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The continuation of a Final Fantasy, the first true sequel to one of
Square's greats, Final Fantasy X-2 appears to be everything you wouldn't expect
from the series. It can either be taken as a breath of fresh air, broken free from
the guidelines of the Final Fantasy series, or a total disappointment with the new
theme of girl power and the appeal to the hormonal teenagers of the world.
The story picks up 2 years after the end of the original Final Fantasy X, during
the eternal calm after the fall of Sin. We are introduced (or, reintroduced in the case
of Yuna and Rikku) to the characters, as we watch a pop-concert preformance at the
Luca Blitzball arena by Yuna, while Rikku, and new character Paine are shown off on a mission. The girl we once knew as
a timid youg summoner seems to have matured a bit, and
with the help of Rikku, the three of them set out on a new journey... One that happens
to be a little more self-oriented on Yuna's part, than the last one she was on.
They are searching the world for Spheres that contain memories of the past, but not to
worry, because this game is definitely not linear in plot, like it's predecessor. The world
map is the same as in FFX, where the travel is instantaneous, but there are side missions that
the characters can choose to take, and the places that have missions available are highlighted on
the map overview.
Perhaps one of the most interesting points of this game, is the fact that Square
decided to return to the job system once again, through the use of Dress Spheres.
The characters can transform right in the midst of battle, if they have the right
dress spheres, and each class they change to has it's own transformation, and even
it's own clothing. Every character's transformation and clothing differs from the
other character's as well, so although there is the option to turn the transformation
animations off, you may want to leave them on just to see what turns up.
Final Fantasy X-2, is a real twist on what we have come to expect from the Final Fantasy
title. But, it's not like it wasn't expected, considering it's the first real sequel to
any game in the series. Could it be the beginning of a new trend of games? Only time, and the
release of more games, will tell.
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