Could have been a "perfect" game a la Chrono Trigger if not for a few major flaws. Although some of the digital "acting" is a bit stilted, the writing and voice acting convey a compelling narrative and I formed a strong connection to each character. The battle and leveling systems are tactically engaging without being overly granular. Many of the boss battles are masterfully crafted, and most of the major setpieces hold up very well. Unfortunately much of the game is plagued by dated and clunky JRPG mechanisms like obscure missables, frequent random encounters, and impossibly-hard minigames. The cloister puzzles are so tedious (even with a walkthrough on-hand) that it truly boggles the mind that they were included in the final product. I stopped shortly before the final boss because a generic enemy wiped my over-leveled party at full HP with a dying attack, setting me back almost an hour's progress. I will watch the final hours online and definitely try out FFX-2, but I really hope some of the above issues are addressed.

"I want my pilgrimage to be full of laughter."

I can definitely say I see why this game is so beloved. Going through these trials with this cast was such a good time. Wakka and Auron are two I'd say are on my all-time list now. I felt a great connection with them, and the story overall hit hard.

The fantastic music only enhanced my experience, and the combat was mostly enjoyable.

Most of the things I had issues with can be chalked up to age. I found a lot of the puzzles to be overly tedious and the grid system to be a bit dated, but I appreciate what they were going for.

The final stretch is one of the best I've experienced. Great game.

FFX is a refreshing reminder that JRPGs used to be the weird kids at the lunch table. A story with a head-spinning amount proper nouns and rich with allegory is complemented by a script for our main cast that feels as if it covers more ground than many like it, while simultaneously being far more focused than those that attempt to cover less, which shows the pristine craftsmanship on display. The HD remaster offers a revitalized soundtrack that elevates the experience in ways remasters often don’t, even if the uncanny nature of character’s faces didn’t perfectly translate onto modern graphics technology and high resolutions.

FFX’s combat elements are handled extraordinarily well compared to shit-at-the-wall approach that other JRPGs can devolve into. The sphere grid offers unique ways to customize and grant meaningful power to party members. Level ups are very frequent while maintaining a challenging but fair level curve, and random encounters often feel more akin to mini-bosses with less fluffy, grindy nonsense even when the map layouts can resemble straight lines. FFX’s biggest detractor is that it unfortunately does not escape the JRPG curse of sluggish third acts. Multiple, lengthy, consecutive puzzle segments, division of the party, and story elements that feel inconsequential or could use a trim; FFX is yet another in a long line of games that kill their momentum a tad as soon as the going gets good. That being said, FFX is a flourish of talent, passion and competence not often seen by the genre.

As part of my attempt to get more into the franchise, I decided to give one of the most acclaimed ones a shot and see how I felt about it. What I got was an enjoyable, yet sometimes tedious adventure with a fun story and a (mostly) solid cast of characters.

Let's get it out of the way: the minigames in this game often range anywhere from mildly annoying to downright frustrating. I personally didn't care much for Blitzball so I mostly stayed away from it, and the assortment of games aside from that (Chocobo racing, butterfly catching, lightning dodging, etc.) were basically all duds for me. I'd imagine it was a combination of baffling design and old-game syndrome but playing them in a modern gaming content just felt miserable as most felt like they were made specifically to frustrate the player and make it nearly impossible to win until you've given them a fair few attempts.

As for the combat, I think it was mostly solid. Outside of a few encounters (one late game boss in particular was NOT IT) and some various cheap tactics from enemies, I felt like the turn-based battles played out in fun ways and I appreciate the on-the-fly character switching. Having to make sure every character acts in a battle to get AP (the game's experience equivalent) was kind of a drag but I got over it pretty quickly. The Sphere Grid system that enables characters to upgrade stats and learn skills was a bit odd at first but I grew to appreciate what it was going for over the course of the game, with my main complaint being the availability of some of the "lock" spheres needed to unblock paths to some of the more impactful moves the game has to offer.

As I said, this is one of the handful of FF games I've played and as such I felt the story was an overall solid experience. Tidus and Yuna's relationship was fun to see grow (albeit with some rather outdated voice acting/character movements) and I felt the core cast all gelled well with one another. Some got fleshed out less than others (Lulu specifically felt somewhat dry and lacked much of anything interesting plot-wise outside of a sidequest or two) but overall they did well with what they had and the narrative kept me playing and curious to see where everything was headed.

Overall I liked my time with Final Fantasy X and can see why it's such a beloved entry in the series. I had my qualms with it and it's by no means perfect, but as a JRPG fan it's hard to argue that it wasn't influential to games that came after it in the space.