by Tha Dogg

"Pick a world, we'll take you there". That is a motto by Squaresoft. They have time and time ago, created a fantasy world for us to live in, and just about every time, that world, was a good one. Square didn't disappoint us with this one. Final Fantasy X brings a great new world, great new characters, a great new battle system, and of course, a great new epic story.

Immediately after starting to play this game, you'll notice a difference. The Final Fantasy is unlike any other. The graphics have been bumped up, there is voice acting instead of just dialogue boxes, and the battle system is very new and unique.

Thankfully, the voice acting is great. Each character's voice fits him/her just fine. The only problems here are at some points, Yuna's voice acting is subpar, and there are many times when the characters' lip movement isn't corresponding to the voices. These are just minor flaws though, and don't detract from the game.

The battle system, for many, will time a little time and experience to learn. But once you get the catch of things, it seems simple. IMO, the system is a great idea as it requires the player becomes more involved in the development of the character. However, for me, there were just too many flaws in it that makes me like the traditional "fight=level up" method. There were just too many points in the game where I found myself running out of certain items that allow me to level up my characters. Some advanced skills can only be reached by certain level items that unlock paths to that skill. Some of these level spheres are very scare, and therefore, very hard to find.

The actual fighting game play is great however. Its more action and strategy based as you can substitute character right in the middle of the match. Also, certain characters are more prone to deal with certain enemies than others so you must use them at certain points, and other characters at other points.

As for the story line, it still has that same epic feel we all know and love in it. However, the game itself, without all the side quests and secrets, is very short. When I mean short, I mean the entire game can be beaten in about the same time as the first Final Fantasy 7 disc.

Overall, this Final Fantasy game does not disappoint. While shorter than others, it still provides many hours of fun. The story is very good and so is the new battle system. If you're a fan of the Final Fantasy series, don't hesitate to pick this one up!

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