Two heads are better than
one. I always thought that statement would depend on the heads, but
hey, who am I to question conventional wisdom. Well, after completing
Final Fantasy 10, we decided to give some joint opinions and perspectives
on the game. Spoilers will be kept to a minimum, and bloodshed is
strictly forbidden.

The
Main Characters:

Main Character:
Dawn: Pretty much a pretty boy with a sword. He’s the typical adolescent
who is trying to live up to his old man’s image. What I found interesting
was the detail which went into creating this character.

Scott: Annoying main character.
At times I wanted to slap him, at times I wanted him to die. Luckily,
the rest of the party and the story made up for it. He is pretty tough
in battle, second only behind Yuna in overall power.

Auron:
Dawn: ROCKS!!!!!! I found Auron’s stoic character to be one of the
most underplayed in the game, yet potentially more powerful than the
main character.

Scott: The most complex
character to figure out in the game, he is pretty potent with his
sword. Outside of slashing and breaking down defenses though, not
all that useful. In order to avoid major spoilers, I will not repeat
my nickname for him. 🙂

Yuna:
Dawn: Thought she was worthless at first…turns out she is pretty
powerful…but then when is a summoner not? Her attitude was typical
Asian for a female, yet her strength quietly showed through. Very
well thought out and definitely intriguing to see exactly what you
wanted to do with this character.

Scott:
Easily the most powerful character in the game. By the end of the
game, she could solo any encounter in the game. A potent healer, mage
and summoner, what more can you actually ask for.

Lulu:
Dawn: I love mean mages. Lulu’s personality reminded me of the big
sister she was…with a nasty streak when in battle. Often times
her cynical nature kept you on track for what you needed to do.

Scott: My personal favorite.
Not only is she hot with spells, but after winning a battle, she bends
over and shows cleavage. What man wouldn’t love Lulu.

Rikku:
Dawn: Feisty, feisty, feisty! But her potential for mixing potions
was infinite. Definitely a required character!

Scott: Another female hottie
who I underused in the game. Her spirit always kept the game lively
though.

Wakka:
Dawn: Felt sorry for Wakka. He was comic relief more than a character.
I mean really..a football (blitzball) for a weapon? Poor guy!

Scott: Mostly worthless,
especially if you do not like the blitzball game. He is the third
best fighter out of the party, but there is never really any reason
to have more than 2 in at any give moment. He played the party idiot
roll.

Kimahri:
Dawn: It seems he was added just to round out the party. Actually,
both he and Wakka could have died and we still would have won the
game.

Scott:
He had a good position on the skill grid, so he could have been made
into any type of character you needed to balance out the party. I
personally doubled him up with a few key powers in case one of the
star players became injured. His horn story is stupid.

The Combat System:
Dawn: The turn based playing had been refined to actually allow the
main characters to miss as well as the monsters to block. Depending
on what you did on the sphere grid for each character, you either
created a cohesive team who flawlessy won battle after battle, or
a few good men who, if killed, game over. I do have one major complaint…you
call the final two boss fights BOSS FIGHTS? Come on! After all we
went through to end it so easily was almost…well pathetic.

Scott: The turn based combat
works well in the game, allowing you to rotate characters in and out
depending on what you need for a fight. The end was a letdown as far
as monster toughness though, I don’t think the party took a single
hit in the last 4 combats.

The Storyline:
Dawn: I admit it. I cried. ‘Nough said? Basically a lot of thought
went into the story line. As usual the theme was detailed, and the
side quests dovetailed nicely into the main plot.

Scott: One of the best
stories ever in an RPG. I would put it behind a couple of the Ultima
games, Planescape and Final Fantasy 8. The presentation, however,
was unsurpassed. I know a lot of people complain that the story is
linear, well, its linear for 30 hours. Every good book is linear.
I do not know what their point is. After the first 30 hours, you can
go back and do sidequests, and they actually advance the story. If
you play straight through, you will miss a lot of points in the game.
I was very impressed that there were still cutscenes when you got
off the main tract.

The
Graphics:
Dawn: Extremely well done. The characters, creatures, overlaying background,
all carefully detailed and flawlessy executed. Movement smooth. Interaction
spectacular. It was more a virtual experience than really game play.

Scott: Some of the most
awesome cutscenes ever put into a game. Along with Metal Gear Solid
2, the animators are top notch.

Overall:
Dawn: A definite buyer, keeper, and play several times over. This
game could actually become a hobby. Just build a better boss man!

Scott: There is so much
to this game, it is impossible to cover it in any review. The stat
system works great, the story is good and the combat is pretty fun.
It will keep you involved beginning to end. It is the best RPG on
the Playstation 2, and probably will be for some time.

Final Grade: A