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| Senior Site Staff Administrator  |  From a storyline standpoint, I think that the game performed adequately. From a gameplay standpoint, I think that the game might have left some things to be desired — mainly because I enjoyed the gameplay from its sequal more, and I feel that the sequel is a subpar game — |
03-19-2008, 04:40 PM
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 | That "problem" is one of the reasons I cite as FFX having some of the finest storytelling in the genre. Too many RPGs (especially other FFs) try far too hard to be these epic, bombastic events, and they lose a significant amount of their personal touch in the process. Lost Odyssey is a fine example. Disc 1 was very, very personal and heartwarming, and was a journey of true self-discovery. It was quiet... it was heartwrenching... I love Disc 1, in spite of the game's iffy play mechanics. However, from the midway point of Disc 2 and onwards, the game loses its focus. The characters felt less real to me, the interactions more forced. The game became less about them and more about vague, generic backstory, explosions, and, you know... the offensively bombastic CG sequences many FFs are known for. For me, FFX's story had a clarity the likes of which few other RPGs possess. You are thrust into an incredibly defined world, experiencing it through the eyes of a main character with whom you share ignorance. You discover everything together, but from the outset it becomes clear that you have a certain goal. As you said, it's about Sin. In the end, that never changes. But that's one of its greatest strengths; the fact that your ultimate goal is in sight, and although there are certainly some nice twists along the way, that goal is important. The story is kept somewhat "small" in scope, and as a result the twists have more impact. The game is very much about its characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed FFX's many small scenes that simply had characters camping, and discussing various things with one another. The characters were aware of their ultimate goal, and they were journeying towards it together. It never lost focus. And yes, I agree, FFX's plot was quite the work of poetry. I loved the fact that your characters were telling their stories to one another, and that unlike many games with this form of narration (here's looking at you, Legacy of Kain!), you actually not only reached the point of narration, but you go past it. I loved how you knew what the primary antagonistic force in the world was right from the beginning. Sin was a truly fascinating being. Its backstory, its very existence... it had this terrifying, elemental quality to it... The game's Yevon religion is one of the only religions to be crafted in a game that made any kind of logical sense. It was incredibly defined, and it felt like it truly had history and gravity. Contrast this with the generic trappings of Grandia II, which basically had a completely faceless, vague religion (that mirrored its vague, boring world). The whole setting of Spira was one of the most thoughtfully crafted worlds in every area of its design to ever hit the genre, as far as I'm concerned. It really felt lived-in, in a way that few other games manage to get across. So yeah... I like FFX a bit.  |
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04-16-2008, 04:33 AM
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