Lulu, Wakka and Kimarhi. They're just so....bleh. There's nothing there, they have no sustainable character, just characteristics. Lulu = Big-titted, solemn goth. Wakka = Chirpy, heart 0'gold sportsman. Kimarhi = Remind-everyone-it's-fantasy creature who can't form sentences and thus must come from tribal backgrounds and implied is lesser than the other characters. I can't see anything more to them, it's not even like you eventually learn cool background stories about them because they all kinda have the same story. They're on Besaid and they help Yuna. Kimarhi is the only one with the slightest bit of intriguing background and really it's pretty glazed over.
Rikku similar isn't much either. She seems to just fill that other anime positions of, cutsie school girl character for people to fap over. Loads of people, LOADS of people love Rikku and actually I think she's ok, she's quite sweet and fun and does make a nice change of all the grey and whinging but still she's pretty pointless and grows to be incredibly annoying. As already said, she's made even more annoying by the number of people posting on forums about how amazing she is.
Auron is probably the only likeable character in this game. He's actually a troubled hero too in a way but done much much better. He's wise and intelligent, a good guidance, doesn't often say much but he's not moody about it and when he does say something it's very valid. So I will say this Auron is definately something from this game I would give a thumbs up too.
Seymour as a bad guy, hmm, his hair is pretty laughable, which briefly leads me to how stupid a lot of the costumes in this game are; they look so bundled, clumsy and miss-matched, glary clashy colours with extreme inpraticalitiy problems that can't even be over looked with a simple 'That's fantasy'. Seymour is pretty scary in his distorted political and religious undertones and I actually really like that. He could have been a lot scarier (I would have enjoyed it more if they're pushed it to Judge Frollo levels of corruption) but seeds are clearly planted for a really evil and actually rather vicious character to grow.
Onto the world in which they live, Spira. Quite frankly I think Spira is pretty damn boring. They kinda of shot themselves in the foot by making it such a tiny island that you can appear to walk over in like a day. Most of the locations are very bare with not much to do and nothing particularly evoking; which isn't necessarily a bad thing in a way because heck Sin keeps destroying the damn place there's not much time or reason for putting up Starbucks and multiplexes. It's just it seems all a bit...nothing. Other than the Al Bhed and Ronso you don't get much in the way of different cultures and really the Ronso are such a tiny tribe that they haven't got much to give. The Guado are quite interesting but they are so integrated into Yevon that it's almost kinda the mainstream and the Al Bhed just...kinda come off as a load of anarchic pikeys really. I also hate how everytime you step into most city/town locations there's only like 2-4 areas to explore and they not even very alluring areas, in fact Guadosalam, the centre of the Guado only has one. And Bevelle! Bevelle is supposed to be the biggest most poignant city in Spira and it's only got 3 areas; the entrance, a walk way and a temple! It's just very disappointing.
Now the gameplay. The battle system is..ok, just ok. It's simple, turn based fighting really and I do like the fact that it has that little menu down the side to show you whose turn is next but overall I found I was waiting around a lot. I used to get irate when I was running about and suddenly the screen would shatter, something about that shatter animation just makes it..a little too long, and then it introduces your team and the foe in establishing shots and God it's just like 'C'mon, c'mon!' The animations for the summons also took the piss a bit but I was glad that the summons were actually pretty useful and a good way of getting you out of sticky situations (especially when the characters kept fecking refusing to escape from battle!). However weapons for the characters made the fight very boring to watch, I like to watch a good sword sweep through an enemy, it's my favourite weapon because even if it doesn't do that much damage it LOOKS like it does and I get quite a bizarre thrill from that. Watching someone throw a bliztballs or a fucking stuffed animal at the enemy though? UUUGH!!! Just stop please I just want to level.
Which brings me to the all time greatest invention from Satan, the Sphere Grid. What a stupid way to level. I mean I know they're just trying to make it more innovative but seriously. This made level grinding so much more challenging and complicated and that's exactly what you DON'T want from leveling. Grinding is the one horrible thing about RPGs but unfortunately it has to be done, what you want is it for it to be made as simple as possible so quite frankly, exp points gained from fighting to raise your level? Why the Hell fix something that's not broke?!
And the linearity of the game was quite possibly why I sustain it as the worst game I've ever played. RPGs in my opinion are not supposed to be linear!! Because they just don't work..at all. I mean I had to restart this game four fucking times cos I got stuck! I'd save just before a fucking annoying boss and there was nowhere for me to level up, no where for me to buy anything, it was just fucking luck if I beat the bastard! So yeah you could say 'keep multiple saves dickhead' but honestly there's no warning about this ever happening in the actual game; I loved how in FFXII it would say when you saved that there was a possibility in working your way into a corner, it was a lovely red flag and meant things like having to restart wouldn't happen.
I never finished FFX because I got to the fight with Evrae and no matter what I fucking do I cannot beat the stupid wanker!! And unless I want to run in circles in a tiny tiny airship corridor for hours trying to level there is nothing I can do! There's no where for me to properly level and nowhere for me to shop. I'm must be at least 20 something hours in now so quite frankly fuck off if I'm starting again!
FFX-2, FFXII and FXIII coming soon ;-)
