It's always fun to go back and play one of your favorite classics, especially if it's given a huge HD facelift. Final Fantasy X has a highly anticipated release just around the corner, but how does it hold up?
Games are often the products of their time, and Final Fantasy X nailed it perfectly, giving competitors a goal to aim for when working with the limited PlayStation 2's power. Lightning in a bottle. Won't happen again. The PlayStation 2's graphics are timeless because of how much they shaped the industry for years to follow.
The new graphics work on some levels, like the grand scope of environments and textures, but character models come off as a bit more awkward. Too much of the eye is seen, too much animation in the reconstructed faces doesn't match the less detailed NPCs or other body parts. Viewing Titus from below gives the image of a fat lip and bulging eyes.
Both Titus and Yuna, featured heavily in the classic opening scene, just look wrong, awkward, and uncomfortable to be in the game.
On a good note, though, the music is amazing. Each of the classic tunes has been reworked with HD quality sound, and the opening scenes playing on the Zanarkand theme and classic Final Fantasy Arpeggio sound brilliant.
I never got to actually "play" the game during the show, though, because my 15 minute demo was up before the first battle, but Final Fantasy X's gameplay is classic and holds up to this day. I played through it last year and couldn't get enough.
Two pluses for the environments and music, and a minus for the weird new character models. Where would you stand on that?
Final Fantasy X | X2 HD Remaster will be available for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita later this year.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.
