
Yes, this is the same world and all.but an effort to present these places in a new way would have really helped. Approximately 90 percent of the environments and enemies are lifted directly from FFX. Graphically, it’s a gorgeous game.but prepare for a wicked deja vu. Oddly, X-2 trips up in the one area where FF titles usually shine: presentation. Plus, X-2 features three different endings-a totally cool feature that’s never before been offered by an ffgame. And about half of the game’s missions, cut-scenes, and dungeons are purely elective-serious players will love ferreting out every last bonus quest. Unlike in past FF games, you now progress by tackling bite-sized missions. The most substantial shift in the game’s design is tough to explain-it’s an overall sense of freedom that offers unprecedented numbers of purely optional experiences. You’ll actually want to get in random encounters just to rack up mad combos and learn more moves. It allows your gals to master a variety of spells and maneuvers by merely switching costumes and doing battle. X-2 offers only three playable characters-Yuna, Rikku, and newcomer Paine-but it gives them a wide swath of abilities with the ingenious new dressphere system. Likewise, the developers had no qualms about totally rewriting the book of gameplay. In fact (without giving away too much), I found the nature of the game’s main antagonist to be incredibly ’s very different from the last boss you'd usually face in a role-playing game.


The cutesy bits can get annoying (like when the gals stage Yunapalooza-a rock concert to heal civil unrest), but a serious, compelling undercurrent keeps it from straying too far into goofy nonsense. The overall story line is divided equally between giggly girl talk, Yuna’s deep soul searching, and a new subplot about warring political factions trying to control Spira.

Plotwise, X-2 is a radical, intriguing departure from FFX. but would this return visit live up to the benchmarks established by its forerunner? Well, in a word-no. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from X-2.1 really enjoyed Final Fantasy X, so, naturally I was eager to reenter the beautiful realm of Spira.
