Final Fantasy X - I'll give it a go...

[Geoff D]

I've made no secret of not liking previous FF games (7 & 8 respectively) but I feel I should give the series 1 more shot with number 10 - now, could someone confirm that the Japanese/Asian International version is the best to go for (the Asian version can be had reasonably cheaply) - can voice & text be switched to English?

Also (& I know it's a long shot) but does it have English instructions...?

Hope I like it....

[Sidez]

All voices and text are in English. Great game and I hate most RPGs, especially the Squaresoft kind.

[C']

It is an awesome game, but if you don't like 7 you should really reconsider whether you want this game. Even by Square's own standard the game is hideously linear, and it takes a few hours before it starts to feel like your beginning to anything whatsoever. It's more a case of go to one screen, watch cinema sequence, go to next screen, watch next cinema etc.

After a few hours you get more sustained periods of control, and towards the end you get the freedom to explore and find some hidden secrets.

Not trying to put you of. The game is certainly one of the best in the series (better than 8 and 9 definately, although 6 and 7 are both superior) but make sure you know what you will be getting.

[Tom Salter]

Yes, definately better than 8 or 9.

Last year I got this game on import, stayed in my room for about 2 weeks solid playing through it. My (PC gaming) flatmates used to come in and laugh at the cheesy music, terrible voice acting, and linearity. However, one of them sat down to play it one day, then had to take 2 weeks off university to complete the game, he was that addicted.

This was coming from a man who had never played a console game properly before, never mind a console RPG, and he typically didn't really like RPG's full stop.

I think it's safe to say that if you get past the initial hurdle, you'll be unable to put that controller down.

[Garibaldi Biscuit]

I would have to agree with C' on this one, if you didn't like FF7 then there's little chance you'll enjoy FFX, it's frighteningly linear, has an inferior plot, there's no world map right until the end of the game at which point it is superflous anyway, and the voice-acting is quite cringeworthy in parts.

Not the kind of RPG I favour, although as mentioned in another thread I did enjoy FF7 enormously, just didn't feel any kind of connection with FFX.

Wasn't there a demo floating about at one point? You may want to try and nab that so you can get a flavour of the full game.

[Geoff D]

Cheers for the thoughts fellas - the nagging doubt I have is that I was put off of FF7&8 too soon by the turn-based combat system - not something that I cherish, but I'm wondering if I gave it a fair go, that's all.

I'll go away & meditate some more on the subject...

[Saurian]

I love FF7 so much!

Maybe if you learn the materia system in full you'll enjoy battle more! - I'm weird, I LOVE fighting in FF7, cant get enough of it ^^

The story is so incredible in FF7, I'll never forget it ^^

[Concept]

I too, love FFVII. But the game hasn't aged well...

Its translation is truly the skank.

Can't stand any of the other FF games (6/8/9/10) I've played though. Simply sick of playing as moaning whingy teen-angst brats.

Cloud wasn't like that.

Pity Tidus and Squall were. After sixty or so hours in the same company, it's rather easy to get irritated by boo-hoo-i've-yet-to-grow-up-and-realise-the-meaning-of-life type shenanigans.

[C']

I love FF7 so much!

Maybe if you learn the materia system in full you'll enjoy battle more! - I'm weird, I LOVE fighting in FF7, cant get enough of it ^^

The story is so incredible in FF7, I'll never forget it ^^

Yeah, the fighting in FF7 never felt like a chore despite, the turn based nature, and random way that they were placed on you. Later games (8 especially) the random battles were REALLY overdone and it got the point where you were cursing the fact you couldn't take 5 steps without a battle being thrown at you.

The pacing in 7 is perfect however (something I didn't fully realise until Iplayed through it again recently).

[saif]

i didnt think tidus was either personally.

But i think the FFX battle system is very accessible and you know whats going on. I love the tagging in and out of characters and the changing of weapons.
But I think the materia system spoiled me...excellent.

[Saurian]

From time you have:

Counter-Mime
W-Summon Bahamut Zero or Knights of the Round you know why the Materia system ROXX so much!!!

Another SICK one: Final Attack-Phoenix you. cannot. die!

FF7 is one of my fave games ever - Cloud, Nanaki, Vincent, Tifa etc should be in everything - love em all ^^

Counter-mime should be illegal!

[chosen_one666]

See if you can find a demo of FFX before you go out and get the full version. If you didnt like the excellent FFVII then there is very little chance you will enjoy FFX, which in my opinion (and most other people's as well) is vastly inferior.

FFVII is one of my favourite games of all time. I love the characters, and really felt like I connected with them. However this didn't happen as much with FFX, with the only two characters that I actually liked being Auron and Kimarhi. Its just a shame that I played FFVII to death, and now get quite bored when I play it now.

[?pint]

Why oh why do you consider FF8 not up to scratch? Agreed, FF7 was better, but 8 was better than 9 in my opinion. I really liked the game, I'm not sure why, but I just did. I think that 10 is the worst of the four, though still an excellent game.

[saif]

Saur, playing through ff7 again, I am thinking much more about the materia rather than MY stats. Its fantastic. I love the linkage though not far enough in yet to do the combos you mention. But they will be mione. I have to get Knights of the Round again!!!

charlie, reading through why you didnt like 7 and 8 (combat system), 10 is similar. But if you slap the battle speeds up, it is a lot quicker. And the CTB system shows who is next and so it is very informative. Honestly, I think it is a great primer for the series.

And the FMV is spectacular in places. Yuna's dance is breathtaking.

[Saurian]

The Materia system is so deep - far deeper than the game lets on.

It's another reason I'm always disappointed with Final Fantasy games - none of the new systems come anywhere near the Materia system (although I really enjoy FF Tactics' Job system)

Also I hate the way they use spoken dialogue now - Final Fantasy is better silent, they should give an option to switch off voices (I hate the actors in FFX - as much as the "actors" of Shenmue >_&lt

Cloud is a character I can really relate to aswell, his head is completely ****ed up but on the outside he tries to be someone else - I cant even grow to like any of the new ones (except Lulu, Auron and Kimahri)