Mild spoilers, but nothing major

What does it mean to grieve?

The seven-filled entourage each carry a baggage. Yuna pushes forward in life despite the loss of her father due to believing there is a way she could reprimand his ill-fated life into something worth believing. Tidus' resentment towards his father Jecht is what drives him to reckless affairs, getting into trouble and mischief while rebutting against those who wallow in societal norm, simply due to always being prejudiced against the familial status he's forcefully acknowledged on. Kimahri's harsh upbringing due to the vile culture perpetrating within Mt. Gagazet manifested into self-doubt, until Auron and specifically Yuna gave him purpose regardless of what he is. Wakka and Lulu have lost the same person, and each borne a negative outlook; the former becomes a by-product of proselytism under the dogmatic followers of Yevon, and the latter has closed her heart lest she faces another loss again and again.

The seemingly optimistic Rikku secretly harbors some lamentation, two accidents in the past spurring fear inside her as she comes to grip with what it means for her cousin Yuna to press on despite the circumstances. Auron alone carries most of the brunt, having lost two cohorts - friends, even, within the previous Summoning ritual. A veteran of the process, knowing what's to come from all this as he has to follow the words Jecht has pass onto him. Numerous divides of customs await this group as they continue on the wayward path of a Pilgrimage. Everyone different, yet knowing to press forward with life.

What does it mean to connect?

The Sphere Grid's probably gonna remain as my favorite system within the combative focus of the series as I dive deeper. By utilizing nodes and different colored spheres, a character can be able to progress through the loops and grow stronger as a result, either by ability pickups or compartmentalizing stats within the neutral nodes. It's also a way to contextualize character growth, as Kimahri is in the middle starting out and is able to intersect six others once the LV Locks are open later on to signify solidified trust, or Lulu and Wakka's paths intertwining after both have reconciled and amends with one another after what has happened. More importantly, though, being able to seat upon different areas of the Grid with careful use of said spheres can make for busted plays, such as Yuna swiping up Black Magic on Lulu's path to become the well-rounded spellcaster, or Tidus hopping over to Wakka and Auron to double-down on his DPS rouge-warrior skillset.

The same can also be said for the battle system. Now fully turn-based again, a trio-party that is able to swap between each member at a simple press of a button free of charge gets fulfilled into encounters not unfamiliar of puzzle tropes. Ailments here, Support there, Tank-busting for this, Aeons/Summons for that, Gimmick A, Condition B, Equipping Armament X to have Effect Y... sure it could be devolved into a simple Simon Says Bop-It clone, but that's missing the forest within the trees. Battles are engrossing and fulfilling as you make it out to be so long as you pay attention to the roles each character start out as and fortify them as you continue, which makes some of the more infamous fights add a fair bit more value to them than normally considered. Adding onto this is the Overdrive system, allowing one member a power attack once the bar has been filled. Truthfully, I don't think any of these are particularly bad, even if some are obviously worse than others such as Lulu's Fury or Rikku's situational ability being Mix. Blending each character's strength and weakness together in order to press on with life.

What does it mean to persevere?

A lot of FF10, even within the optional activities, tie into the aspect of clawing against the established norm society has slacked onto, typically within the confides of religion and warfare. Seymour is diametrically opposed to the way the entourage has carried on, due to his turbulent upbringing influencing his nihilistic ways. Dona repeatedly mocks the group as the game continues, even pointing out Yuna's status as though to deter her. Majority of the folks in Spira seem content with how things are run, so long as it doesn't disturb their life to monstrous degree. Even most of the party seems to be content with this as well, following suit with the doctrines and traditional foundations laid before them.

It all changes when Tidus appears. Now, suddenly, doubts and manifestations of other solutions start to appear. A team historically deemed failures can now become a champion with stubborn grit, and overcoming past torments. A person who was once isolated among her peers finally has someone to connect with due to shared traits. Things that were once thought of as forever unchanging are soon unraveled as hoaxes set to keep a false status quo. Despite the linear path forward in Spira, there's often things to find and buckle down on so should one choose, containing the strength needed to press forward no matter the circumstances.

What does it mean... to live?

Tidus and Yuna's budding relationship is the crux of the venture. Each new location has something that gives them time to lean on each other, keeping each other in check, learning to go through the hardships with a smile, delving between what drives the other. It's this tug-and-pull of sincerity and heart that keeps the story engaging, even in its lull from either the battles or the breaks between the beats. Self-explanatory of the Yin & Yang allusions throughout, even in the promo art. Through each other, they found new meaning in the life they thought they figured out.

Dualism's a common technique in storytelling due to the frames and skeletons it can provide, especially so during this generation where more spins on the formula would show themselves after this game's release. Though, there's a sense of freshness each time I reminisce the title. Perhaps its cause of its heart-on-sleeve soliloquies, maybe it's cause it's the strongest form of connection I have with my grandfather, who passed away several years before I had a chance to play this, or perhaps it's cause of the compositions found in each scene, but it was a surefire way to become a fan of the franchise. I'll never forget them because of it.

This is their story. Be sure to take part in it.