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Reviews
Fainaru fantajî XII (2006)
A Revolutionary and Enjoyable Final Fantasy
To be honest, after the disappointment of X-2, i didn't have good feelings about XII, but man was i wrong. As soon as i picked up this game, i could not put it down. The graphics are even better than its predecessors, the plot was very good, and the dialogue wasn't unbearable or cheesy. Not to mention the new battle system, which was very well done because instead of random encounters, you now have the option of fighting the enemies wondering around (with the exception of boss battles). The game also offers a lot to do to keep the players occupied. The hidden bosses, the hunts, completing the sky pirates den (achievements within the game) and even acquiring the best weapons of each class gives the game player plenty to do and very well entertained. For me, it truly revolutionized the style of Final Fantasy (IMO).
This game is definitely an excellent addition to the final fantasy series and is a game that should not be missed by any final fantasy fans.
Rating: 10/10
Fainaru fantajî VII (1997)
Excellent Game, yet Slightly Over rated
Before i begin, i must say this game was fantastic. The plot was very strong, the characters had a lot of personality and depth, the music was great, the battle system was phenomenal, and the game really came together very well.
However, as great of a game this is, i still find it slightly over rated. I commonly hear "Final Fantasy VIII is such a step-down from Final Fantasy VII", so having played VIII before VII, i knew i had to pick this game up. I definitely was not disappointed, but i wouldn't go as far to say that it was significantly better than all of the other final fantasies that came after it because it wasn't. (with the exception of the later final fantasies, such as X-2). Other earlier final fantasies, (from X and before), have had just as strong plots and character depth, so it isn't exactly fair to say that VIII & IX are step-downs from VII.
Plus, i can't exactly put my finger on why, but the ending of VII left me slightly unsatisfied. Perhaps it was me having higher expectations because the story was so strong, but i was expecting a little more out of the ending.
Do not misinterpret though, this game was phenomenal. It had a very dynamic plot, legendary characters, and really sparked interest in the series. But it wasn't SIGNIFICANTLY better than final fantasies that came afterward.
Rating: 9/10
Fainaru fantajî X-2 (2003)
Entertaining, but could have been much better
FF X-2 was a game with which i had great anticipation of playing because I found its predecessor phenomenal. However, upon playing through the entire game, i was left somewhat disappointed.
For starters, the transformation of Yuna from a shy, sheltered and reserved summoner, into a sphere hunter/ pop singer seems so spontaneous and in my opinion, makes little sense. It seems as if Yuna as become the Rikku from FFX and Rikku has become...who knows what. Although i thought the story of Paine with the Crimson Squad was a nice addition, she acted much like Lulu did in FFX, which left little variation in the 3 sole characters you are in control of for the entire game.
Also, the dialogue was very corny, repetitive, and childish to the point where I would just want to skip the entire cut scene. Phrases such as "Oh poopie", and consistently talking about the same thing, such as Yuna wasting 3 cut scenes to talk about telling Lenne how Shuyin felt, was just un-necessary. The dialogue was not the only irritating factor, for many missions and side-quests were very lame and tedious. For example, the main mission of Chapter 2 was to gather up clothes from Leblanc's Hench men to sneak into her hideout.Even the mini-games, such as blitz ball, were painful. In blitz ball, you are not even able to control the movement of the characters or the actions they can carry out, which ruins the whole point of the mini-game. Also, when it comes time to give back the "awesome sphere" the Gullwings nabbed in Kilika, whoever you do not give the sphere ends up hating your guts, which made absolutely no sense to me. A whole group of people is going to hate the high summoner who brought them the eternal calm for not giving them a lousy sphere? Give me a break.
The procession of the game's storyline was also a drawback. You could just go to all of the hot spots in each chapter and beat the game in less than 20 hours, but then you miss out on a lot of side-quests. The problem with the side-quests though was that it seemed impossible when certain side-quests were available or not.
Another new aspect the game offered was the "new game plus data". This allows the game players to play through the game again to learn abilities that weren't learned previously, obtain forgotten dress spheres, and attempt to gain more percentage completion. However, once you beat the game once or twice, playing X-2 is not even a challenge because you can just decimate every single enemy with previously gained/ learned abilities and superior accessories (i.e. the Key to Success accessory, which comes with the "double all" ability practically makes all enemies a piece of cake, even bosses).
The subtle aspects in the game that could completely change the ending of the game were also quite annoying. Like at the end of Chapter 3 when Yuna is in the farplane (after the cut scene with Shuyin, Nooj, and Gippal), and she utters "I'm all alone", if you don't press the X button a certain amount of times, then Yuna may not even be re-united with Tidus at the end of the game. How could something that subtle impact the game so greatly?
Don't get me wrong though, i did find the game somewhat entertaining. I liked the dress spheres and the garment grid system because it gave a lot to do with learning new abilities and planning strategies for certain encounters. Also, the graphics were phenomenal and the music was still good. Yet the drawbacks of the game are just too great to ignore.
Rating: 6/10.