The 10th Hour 08.22.09: Top 10 Favorite Final Fantasy Games

Posted by Derek Robbins on 08.22.2009

With Dissidia on the horizon, which Final Fantasy games are the best? Read the 10th Hour to find out!

Hello and welcome to the 10th hour! Wow, it feels good to say that again. For the first time in a damn good while, this is your host with the most Derek Robbins! It's been a bit of a long road, but here I am writing the column I used to quite love writing.

No, I'm not back full time as the 10th hour writer. Instead, Mr. Larck and myself will be switching off on 10th hour duty every week. This works well considering we each are going back to school and I have my job at the paper to keep me busy. So every other week, you'll get your dose of Derek. Vitamin D if you will. It's better than Drew's dose of a similar vitamin which can give you scurvy.

Anyhow, obviously I can't talk about comments since the last 10th hour I did was a long time ago…but if you leave a comment for this column, I'll reply to it in the very next edition of the 10th hour that I write. So no worries! Your desire to call me a moron who knows nothing about anything will be displayed to the masses in a couple of weeks. Aren't you a lucky one?

With this introduction out of the way, let's get this shit started, shall we?



I'm using my old banner for when I update, heh.

Top-10 Final Fantasy games

As long time readers may remember, back on June 13th of 2008, Mike Minotti filled in for me and wrote about what he thought were the top-10 Final Fantasy games. Here it is. It's been a good long while since that list, and honestly, it's about a subject I have always wanted to write about so I figured…why shouldn't I have my own go at it? So, this is a list of my favorite Final Fantasies in order.

Now please note, this includes main-series entries only. So no FF X-2 or compilation of Final Fantasy VII will be found on these murky waters. Also, keep in mind, this is purely in order of my preference. So, if you think that one Final Fantasy in particular should top the list and all others are miserable failures, that's fine! Feel free to say so. It's just my humble opinion.

Plus it seemed like good timing, what with Dissidia just around the corner. Ya' know? Let's do this.

10-) Final Fantasy - Released in the year 1987, Final Fantasy was Square's last hope at making it in the video gaming world. Square was fighting a losing battle with bankruptcy and director Hironobu Sakaguchi announced that he wanted his last game ever to be one from the Fantasy genre. Hence the name Final Fantasy. Had the title failed, Sakaguchi would have ended up going back to college and ended up pursuing something else. Given that the final game Sakaguchi directed was indeed a Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy V, it is safe to say that the project succeeded.

The original Final Fantasy is old school in every sense of the word. When you hop from town to town, the citizens don't have a lot to say. When you go out onto the world map, you fight. A lot. The story told isn't exactly an epic one, but rather a very basic one which gives you a reason to fight. Really, it hasn't aged very well at all…but the thing is, it was the first game in the franchise. It set the foundation for later titles. The original final fantasy included things such as air ships and magic that would remain mainstays in the series for years to come.

It does allow you to name all of your playable characters and what classes they are from the very beginning of the game, so there is that. If you use your imagination, you can still have a rather lot of fun with this game! It was just a simpler time. If you want a quick history lesson, definitely give this game a try – it has been ported to roughly every handheld ever – but you would be forgiven if you decided to just past this one up.

A great game that led to a great franchise. The original Final Fantasy makes the list for giving us Final Fantasy. Who says being first doesn't have its perks, eh?



9-) Final Fantasy XI - I remember when I heard about this game, I had the same reaction that most everyone else did: "FINAL FANTASY!? ONLINE!? FUCK THAT!" As time went on, my hatred for it diminished and I grew more and more curious. I mean, it couldn't really be any worse than the other MMOs we had out there could it? Hell, I knew I would rather give this game a spin than Everquest or something. Then I heard they were packaging Final Fantasy IX's tetra master with the game and all of a sudden…this MMO became a must-buy for me.

Sadly, I would go on to have legendary difficulty actually playing the game. One year for Christmas I received Final Fantasy XI and was amazingly excited. Finally, I would get to quest around Vana'diel. Maybe I could even get my own Chocobo! Things were going to be so fun, but…I found out to much shame that FF XI would not work on my computer. The shame I felt! Well, not to worry…later that year on my birthday, I got Final Fantasy XI for the PS2. You know, the game that came with the large hard drive and is now unplayable if you happen to own a slim PS2?

Well, it didn't work on that either. FF XI had this blue disc that was an absolute bitch to read on my PS2. For whatever reason, when the HDD was in the console, the game wouldn't read. When I took it out, FF XI read perfectly. I could even watch the neat little cinema! Square was next to no help though and I never actually got to play the game until years later. I was one sad man.

When I finally got to play it, it was years later and the MMO universe was already pretty much dominated by WoW. The only people who play FF XI anymore are really hardcore about it and, from what I have seen, aren't as friendly to newcomers. That's fine though, if you start up the game with a group of friends and play around for a while, you are bound to have fun.

You will notice that I said "group of friends". It is possible to grind your way up to 80 in the World of Warcraft without having any social contact. I mean, that would take the "massively multiplayer" right out of the game, but technically speaking, it is possible. In FF XI, I would definitely say it is an impossibility. Questing in areas of the game that require above like…level 15 (or something, it's been a while! Forgiveness, please!) are pretty much impossible unless you bring friends with you. Damn, and I thought solo runs of games like FF VII were in vogue!

If you haven't played the game before, it plays like Final Fantasy XII but online. I would argue to say that FF XII is practically the same game from a combat standpoint. You are your own playable character in this one though…so I guess that's a bit different.

There's lore to be had here, but I never was terribly interested in it. I didn't feel the story was particularly strong, but maybe it's just ADD associated with MMOs. I just want to go out there and play with my friends, you know? So, this game makes the list for simply being an online version of Final Fantasy XII – but with friends! I am all for experiencing airships, moogles and chocobos with other people!

Also, for the record, I prefer Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for my multiplayer loving. The problem is, FF: CC isn't a main series game, and as such, sadly doesn't get to make the cut. What a shame, eh?

Tetra Master fucking rules though.



8-) Final Fantasy V - The very first time I played Final Fantasy V, I must be honest…I wasn't very fond of it. Usually, I'll play a Final Fantasy game for the story, but FF V really doesn't carry much of that. It's very bland in deliverance and probably features the most forgettable lore outside of Final Fantasy II and III. The problem with this line of thought is that it's very short sighted. Not everyone just plays a game for the story…there was more to it.

Final Fantasy V brought us the job system. While jobs were introduced in the third Final Fantasy, V really perfected them. You see, when you tried to switch jobs in III, you were penalized for it in a way. So, you were encouraged to just stick with one job and master it. Kind of like FF I, but with the illusion of choice. FF V on the other hand had no such penalty, so you could master a multitude of jobs and fight in whatever style a situation called for.

Each time you master a job, you can use one of the abilities of said job in the mime or freelancer class. This way, you can have very customizable warriors instead of simply sticking on the beaten path. The job system was very innovative and led to some rather awesome games down the road – Final Fantasy Tactics really improved upon the job system and made it perfect in my opinion – and nets the game a spot on this list alone.

So no, if you're playing Final Fantasy for story you will be let down. Nothing was really compelling me to figure out where the hell Bartz's journey was going to take him. However, from a pure combat standpoint, FF V is one of the most fun to play from the pre-playstation era. In that regard, it's worth checking out and in my opinion, serves as a good introduction to games like Final Fantasy Tactics.



7-) Final Fantasy VIII I can't remember a Final Fantasy being as hyped as FF VIII was. After the huge amount of success that the seventh game had, VIII was going to be something of a surefire hit. I know that I was waiting on pins and needles for it. A matter of fact, this game was my very first PS1 game. I got FF VII very shortly after it, but my desire to play the "newest" Final Fantasy, especially after hearing all the hype that VII garnered, was very strong.

FF VIII has a battle system that many decry, but I am actually quite fond of. This game introduces the draw system. You see, you draw your magic and abilities from the enemies you meet throughout the game. With the help of a guardian force, referred to in the game as a GF, you are able to use magic. Any type of magic in the game is available to any of the playable characters. You don't actually learn how to use it, you just…have it equipped. Some people dislike that, but I think it's kind of neat. I can customize each character with the particular skills I want them to use and I like that.

The game also featured a very large emphasis on summoning. Hell, the main plot even mentioned the consequences of toying around with the game's summons. You see, your character will summon a GF and a lengthy scene will occur. You are not allowed to skip this scene, but you can boost the power of it during the cinema. It gets dull watching these scenes over and over again, but the power unleashed by these summons is often a crutch used in combat.

FF VIII went back to a more "VI" approach to limit breaks. Instead of having a limit gauge that would fill up, if your health was critical, you would be able to pull off your special skills randomly. Honestly, I prefer it the way FF VII did it – and so did everyone else apparently, since the "limit" equivelants in the subsequent Final Fantasy games were more similar to that – but you can incorporate some HP-limiting strategies if you want, which is nice I imagine.

I also really dug the interactivity of combat. Before FF VIII, after you input your command that was pretty much it. I mean, you could watch your characters slash blades, but that's all you could really do. Navigate a menu. In VIII, you can press the R1 button to set off the gunblade to add more damage to a hit. You can also input commands during limit breaks. Now, this isn't a whole lot of interactivity, but it is SOMETHING…and I dig that.

So right, I've discussed how the gameplay is actually pretty fun. The glaring problem with FF VIII is the story. It has moments where it is fantastic, but there are times where you want to just bang your head against the wall and beg for mercy. VIII has the worst plot twist of all time. You know, the orphanage one? Of course you know that, because the moment that twist was revealed to you, your brain probably fucking hemorrhaged. I also wasn't a huge fan of the love story and…really, the plot just didn't do it for me.

I still would play the game again though, because for as goofy as the plot can get at times…the game does what video games are actually supposed to do – be fun. It's fun, it's different, and it's worthy of your time.

You may be wondering why FF VIII is ahead of V considering my reasoning was "meh story, great gameplay". Well, whereas V's story is just dull…VIII's story is just fucking crazy. It can earn laughter from you while you play it, and honestly, that beats out a game where I just don't care what happens next.



6-) Final Fantasy IV - This game marked a sweeping change for the series and holds a strong part in the heart of many a gamer due to this. Final Fantasy IV was the very first Final Fantasy released on the Super Nintendo and to honor that, FF IV brought with it the Active Time Battle system. This system would be used in every Final Fantasy up to IX, and was featured in several other prominent RPGs such as Chrono Trigger. It was a pretty big deal, and FF IV ushered it in. So good job there.

Before Final Fantasy IV, the characters you used were sort of lacking personality. They either didn't really talk as in the first game, or they were just…very bland. FF IV was a different story. People today will claim that characters such as Kain or Cecil are their favorites. You would be hard pressed to find someone who will say that someone from the first three Final Fantasies is one of their favorite characters. What? No love for Firion out there? Such a shame…

The overall quality of the characters lead, what was in my opinion, a very average story and made it something memorable. To be frank, I don't think FF IV's story is that good. I really don't. The characters are so memorable though that it makes up for this. I don't mind playing through FF IV for the story because I actually care about the characters. I care about what happens to Rydia, I care about what happens to Rosa…I really can't say the same about a warrior of light. You know? Plus, the main antagonist Golbez is a total badass.

The only really bad thing I can think of regarding this title is the fact that, despite being on a more powerful system, the game looks rather archaic by design. I mean obviously, any game released on the SNES is going to look bad in comparison to something released today, but…it just doesn't look very spiffy. FF VI really let loose with stunning visuals for the time, but this just looks dated. For that reason, I really do prefer the remake of Final Fantasy IV that appears on the DS. The voice acting is decent, the story is pretty much the same, the action is the same and the graphics look nice. So, if you still haven't played FF IV, the DS version is the way to go.

For the record, Rydia might be my favorite Final Fantasy female. I just love her.



5-) Final Fantasy VII - I've called this game over-rated more times than I could possibly remember, but no matter what I say it doesn't change the fact that I actually really enjoy the game. Out of every Final Fantasy, I would say that I have beat this one the most. Hell, I say it gives Earthbound a run for its money for "RPG I have beaten the most times/wasted the most time on". Hey, in my most recent playthrough I beat Emerald and Ruby weapon for the first time, hell yeah!

Final Fantasy VII about won the console war for the original playstation. The advertisements for this game showcased primarily the cinemas and at the time, nobody had ever seen anything like this. The advertising made FF VII look like a complete masterpiece, and I know it sold many systems based on that. Luckily, the quality of the game backed up the advertising and an instant classic was born. Sadly, legions of fanboys posting on the internet with aliases such as XxSephiroth0newing3dAnge1xX were born along with it.

FF VII brought with it the materia system. Kind of like the junction system, this allows you to equip various magic to whatever character you want and totally customize your character to fight in a way you want. You can also combine material to create different effects. Like, the only way to cast a fire spell that hits every target on the field is to combine the materia "fire" with the materia "all". It goes like that, and honestly, it's pretty fun to tinker with.

The game also brings with it the limit system. Now, limits were involved in Final Fantasy VI…but in VII, the system really caught on. Essentially, you build a gauge through battling and once it is full, you have the ability to unleash a special super powerful move. Usually, a person will save up for boss fights to make it easy…but the game makes you use these attacks if you wish to upgrade your limits. It adds a new element to gameplay outside of your basic attacks and I welcome it. This form of the limit break would be seen (but altered) in FF IX and X. It doesn't seem like much, but it's nice.

Now the story of FF VII…it's good I imagine. It's not my favorite of the Final Fantasy series, but I like it. The North American version of the game infamously has a fairly lousy translation, but all and all…I still say that the story really sucks you in. You will care about what happens to Cloud by the end of the game.

The cast of characters is pretty good and fairly well rounded. The main cast of non-hidden characters (i.e. non Yuffie/Vincent) are all expounded upon and you learn their back stories by the end of the game. This is better than say, Final Fantasy IX, which introduces you to a lot of fascinating characters, but forgets about half of the cast by the end of it.

The main villain, Jenova, is also pretty sinister. You see, the real villain of FF VII is Jenova and this creates a lot of confusion. For a large portion of the game, Jenova is controlling Sephiroth. So, a lot of people really think Sephiroth is this amazing villain, when for the most part he's not doing these terrible things. I would say not a whole lot is known about Sephiroth's personality throughout the course of FF VII, and I think that's very good. Kind of the opposite of Kefka, where you know he's the one who is fucking shit up. With Sephiroth, you don't even know.

FF VII is a classic game and definitely one of the best RPGs ever. That said, it's only my fifth favorite Final Fantasy of all time. Maybe I have weird tastes, but I just think the series has been improved upon since this landmark title.

- Cid is the best.

4-) Final Fantasy XII - This game was a huge shift in the norm from your typical Final Fantasy fare. Combat was no longer turn based, instead you would take control of one character and customize your AI (through the use of gambits) to fight in a way beneficial to you. In this regard, it's exactly like Final Fantasy XI in that you are only controlling one character. Hell, general control works pretty much like FF XI as well. Everything you do is charged. Attacking, stealing, magic, whatever. There is a meter for it. It feels very much like an MMO.

A lot of people don't really like this combat style, but I do. I think it's fun customizing my partners to fight in a particular way for me. I think it's neat having everything timed, it's like I have to use extra strategy with my actions. Hell, if you want to…you don't even have to battle. You can assign gambits to every character and just watch the action un-fold. It's not, errr, fun that way, but it is an option. Summoning works much like it did in Final Fantasy X with the monster staying on the field and fighting alongside you, with only the person who summoned it remaining on the field. Unlike X though, everyone has the ability to summon.

The way these summons are handed out is through the license board. On this board, you are able to customize your characters in any way you choose. You're given points to spend, but where you spend them is up to you. Everybody starts at a different point, but you can very quickly move to the part of the board you want and get each character to fit in a certain role. If you want Fran to be a sword fighter? Go for it. All up to choice.

While you can only control three party members at a time, you are able to switch party members in and out at will, as long as they aren't currently being attacked. So, while three people are on the board at a time, really you are using the entire party to fight your battles. So it would behoove you to have everyone up to snuff if you want to make it through the game with ease.

And what a game. The game is certainly an epic. I think it's safe to say that there is more to do in this game than in any previous Final Fantasy prior. Whether you are hunting elusive marks or are fighting hidden boss monsters with over 8 million health points (one of the bosses in the Japanese version has over 10 million HP. They ended up reducing it to one million in the North American release for some reason). There is so much to do, it's really daunting.

Luckily the stuff is always backed by a well-written story. Final Fantasy XII has spectacular writing some of the coolest villains in video game history. On top of the story, the voice acting is absolutely superb and the music is great. Final Fantasy XII does everything right and should be heralded as a masterpiece. A lot of the more hardcore Final Fantasy fans seem to hate this game. My guess is that they just hate different things, but really…if you haven't played this game, it's really something you need to try.

FF XII is a piece of work. Worthy of your time.



3-) Final Fantasy IX - The last of the PS1 Final Fantasies was Final Fantasy IX and it was sort of a change from the previous two Playstation titles. The two before Final Fantasy IX were fairly darker games with more serious tones. You did not have happy and joyous protagonists, you had guys who wore a compendium of belts and brooded constantly. There isn't really anything wrong with that, but it was the trend at the time. IX sort of broke that by having a character who wasn't always down on himself, who wasn't overly serious…who seemed to legitimately enjoy life and that was part of the game's charm.

Another difference was that unlike the previous two Final Fantasy titles, IX was more of a shout out to the past. It could draw comparisons to Final Fantasies IV-VI more quickly than they could to their Playstation brethrens. In my eyes, it was sort of a callback to the older Final Fantasies to appeal to the sort of fan who plugged their fingers into their ears and simply shouted: "Lalalala FF VI is the best ever, fuck everything else". It may not have ensnared the interest of those people as much as they would have liked, but it certainly caught my interest.

Final Fantasy IX featured perhaps the finest cast of playable characters to appear in any game ever. You had the ultra likable lead, as has been mentioned. A female character who isn't just a hopeless, love-struck loon (though it's evident she does care for Zidane), but a contributing member to the success of your party. Vivi, who despite being manufactured, is perhaps the most realistic character in gaming history. Steiner who starts the game as an unlikable dolt and evolves into a loving character. Eiko, a sweet girl who really just needs a family. Amarant, the character that Square threw in for those of you who missed the leads of FF VII and VIII, Freya a character with promise that they just kind of forgot about after disk 2 (as was mentioned earlier, damn them!) and Quina the uh…ah, who am I kidding, Quina sucks. As far as playable JRPG parties go, there really isn't one that can match up with this one.

As if that wasn't enough, the game also has an amazing soundtrack. I wouldn't quite put it up there with Square's Chrono Cross, which I still think is a masterpiece no matter what everyone else in the world says, but of the Sony Final Fantasies I would rate it as the finest sounding. It's just easy listening, something that you can play on your iPod (or whatever) and simply just chill to. I may be a mindless homer for Final Fantasy IX – after all, I tracked down the artbook and the OST – but I think even from an outsider's perspective this game is excellent sounding.

If you look at the Final Fantasies that followed IX, you will notice that it started a trend. The mains in the next two non MMO main series titles were not brooding characters. Their dialogue did not consist of elipses. The leads were well-to-do, cheerful characters that were worthy of admiration. I am glad FF IX broke the trend and started a new one. In my eyes, it's the best and most replayable of the Playstation era Final Fantasy games.

I know I said it earlier, but Tetra Master fucking RULES.



2-) Final Fantasy VI - The year was 1994. The Sony Playstation was due to be released in Japan at the end of the year, so there was very little doubt that this would be the last Final Fantasy to grace the Super Nintendo. Final Fantasy IV is a game that many people swear by, V has a strong following, but Final Fantasy VI is a game that many people not only consider one of the best Super Nintendo games ever, but one of the BEST games ever. To say that Square was saving their best for last might be somewhat of an understatement.

I know I was singing the praises of Final Fantasy IX's soundtrack earlier, but Final Fantasy VI's is even better. Honestly, right next to Chrono Cross, I would say FF VI has the greatest soundtrack in video game history. Taking a look at my iPod, you will see how much video game music is on there, so really…that's quite praise. It's just amazing sounding and might be part of the reason that people love the title so dam nmuch.

While you are listening to the sound, you may notice a story going on in the background. The story is a very good one and goes places that many wouldn't expect a video game to go to. The game is filled with drama, romance and action. Honestly, it can get pretty damn close to literature-level quality. Given how pitiful writing in games can be, that's something that can't be taken lightly. The emotional pull this title can have on you, especially with the beautiful opera scene, is other-worldly.

Driving this story is the finest antagonist of all time – Kefka. Your typical villain wants one of two things. They either want world domination or world destruction. Perhaps even a little of both? How many villains have actually achieved their goal though? Usually by the end of the game the hero has thwarted their advances. That's it! They'll never hear from that guy again. Well…Kefka not only takes over the world during the course of Final Fantasy VI, but he also destroys the majority of the population. Most every town lays in ruin and most every human being has perished. Kefka is the king of the world and things look pretty bleak for you.

Of course, Kefka had a history of killing people throughout the game. Earlier on he poisoned the water of the Kingdom of Doma, killing everybody in that city except for one man. Cyan, who was a guardian to the king. Kefka was truly a detestable villain because there was nothing he wouldn't do, nobody he wouldn't step over to achieve his main goal. Sure enough, at the end of the game Kefka bites the dust – as is always the case – but he leaves his mark on the world. That much is a given. At the end of FF VI the world remains in ruins and the cast has nothing left to do but to observe the re-building of the world.

Given that Kefka had no remorse and actually accomplished his goal, a case could genuinely be made that he is the finest villain of all. RPG villains these days seem to try to make you like them a little bit…Kefka didn't try that. He was detestable the whole way through and remains one of the easiest to hate characters ever. Kefka really helped to push Final Fantasy VI to legendary status in my opinion.

The actual gameplay of Final Fantasy VI is very similar to Final Fantasy IV. I mean, it's the same system – the ATB system – so it's certainly not a chore to battle through. The game also uses a bit of a limit system, though it's certainly different from Final Fantasy VII's in style and more closely resembles FF VIII in my opinion. It has a system of learning magic from espers, meaning you can have whichever character you want learn whatever spell you want. Like FF VII and VIII, it allows for a fairly customizable party. The gameplay is good, but honestly? The other areas of FF VI are so strong that I doubt you'll be coming back to this title for the gameplay. That says something.

FF VI is, without a doubt, one of the finest games to have ever been released on the Super Nintendo. It may seem blasphemous, but I would absolutely love to see a DS remake of it ala Final Fantasy IV. I think the current generation of gamers could learn a thing or two from this classic.

- Damn you Dissidia, I prefer my Terra hair to be green!

1-) Final Fantasy X - The Playstation 2 was a little more than a year old. With the improved graphics, the wait for a new Final Fantasy was a little uncomfortable. After all, during the PS1 days, Square displayed those flashy CG scenes with much desire. Imagine what they could do on that new hardware? That kind of reminds me of what is going on today except, you know, much closer to launch.

FF X, like FF XII after it, did many things different. It was the first Final Fantasy since IV to abandon the ATB system. In its place was a turn-system. On the right side of the screen, you could see who was going to be attacking next (and for several turns after that). With that knowledge, you could plan out attacks more effectively. On top of this, you are able to flip party members in and out of battle at will with no penalty. So, this allows for even further strategy. Your current plan of attack not working? You no longer need to reset! Simply switch out members and you're good to go. I like that.

Going along with this is the sphere grid. Like the license board in FF XII, you assign your characters moves through this screen. In the initial version of the game (and during your initial run-through for sure), every character had sort of an assigned role. Lulu was going to be your magic user. Period. The only character you could really customize was Kimahri Ronso. Once you got to a certain point though, your character was allowed to take a different path and sort of individualize themselves. So, Tidus could become a healer along with his designated role of healer. FF X-International version had it so every character started in the dead center of the sphere grid. That way, you could have Yuna take on the role of Auron if you so wished. Sadly, the international version of Final Fantasy X was never released in America.

Speaking of Tidus, the overall cast of characters is almost as strong as FF IX's – and they don't even forget anybody along the way! Nobody in the game really rubs me as absolutely jarring – though some people hate Wakka, but I think that's more due to his voice – and as thus, I find them to be exceptionally balanced. Auron might very well be the most badass character in any Final Fantasy. I mean, how can you beat a guy who downs sake before battle? You can't. Dude is crazy.

The cast of characters helps build up a very impressive story. I love everything about it. From the presentation – with future Tidus narrating – to the very ending, Final Fantasy X was an absolute thrill ride. I honestly can't think of one part of the game that just dragged on. This is huge, because even fucking Earthbound has a section of the game I don't exactly care for (Deep Darkness). FF X though? It is fantastic all the way through. I also owe more to the ending than to just kind of say "it was good". Honestly, it is one of the best executed endings in gaming history. I HATE that FF X-2 had to come along and ruin it. It was a beautiful tear-jerking scene. I liked X-2, but really…I'd rather it not have been released given the effect it had on X's ending.

The characters tell this story through voice work. This was the first game in Final Fantasy history to feature voice work, and it wasn't too bad. By no means was it even close to being as expertly voice acted as Final Fantasy XII, but it wasn't an abortion of a cast either. The one exception to this rule is Yuna. Her voice actress was absolutely atrocious the whole way through the game. I guess it's no surprise that Yuna was involved in one of the most memorable – for the wrong reasons – moments in gaming history then, eh?



She got better though. In Final Fantasy X-2, Yuna wasn't half-bad. By the time Kingdom Hearts 2 rolled around, she was actually rather competent in her role. So, I mean, for her career Yuna's role in X was good I guess? Right? Outside of her though, I really don't think anyone was bad. That's pretty good, especially during a time when not every game featured voice work.

FF X does it all. With a fascinating story, fun battles, excellent mini-games (seriously, I love blitzball. Fuck everyone else), Final Fantasy X is one of my favorite games ever. Many people probably wouldn't consider it the best Final Fantasy of all time, but it is without a doubt my favorite. Given how much I love the Final Fantasy franchise, that is saying a whole lot.



Well, that's it for this week. If you feel like commenting, you may do so below. Or you can simply shoot me an e-mail at [e-mail]. Your choice. No links today sadly because, well, I'm right against deadline. Ahhhh, it feels good to be back!

So with that, I'm out.

'til the crossroads

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