With each Final Fantasy game released, Squaresoft raises the bar on how role-playing games should be made, and Final Fantasy X is no exception, making it a must buy.

FFX is a game that surpasses even the most hardcore final fantasy player’s expectations. Fans will immediately be drawn to the visually stunning graphics of this game. It is the first game in the series to support voice acting, which adds depth and is a welcome addition.

In this part of the series, Square has taken a new direction with the story. The plot is pretty much the same-destroy the boss that threatens all life in the world. The focus seems to be more on character interaction. This creates better character development and uses the conflicts as catalysts. And doesn’t focusing totally on the ultimate battle(the final boss).

The improvements don’t stop with the story. FFX reverts to a true turn-based style of fighting. No more do you see the Active Time Battle meter, which helps to speed up battles. You can also swap characters without penalty, at anytime during the battle Next, weapons and armor lack the various abilities that they used to have. Now each item differentiates itself with specific abilities, such as being “Fireproof.”

Players increase their statistics by gaining AP (experience points) rather quickly, which will allow players to boost their abilities and dictates how far a character can move on an abilities grid, which contains the various abilities. At first, the grid is somewhat cumbersome, but in the end players will enjoy the freedom in ability selection that it gives. The frequency of random encounters has been lowered,but most take place where you do the most exploring. However, by this point in the game, most players should find weapons or armor that prevent random encounters.