Reviving a classic.
Final Fantasy X was the sole piece of software that sold me on Sony's gaming platform back in 2001. At the time I was a loyal Nintendo fan, never giving a care or thought to what the world of PlayStation had to offer gamers. That all changed when I first laid eyes upon Square's high profile role-playing game on PS2. The fantastical world full of blitzball and creature summoning not only roped me into Sony's ecosystem, it served as a gateway into the trio of Final Fantasy games that launched prior on the original PlayStation.
As such, I have an incredibly soft spot for Final Fantasy X, and when Square Enix announced that it would be layering a fresh coat of HD paint over the original game for PlayStation 3 gamers, I was beside myself with joy. The folks over at Square are perfectionists, so I knew that the HD port of FFX (and FFX-2) would look gorgeous, and for that reason alone this re-release can't be missed.
I spent some time at Square Enix's E3 booth playing Final Fantasy X HD Remaster and I'm pleased to report that the game is absolutely stunning in high definition. In fact, seeing this visually upgraded port makes it hard to believe that this game was originally a PS2 title. Aside from that, there isn't a whole lot I need to say about the game. It's very much the same exact title that was available years ago, just a whole lot prettier.
The demo covered the beginning of the game, immediately following the dramatic events that befall a blitzball match. Fighting the bad guys as Tidus and Auron took me back to my youth, reminding me why I love Final Fantasy so much. Seriously, if you have any affinity toward the tenth installment in Square's role-playing franchise, you absolutely need to pick up the HD game, if only to relieve those fond memories of years' past.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster doesn't reinvent the wheel or offer anything new (it is just an HD port after all) but having this classic experience in a far more visually appealing form cannot be overlooked. This game is an absolute must for JRPG fans.
