Final Fantasy X: A New Era

Warning: this article may contain spoilers

I played my first final fantasy game way back in 1992, when I was just eleven. The concept of turn based combat with the entry of action commands was so revolutionary to me in contrast to the Mario and Legend of Zelda games I had played before. Having to learn to strategize by planning each action several moves in advance fulfilled my gamer cravings in ways I had never imagined, and the added depth of the characters and the dialogue didn't fail to delight even back when all the "speaking" was simply words on a screen. I played each game that was released in the U.S. right up to the return of the crystal in FFIX. And then came Final Fantasy X.

When FFX was released, I didn't own the Playstation 2 that was required to play it, alas, I was still rocking it on the original system. The good news was that I had friends that had one. I'll never forget the opening scene and the somber tone it introduced in its first moments. The hopeless expressions on the characters' faces demonstrate the desperation of the moment, and the musical theme, "Zanarkand", plays for a few minutes before the game shows any dialogue, richly moving through the chords of the minor scale with such delicious meloncholy. Then, all of a sudden, the main character speaks. This was the first time I had ever heard a voice paired with the written dialogue that had become such a staple in the series. It was miraculous, and set a new exciting standard that fans would enjoy for years.

Listen to my story. This may be our last chance.

What a hook! When my cousin and I first played it, I remember him commenting on how effective this first line was in drawing the player in. So the game actually began near the end of the story, and the majority of the game is a flashback of sorts. When the "story" begins, the details and overall effect of Zanarkand in all its glory was absolutely breathtaking with graphics that were profoundly impressive at the time. Blitzball was the coolest sports game ever, and Auron's initial appearance seconds before the attack of Sin was all too ominous.

Playing through the game and the twists and turns of the plot was such an absolute joy. Even the tedious random encounters were seasoned with interactions and catch phrases that beautifully complimented the characters' developments and even provided the occasional comic relief. The many secrets of the game would be revealed one small morsel at a time, inspiring intrigue while also creating more questions that would eventually be answered. It was easily one of the deepest story lines I had ever seen in Final Fantasy. There were many underlying themes; too many to list them all, but among them were father/son reconciliation, the integrity of being true to one's convictions, keeping the oaths to one's comrades, and even a bittersweet love story.

Detailing the endless amount of revolutionary new aspects of Final Fantasy X could easily fill the pages of a novel, so it's clear that I will have to stop somewhere and finish this article that could not even begin to do justice to such a iconic game. So if you get a chance, try it out sometime if you haven't already. (It has been re-released on PS 3, PS4, and Nintendo Switch in high definition.) It isn't even remotely possible that you won't be enraptured by the story and its stellar soundtrack if you give it an honest chance. So as its reprising battle fanfare echoes inside my head in a symbolic reference to the ending, I simply bid you, "Happy gaming." Why not? After all,

This is my story

I hope you enjoyed this article and if you did, please consider leaving a tip. Thanks --Vince :)