FINAL FANTASY XII for PlayStation 2 system
In the world of Spira, a group of adventurers make it their quest to defeat a rampaging force known as “Sin”.

Final Fantasy X marks the Final Fantasy series’ transition from entirely pre-rendered backdrops to fully three-dimensional areas, achieved with the PlayStation 2’s Emotion Engine processor. Although pre-rendered backgrounds are not entirely absent, their use has been restricted to less vibrant locations, such as building interiors. Final Fantasy X is also the first game in the series to feature a wide range of realistic facial expressions, as well as other technological developments in graphical effects achieved, such as variance in lighting and shadow from one section of a character’s clothing to the next. Final Fantasy X is also the first in the series to feature voice-over actors, as well as the first to spawn a direct sequel, Final Fantasy X-2.

Final Fantasy X introduces other significant advances in the Final Fantasy series. For instance, because of the implementation of voice-overs, scenes in the game are paced according to the time taken for dialogue to be spoken, whereas previous games in the series incorporated scrolling subtitles. Final Fantasy X features changes in world design, with a focus placed on realism. The gameplay makes a significant departure from past games as well, incorporating several new elements.

Characters
The seven main playable characters in Final Fantasy X are Tidus, an energetic and upbeat blitzball star; Yuna, a reserved and soft-spoken summoner who always puts others before herself; Kimahri Ronso, an exile of the Ronso tribe who remains silent for most of the game and is devoted to protecting Yuna above all else; Wakka, an amiable blitzball player and devout follower of the Yevon order, who has been a friend of Yuna’s since childhood; Lulu, an often cynical and harsh, but well-meaning Black Mage; Auron, a taciturn and matter-of-fact ex-warrior monk; and Rikku, a perky Al Bhed girl with extensive knowledge of machinery.

The primary antagonists of the game are maester Seymour Guado and the other maesters of the Yevon religion, while the rampaging Sin serves as the primary source of conflict. In addition, there is a vast supporting cast of named characters, who — along with the main characters — feature voice talents complementing their principle roles, as well as the myriad incidental characters that have traditionally populated the worlds of Final Fantasy.

Character designer Tetsuya Nomura took particular care in each of the characters’ designs. For example, Nomura based Yuna’s overall design on Okinawan kimonos. When he learned that the character was to perform the sending dance, he wanted to give her outfit something that would flow. For this reason, the specific style of kimono he chose for her was a furisode, a kimono bearing long sleeves. Additionally, he adorned her dress and necklace with images of the flower also called Yuna (Hibiscus tiliaceus), and her name carries the meaning of “night” in the Okinawan language, a direct contrast with Tidus’ Japanese name, Tīda, the Okinawan word for “sun”. Nomura has explained that while all these subtle details may be unnecessary, he does not want his designs to be without explanation.

For minor characters, sub-character chief designer Fumi Nakashima’s focus was to ensure that characters from different regions and cultures bore distinctive characteristics in their clothing styles, such that they could be quickly and easily identified as members of their respective sub-groups. For example, in her words, the masks and goggles of the Al Bhed give the group a “strange and eccentric” appearance, while the attire of the Ronso lend to them being able to easily engage in battle.

Setting
The world of Final Fantasy X is known as “Spira”. It consists of one large landmass divided into three subcontinents, surrounded by small tropical islands. It features diverse climates, ranging from the tropical Besaid and Kilika islands to the temperate Mi’ihen region to the frigid Macalania and Mount Gagazet.

Although it is predominantly populated by humans, Spira features a variety of races. Among them are the Al Bhed, a technologically advanced but disenfranchised sub-group of humans with distinctive spiral-green eyes and unique language. The Guado are somewhat less human in appearance, with elongated fingers and other subtle differences. They also have a natural propensity for magic and conjuring monsters. Still less human in appearance are the large, lion-like, one-horned Ronso, and the frog-like Hypello.

Spira’s wildlife population introduces several new concepts into the series. Although most creatures are drawn from real animals, such as cats, dogs, birds and butterflies, a few fictional species appear, such as the gigantic, amphibious shoopuf and the emu-like chocobo. Both are used primarily for transportation purposes. Most other unusual creatures encountered in Final Fantasy X are fiends.

Spira is very different from the mainly European-style worlds found in previous Final Fantasy games, being much more closely modeled on Southeast Asia, most notably with respect to vegetation, topography, architecture, and names. Nomura has identified the South Pacific, Thailand and Japan as major influences on the cultural and geographic design of Spira, particularly concerning the geographic locations of Besaid and Kilika. He has also said that Spira deviates from the worlds of past Final Fantasy games most notably in the level of detail incorporated, something he has expressed to have made a conscious effort to maintain during the design process. Though a southeast Asian theme is dominant, like other games in the franchise, Final Fantasy X borrows elements from many other cultures, featuring references to demonology, Hindu, Norse, Arabic and other mythologies. Psychology is also represented, with Carl Jung referenced by the aeon Anima.

Reception
Final Fantasy X’s reception was largely positive, with high sales figures and critical acclaim from the gaming industry. The game sold 90% of its initial 2,140,000-unit shipment — 1,926,000 units — within just the first four days of release in Japan, having already sold between 1.4 million and 1.5 million copies in pre-orders. These figures exceeded the performances of Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy VII in a comparable period, and Final Fantasy X became the first PlayStation 2 game to reach sales totals of 2 million and 4 million copies. Once among the top twenty best-selling console games of all time, as of March 2006, the game’s consistent sales have earned it the position of the second best-selling Final Fantasy game. As of July 2006, the game has been rated the US market’s 11th best selling game of the 21st century, and was nominated for the 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards for animation and console role-playing game of the year in 2003. At the seventh anniversary of the PS2 in the United States (October 2007), the game was listed as the eighth best selling game for the PS2. In 2007, Final Fantasy X was named third best PlayStation 2 game of all time in IGN’s feature reflecting on the PlayStation 2’s long lifespan.

Development
Developers: Square
Publisher: Square
Producer: Yoshinori Kitase
Executive Producer: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Director: Motomu Toriyama
Design Director: Tetsuya Nomura
Scenario Writer: Kazushige Nojima
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Image Illustrator & Logo Designer: Yoshitaka Amano
Character Design: Tetsuya Nomura

Release Dates
Japan: July 19, 2001
NA: December 20, 2001
PAL: May 29, 2002
INT: January 31, 2002

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