Final Fantasy 10

The next generation of console wars had begun, and the Playstation 2 was the hot product. Square was ready to bring its premier franchise, Final Fantasy, into the next generation, and would do so in a bold and fantastic way that would set the standards for the entire generation of games with the release of Final Fantasy X. Much of the team from Final Fantasy VII and VIII would return, and surprisingly a lot like FFVII, FFX would set the benchmark for the entire next generation of role playing games.

Final Fantasy X was not without its controversy, as it did away with many traditions. The world map disappeared, replaced with a world connected only by pathways, and airship travel was restricted to a menu. For the first time, voice acting was used, and while receiving criticism, was the best English voice acting of its time for an RPG, making the already tear jerking game all the more irresistible! The card minigame would be replaced with Blitzball, summons would become actual party members replacing your regular party once summoned, and Chocobos could only be ridden in certain areas, excluding a chocobo training minigame.

Perhaps the greatest departure from the three Playstation games was the change in battle system. Final Fantasy X went from the Active Time Battles to a new, Conditional Turn Based battle system. The CTB paused battles when it was a player's turn, and attacks would be executed the moment an action was chosen. The battle party of seven could also be switched mid battle, another new mechanic in the series, but a highly important one, as certain enemies were weak against certain characters. Each character was unique, from the Summoner Yuna to the Black Mage Lulu.

The story was a step forward for the series. The world of Spira had been ravaged by a terrible, resurrecting enemy known as Sin for as long as history can reach. However, there were a select few selfless individuals who have ventured to destroy the great beast, at the cost of a dangerous pilgrimage to obtain the legendary Aeons to bring Sin down for ten years of calm: the summonses. One such summoner, a young woman named Yuna, set off on a pilgrimage of her own to defeat Sin as her father did. Along with her closest friends and allies as guardians, she set out to obtain the summoned aeons, fully aware of the danger and inevitable tragedy that awaited them on their journey. However, in the distant land of Zanarkand, Sin hurls a young man named Tidus away from his home and straight into Yuna's Spira...and it becomes obvious very quickly that it was fate that the two would meet. For amongst the corrupt religion and the treacherous leaders who would use Spira's sorrow to their advantage, it seems that Tidus may hold the key to unlocking the secret behind Sin's rebirth...