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Final Fantasy X-2 - Hype, Dress-Up, Bender
Thanks to 1UP for its illustrated primer to Final Fantasy X-2, illustrating the PS2 RPG sequel that debuts in the U.S. on Tuesday. Advance press reviews vary somewhat, but fan reviews of the import version have been overwhelmingly favorable, with the GameFAQs messageboards also harboring a handy pre-release guide to "give you a feel of how the game is played". 1UP illustrates the 'dress-up' angle of FFX-2 well with their expose of "the new Job system and the costumes it entails", showcasing the Cher-like variety of outfits Yuna, Rikku, and Paine wear, and finally, Futurama fans may rejoice, because Bender himself, John Di Maggio returns in FFX-2 as the voice of Wakka. Update: 11/16 15:48 GMT by S : GameSpy has just added their own review of the game, giving it 3/5 ("It's not quite what you may be expecting.")
of the overhype effect. Not saying it'll be a bad game, but expectations.. geez... ah well.. I'm sure it'll be fine though, I know I'll play it anyhow.. Any comparisons to former FF's yet?
I'm not the devil.. just his advocate.
This is a forum that has only a few subjects. The type of threads you find on GameFAQs include:
'POLL: HWO MANY OF U HAEV BETAEN THIS GAME?????//'
'I HAEV $35.72 WIHCH GAME SHULD I BUY MGS2 OR FFX?????/11'
'WUT GAME SI BETTAR FFX OR FF7&??1!'
'FF7 SEQUAL ON NGAGE TRU EOR NOT???????????????/'
You get the idea. Some people might not realise it, but there are a lot of sub-cultures, even sub-cultures of sub-cultures. Basically, the sub-culture of GameFAQs breaks down like this (broadest to most specific): video games -> console games -> RPGs -> popular RPGs. It's kind of like the whole MTV scene, except with video games. These people like ANYTHING that the big companies put out. Final Fantasy series especially.
I'm not going to lie and say i haven't enjoyed almost every FF game i've ever played, but these people are what normal people call 'fan boys', in the highest sense of the word. So, really, don't take much stock in what the people on GameFAQs say. When FFX-8 comes out and it's got Mickey Mouse and Britney Spears as the lead characters, you can expect the same rave reviews from the GameFAQs crowd that Square games always get.
Yeah.... Heh. I really sound like an ass, and i'll probably get modded down as a troll or flamebait, but somebody had to say it.
As for me, i reckon i don't expect too much out of it. I'm not one of the people in 'the scene' that take every single chance they can get to insult the game, but i've gathered sufficient evidence to form an expectation of the game. The opening FMV was retarded, i thought; the story doesn't make any sense; and the soundtrack is horrible. FFX didn't have as great of a soundtrack as older FF games did (and Nobuo's work on FFX was, for the most part, pretty mediocre), but it was still pretty damned good. I can't think of a single song on the FFX-2 soundtrack i can honestly say i like. :/
All my characters will be thieves ~grin~ The costumes alone seem to be enough of an improvement to buy the game IMHO. Are we returning to an age when FF was *good*?
His verdict is basically that X-2, while very similar on the surface, is a very different game from X. It's not nearly as much about a serious epic quest. Most of the enjoyment comes from screwing around and doing all of the sidequests, so people who just run though the game as fast as they can are the ones who probably won't like it as much. It's a very light-hearted game in comparison to X, and if you can deal with that, you should be fine.
That is Mister John Di Maggio for you!
You fuckin' slashdot fucks...
Am I the only person that feels that a sequel to a sequel, bearing the name "Final" is a tad ridiculous?
Man, I wish people would stop saying this. Were you really pissed off when you went and saw the Neverending Story and then it ended? I just want to try to help you out here...because if you go around thinking that titles of games and movies are a good way to judge their content, you are going to be severely disappointed for the rest of your life.
Support a great indie game: http://www.abaddon360.com
I wonder when Square will finally have the dignity to put the Final Fantasy name down for good. Capcom is bad, but Square somehow is becoming worst in their desire to never ever let go of FF. Though their games are much higher quality, it irks me that fans still give these games at much credit that they do since they really are nothing impressive. I'll be amazed when I see an FF game do something new, and not just pretty graphics and FMV. I wonder if FF had no FMV, if as many people would buy it...
"What can a thoughtful man hope for mankind on Earth, given the experience of the past million years? Nothing." -Bokonon
Were you really pissed off when you went and saw the Neverending Story and then it ended?
Kinda a bad example since they made the Neverending Story 2 (and 3 actually). I mean, I understand that the part of the story that the movie covered had to end, but shouldn't the second Story have been a different Neverending Story in a different place and time? See, each Final Fantasy has been a new fantasy. Until X2. Now we have a true sequel to something that was Final. So like the Neverending Story being a trilogy (shudder), yes its still, no matter how many times people say it, REALLY stupid that a Final Fantasy has a true sequel. Its also kinda sad on Square's part to do this, but they illustrated that themselves from this slashdot story, "There's some sense of danger among the staff that the way we're heading [in not 'taking risks'], we may only be able to produce Final Fantasy games."
Man, I wish people would stop saying this. Were you really pissed off when you went and saw the Neverending Story and then it ended?
It's getting a little rediculous though. I think they should make a parody game that would be fun for fans of the series, and let that take off. I think Beginning Reality would be a fitting name. That's something I'd like to see, if only a fan service. The number of sequals is getting a little rediculous in my opinion. Maybe they're too lazy to come up with a new name every other year?
- Joe
The point isn't whether or not the arguement against Final Fantasy sequels makes sense, the point is that everyone's heard it already, and it doesn't actually matter. It's just a name that identifies relatively simular games so Square can sell more of them. That's it. That's all Final Fantasy means. It doesn't mean it's a game that will never have a sequel, it doesn't mean it's a series of games that are "final fantasies"(whatever that's supposed to mean) and thus don't have true sequels. It's just a pretty way for Square to write "Buy Me" on the boxes.
=)
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
Let's say you're about 12 years old, parents have just mysterious disappeared, you have your grandfather's sword, the girl next door is showing remarkable talent as a mage, and then someone defeats the ultimate evil and ushers in a thousand years of peace and properity. Well, damn. A thousand years? No more god emperors, no unholy army of steadily increasing difficultly, airships are only neat if you've got the latest model with the built in navigation system and the bitching sound system.
Better take up gardening, there ain't no future in adventuring any more. The final fantasy is over...
Source: www.gamerankings.com
...
Well, actually, that's not entirely accurate. It's really the FOURTH lowest ranked FF, but the others are lower for obvious reasons.
Final Fantasy Tactics - 85.7%
[A spinoff of FF. Very complicated game, most difficult in the entire series, but has flaws that allow for major leveling up.]
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - 87.6%
[I hate this game and I don't know why everyone loves it]
Final Fantasy Anthology - 87.5%
[FFA consists of Final Fantasy 5, which was never released in the US, and Final Fantasy 6 (III in the United States), which was. It was plagued with horrible loading times, and featured no graphical improvements over the original SNES games]
Final Fantasy Chronicals - 85.0%
[FFC consists of translations of Final Fantasy 4(II in the US) and Chrono Trigger (which isn't a Final Fantasy game, despite the incredible similarities)]
Final Fantasy Origins - 78.8% [PSX update of the NES Final Fantasies 1+2. Final Fantasy 2 for the NES is one of the worst NES games of all time, probably even worse than Hylide and Heroes of The Lance, but it never got the recognition for its suckiness that it deserved. Seriously, try reading the faqs for it, it's utterly insane]
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest - 64.2%
[This isn't really a Final Fantasy game - it's a Saga game that Square slapped the FF logo on so that people would buy it based solely on the FF name. It's not THAT bad a game, but it's no Final Fantasy.]
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicals - 80.6% [hasn't been released in America yet]
Final Fantasy II - 87.8%
Final Fantasy III - 91.6%
Final Fantasy VII - 89.6%
Final Fantasy VIII - 88.9%
Final Fantasy IX - 92.3%
Final Fantasy X - 91.2%
Final Fantasy XI - 88.5%
Final Fantasy X-2 - 83.4%
I'm still buying FFX-2, and I've heard good things about it, but I don't think I'm going to be blown away.
Note on the numberings:
Square released Final Fantasy 1 relatively late in the US, and elected not to release 2 and 3 for the NES in America, skipping straight to 4. But they relabeled four as II, and six as III (they skipped 5) when they released those games in America; however, they released 7 as VII, for reasons that I honestly have trouble comprehending. Consistancy is not Square's strong suit.