Fieldnotes is a column where I drop into a new (or old) game and report back with raw notes, sharp takes, unfiltered, and sometimes unhinged thoughts. This week, I start a new playthrough of Final Fantasy X on Switch 2.
When I was but a wee child at the tender age of 7, my dad brought home a copy of Final Fantasy X for the PS2. As soon as the intro cinematic started playing and the bittersweet piano notes of To Zanarkand entered my ear holes, I knew this game was special.
25 years later, and Final Fantasy X continues to be my favorite mainline game in the series. It shocks me that this game has held up so incredibly well. I was lucky enough to get a review code for the HD Remaster release for the Switch 2, and yes, I am fully aware that this re-release adds extremely little value for folks who already own the Switch 1 version. And no, I don’t care that it adds zero value because I’m just such a shill for this game that I would’ve bought it anyway even if I didn’t get the code.
Did I mention that I own Final Fantasy X on every single platform it’s ever been released on? Yes, including the PS Vita. Actually, I own two copies of the Vita version, but more on that later. Anyway, let’s get on with it.
Listen to My Story in Japanese
For those of you who may follow the weekly Retcon newsletter (shame on you if you don’t, but it’s a decent read each week, I promise), you’ll know that I recently restarted my Japanese language learning journey. Aside from drilling grammar and Anki vocab cards, I’ve also been trying to set aside a bit of immersion time each day. To put things simply, immersion means to consume any type of native media without using English (or whatever your own native language is) subtitles or translations as a crutch. The idea is that by immersing yourself in native content, this should help to improve your listening ability in particular, while also slowly bolstering your comprehension of the language through contextual clues.
Immersion can be absolutely counter-productive if you attempt to consume content that’s way too advanced for you, but considering that I know FFX like the back of my hand, I figured this shouldn’t be too terrible. Plus, I’d actually beaten the game in Japanese once before. That’s why I have two copies of the game on PS Vita. I bought the Japanese version before the localized version had been announced. Told you I was an FFX shill.
Anyway, to whom it may concern, it’s worth pointing out that the Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy X still requires you to change your console’s language to Japanese if you want to enjoy the Japanese dub. You cannot adjust the voice and subtitle settings within the game itself. Which, in my view, is incredibly dumb, but oh well.
Still, the intro cinematic played. To Zanarkand entered my ear holes once again. And I was transported back to 2000. Man, this game is so good and that intro cutscene is killer.
It’s been more than a decade since I’d first played the game in Japanese, and Tidus’ Japanese VA took some getting used to. His English VA gets a lot of crap, particularly for the laughing scene, but I’ve always had a soft spot for him. In particular, I loved his in medias res narration voice. I always thought he sounded really serious and mature, and I appreciated the gravitas with which he delivered each line. What I didn’t remember, however, was the Japanese dub for that bit in Zanarkand where the radio host reminisces about Jecht. Man, the Japanese dub is incredible, but I have to say the radio host sounds way more memorable and iconic in English.
The Japanese actor goes full hype man throughout that entire bit, whereas the English actor goes from the nostalgia of recounting Jecht’s last appearance to excitement for the upcoming match. For this specific bit, English dub all the way.
The Saddest Final Fantasy Game?
I think I allowed myself to be fooled by Final Fantasy X‘s beautiful sunny beach facade for way too long. Before this most recent playthrough, whenever I think of Final Fantasy X, I think of Blitzball (which I adore), sandy beaches, Valefor, and the comfiest party of characters ever. In actuality, though, this might just be the saddest game in the series.
It hit me particularly hard when the game first introduces you to Yuna. After her little chat with Tidus that first night, Wakka comes up and teases Tidus, asking if he thinks she’s cute. If you say yes, Wakka tells Tidus not to get his hopes up. Tidus, being the cheeky little bastard that he is, says hey, what if she comes on to him? Somber, Wakka says that’ll never happen.
The next morning, when Yuna shows up with a giant suitcase full of gifts for the temples they’ll be visiting, Lulu says she doesn’t need all that stuff. This isn’t a vacation, y’know? Yuna pauses for just a second, says “You’re right”, and leaves the suitcase behind. It’s the little moments that make X so much sadder in hindsight. For much of the game’s runtime, Yuna and crew genuinely forget that completing this pilgrimage will mean the death of the summoner. It’s only in these tiny, seemingly insignificant moments that we catch a glimpse of the characters grappling with this difficult truth.
Going through these moments again hit very hard. I’ve never cried playing this game, but I’m not too shy to admit that I may have shed a tear or two revisiting these scenes after so many years.
That First Blitzball Game Still Sucks
Okay so I really love Blitzball. And yes, I know Final Fantasy X is notorious for having the absolute worst mini-games in the series, and for the most part, I agree, with the exception of Blitzball. It’s basically underwater 5v5 soccer, basketball, or whatever you wanna call it, except you can totally turn things in your favor when you realize it’s all a numbers game.
The Blitzball mechanics were very difficult for me to grasp as a child, but since then, I pride myself on being a bit of a Blitzball expert. That doesn’t mean that first match doesn’t totally suck, though.
It’s wild how insanely handicapped you are for that first match against the Goers in Luca. For starters, the match starts in Auto mode, so you first have to spam a button as soon as the match starts to change it to Manual mode, allowing you to control your characters manually. Next, you have to pray that you get possession of the ball, then just spend the entire first half of the match passing it between your players to give them experience and help them level up for the second half.
Once you’re at halftime, you’re finally given the chance to equip abilities on each player, including the Jecht Shot for Tidus, which is pretty much an instant win for all Blitzball matches. Of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Jecht Shot first during the S.S. Winno sequence. But if you did, Blitzball is a cakewalk for the rest of the game.
You’re not out of the woods yet, though. In the second half, you have about three minutes to score a goal with the Jecht Shot. Because after that, the story dictates that Tidus gets swapped out for Wakka, who is a notably weaker striker than the former. Wakka can still get goals with the Venom Shot, but it’s not as powerful as the Jecht Shot.
Anyway, if everything goes well, you’ll be the Blitzball champion of the tournament. And considering that Tidus takes every opportunity to talk shit to the Goers in the game, you’d better win the damn thing. It’s pretty embarrassing if you don’t. So naturally, I won the game. Surprisingly, I nailed it on my first try. That first Blitzball match isn’t too difficult if you know exactly what to do, but even then, there are no guarantees. I’ve had to reload my save multiple times in the past because the Goers would keep breaking through my guys and scoring.
Auron Farming
My partner watched me play through the entire Luca section last weekend and when Auron showed up, she said she had no idea he had a broken arm. I told her his arm isn’t broken. He can use it just fine. She asked, then why does he sling it in his jacket sleeve? To which I responded: “To look cool. He’s aura farming, as the kids these days would say.”
He is literally just aura farming, isn’t he? Is there something I’m missing with Auron’s arm?
Anyway, Final Fantasy X. It’s great, man.
