Final Fantasy is one of those franchises that players hold up with a certain level of respect, even if you’re not a fan. It’s impossible to deny the franchise’s impact on the RPG genre and the history of video games as a whole, with monumental successes built on the backs of those games. Respecting the craft baked into the franchise is different than actually enjoying it, however.
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As a long-time RPG fan, I’ve always been an outlier in my feelings about the series. Some entries of it are among my favorite examples of the genre, while some stone-cold classics have only really appealed to me as I’ve gotten older. However, some of the most popular games in the series always failed to connect with me — and what I regard as flaws of the titles have only become more glaring with time. This is perhaps best felt with Final Fantasy X, a game that is heralded by many as a highlight of the series but has never won me over.
Final Fantasy X Has Been Overhyped For 25 Years
Final Fantasy X was heralded as the game-changer for the franchise, achieving heights among the fan base that hadn’t been seen since the massive success of Final Fantasy VII. The thing is, for all the complexities and scope of FFVII, there’s still a functionally effective story going on under the surface about destiny, purpose, and grief. Characters have depth to their motivations and flaws in their personalities. For all the mind wipes and mistaken identities and alien influences in that plot, the character throughlines were consistent and compelling. It’s a game that has real depth to it.
By contrast, Final Fantasy X characters feel one-note. While some of them (like Auron and Lulu) have memorable elements and visual designs, the characters themselves don’t have nearly as much depth as previous protagonists. The world feels more limited in terms of gameplay, with far fewer avenues of pure exploration than in the previous games and many of the ones that followed. Final Fantasy X also has a wild and weird narrative throughline that mistakes the previous complexities of the franchise narratives for compelling storytelling. Other entries in the series are full of big reveals and subtle twists, but it all still makes sense.
Comparatively, I’m still somewhat lost on the fate of Tidus, even over two decades since I first played the game. This is all on top of a tone that goes too radically from goofy to romantic to intense and back again, with the pacing frequently thrown off for the sake of minigames. The series is famous for plenty of minigames, but never have they felt more unnecessarily forced upon players as in X. I love a good fantasy sport in the middle of your epic world, but I still feel a bit of dread anytime I hear the word “Blitzball.” I understand that some people appreciate the cast of Final Fantasy X more than I do — certainly enough that the game was able to get a direct sequel, a relative rarity for the franchise at that point. However, those one-note personalities and straightforward narratives that were only ever overcomplicated by the lore left me frustrated and ultimately bored.
Final Fantasy X Sums Up Everything That Frustrates Me About The Series
I’ve always had a tricky relationship with Final Fantasy. While some entries in the series (like Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII) are personal favorites for their respective genres, I’ve also been left frustrated by other titles that have come out. It’s a franchise that I have a lot more affection for in theory than in practice, where I appreciate the craft but have been left cold by a lot of the games. Final Fantasy X might be the ultimate example of that, especially considering how popular it is with other players. There’s a tonal balancing act that doesn’t quite work, with an emphasis on telling us about the world instead of showing it to us head-on.
My least favorite entries in the series are the ones where the characters feel basic in their personalities, where the emotional arcs feel rushed or unearned. The series can sometimes mistake grand visuals and big ideas for compelling concepts or interesting stories, something Final Fantasy X does repeatedly with the battles against Sin. Other entries in the series (like Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XV) suffer from a similar lack of momentum or bland storytelling choices, with games that mistake dozens of hours of samey side quests for depth. Compare that to something like Final Fantasy VII, a game I’ve gradually come to appreciate more with age after having mixed feelings about when I was younger, where the various side missions often force the characters to confront their own actions or change as people.
All the minigames in Final Fantasy X contribute to that problem, adding length without making it feel justified. If this is one of your favorite games or a high mark for the series in your opinion, feel free to feel so. I just don’t see the appeal, especially when other RPGs and even other entries in this series (like Final Fantasy XII) continue to occupy key parts of my gamer’s heart. Final Fantasy X almost soured me on the whole series — and in the years since I first played it, it really has come to represent to me everything that frustrates me about one of gaming’s biggest franchises.
What do you think? Is Final Fantasy X overrated or does it deserve all the praise? Let us know in the comments and on social media!
