Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD First Impressions
Despite the fact that I told myself I wasn't going to get this game, I ended up picking it up anyways. I've played through both X and X-2 a few times back on the PS2, and I already like both quite a bit. For me, this post will be my impressions of what I've experienced thus far in the rerelease. So far, I've only played through to the first Cloister of Trials on Besaid, so my thoughts only reflect that portion of X.
First of all, I have to say that this game has never looked better. While I didn't mind the look of the PS2 version on my HDTV, it was definitely pretty ugly. Having everything at HD resolutions with some added work done to the main character models already makes me happy with my purchase. I got some of the same feelings of awe I had when I first saw the city of Zanarkand at the beginning of the games. So far, the locations all look pretty gorgeous.
However, this was a PS2 game, and the fact that this game is about 13 years old became even more apparent with the upgraded visuals and after playing games on the current generation consoles. For anyone who may not have played the original release, here are some things you can expect:
1. The game doesn't let you control the camera. It has fixed camera angles that change as you walk from location to location. It can be annoying not only being unable to move the camera, but walking or picking items can sometimes be a chore as the camera constantly changes.
2. Voices don't match the lips of the characters. This isn't something I really expected to be changed in any way, but it seems even more noticeable now. People will have their mouths opened seconds before anything comes out of their mouth, or their lips will still be going after they've finished talking.
3. You can't skip cutscenes. This isn't a huge problem for me, but that is a nice feature to have if you are having to replay a section of a game over and over due to losing to a boss or something.
4. Only the main character models had work done, so the lower quality of the other NPCs can be a bit jarring. There are also certain textures and effects that look distinctly last gen (such as water splashes). Not a huge problem for me, but they do highlight the age of the game.
Another thing to note is the music. As everyone surely knows by this point, most of the music has been rearranged and rerecorded for the HD release. So far, I'm loving the music. Granted, it's been a while since I last played X. I loved the original soundtrack too, and it's possible I'd prefer it to the remastered stuff. Without having that in mind as I play the game, though, I find myself having no issues with the reworked stuff.
One final comment is that the flashback/dream-type sequences have a sepia tone/film grain overlay now compared to the more foggy look of the sequences originally. I really don't like how the cheap film grain effect looks here.
What have been your thoughts so far, whether playing these games for the very first time or not? Anyone had a chance to look at X-2 yet?
