I enjoyed the fast-paced battle system, even if you ended up mashing attack over and over again. The gameplay was enjoyable. I've always been a huge fan of the battle system, but I wasn't too fond of being able to switch jobs in the middle of the battle. That was another thing that turned me off to FFX-2 as well as FFX. The strategical element of forming a party that functions effectivelyby using combinations of characters based on their job-specific abilities is totally negated when you can switch in a job mid-battle if you need it.

I would say that FFX-2 was a let down, but I hadn't had much faith in it to begin with. The music was absolutely atrocious, for one. It was annoying to the point of major distraction. I found myself putting the television on mute when "plot" wasn't being "developed" through dialog.

Which brings me to my next point: the plot. FFX-2 featured the most half-assed attempt at a plot in the history of numbered Final Fantasy titles. If the vast disappointment that was the plot--or lack thereof--hadn't been enough, it completely ruined FFX's ending. I'll admit, I was never a huge FFX fan. It was an enjoyable game. It had a decent plot. It was fun to play. That was about the extent of it. My favorite part of the whole game was most definitely the ending and FFX-2 shattered everything that made the ending so good.

FFX's ending was a good one. It wasn't happy, but maybe that's why it was as good as it was. Sometimes I get sick of happy endings. When it comes down to it, FFX's ending wasn't all that sad. The best part of the whole thing was the scene after the credits that shows Tidus waking up underwater. I loved the ambiguity that that scene evoked. Did Tidus come back? Or was he just awakening in another dream world (the one that Shiva's fayth promised him when you revisit the temples and go to the fayths' rooms)? Obviously, having a sequel answered this question. Where's the fun in that?

As if that wasn't enough, the multiple endings situation irritated me to no end. Okay, I understand the idea of completing the game to get a better ending, but come on! Some of the side quests you had to do to get 100% completion bugged the hell out of me. On top of that, there was that whole deal of knowing to press the X button at the right time. What's up with that?

Overall, the game was a vast waste of my time. I played through once only because I was hoping for the plot to improve at some point. I was praying that there would be a hint of depth to the game. I play RPGs for a good story. I don't need fabulous gameplay to make me happy. As long as the gameplay doesn't detract from the plot, I'll take just about anything if the plot is good. That's why I play RPGs. When I want a game that's just mindless fun, I'll go play something else. FFX-2's horrible plot doomed the game no matter how much fun the battle system was.