PaigeFTW: Revisiting My First ‘Final Fantasy’
The worlds of Final Fantasy have always been among the most beloved of any video game to me. The iconic notes of Bombing Mission at the start of Final Fantasy VII … the grandeur of Ivalice in Final Fantasy XII … and the beauty of Yuna dancing on water in Final Fantasy X.
Previously I had dismissed that last one, my first Final Fantasy, as being, well, cheesy. Sure, its battle system is one of the smoothest in the series and it remains one of the most beloved and iconic installments, but the story was … weird (search YouTube for “Final Fantasy X laughing” and cringe with me) and the mini-games aggravating to the point of insanity.
But I purchased Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for PS4 (as longtime readers might remember) and decided that I might as well seriously revisit it, 14 years later.
This is a more somber game than I remember: an entire world preoccupied with death, a narrative that bemoans the corrosive power of religion and its infrastructures. Its more lighthearted moments feel self-consciously forced, as its characters attempt to wring what levity they can out of grim situations.
The bright colors and cheerful aesthetic disguise the inherent sadness of the game and its characters — only Tidus, you, the outsider, is finding any joy in this unknown world. That’s why he seems so annoyingly happy. He just doesn’t know.
It has been a profoundly different experience. Playing feels almost … melancholy, as I peel back all these layers I missed as an overexcited 12-year-old.
Adulthood has tempered my childish excitement of yesteryear. I find I being able to see out of Tidus’ eyes and mean it. The magic of these virtual worlds is not so easy to come by anymore.
Nevertheless, dodging 200 lightning bolts in a row remains the actual worst thing you could possibly do in a video game.
