1 Gameplay

Final Fantasy X's battle system is called Conditional Time Battle and was designed by Toshiro Tsuchida, in place of Active Time Battle. (Either by design or coincidence, it is almost identical to the timing system of Final Fantasy Tactics.) Conditional Time Battle is very similar to ATB, except that, instead of ticking off the passing time between attacks (which in Final Fantasy IX could take up to five seconds), the game simply skips that time and lets the next person attack, leading to rapid and fluid battles. The game also provides a graphical timeline along one side of the screen, allowing the player to quickly determine which characters and enemies are going next (and delay that enemy's movement either by using abilities such as the Slow spell or Tidus's Delay Hit, or simply killing that enemy off. Abilities to likewise hasten a party member's next turn become available later in the game). Doing enough damage to an enemy on the finishing stroke provides an "Overkill" bonus, namely extra experience points, double the gil (money) and rarer or double the items dropped by the enemy.

The game only allows the player to use three characters at once, but the player is able to instantly rotate any in-play character for one of the other four. This is a revolutionary step in RPG gameplay. It started out as a measure of practicality: each character is relatively specialized, good at one or two things but poor at all others. Auron, for instance, does significant damage against large or heavily-armored foes, but often misses entirely when attacking agile enemies like wolves or birds (Tidus's and Wakka's specialties respectively). Lulu is of little value unless the player faces an enemy with an elemental weakness, at which point her strength becomes very useful. Taking the wrong party into a high-stakes battle, such as a boss fight, could lead to almost instant death in previous Final Fantasys; now, instead, you have the entire party at your fingertips, and are never penalized for having the wrong characters in battle. It also makes leveling up significantly easier, since the player is no longer forced to fight every battle with half the party (or more) sitting on the sidelines and receiving no experience. (This trading-out system was so practical that a similar one, the Garment Grid, was devised for Final Fantasy X-2.)

Final Fantasy X's leveling system is also original. It is called the Sphere Grid system. Instead of gaining the same stat bonuses at every level, each character simply gains a Sphere Level after collecting enough AP (or Ability Points), which lets them take a single step on the game-board-like Sphere Grid and unlock various bulk-size stat bonuses. The Sphere Grid system also allows the characters to deviate from their traditional classes, such as making summoner Yuna a physical powerhouse and Auron a healer (though, since all portions adjoin to each other in a circular manner, all characters technically have a predetermined course).

1 Geography

The world of Final Fantasy X is called Spira. It is composed of one continent and several islands. Basically life in Spira is simple, because the technological civilization was destroyed by an evil being known as Sin .

Zanarkand is located on the north edge of Spira, but it was reduced to ruins by Sin 1,000 years before the events of Final Fantasy X.

Bevelle is the center of the Yevon church.

Final Fantasy X deviates from previous Final Fantasy games in its lack of a true overworld navigation system. All areas are physically contiguous and never exit out to an overworld map, with the exception of a few hidden areas. In addition their connections are mostly linear, providing for basically one main path through the game. An airship becomes available later on in the game with a pseudo-overworld map, but it reality it is just a point and click interface that allows the player to choose an area to warp to. Boarding the airship is done "magically" from outdoor save points in the game and the airship will allow the players to disembark at any of those save points. The main point of this system is to allow the characters to very quickly get back and forth from one end of the world to the other.

2 Storyline

The driving force of Spira is the religion of Yevon. The Yevon Church is devout to the extreme in fighting the use of any powered technology (which they refer to as "machina"), and leads the fight in the perpetual war against the entity known as Sin.

Although the majority of Final Fantasy X's story takes place in the world and era of Spira, it begins in Zanarkand, the city that never sleeps. Tidus, a native of Zanarkand, is a 17-year-old blitzball star. When Zanarkand is suddenly attacked by an evil force known as Sin, Tidus fights alongside the mysterious character Auron against a fragment of Sin, a Sinscale. While they are victorious, they are both sucked into the vortex of Sin's power, and Tidus wakes in the midst of ruins of a mysterious temple. Tidus learns he has been teleported to Spira, a beautiful country with a dark history.

Tidus is picked up by a group of Al Bhed, who speak a substitution cipher of his language (which can be translated by collecting items in the game), and who freely use machina as they are exiled by Yevonites. He meets the energetic young Al Bhed girl Rikku, who is the daughter of Cid, also of the Al Bhed. Rikku speaks his language, and informs Tidus that Zanarkand was destroyed a millennium ago. Tidus is incredulous, and Rikku tells him since he was in contact with Sin he must be suffering the adverse effects of Sin's toxin. Tidus is brought aboard the Al Bhed ship, but after only a short time is swept out to sea in another attack from Sin.

This time, Tidus is washed up near the small town of Besaid, where he meets Wakka, apparently a blitzball player and captain of the local team (the Besaid Aurochs). Wakka takes Tidus with him to the town, where he is introduced to most of the rest of the playable cast through various levels of blundering explained away by Tidus's "amnesia". Yuna (of Bevelle, and daughter of High Summoner Braska) has just completed her initiation as a summoner of Yevon, one who is charged to defeat Sin. She sets out on her quest, along with guardians Wakka, Lulu (also of Besaid), and Kimahri Ronso (of the Ronso tribe). Later, the guardian Auron joins the party, as does Rikku of the Al Bhed.

Tidus soon learns that the Zanarkand he is from was destroyed some thousand years in the past. Sin was forced into remission ten years ago, by a force comprised of High Summoner Braska, the warrior Auron, and Jecht. Tidus wonders if the Auron he knows could possibly be the same in this new era, and if the man called Jecht could actually be his father, assumed dead at sea ten years before (from Tidus's perspective of time). Ultimately, the party must confront Sin, unravel the mysteries of its perpetual return, and figure out exactly how Tidus and his father Jecht fit into this mystery.

Many of the characters in the world of Final Fantasy X appear in the sequel hinted at in the intermission video "Final Fantasy X: Eternal Calm". The sequel, Final Fantasy X-2, starts an exclusively female party which includes Yuna and Rikku.

2.1 Locations

• Mount Gagazet: This snowy mountain is located near the ruins of Zanarkand. The Ronso tribe lives there.
• Bevelle: This is the center of the religion of Yevon. It is also Yuna's birthplace.
• Macalania Woods: Macalania Woods borders Macalania Temple, one of the temples of Yevon, the Calm Lands, and Bevelle.
• Bikanel Island: This is the center of the Al Bhed tribe, and is the location of the Al Bhed capital, Home.
• Guadosalam: This is the home city of the Guado tribe.
• Zanarkand Ruins: Holy land of the Yevon religion, it is held that these ruins are what is left of Zanarkand after it fell to Sin one thousand years ago. Tidus claims to be from this city, before its destruction, but this claim is heretical under the Yevon religion, leading to Tidus' secrecy on the matter.
• Mi'ihen Highroad: This is the roadway to the Djose temple and the location of Operation Mi'ihen.
• Djose Highroad: The main thoroughfare between the Mi'ihen Highroad and the Moonflow. It splits to the right towards Djose Temple and to the left towards the Moonflow.
• Moonflow: A body of water between Djose and Guadosalam. It got its name from moonlilies, which attract pyreflies .
• Luca: Home of the Luca Goers, a blitzball team which is one of the best in Spira. It is also the city where the blitzball stadium is located. You can buy movie spheres and music spheres here.
• Besaid Island: Home of the blitzball team the Besaid Aurochs, this island is where Yuna of Bevelle was raised. Besaid is also where Tidus washed up after his second encounter with Sin. Wakka's home.
• Calm Lands: Located between Mt Gagazet and Macalania. The monster arena is located here. Tidus' legendary weapon, Caladbolg, can be found here, as well as the entrance to the hidden Remiem Temple. You can also train chocobos here.
• Kilika: A port that is partially destroyed by Sin just prior to the arrival of Yuna and her guardians.
• Baaj Temple: A hidden temple where the aeon Anima can be obtained. SPOILER: It was originally placed by Seymour and Lady Yunalesca when Seymour's mother sacrificed her life to become the aeon Anima in order to give her son power to stand up to persecution. It is believed that Seymour destroyed the temple shortly after receiving the aeon and told no one of its whereabouts to prevent anyone else from obtaining his mother's awesome strength.
• Sanubia Sands: The desert on Bikanel Island.
• Thunder Plains: An area where lightning strikes constantly.
• Mushroom Rock: An large mountain range before Guadosalam.
• Omega Ruins: Home of Omega Weapon, the soul of a traitor to Yevon.
• Highbridge: The entrance to Bevelle, at the borders of Macalania.

2.2 Tribes and races

• The Guado race: Guados are similar to elves, except that they have sharp, clawlike fingers. Seymour Guado is a Maester of Yevon, but his role changes quickly in the game, and Seymour is exposed as more than just a benevolent religious leader.
• The Ronso race: The Ronso race is a race of theriomorphic cat beings, blue-furred, tall and physically mighty, with a single sharp horn at the center of their foreheads. This is Kimahri's race, although Kimahri is short for a Ronso. No female Ronso was used as a playable character in Final Fantasy X or X-2.
• Al Bhed tribe: The Al Bhed are a group of humans who have been rejected by Yevon. The most noticeable differences the Al Bhed show are their widespread use of forbidden machina, their eyes (green with a swirl), and their language, actually a coded version of the traditional language of the world. Rikku is a full-blooded Al Bhed, while Yuna comes from half Al Bhed heritage (as shown by her different colored eyes: left is blue, right is green). Yuna's mother, also Cid's sister and Rikku's aunt, was an Al Bhed.
• The Hypello: A strange-looking, frog-like, aquatic tribe, known for their excellent swimming skills. They run the ferry crossing the Moonflow, carrying passengers across the river on the back of a Shoupuff, a gigantic aquatic mammal that seems similar to an elephant.
• Yevonite Humans: Most of the people of Spira fall into this category - the majority within the nationalities of Besaid, Kilika, Luca, or Bevelle.

3 Soundtrack

Final Fantasy X is the first time Nobuo Uematsu has ever had any assistance in composing music for Final Fantasy games. His assistants for Final Fantasy X were Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano . One song is a piano solo called "To Zanarkand", played at the prologue of Final Fantasy X. A notable song is Suteki Da Ne, which has four versions. The vocal versions (band and orchestra versions) were sung by Japanese folk singer Nakano Ritsuki, later known as Rikki. Suteki Da Ne is sung in Japanese both in the Japanese and English versions of Final Fantasy X. A number of critics prefer the orchestra version over the band version, and some others have the reverse. The song title "Suteki Da Ne" (素敵だね) loosely translates "isn't it beautiful." Variants of the aforementioned themes appear throughout the soundtrack.

4 Characters

Tetsuya Nomura was the character designer for Final Fantasy X. He designed the characters in a manner similar to the way he designed the cast of Final Fantasy VIII. The scenario designer was Kazushige Nojima , who resigned in 2003.

4.1 Playable characters

• Tidus of Zanarkand - Tidus is a skilled player of blitzball, Spira's most popular sport. He is the male lead of Final Fantasy X. In battle, his weapon of choice is a longsword, and his particular prowess is versus agile foes. Tidus was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, who (contrary to previous reports) is not Michael J. Fox. His legendary weapon is the Caladbolg. Tidus also appeared as a non-playable character in Kingdom Hearts.
• Yuna of Bevelle - Yuna is a summoner (although not in Final Fantasy X-2, where she takes the predominant role) and the female lead of the game. Her class allows her to fit the traditional cleric/white mage role of the party, as well as being able to summon powerful magical entities (aeons). Her weapons are a variety of staves, with her ultimate staff being the Nirvana. It is Yuna's responsibility as a summoner to journey to every temple, acquire the aeon there, and ultimately summon the Final Aeon to defeat Sin; the other party members are merely to safeguard her passage. Voice actor Hedy Burress provided the voice for Yuna in the English version, while Mayuko Aoki was the voice actress for the original Japanese version. According to the Internet Movie Database, Yuna will appear in the upcoming PlayStation 2 game Kingdom Hearts 2.
• Auron - The enigmatic Auron is a powerful warrior, attacking with his blades with stunning force. Ultimately, Auron can wield the Masamune, a frequently recurring weapon in Squaresoft games. Auron's quiet, mysterious, and dangerous nature helped make him very popular with fans, and he will appear in the upcoming game Kingdom Hearts 2.
• Wakka of Besaid - Wakka is a blitzball player from Besaid who meets Tidus after he washes ashore and serves as Tidus's first good friend. Wakka is fiercely loyal to the Yevon religion, and introduces Tidus to the Yevonite teachings. His weapon is a blitzball, useful against aerial enemies, and his ultimate weapon is the blitzball World Champion. Voice actor John DiMaggio, who also voiced Bender from Futurama, provided Wakka's voice and also Kimahri's voice. Wakka also appeared as a non-playable character in Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy X-2.
• Kimahri Ronso - Kimahri is Yuna's most faithful guardian. He has known and protected Yuna since she was a child. However, he was not well accepted by the other Ronso, who view him as inferior due to his short stature (although he still towers over the non-Ronso characters) and his broken horn. In Kimahri's class one can see echoes of the dragoons of older Final Fantasy games (weapon choice, a jump attack) and of blue mage classes (the lancet ability lets him learn enemy attacks). Kimrahi's Spirit Lance is his ultimate weapon, and it can be noted that spear or lance weapons have been a staple of the dragoon class for some time. In terms of gameplay, Kimahri is the only character lacking a pre-determined course on the Sphere Grid, allowing the player to choose his abilities and talents from the get-go.
• Lulu of Besaid - Lulu is another of Yuna's guardians. Lulu is a black mage, and uses a variety of dolls as weapons. Her ultimate weapon is the Onion Knight (notable both for being a character from an earlier Final Fantasy game, and being the result of dodging a maddening 200 consecutive bolts of lightning on the Thunder Plains). She is initially very skeptical of Tidus's participation in the quest, and of his "amnesia", but even the grumpy Lulu ultimately accepts Tidus's involvement in the party.
• Rikku of the Al Bhed - Originally named "Ryukku" in the Japanese version, her name was changed to Rikku for the North American version. Rikku helps Tidus when he first arrives in Spira, but then disappears from the plot for a while, becoming the last character to join the team. Rikku has a variety of clawlike weapons, her ultimate equipment being the God Hand. Rikku's class is most similar to that of a thief from earlier Final Fantasys, combined with the Alchemist job of Final Fantasy V. Rikku's ability to steal, use a subset of items that no one else can, and mix two of any item for greater effect, makes her one of the most versatile characters in the party. She was voiced by voice actor Tara Strong. Rikku reappears as a playable character in Final Fantasy X-2.

4.2 Nonplayable characters

• Cid of the Al Bhed: It is traditional in the Final Fantasy series that each game should have a character named Cid, who in many roles controls an airship on behalf of the party. In Final Fantasy X, this role is fulfilled by Cid of the Al Bhed, Rikku's father and Yuna's maternal uncle.
• Isaaru: A summoner, like Yuna, travelling to temples scattered across Spira until he is ready to battle Sin, with his brothers Pacce and Maroda as his guardians.
• Pacce: Isaaru's brother/Guardian.
• Maroda: Isaaru's brother/Guardian.
• Dona: Another summoner, and a rival of Yuna.
• Barthello: Dona's guardian, and an admirer of Auron.
• Luzzu and Gatta: Two members of the Crusaders who were sent to the ill-fated Operation Mi'ihen. One of them will have been killed, depending on player choice.
• Maester Seymour Guado: He is the maester of the Guado, and has an affection for Yuna. Seymour's supposed benevolence is exposed later in the game, as Seymour becomes an increasingly twisted character. Seymour can be played once, during a battle in Operation Mi'ihen.
• Maester Mika: A maester of Yevon, who has ruled for 50 years.
• Clasko: A Chocobo breeder.
• Brother: Rikku's brother.
• Tromell: A Guado, friend of Seymour.
• O'aka: A merchant who sells weapons and items. He asks for money when the player meets him early in the game, and if the player gives him enough, his prices for the items & weapons he sells will be lower later in the game.
• Wantz: O'aka's younger brother. He will help the player if the player helped O'aka. He first appears in Mount Gagazet.
• Belgemine: Friend of Yuna, who trains her throughout the story with aeon battles.
• Rin: Another merchant, who always has the lowest prices. Runs "Rin's Travel Agency".
• Kinoc: Friend with Auron, Lives in Bevelle.
• Jecht: The father of Tidus. Braska's guardian.

4.3 Major enemies

• Chocobo Eater: A huge beast that dwells on the Mi'ihen Highroad.
• Sinspawn Gui: A large monster that was created from the fusing of different sinspawn.
• Spherimorph: A trans-elemental fiend that lives in a spring in Macalania Woods.
• Crawler & Negator: Crawler is basically a giant machina gun, and Negator is a machina that stops you from summoning and using magic.
• Seymour Guado with 2 Guado guardians, and later Anima.
• Wendigo: An ogre that has been enslaved by the Guado.
• Evrae: The Great Wyrm, protector of Bevelle.
• Seymour Natus & Mortibody
• Evrae Altana: Evrae, now a resurrected zombie.
• Defender X: A huge machina.
• Biran and Yenke: Old Ronso enemies of Kimahri at Mt. Gagazet.
• Seymour Flux & Mortisorchis
• Sanctuary Keeper: One of the two guardians of Zanarkand.
• Spectral Keeper: The second guardian of Zanarkand.
• Yunalesca : The undead summoner, first conqueror of Sin.
• Sin
• Seymour Omnis: The last battle with Seymour.
• Braska's Final Aeon: Sometimes considered the last real battle in terms of difficulty, although others follow.
• Sin Aeons: The player's aeons are possessed by Sin and must be defeated.
• Yu Yevon: The last battle in the storyline.
• Dark Aeons
• Nemesis
• Penance (appears after all the dark aeons are defeated): The most powerful boss in the game. 5,000,000 hp. Reward: 100,000 AP.
• Ultima Weapon (in Omega ruins, found before Omega Weapon): A shadow, born from Omega's wrath.
• Omega Weapon (in Omega ruins): The extremely powerful soul of Omega, traitor to Yevon.

4.4 Aeons

There are a total of ten aeons in Final Fantasy X (although the Magus Sisters act together as a team and therefore can be counted as one aeon, leaving a total of eight aeons in the game). Of these, Anima, Yojimbo and the Magus Sisters are not necessarily acquired in a normal game, but the player can gain them through sidequests.

• Valefor: Obtained after the Cloister of Trials in Besaid Temple. Special attack: Sonic Wings A sweep of Valefor's wings will temporarily stun an enemy and delay their turn. Overdrive: Energy Ray and Energy Blast. Energy Blast can be obtained in Besaid Village.
• Ifrit: An aeon who deals with fire. Obtained in Kilika Temple. Special attack: Meteor strike Ifrit conjures a small meteor to hit an enemy for fire damage. Overdrive: Hellfire.
• Ixion: Obtained after the trials in Djose Temple. A Unicorn who uses electricity. Special attack: Aerospark A blast of lightning that negates all spell efffects on the enemy. Overdrive: Thor's Hammer.
• Shiva: A lady that uses ice attacks. Obtained during the first fight with Seymour Guado. Special attack: Heavenly strike A piece of ice smashes the enemy for ice damage, and may delay a turn. Overdrive: Diamond Dust.
• Bahamut: A very poweful aeon. Obtained after the trials in Bevelle Temple. Special attack: Impulse Four lumps of dark magic are conjured by Bahamut, and hit multiple enemies for non-elemental damage . Overdrive: Mega Flare.
• Anima: Obtained in Baaj Temple, Anima has the most powerful overdrive of all. Anima is actually the tortured soul of Seymour's mother, and her pain and suffering theme comes from her, who suffers, for her son was turned into a power-hungry maniac when he was able to access Anima's incredible power. The player has to find all the destruction spheres from all the trials and use them in the trials to find a hidden treasure. The player must revisit Highbridge before he or she does the trials in Zanarkand, and after the trials in Zanarkand are completed, the boss must be defeated. After that seven squares should be displayed in the first room; light up all the squares and the player will find the destruction sphere, which is used to find the treasure. The player must then go to Baaj Temple, jump into the water, fight Geosgaeno, then enter and stand in front of the statues. If all the statues are lit up, the player will receive the aeon Anima. Special Attack: Pain Anima conjures the essence of misery and anguish, and blasts the enemy with non-elemental energy, but only if the instant death effect doesn't kill the enemy first. Overdrive: Oblivion.
• Yojimbo: Obtained in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. The player must confront Lulu's old summoner, fight Yojimbo, defeat him, and then enter the Chamber of the Fayth and pay 250'000 gil to get him. If the price is tripled (750'000), the player will get 2 teleport spheres as well. Yojimbo has only 4 attacks: Daigoro (his dog will attack), Kozuka (he throws knives), Wakizashi (one of the best attacks in the game, he draws his sword and slices all enemies sometimes only one of them), Zanmato (the best attack in FFX; it can kill any enemy, including bosses). Yojimbo's attacks cost gil; the player cannot chose the attack. Pay him more gil and his attacks will cause more damage.
• The Magus sisters: Three very powerful sisters. Ride a Chocobo to the right of the entrance from Macalania, interact with the feather and then enter Remiem Temple. The player must already have both Anima and Yojimbo to obtain the Magus sisters (3 sisters, summoned as one). Talk to Belgemine, fight all of the aeons and then enter the Chamber of the Fayth. The player must have the Flower Sceptre (obtained after defeating Bahamut) and the Blossom Crown (obtained after capturing some monsters for the monster arena). The sisters have the longest overdrive, compared to the others. The player's control over the sisters is somewhat limited; there are options in battle to command them to "Fight", "Do as you will", "Help each other", "One more time", "Go, go, go". Sometimes, they may use their special attacks: Mindy's is Passado, when fifteen stingers are shot at the enemy for small damage; Sandy's is Razzia, in which she launches two blades of fire from her wrists for large physical damage; and Cindy's is Camisade, in which she jumps into the air and slams onto the enemy with her back. One notable thing is that the Magus Sisters previously appeared as major enemies in Final Fantasy IV.

5 Game history

Final Fantasy X was the code name for an N64 demo by Squaresoft, released after Final Fantasy VI. Its purpose was to demonstrate the graphics capabilities of the N64, and allowed Squaresoft to consider whether Final Fantasy VII should be developed on the N64 or PlayStation. Squaresoft decided on the PlayStation for its larger data storage capacity and texture memory, and has since released subsequent titles exclusively on Sony platforms, until recently with games for the GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

The demo featured characters from Final Fantasy VI as 3D models in combat. The "X" was used to represent a variable, not the numeral ten, and bears no relation to Final Fantasy X for the PlayStation 2. The demo was later known as "Final Fantasy SGI."

6 See also

• Final Fantasy
• Final Fantasy X-2

7 External links

• Official FFX website
• The Comprehensive Final Fantasy X Database @ Square Haven
• Final Fantasy X online
• GameFAQs entry for Final Fantasy X
• Final Fantasy X Shrine
• TheFinalFantasy.com entry for Final Fantasy X
• IMDb entry for Final Fantasy X

8 Soundtrack - MIDI files

• To Zanarkand
• To Zanarkand (with background strings)
• This Is Your Story
• Suteki Da Ne
• Normal Battle
• Victory Fanfare
• Blitzball Gamblers
• Auron's Theme
• Yuna's Theme
• Rikku's Theme
• Welcoming of Maika Elder Sage
• To the Ends of the Abyss

Final Fantasy PlayStation 2 games

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