Posted in: Games, Review, Video Games | Tagged: Final Fantasy X, final fantasy x-2, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, game review, Square Enix

[REVIEW] Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on Switch

Published Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:40:28 -0500

by Madeline Ricchiuto

Last updated Mon, 03 Jun 2019 22:03:35 -0500

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[REVIEW] Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on Switch — credit// Square Enix

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Square Enix's Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster has been around since 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. However, the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions of the remaster are relatively new. Which is a bit of a problem, as the HD remaster still doesn't fix some of the biggest problems with the games, particularly, the wonky camera angles in Final Fantasy X.

There are times the forced camera perspective flips nearly 180 degrees on you in the middle of a room, which can make navigating a literal headache. The turn-based combat is also a bit frustrating at points, especially if you haven't played a properly turn-based JRPG in a while.

That said, the remaster still holds up pretty well. The graphic updates help the cinematic cutscenes feel far less dated, though they do still hearken back to the days where games were just starting to use the in-game camera for movie-esque scenes and establishing shots. So those scenes that were groundbreaking when the games initially launched in the early 2000s are only a bit accidentally hilarious with the remaster. The environments are stunning, the character animations are serviceable if somewhat stiff at times, but the remaster manages to hit that sweet spot of being retro but still gorgeous more often than not.

Sure, there isn't a thing that can actually fix Tidus's annoying attitude, but the remastered edition does come with all the extras, so you get the absolute best version of both Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 for the price of one. And that's not a thing I can under-sell. After all, both games are viewed pretty fondly by fans for a reason, so if you haven't played either game, now is definitely the best time to do it. And being able to take the games on the go is ideal. There are far worse ways to spend a flight to Europe and back, and I speak from personal experience.

There are far worse games to play on the Switch. Even at their worst, abusing the long-corridor approach to level design, both games do have a certain charm to them that still holds up. Neither is in my top 5 of best Final Fantasy games, but they are absolutely worth playing at least once.

Final Fantasy X-2 is absolutely the girl squad version of Final Fantasy XV, and embraces all of the camp involved in a road trip narrative, which actually makes it my favorite of the two. Final Fantasy X, on the other hand, wastes absolutely none of its mechanics, even the ones that are immensely frustrating, like the power skill mini-games or the directionally-challenged chocobo races. You need to master all side-games in order to take on the endgame bosses, which is both impressively slick and annoying as all hell for those who hate the Blitzball management sim.

For better or worse, the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is the definitive version of the games.

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