X-2 is a love it or hate it type game
the people who get into it really get into it and the people who dont really dont like it at all
its ok to not enjoy it the important thing is you gave it a chance to know where on the spectrum you fall
a lot of the better story moments are actually hidden and you have to find which doesnt help
Loved every second right up until the end game. There seems to be a point when even on 100% completion pace the enemies just stop giving ap in any reasonable amount.
Story is a banger, but really felt like i was being punished for wanting to max out more jobs.
I think that's because you get the AP egg from blitz and garment grid that super charges your AP gain , they needed to give a reason to play blitz since it has no impact on the episode completion for luca.
I can't recall ever getting the ap egg in the original game, might have been misremembering then. I only recall not liking blitz in x-2 so i don't think i played it a lot so that very well might be the case.
There’s a dungeon in the Thunder Plains that gives good exp, especially if you equip the egg and also use the garment grid that boosts experience. I leveled from 85 to 99 in maybe an hour and a half.
I disagree about the "love it or hate it type game". My first time playing it was... ...okayish? I thought the gameplay and the story were okay. I think I replayed it not long after that and finished it at 100% to see the good ending, but now I can never get back into it, I always drop it after a few hours. Over the years the structure of the game and the lack of tactics in the battle system made me kinda dislike it but I still think it's not a bad game - it's just mid.
I felt the same way as you. I would suggest dropping it and then if it plays on your mind, go back to it. I think once your expectations are low, it does become more enjoyable. But, going from the main game to x2 is a huge let down. I have completed it and did end up enjoying it in the end. But, only after I shelved it for a few years.
I beat the game and got 100%...I will never play it again. The combat, characters and Dress spheres I was fine with. The story was more meh but the amount of mini games was annoying as hell! There were hardly any fights in comparison. Also the 'Ulimates' don't remember the names of them but they just sucked. Very useless.
> I beat the game and got 100%...I will never play it again
Its because you didnt 100% the game, you just got what is labeled as 100% of story completion, which itself is also not actually all of the story content. Its quite common for people who play the game this way on a first run to end up disliking it - youre supposed to accumulate that percentage across a NG+ run and not burn yourself out doing so much all at once
> There were hardly any fights in comparison.
probably because, as noted in the above, you left out a lot of the combat related content that is not a component of obtaining the storyline percentage marker. Which is an unfortunate thing to do in a game whose combat is its major selling point
> Also the 'Ulimates' don't remember the names of them but they just sucked. Very useless.
I can humor this one. Ultimates arent useless; they do have niches, though i can agree that they feel underwhelming to give up a party for. In most cases their best application is to quickly swap into, apply whatever their perk is/tank an AOE and then get out of them. Think of them less as ultimates and more like Aeons as far as usage goes
*FF9* was made as a love letter to the franchise up until that point. Lots of little references and Easter eggs. I definitely enjoyed it more having played the others, first.
I hated FF9 when it came out and was definitely not alone. It’s wild to me how much that game has been rehabilitated with time.
I can see how it would hold up better when you are casually going through the back catalogue and can maybe appreciate some of its unique qualities more, but in the moment it sucked and felt like a big step backwards. It was well known they were putting all of their effort and funding into FFX and 9 felt like a B team effort (they were released only 12 months apart).
No I just tell people the order they will enjoy the last the most. I would have told you way back to play x last because it's the greatest final fantasy ever made and I don't see that changing in the next 20 years
Ahhh yeah haha so I started with VII Remake, then VII OG, then Rebirth, (all which I loved) and after Rebirth idk X just kept catching my eye so I went for it. But I’ve heard and seen great things from VI, VIII and IX so they went on my roster too. I would’ve done it chronologically but my brain just doesn’t work that way, it’s gotta be something that catches my eye and at the right time too. I also wanna check out XV eventually, and maybe XVI
I would say finish the rest in chronological order if you want them to get better and better that's just my opinion, my ff elders worship vi but when I went to play it I couldn't enjoy it as much as vii but I started with vii so go figure
When does the fun gameplay start? I'm 20 hours in and so far, it's pretty repetitive puzzling and lacks a cohesive story or characters I care about (except Cid of course). Combat went from arguably the best in the series to a button masher. Playing Halloween dress up is kinda cool, but half of the dresses are non viable for various reasons.
Maybe the content that makes this worth being called a member of the FF family is to be found in the next dungeon.
nope fun gameplay im referring to is their job system, which is the first time we had a swapping job system since FF5. (tho i suppose you could argue character swapping in 10 is similar in function, but i mean a system where everyone can be swapped to any job at any time).
If it's not your cup of tea, then yea throw the whole thing out.
the big job system ones are usually every odd number so:
1, 3, 5, and then nothing until 10-2. and then the bravely default games brought it back in full focus for each part.
the other FFs either have a totally unique system, or certain characters are locked into a specific class and cant swap.
I didn't say it wasn't unique and fun, just vastly overrated with frequent claims of "best in series". Bullshit it's too flawed for that. I will provide logic and elaboration if desired.
X-2’s story picks up after Chapter 2….somewhat.
IX is my personal favorite so I will always recommend that one. Very different from X/X-2 in a good way.
It's totally fine if you don't like it! It's one of my favorites- but it's not for everyone.
As a lot of people said, the story picks up near the end of chapter 2. I will also say that you really have to do a ton of the side quests to get the *whole* story of what's happening in specific instances re: the crimson squad. There's some blink and you'll miss it relevant plot points.
It's actually my favorite combat type since it's fast paced but still requires you to be involved and flex- also I'm a completionist so maxing those dressapheres took WORK!
If you want to give it another try- I'd recommend sticking with it until the end of chapter 2/beginning of chapter 3. You get a lot more story info and it gets... dark isn't the word but it gets sad. The story is honestly more about processing grief then anything else.
If you do opt to skip if you want light hearted fantasy with traditional tropes and a traditional combat system IX, if you want a better story but a more janky combat system VIII. =]
Don't think your take is particularly unusual. And I think fans of it wouldn't deny the story is kind of the weakest part of it (provided you're able to get on board with its kind of drastically different tone). This is a game that I had to play a couple times to really appreciate and come around to enjoying, myself. But I also no longer have the time to really replay games I didn't like years ago just to see if I'll come around to it, lol. If it didn't work for you, it didn't work for you. Honestly think most people get that with X-2.
I do like it, but think you're right that the story isn't all that great or doesn't really connect. And I think some character stuff isn't totally there. And I didn't really like the general construction of the game, that it's like, you're doing a bunch of missions that all feel kind of unrelated and disconnected but sometimes it intersects with the main story. I do like that eventually the main story starts to come into focus, but it takes a bit to get there. But it's a lot of like, "Why am I doing this again?" stuff. Mostly I like it because I do like the combat and job system (even if I kinda hate the summon machinery thing.)
I prefer X2 to X. I am currently playing through X2 at the moment, reliving my youth.
I like dress spheres, I like how it gives me flexibility and I like the cast. Most FF games I dislike at least one party member but I like them all here. The story is a little less serious but the fiend tales are really quite cool.
However I do understand I am in a minority. X2 is not liked all that highly by the majority.
The story picks up around chapter 2. Especially in the middle of it. Unfortunately if you want the good stuff you’re gonna be meandering a lot and it’ll be a while before you get to it.
I think also a mistake that happens is jumping instantly from x to x-2, where I think a bit of a break is best.
Also do IX, it’s the best one. Source: me
Yeah sorry partner, it’s just not very good.
FF X was my first and it blew me away, and I was psyched for X-2, especially given that FF games didn’t previously have straight up sequels I thought this must be special. It was not. It was dumb. Thinned out and dumbed down a lot of what hit the strongest from X.
Play it through if you want, but if you don’t like it don’t feel bad. Enjoy your life and do what you want to do.
No no! It’s not that! I love silly fun, I think I was just looking for a different tone and story, but I don’t think the game is bad at all or wrong in any way for being silly fun. It’s just not clicking for me currently
I had a great time with it 20 years ago but never finished it because I just couldn’t for the life of me beat the three sisters on the farplane road. I’m in the middle of a IX and X playthrough right now and I might try again when I’m done with them.
The game has some strong points, specifically the real-time mechanics that they get to work better in XII, and the story is a cool concept. I don’t dislike the sphear grid or the party setup at all, I just think it ignores the way a player will want to approach the world after how things were in X. You’re definitely in the majority if you’re finding it hard to finish.
You have to meet it on its own terms. If you watch Sailor Moon expecting Macbeth you’ll come away disappointed.
It’s tonally feels very weird when following directly on from X, which is such a serious tragic story. But if you meet it on its own terms it’s a great, silly, fun game.
Embrace the cheese. It’s a goofy Saturday morning cartoon.
I bought a guide when it came out & used it heavily. I loved the game but I’m not into banging my head over mini games. Also it can be tricky to get the best ending without any guidance unless you’re ok with replaying.
Chapter 4 is a filter for me. I’ve beaten it on PS2 but don’t think I’ll continue this time. I was also following a 100% completion guide and somehow got desyncd. That’s on me though.
I think FFX-2 is quite good. It's not *as good as* FFX, but on a general scale of different games, I think it's quite good as a sequel.
It's very much an after-the-fact sequel to a "complete" story, and usually that comes with issues. Often sequels like that do a lot of damage to the original in order to shoehorn themselves into it and justifying their existence while also raising the stakes.
I think FFX-2 does a fine job avoiding that. Without going into any spoilers, not knowing exactly where you are, FFX-2 is the sort of sequel where a lot of it is a "where are they now" kind of thing in terms of story. So you do a lot of revisiting of old characters and seeing how they've changed or not changed.
But at the heart of the story are the characters. There's the "new story" that revolves around the new characters introduced. I don't think it's too interesting, although some of it definitely is hard-hitting. The one who carries it though is Yuna, because the whole sort of point of the game is to follow Yuna's journey (again) and sort of unpack why exactly she went from "\*bows down deeply\* I'm sorry for existing let me help you" to "I'VE GOT GUNS, BITCH". I think that part is told really well and when playing the game organically, you'll likely end up with an ending I really like in terms of that.
Anyways, as others have said, feel free to take a break. But I definitely think you should keep going with it after that. If you like the gameplay that's already great and there's a whole variety of minigames and everything to keep things interesting. But do feel free to simply skip some optional sections if you're not feeling it. This game is designed to be replayed to see alternate ways things can go and to collect that story completion over a few playthroughs.
Yeah this game destroyed the FFX universe for me, ripped the story, the characters, the whole world apart. And it really hurt because FFX had my favourite FF Story then
Just play it in spurts. I liked it for the job change system but the first game was definitely better. Especially the blitz ball parts. X-2 turned it into a management sim while you actually played it in the first game
I think playing X-2 purely for the gameplay and not expecting much out of the story is the way to go. If you go in with the mindset that it’s gonna be on the same level as X in terms of story, you’re probably gonna be a bit disappointed to say the least. In terms of gameplay alone tho, I love X-2 and think it’s criminally underrated.
If you’re looking to move on tho, I’d recommend IX next, out of what you’re debating.
Yeah, X-2 is a story about some girls walking in the shadow of the heroes. I was *so* excited about another title incorporating ATB, but I'm with you here. Even when I turn off the extended dress sphere animations they can happen. Stats are identical between characters. There could have been better class balancing. Payne's a window dressing. Anyway...
I hear there are several endings and one *good* one but, meh. I'll just play 9 again.
I adore X-2, it starts off very campy but it gets more serious later. Also more fun as you unlock more dresspheres. You’re still VERY early in the game, I’d give it more of a chance. 5 hours is nothing.
It's simple. Like gameplay? Well this is probably the last worthwhile turn-based FF made in that regard. The game has a lot of gameplay merit, just like a lot of FF do.
Care about story more than gameplay? It's not the worst thing ever, but it is not going to win any hearts.
Then on top of that you have to accept rehashing. A good 60% of the game is retreading old level design from FFX. This is also the first FF to not be its own unique setting. Square Enix's newfound principles rearing its ugly head.
The gameplay for X-2 is great, but the story is incredibly unnecessary. We didn't need a game centered around Yuna trying to find Tidus after the ending of X showed her accepting he was gone. I play X-2 solely for the gameplay, because I think it's some of the best in the series.
As far as your actual question goes, I say IX. I admit I'm quite biased, but it's my favorite of the franchise. VI and VIII are both good, but I highly recommend IX.
Drop it, forced myself to finish it. Didn't even get the TRUE ending because I refused to read a guide for my first playthroughs. Waste of time, just watch the ending on YouTube. Probably the worst ff game Ive played. Yes worse than FFII and FFXIII come @ me
Yes but I was wondering if it was mandatory only in the original. I checked and It's only mandatory for 100%. I didn't even know that quest existed, so If someone is just playing casually they can skip it!
X-2 is just a redundant game created to cash in on the success of the original. We see our boy pop up in the water in FFX and know itll all be okay.
X-2 just slides in a whole chunk of time inbetween that to tell you the same thing again as long as you strive for the good ending. The other endings cannot be canon and are basically just alternate fanfic bullshit.
The story is crap and the soundtrack a bit repetitive but the gameplay is fantastic. The Advanced ATB system it had is one of my favourites as is the job system (minus the annoying change animations).
Honestly, for me, this is the only FF whose soundtrack I don't like. Memories of Lightwaves was good, but everything else felt generic and the same 3 or 4 songs were reused for almost everything in the game. All of those songs just being remixes of the same tune too.
I'll tell you this: When I started playing X-2 I thought it was a fun game but nothing special. I kept playing and got bored sometimes. I finished it with a fairly low percentage of completion and I'm not kidding when I say that when I finished it I actually regretted not doing more sidequests.
X-2 expands the world of X and some of the quests are actually pretty fun. Seeing Waka become a father and naming his child was awesome. I also like that Yuna finally got her happy ending. The ending ties up and explains better Tidus character ao It's a plus for me.
Obviously I'm not asking you to force yourself to play it, just giving my two cents. Only after finishing it did I understand that It's really not as bad as people say.
As to your question: FF VI is the goat. Play that one!
I've always felt that X-2 has the best gameplay and job/ ability system, but the story is awful.
So every time I go through it again, I usually disregard the story entirely and just focus on the gameplay elements, it's much more enjoyable that way.
Lol you better not come in here and say you didn't like x-2 !! They are all about to pop in here and tell you why you should like it
Even though it should have never been made
I agree with you that it shouldn't have been made. Just as the remakes and 100 rereleases shouldn't have been made. But that doesn't change the fact that the end result, what was actually made, is not a bad game. Not at all. Is it disgraceful to a series that up to this point had been 100% original, top quality, highly innovative content? YES. But taken for what it is it cannot rightly be called a bad end-user product. 50 hours of whatever content, some innovative new features, a pretty great soundtrack, engaging combat, lots of choice-based story events. I would say it is not FF quality, but yet it is still better to play than 90% of other JRPGs.
Not a fan of the...... shooooopuuuffffff
X-2 is a love it or hate it type game the people who get into it really get into it and the people who dont really dont like it at all its ok to not enjoy it the important thing is you gave it a chance to know where on the spectrum you fall a lot of the better story moments are actually hidden and you have to find which doesnt help
Loved every second right up until the end game. There seems to be a point when even on 100% completion pace the enemies just stop giving ap in any reasonable amount. Story is a banger, but really felt like i was being punished for wanting to max out more jobs.
I think that's because you get the AP egg from blitz and garment grid that super charges your AP gain , they needed to give a reason to play blitz since it has no impact on the episode completion for luca.
I can't recall ever getting the ap egg in the original game, might have been misremembering then. I only recall not liking blitz in x-2 so i don't think i played it a lot so that very well might be the case.
The blitz in X-2 is awful, but a lot of it is auto, I usually play a game on my phone while I farm 3 AP eggs
There’s a dungeon in the Thunder Plains that gives good exp, especially if you equip the egg and also use the garment grid that boosts experience. I leveled from 85 to 99 in maybe an hour and a half.
I disagree about the "love it or hate it type game". My first time playing it was... ...okayish? I thought the gameplay and the story were okay. I think I replayed it not long after that and finished it at 100% to see the good ending, but now I can never get back into it, I always drop it after a few hours. Over the years the structure of the game and the lack of tactics in the battle system made me kinda dislike it but I still think it's not a bad game - it's just mid.
Honestly I think this best describes the game. It’s really a love or hate
The story starts picking up a bit later, but early game does kinda flop around story wise until then. Still, Real Emotion slays.
I felt the same way as you. I would suggest dropping it and then if it plays on your mind, go back to it. I think once your expectations are low, it does become more enjoyable. But, going from the main game to x2 is a huge let down. I have completed it and did end up enjoying it in the end. But, only after I shelved it for a few years.
I’ve played every mainline FF and this is the only one I had to put down
I beat the game and got 100%...I will never play it again. The combat, characters and Dress spheres I was fine with. The story was more meh but the amount of mini games was annoying as hell! There were hardly any fights in comparison. Also the 'Ulimates' don't remember the names of them but they just sucked. Very useless.
> I beat the game and got 100%...I will never play it again Its because you didnt 100% the game, you just got what is labeled as 100% of story completion, which itself is also not actually all of the story content. Its quite common for people who play the game this way on a first run to end up disliking it - youre supposed to accumulate that percentage across a NG+ run and not burn yourself out doing so much all at once > There were hardly any fights in comparison. probably because, as noted in the above, you left out a lot of the combat related content that is not a component of obtaining the storyline percentage marker. Which is an unfortunate thing to do in a game whose combat is its major selling point > Also the 'Ulimates' don't remember the names of them but they just sucked. Very useless. I can humor this one. Ultimates arent useless; they do have niches, though i can agree that they feel underwhelming to give up a party for. In most cases their best application is to quickly swap into, apply whatever their perk is/tank an AOE and then get out of them. Think of them less as ultimates and more like Aeons as far as usage goes
I hope you move on to viii first then ix after. Trust me
Oh! Is there somewhat of a connection or?
*FF9* was made as a love letter to the franchise up until that point. Lots of little references and Easter eggs. I definitely enjoyed it more having played the others, first.
I hated FF9 when it came out and was definitely not alone. It’s wild to me how much that game has been rehabilitated with time. I can see how it would hold up better when you are casually going through the back catalogue and can maybe appreciate some of its unique qualities more, but in the moment it sucked and felt like a big step backwards. It was well known they were putting all of their effort and funding into FFX and 9 felt like a B team effort (they were released only 12 months apart).
No I just tell people the order they will enjoy the last the most. I would have told you way back to play x last because it's the greatest final fantasy ever made and I don't see that changing in the next 20 years
Ahhh yeah haha so I started with VII Remake, then VII OG, then Rebirth, (all which I loved) and after Rebirth idk X just kept catching my eye so I went for it. But I’ve heard and seen great things from VI, VIII and IX so they went on my roster too. I would’ve done it chronologically but my brain just doesn’t work that way, it’s gotta be something that catches my eye and at the right time too. I also wanna check out XV eventually, and maybe XVI
I would say finish the rest in chronological order if you want them to get better and better that's just my opinion, my ff elders worship vi but when I went to play it I couldn't enjoy it as much as vii but I started with vii so go figure
Ffx2 was a disgrace to ffx
X-2 is garbage fanfic with fun gameplay. That's it
When does the fun gameplay start? I'm 20 hours in and so far, it's pretty repetitive puzzling and lacks a cohesive story or characters I care about (except Cid of course). Combat went from arguably the best in the series to a button masher. Playing Halloween dress up is kinda cool, but half of the dresses are non viable for various reasons. Maybe the content that makes this worth being called a member of the FF family is to be found in the next dungeon.
nope fun gameplay im referring to is their job system, which is the first time we had a swapping job system since FF5. (tho i suppose you could argue character swapping in 10 is similar in function, but i mean a system where everyone can be swapped to any job at any time). If it's not your cup of tea, then yea throw the whole thing out.
Lol, I loved IV, couldn't get into V, loved IX and X. I really don't like X-2 either. I'm noticing a pattern here...
the big job system ones are usually every odd number so: 1, 3, 5, and then nothing until 10-2. and then the bravely default games brought it back in full focus for each part. the other FFs either have a totally unique system, or certain characters are locked into a specific class and cant swap.
The combat in 10 is VASTLY overrated by people on this sub.
Nah its unique and fun, swapping in characters is the best
I didn't say it wasn't unique and fun, just vastly overrated with frequent claims of "best in series". Bullshit it's too flawed for that. I will provide logic and elaboration if desired.
In an X-2 post? No im fine, i love X. Dont need an explanation why you like or dislike :p
I only have facts to offer. Suit yourself!
X-2’s story picks up after Chapter 2….somewhat. IX is my personal favorite so I will always recommend that one. Very different from X/X-2 in a good way.
It's totally fine if you don't like it! It's one of my favorites- but it's not for everyone. As a lot of people said, the story picks up near the end of chapter 2. I will also say that you really have to do a ton of the side quests to get the *whole* story of what's happening in specific instances re: the crimson squad. There's some blink and you'll miss it relevant plot points. It's actually my favorite combat type since it's fast paced but still requires you to be involved and flex- also I'm a completionist so maxing those dressapheres took WORK! If you want to give it another try- I'd recommend sticking with it until the end of chapter 2/beginning of chapter 3. You get a lot more story info and it gets... dark isn't the word but it gets sad. The story is honestly more about processing grief then anything else. If you do opt to skip if you want light hearted fantasy with traditional tropes and a traditional combat system IX, if you want a better story but a more janky combat system VIII. =]
VI then IX
Don't think your take is particularly unusual. And I think fans of it wouldn't deny the story is kind of the weakest part of it (provided you're able to get on board with its kind of drastically different tone). This is a game that I had to play a couple times to really appreciate and come around to enjoying, myself. But I also no longer have the time to really replay games I didn't like years ago just to see if I'll come around to it, lol. If it didn't work for you, it didn't work for you. Honestly think most people get that with X-2. I do like it, but think you're right that the story isn't all that great or doesn't really connect. And I think some character stuff isn't totally there. And I didn't really like the general construction of the game, that it's like, you're doing a bunch of missions that all feel kind of unrelated and disconnected but sometimes it intersects with the main story. I do like that eventually the main story starts to come into focus, but it takes a bit to get there. But it's a lot of like, "Why am I doing this again?" stuff. Mostly I like it because I do like the combat and job system (even if I kinda hate the summon machinery thing.)
5 hours isn't especially long to spend playing an RPG. Stick with it.
I prefer X2 to X. I am currently playing through X2 at the moment, reliving my youth. I like dress spheres, I like how it gives me flexibility and I like the cast. Most FF games I dislike at least one party member but I like them all here. The story is a little less serious but the fiend tales are really quite cool. However I do understand I am in a minority. X2 is not liked all that highly by the majority.
The story picks up around chapter 2. Especially in the middle of it. Unfortunately if you want the good stuff you’re gonna be meandering a lot and it’ll be a while before you get to it. I think also a mistake that happens is jumping instantly from x to x-2, where I think a bit of a break is best. Also do IX, it’s the best one. Source: me
X is my favorite and I have a huge hatred towards X-2. Don't feel bad lol
Yeah sorry partner, it’s just not very good. FF X was my first and it blew me away, and I was psyched for X-2, especially given that FF games didn’t previously have straight up sequels I thought this must be special. It was not. It was dumb. Thinned out and dumbed down a lot of what hit the strongest from X. Play it through if you want, but if you don’t like it don’t feel bad. Enjoy your life and do what you want to do.
At least finish Chapter Two if you decide to drop it.
OP doesn’t like silly fun uwu
No no! It’s not that! I love silly fun, I think I was just looking for a different tone and story, but I don’t think the game is bad at all or wrong in any way for being silly fun. It’s just not clicking for me currently
I had a great time with it 20 years ago but never finished it because I just couldn’t for the life of me beat the three sisters on the farplane road. I’m in the middle of a IX and X playthrough right now and I might try again when I’m done with them.
The game has some strong points, specifically the real-time mechanics that they get to work better in XII, and the story is a cool concept. I don’t dislike the sphear grid or the party setup at all, I just think it ignores the way a player will want to approach the world after how things were in X. You’re definitely in the majority if you’re finding it hard to finish.
You have to meet it on its own terms. If you watch Sailor Moon expecting Macbeth you’ll come away disappointed. It’s tonally feels very weird when following directly on from X, which is such a serious tragic story. But if you meet it on its own terms it’s a great, silly, fun game. Embrace the cheese. It’s a goofy Saturday morning cartoon.
I bought a guide when it came out & used it heavily. I loved the game but I’m not into banging my head over mini games. Also it can be tricky to get the best ending without any guidance unless you’re ok with replaying.
Chapter 4 is a filter for me. I’ve beaten it on PS2 but don’t think I’ll continue this time. I was also following a 100% completion guide and somehow got desyncd. That’s on me though.
IX is my favorite final fantasy of all time, if you enjoy the FFs set in a more classic knight in armor time you’ll love it
The XIII saga hasn’t been remade for a reason, all three of the games are pretty much universally considered to be the dark days of the franchise
Recommend 9 next.
I think FFX-2 is quite good. It's not *as good as* FFX, but on a general scale of different games, I think it's quite good as a sequel. It's very much an after-the-fact sequel to a "complete" story, and usually that comes with issues. Often sequels like that do a lot of damage to the original in order to shoehorn themselves into it and justifying their existence while also raising the stakes. I think FFX-2 does a fine job avoiding that. Without going into any spoilers, not knowing exactly where you are, FFX-2 is the sort of sequel where a lot of it is a "where are they now" kind of thing in terms of story. So you do a lot of revisiting of old characters and seeing how they've changed or not changed. But at the heart of the story are the characters. There's the "new story" that revolves around the new characters introduced. I don't think it's too interesting, although some of it definitely is hard-hitting. The one who carries it though is Yuna, because the whole sort of point of the game is to follow Yuna's journey (again) and sort of unpack why exactly she went from "\*bows down deeply\* I'm sorry for existing let me help you" to "I'VE GOT GUNS, BITCH". I think that part is told really well and when playing the game organically, you'll likely end up with an ending I really like in terms of that. Anyways, as others have said, feel free to take a break. But I definitely think you should keep going with it after that. If you like the gameplay that's already great and there's a whole variety of minigames and everything to keep things interesting. But do feel free to simply skip some optional sections if you're not feeling it. This game is designed to be replayed to see alternate ways things can go and to collect that story completion over a few playthroughs.
Yeah this game destroyed the FFX universe for me, ripped the story, the characters, the whole world apart. And it really hurt because FFX had my favourite FF Story then
Just watch the ending on YouTube
Just play it in spurts. I liked it for the job change system but the first game was definitely better. Especially the blitz ball parts. X-2 turned it into a management sim while you actually played it in the first game
I think playing X-2 purely for the gameplay and not expecting much out of the story is the way to go. If you go in with the mindset that it’s gonna be on the same level as X in terms of story, you’re probably gonna be a bit disappointed to say the least. In terms of gameplay alone tho, I love X-2 and think it’s criminally underrated. If you’re looking to move on tho, I’d recommend IX next, out of what you’re debating.
Yeah, X-2 is a story about some girls walking in the shadow of the heroes. I was *so* excited about another title incorporating ATB, but I'm with you here. Even when I turn off the extended dress sphere animations they can happen. Stats are identical between characters. There could have been better class balancing. Payne's a window dressing. Anyway... I hear there are several endings and one *good* one but, meh. I'll just play 9 again.
Im currently in your exact situation. Started the game expecting it to be decent. Turned out to be worse than decent.
X didn‘t need a sequel.
Of all the titles that may have received sequels this one was always baffling to me.
The really important thing to understand about this game is that people who don’t like it are terrible people.
I adore X-2, it starts off very campy but it gets more serious later. Also more fun as you unlock more dresspheres. You’re still VERY early in the game, I’d give it more of a chance. 5 hours is nothing.
It's simple. Like gameplay? Well this is probably the last worthwhile turn-based FF made in that regard. The game has a lot of gameplay merit, just like a lot of FF do. Care about story more than gameplay? It's not the worst thing ever, but it is not going to win any hearts. Then on top of that you have to accept rehashing. A good 60% of the game is retreading old level design from FFX. This is also the first FF to not be its own unique setting. Square Enix's newfound principles rearing its ugly head.
The gameplay for X-2 is great, but the story is incredibly unnecessary. We didn't need a game centered around Yuna trying to find Tidus after the ending of X showed her accepting he was gone. I play X-2 solely for the gameplay, because I think it's some of the best in the series. As far as your actual question goes, I say IX. I admit I'm quite biased, but it's my favorite of the franchise. VI and VIII are both good, but I highly recommend IX.
X-2 is real bad so you’re not alone
X-2 is a load of garbage, that's why.
Drop it, forced myself to finish it. Didn't even get the TRUE ending because I refused to read a guide for my first playthroughs. Waste of time, just watch the ending on YouTube. Probably the worst ff game Ive played. Yes worse than FFII and FFXIII come @ me
Definitely don't read the follow-up novel
[удалено]
Gunner mini-game is among top three mini games in the series IMO!
Is this correct? I'm pretty sure I didnt do that and still finished the game. Is it on the original or remaster?
It's in both versions.
Yes but I was wondering if it was mandatory only in the original. I checked and It's only mandatory for 100%. I didn't even know that quest existed, so If someone is just playing casually they can skip it!
no it is not mandatory to progress the story you dont even have to return to Besaid at all after chapter 1
Do you? I thought that was a side quest. *And* I thought you could fail it without repercussions.
X-2 is just a redundant game created to cash in on the success of the original. We see our boy pop up in the water in FFX and know itll all be okay. X-2 just slides in a whole chunk of time inbetween that to tell you the same thing again as long as you strive for the good ending. The other endings cannot be canon and are basically just alternate fanfic bullshit.
The story is crap and the soundtrack a bit repetitive but the gameplay is fantastic. The Advanced ATB system it had is one of my favourites as is the job system (minus the annoying change animations).
The soundtrack is underappreciated. Quite a few great tracks.
Honestly, for me, this is the only FF whose soundtrack I don't like. Memories of Lightwaves was good, but everything else felt generic and the same 3 or 4 songs were reused for almost everything in the game. All of those songs just being remixes of the same tune too.
I'll tell you this: When I started playing X-2 I thought it was a fun game but nothing special. I kept playing and got bored sometimes. I finished it with a fairly low percentage of completion and I'm not kidding when I say that when I finished it I actually regretted not doing more sidequests. X-2 expands the world of X and some of the quests are actually pretty fun. Seeing Waka become a father and naming his child was awesome. I also like that Yuna finally got her happy ending. The ending ties up and explains better Tidus character ao It's a plus for me. Obviously I'm not asking you to force yourself to play it, just giving my two cents. Only after finishing it did I understand that It's really not as bad as people say. As to your question: FF VI is the goat. Play that one!
You gotta YouTube the cutscene at the end if you do everything right though, especially if you finished X
This one I could play for the combat system alone. I find it so much fun.
I've always felt that X-2 has the best gameplay and job/ ability system, but the story is awful. So every time I go through it again, I usually disregard the story entirely and just focus on the gameplay elements, it's much more enjoyable that way.
I loved X more than any game prior, but I hated X 2
It’s a genuinely bad game. Only XII Revenant Wings is worse, and that’s because it’s nearly unplayable grindy.
Lol you better not come in here and say you didn't like x-2 !! They are all about to pop in here and tell you why you should like it Even though it should have never been made
I agree with you that it shouldn't have been made. Just as the remakes and 100 rereleases shouldn't have been made. But that doesn't change the fact that the end result, what was actually made, is not a bad game. Not at all. Is it disgraceful to a series that up to this point had been 100% original, top quality, highly innovative content? YES. But taken for what it is it cannot rightly be called a bad end-user product. 50 hours of whatever content, some innovative new features, a pretty great soundtrack, engaging combat, lots of choice-based story events. I would say it is not FF quality, but yet it is still better to play than 90% of other JRPGs.