Developed by: Monolith Soft | Published by: Namco | Played: 2/28/03

+

Voice acting! Now I don't have to pour through endless text boxes. I can hear, as well as see, the characters' peronality and emotion. This game, as well as most all console RPGs, are filled with cutscenes. FFX set the standard for cutscenes by adding professional voice acting, and this game follows up on it.

Very well developed characters and story. The best kind of story that videogames has to offer. Intriguing, philosophical, characters confront their personal fears and regrets, happening in a time of change... it's the best.

Some really cool spells, weapons and animations. Very nice effects that are just sweet!

The best character designs.

Nice musical soundtrack, done by the most professional of the professionals.

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85% movie, 15% game.

100% linear.

The small scraps of gameplay that are actually in there don't feel like any kind of challenge. Fighting enemies is usually just repedetively attacking with normal attacks over and over. It gets a little bit more strategic on some of the bosses, but not by much, and the types of bosses are certainly nothing that hasn't been done before. Without the fantastic story and character designs, this game would be 100% crap.

Some slow awkward loading times.

On the maps where you can walk around, the camera is set at the overhead position, which fails to capture any kind of emotional impact the level design might have.

Some of it still uses text boxes, and not voice acting.

They speak English but their mouths move in Japanese.