History VideoGame / FinalFantasyX

Being the first entry for a new and significantly more powerful system, ''X'' split from previous games in almost every way. Instead of featuring levels
and experience points, characters instead navigate a [[SkillScoresAndPerks skill tree]] (Sphere Grid) by consuming [[PointBuildSystem Ability Points]] won in battle. Along the way, they activate nodes that award new skills or stat increases. ''X'' is very much a "[[CharacterClassSystem class]]"-based game (WhiteMage, [[EverythingsBetterWithSamurai Samurai]], [[VideoGameStealing Thief]], etc.) until the end, when they break out and invade each others' Grids, which is more reminiscent of ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'' "[=TMs=]" than shared abilities.

Being the first entry for a new and significantly more powerful system, ''X'' split from previous games in almost every way. Instead of featuring levels
and experience points, characters instead navigate a [[SkillScoresAndPerks skill tree]] (Sphere Grid) by consuming [[PointBuildSystem Ability Points]] won in battle. Along the way, they activate nodes that award new skills or stat increases. ''X'' is very much a "[[CharacterClassSystem class]]"-based game (WhiteMage, [[EverythingsBetterWithSamurai Samurai]], [[VideoGameStealing Thief]], etc.) until the end, when they break out and invade each others' Grids, which is more reminiscent of ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'' "[=TMs=]" than shared abilities.

''Final Fantasy X'' was the series' first foray into [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the sixth console generation]], and was one of the first major blockbuster titles for the Platform/PlayStation2, showing off the power of the new generation. In addition to taking the cutscenes of ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII VII]]'', ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII VIII]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX IX]]'' and cranking the presentation up to unprecedented heights, it was the first entry with fully 3D environments and the first fully-voiced entry, which garnered then-obscure voice actor Creator/JamesArnoldTaylor some attention. Its music was composed by Music/MasashiHamauzu, Music/NobuoUematsu, and Junya Nakano, with arrangements from Shiro Hamaguchi and Hirosato Noda.

''Final Fantasy X'' was the series' first foray into [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the sixth console generation]], and was one of the first major blockbuster titles for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, showing off the power of the new generation. In addition to taking the cutscenes of ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII VII]]'', ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII VIII]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX IX]]'' and cranking the presentation up to unprecedented heights, it was the first entry with fully 3D environments and the first fully-voiced entry, which garnered then-obscure voice actor Creator/JamesArnoldTaylor some attention. Its music was composed by Music/MasashiHamauzu, Music/NobuoUematsu, and Junya Nakano, with arrangements from Shiro Hamaguchi and Hirosato Noda.

The [[PALBonus PAL or "International" version of the game]] included more [[{{Superboss}} Bonus Bosses]] to fight, along with an "Expert" mode with a new Sphere Grid: there are fewer nodes and everybody starts out close to each other. It provides an early opportunity to mold characters ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII''-style, and isn't hard to use if you know what you're doing, but a beginner will wander around aimlessly without a goal in mind. HD ports of the game and its sequel were released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita Vita]] in 2014; the production team used character models made from scratch instead of simply upscaling the old ones. A UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 version was released on May 12, 2015: this release gives players a choice between the newly-rearranged soundtrack (which not everyone was wild about) and the original soundtrack. The compilation was then brought to UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} in May 12, 2016, which added optional Game Boosters such as a High speed mode, Frequent/No encounters mode, Supercharge, and Auto-battle. This version was then ported to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and was released on April 11, 2019 in Japan and Asia and April 16, 2019 elsewhere.

''X'' departs from {{Active Time Battle}}s in favor of a new CombatantCooldownSystem called Conditional Turn Based (CTB); it is the last TurnBasedCombat system in the franchise. [[VisualInitiativeQueue The turn order is displayed in a corner]], giving players as much time as they want to ponder their next action. More importantly, you can swap out any of your characters mid-battle; since the guardians always travel together, there's no need for characters to [[LetsSplitUpGang split up]] or spend the game [[PlayerHeadquarters cooling their heels in an airship]]. This is emphasized by enemy specialization; you are supposed to AttackItsWeakPoint, and other attacks typically result in CherryTapping at best.

''X'' was both a critical and commercial success, it is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, frequently appearing in Top 100 games of all time lists and having a Metascore of 92, the second highest in the series only below ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''. It also was successful enough to go against form and inspire the first direct game sequel in the franchise, ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 Final Fantasy X-2]]'', which takes place two years after ''X'' and [[AscendedExtra stars two of the three main female characters from that game.]]

''X'' was both a critical and commercial success, it is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, frequently appearing in Top 100 games of all time lists and having a Metascore of 92, the highest in the series only below ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''. It also was successful enough to go against form and inspire the first direct game sequel in the franchise, ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 Final Fantasy X-2]]'', which takes place two years after ''X'' and [[AscendedExtra stars two of the three main female characters from that game.]]

''Final Fantasy X'' was the series' first foray into [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the sixth console generation]], and was one of the first major blockbuster titles for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2. It is the first entry with fully 3D environments and the first fully-voiced entry, which garnered then-obscure voice actor Creator/JamesArnoldTaylor some attention. Its music was composed by Music/MasashiHamauzu, Music/NobuoUematsu, and Junya Nakano, with arrangements from Shiro Hamaguchi and Hirosato Noda.

''Final Fantasy X'' was the series' first foray into [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the sixth console generation]]--UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, to be exact. It is the first entry with fully 3D environments and the first fully-voiced entry, which garnered then-obscure voice actor Creator/JamesArnoldTaylor some attention. Its music was composed by Music/MasashiHamauzu, Music/NobuoUematsu, and Junya Nakano, with arrangements from Shiro Hamaguchi and Hirosato Noda.

''X'' was announced at the ''Square Millennium Event'' alongside ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI''. Each of them was announced as a different experience; ''IX'' would return to the roots of the franchise, ''XI'' would be a new Online experience, and ''X'' would be the next evolution in the franchise. Being the first entry for a new and significantly more powerful system, ''X'' split from previous games in almost every way. Instead of featuring levels

The [[PALBonus PAL or "International" version of the game]] included more [[Superboss Bonus Bosses]] to fight, along with an "Expert" mode with a new Sphere Grid: there are fewer nodes and everybody starts out close to each other. It provides an early opportunity to mold characters ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII''-style, and isn't hard to use if you know what you're doing, but a beginner will wander around aimlessly without a goal in mind. HD ports of the game and its sequel were released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita Vita]] in 2014; the production team used character models made from scratch instead of simply upscaling the old ones. A UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 version was released on May 12, 2015: this release gives players a choice between the newly-rearranged soundtrack (which not everyone was wild about) and the original soundtrack. The compilation was then brought to UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} in May 2016, which added Game boosters such as a High speed mode, Frequent/No encounters mode, Supercharge, and Auto-battle. This version was then ported to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and was released on April 11, 2019 in Japan and Asia and April 16, 2019 elsewhere.

Tidus soon learns of Sin, an [[SpaceWhale invincible aquatic Goliath]] which attacked Zanarkand and now terrorizes Spira, bringing destruction without reason and keeping them locked in the dark ages. Only one method exists to defend against it: A ritual which allows a "[[SummonMagic summoner]]" to temporarily destroy Sin and grant the world a period of respite from its wrath (the "Calm") before its inevitable return. Finding himself smitten with a young summoner named Yuna and hoping to find a way back home, Tidus agrees to become one of her guardians and accompany her on her pilgrimage across Spira; a journey which ends in the holy ruins of Zanarkand.

As the first new entry for a new, more powerful system, ''X'' split from previous games in almost every way. Instead of featuring levels

Finally, it was the first fully 3D environments (prior games used either 2D environments or pre-rendered backgrounds), which allowed for much more wider and detailed landscapes.

''X'' was successful enough to go against form and inspire a direct sequel, ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 Final Fantasy X-2]]'', which takes place two years after ''X'' and [[AscendedExtra stars two of the three main female characters from that game.]]

The [[PALBonus PAL or "International" version of the game]] included more {{Bonus Boss}}es to fight, along with an "Expert" mode with a new Sphere Grid: there are fewer nodes and everybody starts out close to each other. It provides an early opportunity to mold characters ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII''-style, and isn't hard to use if you know what you're doing, but a beginner will wander around aimlessly without a goal in mind. HD ports of the game and its sequel were released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita Vita]] in 2014; the production team used character models made from scratch instead of simply upscaling the old ones. A UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 version was released on May 12, 2015: this release gives players a choice between the newly-rearranged soundtrack (which not everyone was wild about) and the original soundtrack. The compilation was then brought to UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} in May 2016, which added Game boosters such as a High speed mode, Frequent/No encounters mode, Supercharge, and Auto-battle. This version was then ported to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and was released on April 11, 2019 in Japan and Asia and April 16, 2019 elsewhere.

''Final Fantasy X'' was the series' first foray into [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the sixth console generation]]--UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, to be exact. Most remembered for being the first fully-voiced entry and for garnering then-obscure voice actor Creator/JamesArnoldTaylor some attention. Music was composed by Music/MasashiHamauzu, Music/NobuoUematsu, and Junya Nakano, with arrangements from Shiro Hamaguchi and Hirosato Noda.

''X'' split from previous games in almost every way. Characters navigate a [[SkillScoresAndPerks skill tree]] (Sphere Grid) by consuming [[PointBuildSystem Ability Points]] won in battle. Along the way, they activate nodes that award new skills or stat increases. ''X'' is very much a "[[CharacterClassSystem class]]"-based game (WhiteMage, [[EverythingsBetterWithSamurai Samurai]], [[VideoGameStealing Thief]], etc.) until the end, when they break out and invade each others' Grids, which is more reminiscent of ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'' "[=TMs=]" than shared abilities.

''X'' departs from {{Active Time Battle}}s in favor of a CombatantCooldownSystem; it is the last TurnBasedCombat system in the franchise. [[VisualInitiativeQueue The turn order is displayed in a corner]], giving players as much time as they want to ponder their next action. More importantly, you can swap out any of your characters mid-battle; since the guardians always travel together, there's no need for characters to [[LetsSplitUpGang split up]] or spend the game [[PlayerHeadquarters cooling their heels in an airship]]. This is emphasized by enemy specialization; you are supposed to AttackItsWeakPoint, and other attacks typically result in CherryTapping at best.

Finally, it was the first ''Final Fantasy'' game to involve voice-acting. In addition to writing challenges -- the programmers could no longer tweak dialogue at their leisure, since it now needed to be re-recorded -- it created some chaos with {{FMV}} {{Cut Scene}}s, which were pre-rendered with Japanese MouthFlaps. The growing pains showed in the final product, and the dub is considered to be of dubious quality.

The plot is [[RecycledScript noticably similar]] to that of an earlier [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]] title, ''VideoGame/BahamutLagoon'', which is lampshaded by ''X'''s GlobalAirship: the ''Fahrenheit'' (though it is [[AllThereInTheManual never explicitly named in either game.]]) The airship in ''Bahamut Lagoon'' is also called ''Fahrenheit''. What's more, the airship used throughout ''X-2'' is named the ''Celsius''.

The [[PALBonus PAL or "International" version of the game]] included more {{Bonus Boss}}es to fight, along with an "Expert" mode with a new Sphere Grid: there are fewer nodes and everybody starts out close to each other. It provides an early opportunity to mold characters ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII''-style, and isn't hard to use if you know what you're doing, but a beginner will wander around aimlessly without a goal in mind. HD ports of the game and its sequel were released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita Vita]] in 2014; the production team used character models made from scratch instead of simply upscaling the old ones. A UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 version was released on May 12, 2015: this release gives players a choice between the newly-rearranged soundtrack (which not everyone was wild about) and the original soundtrack. The compilation was then brought to UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} in May 2016. Finally, ports to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/XboxOne were released on April 11, 2019 in Japan and Asia and April 16, 2019 elsewhere.

The tenth game in the [[RunningGag head-bangingly]] popular ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series, released in 2001.

The tenth game in the [[RunningGag head-bangingly]] popular ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series.

''Final Fantasy X'' was the series' first foray into [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the sixth console generation]]--UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, to be exact. Most remembered for being the first fully-voiced entry and for garnering then-obscure voice actor Creator/JamesArnoldTaylor some attention. Music was composed by Creator/MasashiHamauzu, Creator/NobuoUematsu, and Junya Nakano, with arrangements from Shiro Hamaguchi and Hirosato Noda.

->''"[[ThisIsMyStory Listen to my story]]. This... may be our last chance."''

Summons are no longer a glorified magic spell, but a clan of {{mon}}s (Aeons) who automatically join you during your travels, along with a few [[SecretCharacter hidden ones]] Yuna can seek out. Each one functions as a playable character once summoned, complete with their own HitPoints, LimitBreak, and spell list.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuna_tidus_lake.png]]

''X'' departs from {{Active Time Battle}}s in favor of a CombatantCooldownSystem; it is the last TurnBasedCombat system in the franchise. [[VisualInitiativeQueue The turn order is displayed in a corner]], giving players as much time as they want to ponder their next action. More importantly, you can swap out any of your characters mid-battle; since the guardians always travel together, there's no need for characters to [[LetsSplitUpGang split up]] or spend the game [[PlayerHeadquarters cooling their heels in an airship]].

''X'' departs from {{Active Time Battle}}s in favor of a CombatantCooldownSystem. [[VisualInitiativeQueue The turn order is displayed in a corner]], giving players as much time as they want to ponder their next action. More importantly, you can swap out any of your characters mid-battle; since the guardians always travel together, there's no need for characters to [[LetsSplitUpGang split up]] or spend the game [[PlayerHeadquarters cooling their heels in an airship]].

-->''"...And that, as they're say, is that."''

No modern ''FF'' is complete without [[MiniGame mini-games]], and ''X'''s were more time-intensive than ever; mainly unlocking and [[ExcaliburInTheRust repairing]] the [[InfinityPlusOneSword best weapons]]. The most famous of these, and certainly the most enjoyable, is Blitzball. After a certain event, each save point adds the option to [[SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer put the story on hold and play a few matches.]] Each town has their own team and you can recruit those players, who roam the world as [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]], when their contracts expire. There are a lot of free agents hiding in the game, too, so it pays to [[TalkToEveryone approach everybody]] to see if they play, similar to the [[CardBattleGame card games]] of old.

No modern ''FF'' is complete without [[MiniGame mini-games]], and ''X'''s were more time-intensive than ever; mainly unlocking and [[ExcaliburInTheRust repairing]] the [[InfinityPlusOneSword best weapons]]. The most famous of these, and certainly the most enjoyable, is Blitzball. After a certain event, each save point adds the option to [[SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer put the story on hold and play a few matches.]] Each town has its own team and you can recruit those players, who roam the world as [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]], when their contracts expire. There are a lot of free agents hiding in the game, too, so it pays to approach everybody to see if they play, similar to the card games of old.