand a thousand years before, is known as Sin and is lived with day after day. You soon learn that it is apparently impossible for Sin to be completely destroyed. The only thing that can be done is temporarily defeat it. A Summoner must complete a pilgrimage to the ruins of Zanarkand and obtain ‘The Final Aeon’ which is the only thing capable of successfully battling and defeating Sin. However, this will only keep Sin at bay for 10 years, after which it will return and resume its path of destruction. When you arrive in this time, this time of peace (known as the Calm) is long overdue and a young Summoner named Yuna is about to set off on her pilgrimage like her father did years before. With the aid of Wakka, one of her guardians, you are taken onboard as a guardian, in a hope that you can find your way back to Zanarkand.
That’s basic. Very basic. In fact, Final Fantasy X has one of, if not the, deepest story line ever to be told in a videogame. It twists and turns with the aid of some terribly over-dramatic cut scenes and FMVs, yet never enters the realm of stupid and ridiculous. At all times, you’ll feel for the characters and their losses and you’ll be dying to find out what happens next. The only downside to this is the fact that you are left with an empty feeling after you complete the main quest. It won’t last for long though, as you’ll just play through again. And again.
The graphics allow this story to be told in style! The FMVs are beautiful to watch with incredible detail and superb effects. However, the in-game and cut scene graphics are also highly detailed. The amount of detail on the characters’ clothes is extremely impressive and some of the tiny, yet noticeable details in the environments really adds to the feeling of being there. For example, running down a forest path with actual blades of grass swaying in the wind either side of you is a sight rarely seen in genres outside of beat em ups. After all, relatively few environments must be designed for a beat em up but the number of areas and places to visit in FFX should, and will, blow you away.
It’s a vast game. Truly massive. Even after you have completed the main quest (which in itself should take you around 70 hours if you take your time and don’t rush) there are still countless other things to do and see. FFX is THE game to own for sub-quests. There are just so many of them that some times, you’re stuck for what to do. Not for a lack of things, but for a mass of things. Do you go find those final Al Bhed language translating primers you’ve been looking for recently or do you go upgrade your characters so you can beat that Dark Aeon that takes 99,999HP off each of your fighters with one move? Choices, choices.
That brings me on to the battle system. It’s turn based yes, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. After fighting a tough boss for 20 minutes and then having 2 of your men die leaving only 1 left with minimal hits is about a tense an experience as an RPG is going to give you. However, it never causes you to be frustrated with the game. If anything, you’ll be frustrated at yourself for making a stupid decision in the heaat of battle - perhaps attacking when you should be healing.
The character upgrading is done to brilliant effect also. Each battle won gives all those who participated a number of ability points (AP). This AP is then converted to sphere levels which are then spent on the sphere grid – a vast grid full of nodes with different abilities and attributes. Each sphere levels allows the character to travel one node and nodes within one space of the node that your character is on can be activated. The nodes range from increasing strength and magic to learning new abilities. This means that you control how each of your characters develop. You have a say in whether one of your party becomes a strong man who relies on brute strength to get him through a battle or a magic man who relies on ‘the ways of magic code’ (I bet that really exists).
There’s only really one thing of importance left to talk about. The sound. Although the actual sound effects are nice, that’s not really where the game stands out in the sound department. It’s the music and speech that is so good. The voice actors do a fantastic job of each and every line, and without them the story would never be as engrossing. The music is absolutely fantastic too. The only game that really matches it in terms of music is Shenmue and although that had great music during cut scenes, the in-game music never really stood out. In FFX however, both cut scene and in-game music is superb. It can be fast and furious in a battle, slow and relaxing when wandering the farplane (a place for the dead) or dramatic and emotional when played with speech in an over-the-top cut scene. Either way, it stands out as great music in a great game.
That’s it. Hope it was helpful. I have just one more thing left to say. This has so far, as I have said, provided me with over 130 hours of gameplay and there’s still a lot left in it. It has a fantastic and involving story, superb graphics and sound and it’s great fun to play. It’s in my honest opinion, the best game on the PS2 and maybe even the greatest game on any platform. If you own a PS2 and pass up the chance to own this then you have to question whether you actually like gaming. Think about it, then go out and buy Final Fantasy X, forget about your social life and just suck up everything this wonder of a game has to offer.