Metacritic Games

Final Fantasy X (Playstation 2)

Final Fantasy's first game on the Playstation 2 is the first to use voice acting and a massive leap in the cinematic approach to storytelling. Stop reading and go play.

Square Electronic Arts
Role-Playing Game
Players: 1
T (Teen)
Developer: Squaresoft
Released December 18, 2001

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

92 / 100

Critic Reviews

100 GamePro
A memorable, fantastic adventure that falls short in key areas that could have benefited from fine-tuning—namely control tweaks and unpolished graphics...The last must-have title of 2001.
100 XenGamers
With its romance, its peripheral "end of the world" premise, and its memorable cast, FFX is a game for the ages.
100 AceGamez
If you get this game, keep a copy of the Yellow Pages ear-marked on the Home Help page -a willing matron supplying bed-baths and spoon fed dinners may be needed as you turn your characters into mini Goliaths.
100 Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
Packs in more quality gameplay than most RPGs could ever hope for, with the finest battle system yet for the series. [Feb 2002, p.104]
100 Cinescape
The game is gorgeous. The CG sequences are absolutely beautiful.
100 Hot Games
Without a doubt the most intriguing, most competent, and most encompassing game of the franchise. It's a great game, the best RPG the PS2 has to offer, and it does a good job of weaving story and structure together.
100 Gaming Age
Great thing number two...is the ability to switch your characters in and out of battle at will. This is a tremendous step forward for the series as it fills in holes that we gamers had to come up with workarounds for previously.
100 Adrenaline Vault
At its core, Final Fantasy X is just another chapter of the story we've all grown to love, but like a rare piece of literature, this story just gets better and better with each page you turn.
100 GamerWeb Sony
The company has rethought nearly every aspect of the FF franchise, from the battle system to the use of voice acting instead of text and beyond. Nearly every change will be jarring but nearly every change is for the better.
100 PSX Nation
Sure Blitzball and the Upgrade system irk me a bit but the absolute perfect presentation and plot are worth these minor aggravations. This is the first MUST HAVE RPG on the PS2.
98 Game Informer
The motion-captured animations bring about a higher level of realism, the intricately detailed environments are teeming with ambient life, and the prerendered cut scenes deliver incredible action sequences. [Jan 2002, p.74]
97 Gaming Horizon
Is it the best RPG on the PS2? You bet.
97 Electric Playground
It features a game system rich enough to challenge and enthrall any experienced gamer, and Fantasy sublime enough to draw in the most hardened doubter of videogames.
97 TotalPlayStation
The delivery is head and shoulders above any other console RPG, and the overall experience leaves you with such a feeling of satisfaction that it's easy to dive right back into the game once you beaten it just to experience all the big moments again.
96 TotalGames.net
An epic story, accompanied by fantastic visual effects, a comprehensible battle system, and a glorious soundtrack. All in all, probably the first truly emotionally-moving experience ever to grace a console. A grand achievement.
96 Game Over Online
Square’s unique story telling ability and their magic to completely immerse us into a world of fantasy and awe gives this game the power to bring a grown man to tears and a crazed gamer to fall in love.
95 GameZone
I admire Final Fantasy X's emotional and spiritual depth. There is never a time that we can't feel the pain and the struggles of our heroes.
95 netjak
With its great character design, cool story and spectacular battle system, its one of my favorite games of the series.
95 Cloudchaser
The most surprising, not to mention well-working, change in direction is Final Fantasy X's short-and-sweet storyline.
95 IGN
Most of all, though, this game is more fun to simply play than any Final Fantasy in memory.
94 Inside Gamer Online
Everything from the gameplay to the graphics in Final Fantasy X is remarkable.
93 Gaming Maxx
Great RPG and certainly the best one on the PS2 currently, however, I feel it isn't as great as past FF's have been due to its lack of freedom.
93 GameShark
This is the single most graphically impressive console game to date, hands-down.
93 GameSpot
The difference between FFX and other games is in the sheer scope and undeniably impressive production values. The ambitious design of FFX ultimately pervades in every aspect of the game.
93 GamingWorld X
While some old Final Fantasy fans might not take a liking to the new style, most of them will find it fresh, and a new challenge to overcome.
93 Absolute Playstation
The storyline is marvelously weaved together with twists, turns and an amazing connectivity between the characters lives.
93 Electronic Gaming Monthly
All those glorious graphics are just gravy, as the lovable characters and compelling story provide the true heart of FFX. [Feb 2002, p.150]
93 GameSpy
The graphics are so beautiful that some scenes are sure to make you weep; the gameplay is intricate and well explained; the story is simple, yet powerful; and the characters are memorable and endearing.
92 Game Chronicles
The changes that have been made to the FF game system are fresh but still similar enough not to alienate old-time FF fans.
92 GamingTrend
The biggest change to this game is the lack of a world map, and I was surprised by how much I missed it.
91 Into Liquid Sky
Leaps and bounds above any other RPG available for the PS2 and will set the benchmark for games to come. If you can get past the linearity, you'll find a game that's got a lot to do and most of which is new.
91 Game Revolution
An excellent battle system and a level of visual artistry that sets a new mark for others to follow, and the long awaited addition of voices adds a dramatic element that's been missing forever...But with the steps forward come a few backward, like the inability to scene skip and the overly linear flow.
90 Playboy
The animation is incredibly fluid, achieved by motion-capturing human movement, then importing and manipulating the data into the game.
90 GamePen
If you want to tackle all the seemingly endless sidequests and mini-games, get everyone’s Ultimate Weapon and find every last Aeon, expect to put a great deal more time in, easily 100-150 hours.
90 GameCritics
The research was obviously done for FFX, as religious references from around the world can be found throughout the adventure, whether it be the Crusades from Medieval times or the Church’s determination to have Galileo refute his radically new scientific theories to name a few.
90 Eurogamer
The PAL conversion with its enormous borders is a big disappointment, but the strength of the story, the battle system and the combination of clever dialogue, visuals and soundtrack conspire to captivate the player.
90 GMR Magazine
Does away [with] the traditional overworld, but introduces full voice acting. Artistically beautiful, as always. [Feb 2003, p.92]
90 Gamezilla!
Yes, this game slowly creeps under your skin and doesn’t let go.
90 All Game Guide
The most visually impressive role-playing game yet released, with meticulous character models offering dynamic facial expressions and breathtaking cut-scenes seamlessly integrated into gameplay.
90 Cheat Code Central
Purists may find some of the changes too drastic but remember that people freaked when Bob Dylan added an electric guitar to his combo.
84 Action Trip
The replay value is very low, and the design is flawed by an inability to skip past sequences, even in replay mode. The playability also suffers by a lack of freedom of movement.
80 Gamer.tv
An optimized version of previous games, despite clunky dialogue, this is a solid continuation of the series with better graphics, seamless melds between action and cut scenes, and a rockin' story.
80 G4 TV
Exquisite graphics and sublime gameplay...It's just a shame that not all the voice work is as good as it could have been. It's also too bad that the FF minigames have once again taken away any hope of fully appreciating the game's story.
80 Play Magazine
Most of the voice acting is competent, but Tidus has such a whiny, wildly misplaced voice that nearly all his scenes become a drag. [Feb 2002, p.50]
80 Cincinnati Enquirer
The English voice-overs (a first for the series) are a mixed bag because some words are translated oddly and the voice acting from the Tidus character could be better. The music, on the other hand, is extremely well done.
80 Armchair Empire
Some of the best graphics on the PS2, and... completely refined battle and character progression systems...On the other hand players will have to sit through a heavy handed, all together weak story, weak characterization of the cast, and a lack of any sense of exploration.
80 Gamestyle
Near the end of the game... the game loses all balance and a high proportion of cheesy twists and one boss fight after the other thrown at you all at once.
80 Maxim Online
The idea of battling enemies shaped like gelatin desserts and exploring environments resembling the paintings in your dentist’s office may sound like a bad acid flashback (or H.R. Pufnstuf rerun), yet it makes for an entertaining role-playing game.
80 Yahoo! Games
Despite the wondrous graphics, there are times when FFX lacks the sheer emotional punch that we've come to expect for a game of its pedigree.
75 Four Fat Chicks
It really is an extraordinarily beautiful piece of work. For me, though, it missed the mark. I got bored with it about halfway through.
70 Total Video Games
After playing for too many hours you are left feeling as if Square want you to purely sit down and watch the game rather than play the game.
60 eToychest
We've seen the Final Fantasy epic take us on a memorable journey, but now it all seems like it's been done before. 10 is good, great at times, but it is no longer original.
60 Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
Sequential software that labels itself next-gen should provide next-gen opportunities, not just exaggerate the mistakes it made on the last version. [Edge Magazine]

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