Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: PS4, Switch, PS3, PS Vita, Android, iOS, Xbox One, PC
Tested on: Switch
Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster (Switch) – Review
The collaboration between Square Enix and Nintendo has been clearer than ever during the last few weeks. After the addition of Final Fantasy IX to the Switch library, it’s now time for Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD remaster. These two games have been improved for a while now, being available on a plethora of devices. Of course, it’s always nice to be able to take a game on the road with you but is the console powerful enough?
Story
In the first game of this set, you’ll meet the young blitzball player Tidus from the city of Zanarkand. His famous life is interrupted quite harshly by Auron and this ginormous monster. Before he even knows it, he wakes up in an unknown world where everything seems so different. After some funny encounters, it becomes clear he isn’t in Zanarkand anymore, but 3000 years in the future. While trying to find his way back home, he meets quite some interesting figures, one being the beautiful summoner Yuna. She has taken the task upon herself to try and defeat Sin and give Spira the next Calm. Together with her guardians they start an amazing journey where a lot of unexpected twists and events will take place.
Final Fantasy X-2 will take you two years after the end of the first game. The world is at peace, but the same can’t be said for Yuna. The events at the end of the previous game left her broken but there is something in a sphere that gives her some hope again. She decides to join her friends Rikku and Paine to roam Spira as a sphere hunter, leading to quite some new adventures.
As expected from Final Fantasy games, there is a lot of story to take in for both of the games. Even more, this title has two other episodes to discover, namely the Eternal Calm for Final Fantasy X and The Last Mission for Final Fantasy X-2. The first one is a short cinematic to show what happened in-between the two main games while the latter is an extra mission three months after the ending of the last game. At any rate, more than enough content for you to discover.
Graphics
Just like on other consoles, the HD remastered visuals are also available on the Nintendo Switch and it certainly is nice to see. The characters have received an overhaul, while the same can be said from the environments too. Sharper details, brighter colors, everything pops nicely and it’s really visually appealing. The different areas you’re going to venture all have their own distinct feeling, making it really a surprise whenever you progress the story.
Just as the first version, the characters stand out just as the enemies. There are some color changes to show several types of difficulty. The cutscenes that are shown in-between are a nice change of pace and it shows just how beautiful that game already was years ago.
Sound
Square Enix is known for providing great soundtracks and this isn’t any different for this title. Both games have outstanding music for you to enjoy and the voice acting is just as it has always been: really well done. Upon starting the game you can choose between the original tracks or the new, updated version so whatever floats your boat.
Next to the variety of tracks to listen to, there are also sound effects and sounds that will get you immersed into this game even more. Monsters and moreover beating them all give you a satisfying feeling.
Gameplay
Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD remaster is an RPG where you have to fight your way through hordes of monsters to advance your adventure. The first game has a new battling system, namely the Conditional Turn-Based Battle where you get time to think your options through rather than experiencing time pressure. This is replaced by the Active Time Battle system in X-2, putting you in fast-paced battles yet again.
For Final Fantasy X, there are only three active members on the scene. During battle you can switch if necessary, which doesn’t make you lose your turn. Everyone has their own specific specialties thanks to the Sphere Grid system. Battling monsters will give you items but forget about the experience. To gain new abilities or stats, you need to collect enough Ability Points (AP) for the Sphere Grid. These AP are needed to gain Sphere levels which you can use to move around this grid. Passing by nodes, you can choose to unlock these or not using the right spheres. This system guides every character in a certain way. For example, Auron will have a lot of strength-based stats as he is the swordsman of the team, but you can choose to unlock parts of the grid so you can access other abilities as well. At the beginning of the game, you can pick the standard grid or an expert one, whichever you want to pick. Next to the abilities, you can also equip weaponry and accessories for you to attack and defend. These can have extra stats and will boost the battle.
Being in battle means getting attacked and whenever this happens this will fill the overdrive bar. When it’s filled, that specific member can perform a special attack, which is always an advantage. Yuna has an advantage in this first game, as she can summon Aeons that will give a big advantage in battle. The other members leave the scene and only the summoned deity can attack. These powerful beings can do similar things like the team members, like casting spells or do melee attacks while they can also perform specials when their overdrive bar is filled.
The second game in this set switched to the Dressphere system. Here there are only three members max and each of them can access dresspheres, giving them certain stats and attacks. This all depends on the ones you’ve already unlocked and placed on the Garment Grid. This grid has a certain type of geometrical shape where dresspheres can be added in the nodes. Changing these spheres during battle can even lead to buffs, depending on the grid that’s being used. When you pass through all the nodes during a battle, each of the team members can access a special type of dressphere, kind of like a summon and giving a huge advantage over the battle. Learning abilities is done by AP yet again, for the dressphere the party is wearing at that point.
Both of the stories are rather linear but they do provide side quests all over or even separate story parts. For example, Blitzball is a big chunk of the game or collecting Al Bhed primers to understand a certain foreign language. There is more than enough to discover in both of these titles, so be on the lookout for these fun distractions. That being said, the Nintendo Switch is certainly capable of giving you a nice experience as everything runs smoothly and without any hitches. Even more, there is this extra functionality where you can swipe on the screen to pop up a quick-select menu. This can be related to healing or to change the cutscenes settings.
Conclusion
If you always liked the Final Fanatsy titles and you want to have them on the go, you can now get two in one with the Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD remaster. The graphics have been improved, together with the audio, but the gameplay is just as it always was. Be ready to dive into a huge story that will take you all over Spira while battling your way to victory and the truth.
Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster (Switch) - Review,
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