Since it is still the month of love, today I am recommending a game I love and it also has a bit romance in it as well!
Today I am recommending Final Fantasy X,, which follows the journey of Tidus (don’t get people started on how that is pronounced…) as he first watches his world torn apart and is then taken 1,000 years into the future. In the future, he joins the summoner, Yuna, and her guardians as they travel to find a way to defeat the monster threatening their world. The plot sounds straight forward but there are a few twists, some that are a little out there, but overall the story is an emotional rollercoaster that I recommend you buckle up and enjoy.
One of Final Fantasy X‘s strongest points are the characters. Over the course of the story, you will fall in love with Yuna and her companions, or at least you will find one that you can relate to. Its not just the protagonists but also the antagonist that have also been well written. Trust me, these are guys that you will love to hate!
Now, don’t worry if you’ve never played a JRPG, as I believe FFX is the perfect introduction to this genre. In fact it was the first JRPG I ever played! The game is pretty linear, which means that you can focus on the story and learning the mechanics of JRPG games. The levelling up system is also great for beginners and fans of the genre, as you can choose between a more structured system or one that gives you the freedom to level up the characters in anyway you choose. Finally, since the combat is turn based, you have all the time in the world to think about how your are going to attack.
If you are looking for a game where characters and story are the most important aspects, then you can do a lot worse than Final Fantasy X. It is a great introduction to the JRPG genre, while offering a challenging experience for more seasoned players to the genre. And finally, it is seriously good value for money with easily over 100 hours worth of gameplay. How can you say no?
Final Fantasy X is available for Playstation 2.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is available for Playstation 3, Playstation 4, PS Vita and PC.
The featured image came from xfdrmag.net while the two other images came from the Steam store page for Final Fantasy X.
A Reluctant Hero 
I always liked how FFX handled turn-based combat with the character swapping mechanism. Each character has a very defined role in the party and specific enemies they have advantages against, so strategic switching is so key to the process. It makes the whole party important, which is sometimes rare in this genre because you’ll have characters whose abilities feel completely irrelevant.
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That’s very true! Although if you level up Khimari in a particular way, he can sometimes be used to substitute other members of the party. I tended not to, but it was good to have him as a back up, if things went horribly wrong.
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I bought a PS2 just to play this, lol. I never finished it though.
I got the console on its dying years, so I was more consumed with Persona 4 at that point.
I do love FF10, and I remember hunting for Riku’s alphabets. They’re hidden so cheekily sometimes. Seeing the love and effort by Squaresoft in this game does make me sad the SquareEnix releases doesn’t have much heart to them.
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Completely agree with the SquareEnix releases, although I think Final Fantasy X was still a great game. If you play it until the end you will understand that the story is really one of the best in Final Fantasy franchise (horrible voice acting though). Final Fantasy XII was still good, no romance, but the story does work and well, you have Balthier and Fran so I rest my case 😛 From there… Well, I’m terribly disappointed to say the least.
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All I’m going to say about the voice acting is: the laughing scene.
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The Al Bhed alphabet was a nightmare to find, but it was rewarding once you collected all. I don’t think any other Final Fantasy game has won me over quite as much as FFX did, but then I may be being biased as it was the first Final Fantasy game I played.
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I love the fact that Squaresoft created their own language for FFX. It’s brilliant, and I know the shakespearean dialogue of FF12 is kinda the same, but it just comes off as smug and detached, as if Enix knos what players would like (they didnt)
and wut? what about FF7, 8 or 9??? surely you like atleast one of the ps1 era FF.
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I have a confession to make, I haven’t played any of the PS1 era Final Fantasy games. I know, I’m a terrible, terrible person. I do have them as PC games, I just need to get around to playing them.
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*gasp* blasphemy!!
you ARE a terrible person. xD
well, i do hope you get a chance to play them. and when I get a ps4, I’d definitely want to try FF15.
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Please don’t burn me at the stake!
To make a mends, I do have most of them on PC, I just want to be able to set aside enough time to play them properly.
I have FF15 and I really enjoyed it, its a little different to the other Final Fantasy games I’ve played but that stops the series from getting stale. Apparently FF15 is coming to PC in March, which means I have to stop myself from buying another version of the game…
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I’ve been dying to play a lot of recent games. the last console i owned in a psp. when i get a stable job, i plan on getting a ps4 and just ruining my life playing games *sigh*someday. xD
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That’s a dangerous road to head down! Still, I can’t talk, so I wish you luck and hope you join the rest of us damned souls soon!
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Completely agree with you! Final Fantasy X is my second favorite Final Fantasy and it has everything to do with the month of love. For me Yuna and Tidus are the ones with the best love story in any Final Fantasy (or even RPG) ever! 🙂 Great post!
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I agree, the relationship between Tidus and Yuna is really what makes Final Fantasy X stand out and stand the test of time.
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I really need to pick this one up since I already played FFX-2. You gave an excellent summary! X-2 was my first turn-base strategy game so I’m really excited to pick up the original.
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I’ll be honest I prefer Final Fantasy X to its sequel, so if you do play it I’ll be interested to hear what you think about it.
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FFX was my first one! So many feelz 🙂
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I love FFX. The story, music, characters, world. It was fantastic game.
It also features two of my favourite video game characters Auron and Jecht.
Also I hate Seymour. He is a pain in the ass.
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Auron is the sort of mentor I think most people would want to have. I also tend to think of Seymour as the ex who just won’t take a hint.
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I actually have this game but never played it, nor have I really played any FF game yet. But I want to, there’s just so many JRPGs! I love the design of Yuna though, and I’m sure I’ll love her as a character too :).
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Its a great game if you have to time to play it.
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Final fantasy X has got to be my favourite out of all the FF games, I even have a tattoo quoting one of my fave lines from it! The aeons in the game are my fave set!
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What was your favourite line and which was your favourite aeon?
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‘Listen to my story, this may be our last chance’ such a simplistic line I know but what it represents makes it one of the best lines for me plus the scene in which it is said! Anima, definitely for all she embodies death and darkness her backstory included! I have to ask one thing do you like ff13? I have seen so many people divided on this opinion!
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That’s a great line to have as a tattoo! I’ll be honest, I haven’t played enough of Final Fantasy XIII to be able to give an honest opinion. I’ve only played up to the Brynhildr fight but I hope to return to the game and play it all the way through.
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Thankyou! It is a hard game to follow at times, one in which may take more than one attempt but i actually don’t mind it as a Final Fantasy game. I have seen a lot of negative feedback for it though
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You’re welcome! I’ve definitely heard a lot of negative opinions about 13 but I want to give it a fair chance before forming my own opinion. I have to say, it does have a tough act to beat if it want to take the place of my favourite, FFX!
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