Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Credit: Gamepro.com The buzz on Final Fantasy X-2 never seems to simmer down around here—although the U.S. release is still a ways off, the first real sequel in the Final Fantasy series is looking hotter and hotter every time we lay eyes upon it. Square's been promising us that the game will be far different from the last one, and they proved it with an update to the official Japanese site that (finally) outlines what's so new about the new title. The opening plot of FFX-2 works something like this: It's two years after the end of FFX, Sin is right and truly defeated, and the world of Spira has entered an age of "eternal calm," free of the millennial armageddons it used to experience. The world's in a state of fervent reconstruction and restoration—nobody believes the wayward teachings of Yevon anymore, so Spira's populace have finally begun to embrace both the people of Al Bhed and the use of modern technology. Yuna, though, is experiencing a touch of post-trauma depression. Although Spira loves her to bits and she's happy with the current peace, she can't help but feel that something's missing in her life, somehow. Into this picture enters Rikku, who pays a visit to Yuna at her home on Besaid Island. Rikku's got an ancient sphere with her—a magical one that shows images of Tidus, her old flame that "went away" at the end of FFX. These spheres, buried here and there across the landscape, are receptacles of knowledge that were hidden away by the Yevon temples because they held the truth behind Spira's history. Many of Spira's young adventurers are taking up sphere hunting as a steady job, searching for them in caves, old temples and other likely places. Hoping to find some sort of clue about what happened to Tidus, Yuna forms a sphere-hunting group—the Kamome (Seagull) Clan—and sets off on a new quest. Yuna's clan will have one rather unfair advantage over all the other sphere hunters—you'll have an airship, the Celsius, right off the bat in FFX-2. Since you can access any point in Spira from the start of the game, the plot will use an episodic or mission-based format to advance the story instead of leading you by a leash around the game world. When you start out, you'll have a few leads on where to find new spheres; once you follow through with them, you'll uncover more missions (sphere-hunting quests) and episodes (plot points and non-sphere-related jobs). Exactly which missions you gain access to depends on what order you follow your leads—there's an Active Link system that opens up new mission choices based on where you decide to go first—and not all the missions will be available all the time, meaning that no two FFX-2 games will be alike. Hmm. Certainly beats the extreme linearity of the original. Final Fantasy X-2 comes out next March in Japan and probably sometime later in 2003 over here. As always, you'll be the first to know when Square releases more information on this fine title. Assuming you're smart enough to read GamePro.com, that is. I'm sure you are. And some more.... Square has been leaking out plot info, details, and other little bits of knowledge on Final Fantasy X-2 for much of the past few months. In fact, this has been going on for so long that there are only two things left to reveal, really—the battle system, and the identity of the new character who's the third member of your all-woman party. The company took care of both mysteries this week. Here we go: As the previews in this week's issues of Famitsu and other Japanese game mags showed, FFX-2's fights will mark a return to the Active Time Battle system used in previous games. This system allows battles to progress in more-or-less realtime, whether you direct your party to do anything or not. Every command you issue—physical attack, special move or basic item usage—takes up a certain amount of time, and if you can time your commands correctly, you can unleash chain attacks and combo moves at your enemies. Another important part of fighting in FFX-2 is job changing—or, as Square euphemistically calls it, the "dress up" system. Simply put, Yuna and her friends can use special spheres during battle to change their jobs and gain access to different attacks and abilities. All sorts of jobs will be available, from fighter and gunner to thief and "idol singer", and the transition from job to job will be marked with transformation cutscenes similar in style to the monster-summoning bits from previous FFs. The third main character in FFX-2 is Pine (English spelling subject to change), an emotionless 16-year-old who joined Yuna's sphere-hunting clan before Yuna even entered the scene. She's a bit of a mysterious lady, as FF heroines tend to be—she can speak Al Bhed perfectly even though she's not from the Al Bhed tribe, and no one in the game knows a thing about her past. At the beginning, anyway. Pine will be joining Yuna and Rikku to form the core of FFX-2's cast of characters. Other folks from FFX will be making appearances, though, and you'll find out what happened to Wakka, Lulu and Kimahri at a relatively early point in the game. (The Japanese previews already gave their stories away, but we'll try to avoid spoiling it for now.) Final Fantasy X-2 is hitting Japan next March and the U.S. sometime later next year. As always, stay tuned for more information on Square's 2003 library—it'll be a very busy year for them. Sooo....not only is this the first direct sequal to an FF, but apparently, it'll be an all girl battle team? Either way, this game looks f'n awesome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Man in Blak Report post Posted February 2, 2003 I really appreciate the fact that they're finally going to follow up one of the FF storylines and, given the way that FFX ended, it's obviously the best one to work with. I'm kind of disappointed that they're not moving forward with the wicked turn-based system that they had in FFX, but I can't complain against ATB either, considering that it's still essentially the console RPG standard. The premise is good. The idea of an all-female team is interesting. Overall, this definitely could be a good title to look out for. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Pine? I thought it was Paine... Ah well. Have you seen the gun controller? At IGN, there's this... THING... it looks like its 2 pistols mounted on a plastic holder thing, but it's actually a controller. Don't ask me how, I can't figure it out. Aaaaanyway, yea, I'm looking forward to this one too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Pine? I thought it was Paine... The spelling will probably change when it comes out. But, if Yuna has a "clan" with her...shouldn't we be using the battle system from FFX...you know, where you can trade members in and out of batter? What would be even better is if she could select who she wants in her group...like we selected Blitzball players from the first FFX. Speaking of Blitzball.....will that be in the sequeal?!?!?!?! Another important part of fighting in FFX-2 is job changing—or, as Square euphemistically calls it, the "dress up" system. Simply put, Yuna and her friends can use special spheres during battle to change their jobs and gain access to different attacks and abilities. All sorts of jobs will be available, from fighter and gunner to thief and "idol singer", and the transition from job to job will be marked with transformation cutscenes similar in style to the monster-summoning bits from previous FFs. This has to be the most interesting news out of them all.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lightning Flik Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Blitzball might be back, but I'm guessing you can only get the mini-game going after some point during the game (plot related). Also Yuna, Rikku, and Paine aren't the ONLY members you'll get along the way. I remember reading that somewhere along the way (probably at RPGamer.com) you'll get some others. So it's not totally an all girl team. But gotta admit that it's a different trend of pace by having an all girl starting party. I'm all for this sequel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Those are the guns. A fully functioning Dual Shock PS2 controller, they say... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Why would you even need a gun controller for an RPG?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 No no, it's equivalent to a PS2 controller. The buttons on the guns, wherever the hell they are, are the same as L1 and L2 and R1 and R2 and X and O and oh my God it's confusing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Exactly my point. Or is it like that GunCon, or whatever the hell it is, that would perhaps be used for a special stage in the game? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 If I read the article right, you can use it for pretty much any game. They went out of their way to say it's not for the shooting mini-game for FFX-2, so I think it's just an all-purpose deal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest EricMM Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Can I just say that I hav awaited a shooting RPG since fucking point blank did it sooo many years ago? I know these aren't gun-cons but wouldn't that be AWSOME if they were? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Character Images... Yuna DAYUM! Yunie's got the whole bad-ass chick look workin' for her...even though she still wears light pinks and blues. Interesting.....The outfit change is only half surprising, since Yunie *is* Al Bhed...but that's still a dramatic change over what she wore the last game. "Payne" Would anyone care if I said this chick is sexy? Not to mention her sword just rules the known world. "Rikku" Could her shorts get ANY shorter?! *rolls her eyes* Stupid fanboys... Seriously, I never got why Rikku was the fave chick of FFX (not to mention why she is often paired with Auron in the fic world). If I had to rate the FFX-2 chicks (in a totally non-lesbian way) I'd say "Payne" first, Yunie second, and Rikku third. Besides, how could anyone deal with that hair???? *shudder* That would just annoy the fuck outta me. "??????" Seymour and Auron's love child!!! :lol: :lol: I'd like to introduce this man to a certain invention known as the scissors..... I promise it'll be just a small snip... "?????" I'm guessing they're the villains.... Credit: http://www.ffinsider.net/ffx2/ THEY HAVE MOVIES FOR D/L!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Is that supposed to be Paine/Pine, in the spiky outfit? EDIT: Ah, the spiky picture has been removed. All right then. And I don't know why you're complaining about Rikku's hair, Paine/Pine's is just icky looking. I'm not exactly drooling over Rikku's dreadlocks, but that's still better than Paine's weird "Stick it all straight up and then let it fall over itself" deal. Auron/Seymour lovechild was exactly what I thought when I saw that guy. That hair is just ridiculous. He could hurt someone with that thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Erm...yeah, I think it is "Payne". It's one of the job pics, I suppose.... And I'm not really complaining about Rikku's hair...I'm just wondering how anyone could deal with it. I mean, sure, it's great to look at and stuff, but could you imagine trying to undo it all? Auron/Seymour lovechild was exactly what I thought when I saw that guy. That hair is just ridiculous. He could hurt someone with that thing. His weapons of choice: a cane stick and....the dreaded....HAIR WHIP~! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 His weapons of choice: a cane stick and....the dreaded....HAIR WHIP~! Isn't one of the new "jobs" a "singer"? He could headbang for a limit break! The results would be disastrous! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Hell, he should just cut that a bit short, gel the fuck outta it, then his hair will come to a point!! Seyron: I will now destroy you! *does headbang and gets his hair stuck in the the ground* Uh....just give me a moment... *Yuna, "Payne", and Rikku sit down for a picnic* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Seyron: Uh... little help? *Yuna walks over and begins slicing carrots on his razor-sharp hair* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Seyron: AHH!! MY HAIR!! IT HAS...CARROT IN IT!! MY BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS HAIR!! *bawls like a bitch* Heh...it's only the two of us, chirs3. *sigh* Ah well. Have you checked out any of the vids yet? *damns her cable modem straight to hellfire and brimstone for being so damned slow* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Holy...fuckin'...shit.... Chirs3, have you downloaded the 35mb trailer vid?? Dayum, I get chills just watching it. YUNA SINGS!! The CG in this game just reeks of awesomeness! And I never thought I'd see the day when Yuna would be a gun totin' bad ass chick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 2, 2003 Just got back from The Recruit (good movie, by the by), sorry to abandon the conversation... sort-of conversation... whatever it was. Anywho, I've seen one trailer, really bad quality. No Yuna singing, though. Where is this 35mb one of which you speak? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2003 http://www.ffinsider.net/ffx2/movie.php The 35mb vid shows Yunie dancing and singing, plus some gameplay and stuff. The battle looks...odd. I've seen brief scenes where the characters are all attacking at once...hhmmm...some combo? The cutscenes where the characters "change jobs" looks really cool. The 58mb vid dosen't show Yunie singing, but it does show more gameplay vids. It's just weird to see Yunie attacking with guns..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted February 3, 2003 Wel... uh... That was... odd... The singing, I mean... Yuna the pop star? And the combat looks, uh... different... That's probably the best way to sum this game up: different... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2003 FFX2 = Ownage Different, but geez, it will SO rule when it comes out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jobber of the Week Report post Posted February 3, 2003 The Magic Box was now showing a new accessory. Yuna's Guns plug into the PS2 and she fires them when you fire them at the screen. How gimmicky. I'll be shocked if they do anything besides pander to fanboys with this game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JHawk Report post Posted February 3, 2003 I'm trying to avoid the movies and stuff (I like being as surprised as possible when it comes to these games), but I gotta admit I'm looking very forward to this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2003 Ooopsies...I didn't realize what I was posting *could be* considered spoilers. Well, here's some more info I found. Credit: http://www.ffx2.com/ ****POSSIBLE SPOILER**** Gameplay A whole new experience. Battle System A lot of popular things from FFX have indeed been removed this time around. Although many people may be irritated by the changes at first, they're likely for the better. Overdrives are gone. Overkill is gone. The Sphere Grid is gone. Aeons, obviously, are also gone. Instead of the CTB based battle system, Squaresoft will be taking FFX-2 back to ATB (Active Time Battle). However, although the bars must still fill up before each character can take action, the battles are much more fast paced. Also, interestingly enough, the artificial intelligence of your foes will be much greater; instead of attacking your party and returning to their starting position, they may very well move to a new spot on the battle field (this will also be the case with your party). Plus, in addition to this new feature, your party will be able to communicate/talk with their opposing foes during battle. But alas, unfortunately, the significance of this has yet to be determined. Jobs To stir things up a bit, each character will be able to switch back and forth between jobs during battle. Not only will this change the skills they have available, but each character will also have a new/unique outfit that they change into for each corresponding job. This is made possible through the use of "dress-spheres." By default, Yuna will be a Gunner, Rikku will be a thief, and Paine will be a Warrior. However, as of now, each character will be able rotate between eight different jobs. They consist of: White Mage. Black Mage. Warrior. Gunner. Thief. Dancer. Dark Knight. Gambler. Additions to the Field Map Taken from the action-game-point-of-view, Yuna and company can now perform the following actions when on the field map: Climb. Jump. Run. Missions Often called the "Mission Select System," this addition will allow players to choose certain episodes of the game that they wish to play. By doing this, the game allows one to somewhat control its plot and the way things turn out. Upon mission completion [pic], players will be free to venture on to the next mission. However, there will be some obvious restrictions as to what point in the game certain missions can be carried out. But ultimately, this system will allow players the opportunity to adjust the story a bit here and there, resulting in an addition to its replay value. When reading through the character descriptions, I came across a funny tidbit from Paine's: According to Nojima, Paine is supposed to represent a mix between a female Squall and Fujin, from FFVIII. She succeeds in doing so. At the same time, it also seems as if she has picked up a few fashion trends from Lulu. She looks part goth, wears a black chest sash, and possesses red eyes. In addition to these traits, she also resembles the look of many J-rock group outfits. Seems Fuijin and Squall got busy... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conspiracy_Victim 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2003 Few more notes from my latest GameInformer. Those are indeed the bad guys in your last pic Yuna. They are (pending changes in translation) Sano, LeBlanc, and Uno. They are members of a rival Sphere Hunter group The "entire cast" of playable characters are female. Interestingly enough, they also mention the "Job Wheel" working in CONJUCTION with the Sphere Grid. Also mentioned the jobs "Mascot" and "Pop Star". Hence the singing Yuna. Whether she acts as a bard (ie stat boosts for the others) or what isn't mentioned. Mascot sounds like a ready made job for Rikku though. Again, all this stuff may change as the game evolves, and given the time it takes to go to press I'd take it with a grain of salt, but right now it sounds like Square is still coming up with a viable advancing system. On a personal note, I'd like to say NO OVERDRIVES? WTF? NOOOOOO!! P.S. I'd love to check the movie, but with a dialup connection it would take until next week to get it. Anyone know where a zipped version is by chance? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest EricMM Report post Posted February 3, 2003 I saw the trailer. I dunno about this whole electronic kick square has gone on recently. Simple and Clean was actually pretty good, but I dunno... I will accept it as a Final Fantasy, but do we really need to go more towards Dead Or Alive? You have a all female cast and you can obtain new (and usually skimpy) outfits to dress them up in! I think, if this game has too much fan service, it will become silly. BUT. It is still a Final Fantasy (and that now means something since X was really good.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2003 P.S. I'd love to check the movie, but with a dialup connection it would take until next week to get it. Anyone know where a zipped version is by chance? At the site they have a bunch of pics from the movie.... The "entire cast" of playable characters are female. Chick power! Well, that should cater to the fangirls out there. Although I don't it will turn away male players. Case in point...BloodRayne. I doubt many guys didn't play the game because of the female lead. And if you did....WTF is wrong with you?! Also mentioned the jobs "Mascot" and "Pop Star". Hence the singing Yuna. Whether she acts as a bard (ie stat boosts for the others) or what isn't mentioned. Mascot sounds like a ready made job for Rikku though. According to what I saw on the trailer, the cast can 'switch' jobs during battle, which will be shown in a cutscene similar to a GF/Aeon (sp?) summoning. I saw Payne in what would be considered a Black Mage outfit on the trailer, and there are a few artworks of her as a knight (w/kick ass armor), and Rikku as some sort of trickster. So, I'm guessing that's how the job system will work with the sphere grid. I saw the trailer. I dunno about this whole electronic kick square has gone on recently. Simple and Clean was actually pretty good, but I dunno... I'm guessing it's a mix of J-Pop and popular techno. *shrug* Personally, I like it. And another thing I'm curious about...why go back to the ATB? FFX's battles were a lot faster because you didn't have to wait on some bar to fill up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conspiracy_Victim 0 Report post Posted February 5, 2003 Yeah ATB blows (IMHumbleO, o' course). The only other FF I've ever had a chance to play is VIII (yes I know what most people think, but I thought it was pretty good, especially the cutscenes [Fatalis Liberati and The Dance]) and it took WAAAAAYYYY to long to fight, with half the time spent waiting for the bars to fill up. The pseudo-turn based system of X was much better. BTW Yeah I got the job system but I was just hypothesizing about what the different jobs might do (pop star = bard, trickster or gambler = thief, etc.). I like the Paine picture in the Knight armor and no I don't mind playing as a female lead, especially the girls from Fear Effect . I just wish they'd say, "OK, the game is March in Japan, we've already started the English voice work, so you should have it in the States by May, with a bunch of extras to make you feel better about waiting!" Of course THAT ain't gonna happen. So I will beat FFX AGAIN, Kingdom Hearts AGAIN, go to work on C&C: Generals, and wait patiently. I still want a FF worlds based Kingdom Hearts 2 though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
