When it comes to role-playing games, Final Fantasy has reigned supreme ever since the series’ first release on NES in 1987. This is ironic, considering that Square, the game’s developer, released the game under the assumption that it might be the last game the struggling company would ever release, hence the name Final part of the game’s title. But Final Fantasy ended up being the first in a series that has been loved by millions over the past two decades and continues to be so as more games are developed. While many fans have their favorites in the series, and it would be hard to argue exactly which game is the best, Final Fantasy X registers in my mind as the pinnacle of what the original game set out to do.
Final Fantasy X was released on Playstation 2 in 2001, and it was quickly embraced by fans of the series who loved the new battle system and sphere grid leveling system, the three-dimensional world, the addition of voice actors, and the genuine fantasy-based world the game takes place in. And you can’t truly engage with a Final Fantasy game without engaging with the story it’s telling. FFX is about Tidus, a champion blitzball player, who finds himself caught up in a battle against a creature called Sin that threatens to destroy the entire world of Spira. Along the way, he meets a woman name Yuna who he quickly falls in love with, but Yuna’s calling in life is to be a summoner and fight against Sin. All this combined with Tidus’s serious father issues, and the game draws you into a story like none before it. Like many other fans of the series, I spent hours playing this game and often go back to it even today. FFX was so successful, in fact, that it was followed up by the first direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game with Final Fantasy X-2.
Continuing the recent trend to re-release classic games for the latest console systems, Square-Enix is releasing an HD remaster of Final Fantasy X and X-2 for PS4 on May 12. While the games were re-released last year for PS3, the PS4 version has a few features that the original lacked. The soundtrack was updated for the remastered versions, but with the PS4 version, you have the option to toggle between the remastered and original soundtracks. There’s cross-save capability if you have the game for PS3 or Playstation Vita, and you can play the PS4 game on Vita through Remote Play. You’ll also have access to some content that was previously exclusive to Japan, including Eternal Calm and Last Mission.
FFX and X-2 are the kind of games that stand the test of time, and if you haven’t already picked up the remastered versions on PS3, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the PS4 remaster when it comes out, if not for the bonus content alone. In addition, if you pre-order the game, you’ll get an exclusive limited edition calendar, featuring the artwork of character designer Yoshitaka Amano.
Look for the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster when it releases on May 12 or pre-order it today.
Tom is a gamer, blogger, article writer, storyteller, and screenwriter who also teaches writing for a living as a high school English teacher.