Product Description

Final Fantasy X is the first title in this landmark RPG series to be released for the PlayStation 2. The main characters are Tidus, a star of blitzball (a hugely popular sport in the Final Fantasy universe) and Yuna, who has learned the art of summoning and controlling aeons, powerful spirits of yore. These two people of different backgrounds must work together as they journey through the world of Spira. This instalment of Final Fantasy has a distinctly Asian influence, bringing a fresh feel to the characters, music, settings, and story.

Features include voice-overs for the first time in the series (utilising the "Facial Motion System"), high polygon, motion-captured player characters designed by Tetusya Nomura, and a camera that automatically adjusts its perspective to correspond with the movements of the characters, a feature now possible due to the title now being largely polygonal.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #609 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2003-05-02
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .50 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Each instalment of the Final Fantasy series has featured strong storytelling, characterisation, strategic combat, fun mini-games and hours upon hours of captivating gameplay, and the 10th title in the series is no exception. This is the first time Final Fantasy has appeared on the PlayStation 2, and it takes full advantage of the console's increased technical capabilities.

The story this time concerns Tidus, a blond-haired star of a sport called Blitzball. While he is playing in a match, Tidus' city is attacked by an evil force called Sin, and everything is destroyed save Tidus and his guardian Auran. The adventure begins as they are somehow transported to another world. From here on, it's standard Final Fantasy gameplay: fight battles, manage experience points, learn new powers and recruit a motley crew of non-playing characters to join your quest.

The graphics, however, take things to a new level. They are amazing not only for their realism, but also for their imaginative art and design. The world these heroes inhabit is breathtakingly beautiful, flowing and full of inventive surprises. You haven't lived until you've surfed cables high in the air, or ridden a graceful airship through the clouds. There are stunning effects on display when you use magic in combat, summoning gigantic monsters, fire-columns and more to devastate your foes.

One new element is voice acting. The innovation yields predictably mixed results: it's wonderful to have spoken dialogue rather than subtitles, but as with most games translated from Japanese, the acting is mediocre and sometimes unintentionally hilarious. Still, the game's new graphics engine and solid gameplay are sure to please fans of the series waiting to see what Square has in store for them. While Final Fantasy X doesn't offer much innovation, it also doesn't disappoint. And fortunately, with Final Fantasy XI already in development, the title is still a misnomer. --Andrew S Bub

Manufacturer's Description
Final Fantasy X immerses the player into the world of Spira, a mythical land where technology has been shunned in favour of the inhabitants' main obsessions, the Yevon faith and Blitzball (an underwater fusion of water polo and martial arts).

Spira is under constant threat from a mysterious evil entity known as "Sin". This sinister force periodically returns to cause havoc and devastation causing utter panic and terror for Spira's inhabitants. Only the "last Summoning" (a power only possessed by Summoners) can ultimately defeat Sin.

Throughout Final Fantasy X, you must control the actions of multiple characters whose destinies are inextricably linked. The lead character Tidus (the star player of the Zanark and Abes Blitzball team) is sucked into the Sin entity when it attacks Zanarkand during a major Blitzball game, and the epic tale begins...

Customer Reviews

Beautiful
I've had final fantasy X a fair few years now, I have a next gen console and have played a hell of alot of RPGs. To this day I can honestly say, final fantasy X is the greatest game I have ever played.

I could ramble on for pages as to the specific reasons I adore this game, but I think the focus of a game like this is its narrative. This is why I named this review, 'beautiful', not for some corny over the top way of expressing how much I enjoyed it, bit because there is no other way to explain the story. It's astoundingly written and is by far the most emotional I have ever experienced, and thats including ff7s death of Aeris, which I think pales in comparison to the love story here.

Even if your not a romantic, i'm not, somehow this story will move you. The gameplay and graphics are all amazing but for me simply act as factors that enhance a narrative. Some people may be thinking 'yeah well its a game I want not a film.' Well fair enough, even if you do think these types of games consists of diluted gameplay, you've still got left the greatest film of our time for under ten pounds.

Seriously, you will not regret buying this.

Enjoy.

A great game, with an utterly dreadful EU conversion
This instalment in the Final Fantays series is arguably the best in my eyes, and God knows I loved number 6 & 7. Ok, so it's slow paced for a fair while, some cutscenes drag on, and you feel like slapping the characters sometimes. Nevertheless, the world and the story are good, the music is great, the graphics superb, and most of all the gameplay is excellent. The battles are great fun. A very noticeable difference with previous instalments is just how much challenge there is for high level characters, how many optional bosses & side quests are there to give hardcore players many, many extra hours of play. You have to be a total nutter to completely clear the Monster Arena, the enemies in there are unbelievably powerful, they a dozen of the last boss for breakfast.

However, be warned that this is THE worst release of the game worldwide. Square Europe has stabbed the makers of the game in the back by releasing an utterly pitiful and ridiculous "Megadrive style" 50hz conversion. The image is squashed, and the game runs slower than normal. Stay away from this like the plague. Get your hands on the US version instead. It's missing some bosses & items compared to the EU one, but that's nothing compared to the hideousness of the latter.

Or, even better, get your hands on the "International" version. This is the only perfect one : all the extras of the EU version, but with a proper sized image, a proper running speed, a proper refresh rate.

Very enjoyable
I wouldn't say this is the best rpg out there, as there are a whole host of better ones, even on the PS1, but I do have to say, this is one of the good ones.

Although I was a bit put off at first at the change of graphical gameplay (even though nearly all games of this kind have gone this way now), but after playing for about half an hour, I soon got used to the new style, and was impressed.

This game does not let any other FF game down, not one bit. And, if you are looking for an enjoyable rpg, that is easy to get into, and with a good storyline, then give this one a try. At the price you can pick it up for now, it's a steal.