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A look inside the (NA) FFX HD pre-order: which version is right for you?
With the release of FFX/X-2 HD just being a little shy of two weeks away, I thought I'd take a look at the different versions of the game that are being released. As I go through this I'll be trying to decide which version of the game is right for me. Maybe, with any luck, it'll help you decide as well. Let's start with the standard game.
Alright, so as far as the game itself goes, each version comes with all the bonus content included in the international version giving you over 20 hours of bonus game play plus the Eternal Calm cinematic cutscene and a 30 minute audio drama. On top of that, the soundtracks are remastered and trophies are added as well. No matter which version of the game you get, you'll be getting these added features!
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For PlayStation 3 players, both games come on one disc. For PS Vita players, you get a copy of Final Fantasy X, and a download voucher for Final Fantasy X-2.
Pre-ordering the standard version of the PS3 game will automatically upgrade you to the limited edition packaging shown above, which includes a beautiful cover as well as a 24 page concept art book. The list price is $39.99 and you get these added bonuses at no extra cost. Pre-ordering the PS Vita version nets you 3 collector's art cards, also at a price of $39.99. The game allows you to cross-save, so you can transfer your data from PS3 to Vita and keep on playing the same save file.
The next step up, the ultimate offering, is the limited quantity collector's edition only available through the Square Enix online store. It's priced at a hefty $79.99, so let's take a look inside and see if the bang is worth the buck to you.
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On top of the game, the collector's edtion includes a 40 page artbook, 5 lithograph art prints, a game cover true to the original Japanese release, and a blu ray music disc. The lithographs are not the same images as the art cards in the Vita version of the game, so that's something to consider for people who like buying games for more than one system.
I haven't been able to discover whether or not the artbook with the limited edition and the artbook with the collector's edition have the same pictures or not. It's unclear whether they are two separate bodies of work or if the CE is the LE + more pages. The blu ray disc with 6 hours of music is not just a soundtrack, if you put it into a blu ray player you'll be able to see imagery as well as hear the music. You can, however, just rip MP3 files off the disc if you would like.
One big thing to point out about the soundtrack is that, by itself, it sells for $59.99. Therefore, people looking to just buy the standard version of the game now and the soundtrack perhaps a little later are looking at around 100 dollars. Just something to keep in mind when looking at the Collector's Edition which has both things, plus artwork, plus lithograph prints for 20 dollars less. Another way to look at it is you're buying the soundtrack, and on top of that you're getting the game and art for only 20 dollars more. This CE is starting to entice me.
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Ultimately, the version you buy is up to you and how much time you want to spend with Spira when you aren't playing the game. Will you look at an artbook or listen to the game's music in your free time, or is seeing and hearing all the beauty while actually playing the game enough for you?
As for myself, I think I've decided in the process of writing this that I want to purchase the collector's edition. The art and music is a great way for me to visit Spira down the line at a time when I want to revisit the world but not necessarily play the game. Not to mention weighing the price of a soundtrack versus getting the bundle as whole. Regardless of the version you get, I hope you'll be playing along with me when it's released March 18th!
