Category: Game Reviews

Resident Evil 4

Post author By Tydus
Post date May 22, 2019

Every now and then, a game is released that – for better or worse – changes a series or genre completely. Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 did just this upon its 2005 release, altering the winning formula that had run through the series since its inception. The game’s runaway success cemented it as one of the greatest games of its time, and Capcom have since made it their business to make sure it’s playable on just about anything since. The latest system to get the Resident Evil 4 badge of honour is the Nintendo Switch, with this week’s port proving that while classics may age, they rarely ever die.

You’ll play as Leon, a returning fan favourite that hasn’t been seen since the series’ second entry many years earlier. In the interim, he’s somehow found himself as an agent of the US government with reporting lines to the President himself. So when the President’s teenage daughter is inexplicably kidnapped by a small religious cult in the outskirts of Spain, naturally it falls on Leon to single-handedly swoop in and save the day. The plot is just ludicrous B-movie schlock, but it takes itself so seriously that you end up just giving in and riding its unique wave of madness. Leon’s mission will have him crossing a few different parts of the Spanish countryside, down through caverns and across small islands – stopping only to make a general mess of the place while questioning the locals. You’ll also run into some notable allies and antagonists along the way, such as Jack Krauser – a mercenary holding an unsettled grudge with Leon – and Ada Wong, another returning favourite from Resident Evil 2. There’s a larger cast than there generally has been in the past, with even minor characters stealing the spotlight every now and then. Their actual delivery and relatability, however, is a bit of a hard sell. For example, the addition of Ada is a cool throwback for fans of the earlier games, and she provides an interesting little anti-hero vibe given her existing relationship with Leon. Yet it’s hard to take her seriously as she zip-lines across rooftops, cartwheels through rooms and fights off monsters in an ankle-length silk dress and heels. I warned you earlier – don’t try to sit there and make sense of it all.

One character that will become quite pivotal to Leon’s mission is Ashley, the girl you’re sent out to save in the first place. You’ll actually track her down quite early, but for reasons I won’t spoil, you’re not able to simply pack up and leave once you’ve found her. It’s at this point that the game’s direction shifts slightly, in that you’re now responsible for getting her through the rest of the trip in one piece. While not as painful as it could be for the most part, this task would be a whole lot easier if the poor girl wasn’t absolutely useless. Look away for a minute to fight back some mob, and she’s getting carried off into the sunset with little resistance. She’s got a habit of standing directly in the midst of a fight, and will offer less than no help if you’re in a bind. I understand she’s not supposed to be some battle-trained war hero, but games like The Last of Us and the recent God of War have since shown that the partner dynamic can be done much better – both in and out of combat.

This is just a minor inconvenience however, when mixed in with Resident Evil 4‘s otherwise frantic action and tight gameplay. It’s here that the entry steps away from the roots of the series, forming some sort of hybrid between action and survival-horror. Rather than dark mansion corridors and slow-built chills, Leon’s now out in the open and often overwhelmed with enemies. You’re also given much more resources and a camera angle that puts you right in the thick of it. This makes Leon an agile and strong lead, allowing for encounters where you’ll be diving out of windows and running circles around danger. In balancing this, Capcom have also upped the stakes when it comes to enemies – doing away with the usual slow and shambling zombies from past games. Instead, the infected here are able to run, climb and beat down doors in their hunt for you. Like any good angry mob, they’ll also come at Leon with pitchforks, fire and crossbows. You’ll even spend one of the earlier moments of the game with a bloke very keen on showing off his shiny new chainsaw.

Each encounter with the locals is a tense game of cat and mouse, as you try your best to cut your way through while saving resources for the real nightmares. For while the average townsfolk will keep you on your toes, any of Resident Evil 4‘s several boss creatures will straight up tear you in half given the chance. This is where the real challenge is, with each of the unique fights forcing the player to use the environment to their advantage – almost like solving a puzzle while trying to keep your head on your shoulders. More often than not, simply emptying rounds into them isn’t enough – Leon instead needing to outrun, outlast or outwit his enemy in order to survive. Each just as deadly as the next, these monsters will range from human-sized foes that rely on speed or stealth, right through to real nasty creatures the size of houses. These battles are a great way of breaking up the game’s pacing, and their inventive design makes them almost timeless – even after all these years.

What doesn’t hold up as well, however, is the look of the game. While keeping in mind that this is a HD version of something made over a decade ago, Resident Evil 4 just suffers from being several shades of brown. The grass? Brown. The buildings? Brown. Any paths, cliffs, furniture or water? You best believe they’re all brown. Even once Leon leaves the more rural surroundings behind after the game’s first act, the environment just becomes a heavy blend of grey and black. This becomes more noticeable when playing it this week on the Switch, as scaling everything down for the smaller screen does no favours for how it all looks – even when the rest of the experience is solid on the portable system (despite the sad lack of motion aiming). A definite sign of the times, this look was common for action releases on older systems during the mid-2000’s. Playing through the environments today is a visible example of how far the medium has come since, and can take a bit of getting used to for modern audiences.

In its defence, each new iteration of Resident Evil 4 has provided a good touch up and polish of what it does have, and it also comes with a fair amount of additional content outside of the main campaign. A short series of levels titled ‘Separate Ways’ puts you in the shoes/stilettos of Ada, allowing you to see the events of Leon’s mission from her side. An interesting side note to the main campaign, Ada’s segment also features some new areas and encounters – while also letting you get around with her fancy little grapple gun. Yet the real time-sinker comes in the form of the game’s ‘Mercenaries’ mode, where you’re dropped into a small location from the game that is now swarming with enemies. Your selected character will then have to defeat waves of monsters while keeping an eye on resources, health and the clock. With some creatures not seen in the main story and some big rewards for high scores, this mode does a great job of showing off the game’s solid gameplay and action style. And after all is said and done, this is the real reason Resident Evil 4 found – and continues to find – its success. Its general design and mechanics were such masterstrokes back in the day, it set a baseline for the entire medium going forward and is still infinitely playable today. As much as its looks may fade, sitting just below the surface of this classic is a modern action shooter that runs like any recent release. Give it a chance if you have even a passing interest in action-adventure titles – you might even come around on the charming madness that its cast and plot try to serve up along the way too.

Resident Evil 4 – Available most recently on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, XBOne & PC.

Tags Capcom, Leon Kennedy, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Resident Evil 4, Xbox One

Game Reviews

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Post author By Tydus
Post date May 15, 2019

Almost as old as console gaming itself, the Legend of Zelda series and its numerous entries have become synonymous not only with Nintendo, but with gaming as a whole. The foundations have remained fairly constant throughout the main entries – a boy named Link finds a sword, fights through some dungeons, beats the big bad and saves a princess. Yet it’s how Nintendo delivers this formula that has made the series such a hallmark. Link’s adventure may have him cross a vast ocean as he commands the winds from one island to the next. Another entry may have him crossing through time itself, triggering changes in the past that impact the world around him in the future. The bold and innovative changes that each new adventure brings are key to the series’ long running success, and make every entry unique in its own way. So when Nintendo were gearing up to release their new Switch console – itself a bold and innovative risk – there was little surprise when they decided to pair the launch with another addition to the Zelda universe. What we may not have been expecting, however, was an entry that easily stands as one of gaming’s greatest adventures yet.

I’ve recently revisited Breath of the Wild after a long break since its release in 2017 – partly due to the fact that it deserved some time without distractions from other big releases, and I was also holding out for the significant story DLC to completely roll in. I was hesitant about starting over again after so long, wiping the decent amount of progress I had going from my first run – but it felt right in order to get the full experience (and to not get totally thrashed after forgetting how to swing a sword). It took just minutes to completely sink into this fresh start, leaving me wondering how I ever managed to put the thing down in the first place.

First things first – Breath of the Wild looks great. You’re thrust into the titular wild almost immediately, the view pulling back to give you an idea of the sheer scale of it all. The cel-shaded art style creates an environment blooming with colour and light – falling somewhere between the cartoon style used in the Wind Waker and the realism aimed for in Twilight Princess. Each area of Hyrule is easily distinguishable from the next, with picturesque coastal villages and cliffside forests offset by sandy deserts and white snowfields. These locations are brimming with character and detail, often having Link cross paths with the abundant wildlife or the odd local looking for a chat. The game also features its own day-night cycle, meaning you’re constantly running into breathtaking scenes completely organically – whether it be catching glimmers of a sunrise through thick forest treetops, or watching the moon hit the ocean’s surface as you sail on by.

The main aim behind this dynamic time system is not just for taking pretty screenshots of the sunset, however. Breath of the Wild, while also introducing a number of other innovations for the series, is very much based around survival. You’re able to keep track of the current time, incoming weather and other events that may immediately impact your journey. Travelling at night can be dangerous with more enemies on the road, however the darkness may give you the cover you need to creep into a guarded camp undetected. An incoming thunderstorm will strike you down if your gear conducts electricity, however the same goes for your enemies. Planning a long climb? Keep any eye on the radar for rain or else Link will find himself sliding straight back down. Becoming familiar with the best climbing techniques is one of the key aspects of Breath of the Wild – and you’ll be doing it a lot. Link is able to climb most vertical surface he comes across, creating almost infinite possibilities for traversal, puzzle solving and getting the drop on your enemies. Combine this mechanic with Link’s personal paraglider, and you’ll have all you need to spend hours soaring from Hyrule’s peaks and mountaintops throughout Link’s adventure.

In exploring off the beaten path, you’ll also find yourself duly rewarded. During the game’s tutorial area, you’re provided with a ‘Sheikah Slate’ – a small handheld tablet that is conveniently shaped like a Nintendo Switch. This functions as Link’s map, record keeper and key to all of the hundred-odd ‘shrines’ dotted across Hyrule. Each of these shrines feature a puzzle or combat challenge (some are a challenge to even locate), and overcoming them will net Link rewards such as new weapons, more health or increased stamina. These tasks are never too straining, with most shrines typically having one overarching puzzle design to get your head around. Most will require use of the Sheikah Slate’s abilities – such as conjuring bombs, moving magnetic items or freezing platforms of water – and the game’s total flexibility in their use often had me wondering if I was supposed complete a puzzle in the odd way that I did.

On top of this, many shrines (and areas in the outside world) will be littered with enemies for you to cut down, either with a large axe or the nearest available broomstick. In fitting with the survival dynamic, just about all weapons and shields Link finds are breakable. Flammable items become ash when torched, and that nice looking sword you pulled from a chest will fall to pieces given enough use. There are more than enough weapon options floating around Hyrule to keep you relatively well stocked, however you’ll have to determine which tools you can stand to lose – and which you’ll need to save for later. Deciding which of these items to use for a given fight adds to the game’s many puzzles, especially when challenging Link’s more intimidating foes.

Many of these most dangerous enemies will come about as part of the central story thread running through the game. There’s not a huge amount of directed story content, so I won’t spoil what’s there – though it will involve tackling a series of dungeons and bosses along the way. Unlike other entries in the Zelda series, these dungeons are much fewer in number and smaller in scale – essentially just larger versions of the game’s multiple shrines. They are rounded out with some decent storylines and scenes (featuring full voice acting almost never seen in the series), however the dungeons themselves could have been a bit more meaty. If you’re keen to step up the challenge a notch, the excellent and lengthy DLC content is a great option. Adding additional shrines, dungeons and restrictions, this bonus offering has some big prizes for those who have mastered Breath of the Wild‘s mechanics and combat. The final boss in this optional scenario is a reward in itself, and you’re also treated to some expansion on the game’s characters and storyline as well.

The story itself is minimal, but is well implemented and impactful. It succeeds in creating a cast of characters that have real stakes in what Link is trying to achieve, each given their own personality, goals, relationships and regrets. Zelda herself is also given a relatively central role, rather than being posed as a typical damsel in distress. The piecemeal-approach to storytelling provides an interesting and effective way of progressing the player through to the adventure’s end, especially when that conclusion could be tens of hours away.

However it’s not the plot and cast of characters that will define your play-through of Breath of the Wild, but rather the experiences and decisions you’ll make while becoming lost in its world. You’ll try experimental cooking with mixed results, end up stumbling across hidden tombs deep in tropical rainforests, and wander into rural villages full of their own quests and secrets. One of my most memorable moments came relatively early in the game, when I decided to climb an icy mountain using just an ugly coat and a positive attitude, a situation which almost found me frozen to death. Expecting to find another Shrine or perhaps another questionably rewarding Korok Seed, I instead found myself soaring through valleys in an attempt to rescue a creature taller than any mountain on the horizon. Such surprises are hidden in every corner of Hyrule, and your invested curiosity and exploration are almost always worth the effort.

It’s these moments that really make Breath of the Wild shine, and will keep you lost in its world for hours and hours. Pairing the game with the launch of the Switch was an absolute masterstroke by Nintendo, allowing players to easily dip their toe in whenever and wherever they like. Setting a new standard for all future entries in the series – as well as for gaming in general – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is absolute gold brimming with so many possibilities. It’s an easy recommendation to anyone yet to start, and also to those who’ve experienced the adventure in the past. Regardless of how much time you spend in Hyrule, there’s almost always an unturned stone or breathtaking discovery waiting to be found out there in the wild.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now on Nintendo Switch & Wii-U.

Tags Breath of the Wild, Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda

Game Reviews

Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee & Let’s Go Pikachu

Post author By Tydus
Post date May 8, 2019

Pokémon’s little yellow mascot takes the spotlight once again this week, making his live-action film debut in Warner Bros’ highly anticipated Detective Pikachu. While the movie is a big shift from what we’d usually expect to come out of the Pokémon universe, it does draw heavily from what made the series a worldwide phenomenon to start with – especially when it comes to the love it gives the titular hero. In celebration of its release (and due to just a smidge of hype), we’ve decided to revisit Pikachu’s most recent outing on the Nintendo Switch – in yet another quest to catch ’em all.

Being the second remake of a game from the late 90’s, the announcement that Pokémon: Let’s Go would be the first RPG in the series to hit the Switch was met with mixed reactions. Pokémon Yellow, the original from which this is based, hit its 20 year anniversary during the same year – so this new release had a nice bit of symmetry. However fans had been holding out for an entirely new adventure – one that would take advantage of the power and flexibility of the new Nintendo hardware – and so were torn to learn that they’d be getting a remake using mechanics from the popular free-to-play mobile game, Pokémon Go.

Despite this, Let’s Go still captured the majority of fans upon release late in 2018, predominantly because Nintendo and Game Freak had achieved exactly what they’d set out to do. This entry was never about further inflating the roster of catchable creatures or developing new regions and deeper competitive play – it was created as a celebration. A tribute to the series’ roots – its original characters, gameplay and world. In stripping back many of the franchise’s growing layers and complexities, Let’s Go was able to tap into what made series such a hit all those years ago – and in doing so, it was a success.

Before even starting the game, you have a choice to make. In usual Pokémon RPG fashion, the franchise’s first big Switch entry is split into two releases: Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. Both versions are almost identical, save for a few Pokémon exclusive to each version – and, of course, your partner for the journey. Your partner Pokémon will play a much larger role than in any past entry, often playing a role in most of the adventure’s story beats. It also has access to exclusive moves and, despite not being able to evolve, is strong enough to be an unassuming little powerhouse in battle. You’ll come across numerous outfits and accessories for them too, as they’ll be travelling out in the overworld with you at all times (they also come in handy as the game’s fast travel system and field-move users). What I’m getting at is that Pikachu and Eevee are central to just about everything that goes on, so make sure to pick your favourite before you dive in. Once you do get started, you’re quickly introduced to your chosen sidekick before being sprung into your new adventure across Kanto.

I use the word ‘new’ loosely here, with Kanto being the oldest and most recognisable region in all of Pokémon. However the Nintendo Switch has allowed for quite a significant step up with regards to how the game looks and plays. The towns, routes and characters of Kanto have never looked better, and – despite this huge facelift – almost every area of the game has been faithfully reconstructed as they were in the original. The path through Viridian Forest is still exactly the same as it was 20 years ago, and you can still pay an outrageous sum of money for a Magikarp in the Pokémon centre outside Mt Moon.

Yet for all its similarities, there are a number of changes that have been made in bringing the adventure to the current gen. For example, the Safari Zone has been completely removed and replaced by ‘Go Park’ – a dedicated area for connecting with the player’s Pokémon Go mobile collection. It’s a great way of bridging the two games and rewarding dedicated fans, but cutting the Safari Zone completely still feels like a misstep given its size in the original. This is only one of the changes arising as a result of Pokemon’s recent mobile success, with the classic Pokémon formula receiving some significant adjustments as well.

Let’s start with the battles, or rather, the lack of them. You will no longer battle wild Pokémon you wander through tall grass, dark caves or while crossing water. Instead, battles are strictly reserved for gym leaders and other trainers – of which there are admittedly quite a few across Kanto. The battles themselves are the same as always, albeit a lot more detailed and dynamic. Experience gained through these battles is shared amongst the entire team, meaning you’re not made weaker by the reduced battle practice you’ll be getting. You’ll also strengthen your team by catching wild Pokémon that you come across on the road, which brings us to the other major change introduced here.

Random wild Pokémon encounters are out, with the player now able to see each critter roaming about in the field. Gone are the days of tripping over the same Pidgey or Geodude every few steps, as you can now pick your next catch – or avoid them altogether if you like. Once you run into your target, the encounter itself will immediately be recognisable for fans of Pokémon Go – in that all you’re required to do is make a well-timed Pokéball throw to land a catch. This is fairly simple and fun when in handheld mode, yet docking the Switch and breaking out the motion controls is almost always a bad time. Your throws are often misread, and once you’re up against Pokémon who like to move around a bit, you’ve got no chance.

For the most part, these changes are actually a benefit to the adventure. Battles are more exciting and enjoyable because you’re not fighting off waves of Zubat and Tentacool every few minutes. Being able to pick and choose your next encounter is a huge plus, and the focus on catching rather than battling means you end up creating quite a collection without really thinking about it. These freedoms also allow you to enjoy your adventure without getting too bogged down in the workings of it all. The plot itself remains largely unchanged, having you make your way to the top of the Pokémon League – stopping briefly to dismantle a criminal organisation in the background when needed. There’s been a huge attention to detail in delivering the story here, with Oak, Brock, Misty, Jessie and James all looking exactly as you remember them from morning TV in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. There are also a number of easter eggs and references peppered throughout for long-time fans, right down to a marooned truck parked suspiciously off the docks of Vermillion City.

Whilst being positioned as a nostalgic love letter to fans who have been following the series for decades, Let’s Go also cements itself as the perfect entry point for a new generation of fans to step in. Shifting the formula to match the style of the insanely popular Pokémon Go creates an easy transition for many new players, and the reduced overall difficulty results in a smoother learning curve for less experienced players. You can even bring another player along for some couch co-op, taking part in joint battles and coordinated catches to make life even simpler.

The addition of these extras doesn’t mean that all of the game’s challenge is gone, however. Upon clearing the main story, you’re given the chance to earn ‘master’ titles from new trainers that have appeared all across Kanto. Most will require you to challenge their favourite Pokémon with an identical one you have raised – the battle deciding which of the two trainers should be named ‘master’ of that particular Pokémon. While it certainly creates a large amount of content after the credits roll, you’ll really have to ask yourself if it’s worth training almost 150 different Pokémon up to their absolute max – just to be named something like ‘Goldeen Master’. Otherwise you can track down some challenging trainers from the original games – or, better yet, take the Master Ball for a walk through the dark depths of Cerulean Cave.

Whether you’re returning to Kanto with years of experience, or you’re a newcomer starting your first adventure, Let’s Go does an excellent job of pleasing both sides of the spectrum. While erring on the side of the less experienced crowd more often than not, Nintendo and Game Freak have included enough challenge and nostalgia to appeal to the existing dedicated fanbase as well. Whilst not officially “core” games, meaning that not all of these changes will be carried into future instalments, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee have provided a glimpse of what the future holds for the series – while at the same time recognising all that made Pokémon so special to begin with.

Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu & Let’s Go Eevee are available now on Nintendo Switch.

Tags Game Freak, Kanto, Let's Go Eevee, Let's Go Pikachu, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Pokémon

Game Reviews

Final Fantasy X

Post author By Tydus
Post date May 3, 2019

Originally releasing almost 20 years ago during the early days of the Playstation 2, the Final Fantasy series’ tenth main entry has seen a number of ports in recent years – all sporting a HD facelift to match. Leaving no stone unturned, you’re now able to take the journey through Spira on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch – the latter offering what is possibly the best way to sink hours into this meaty JRPG. And chances are, you’ll be sinking a whole lot into this one.

I should really start by saying, FFX rocked my 10-year-old world back in the day. Even after all these years, it still holds a soft spot for me as my first entry into the series – and probably my real first foray into story-driven games. Prior to this, my experience with gaming was based solely around jumping on crates, finding all the coloured gems and generally catching ’em all. I was too young to really tap into the game’s strategy and party building mechanics, but the underlying elements – the story, characters, setpieces and soundtrack – more than made up for my total lack of any skill as a wide-eyed RPG newbie. Over 10 years and several playthroughs later, it’s safe to say that these elements are still the biggest draw for me when it comes to picking up the adventure again.

For the uninitiated, FFX puts you in the role of Tidus, the young ‘star player’ of the biggest sports team in the city of Zanarkand. Through the opening scenes, the futuristic city is set upon and destroyed by an evil entity known as ‘Sin’. During the chaos, Tidus makes his way through his crumbling home and somehow gets himself pulled through a rift to places unknown. While searching for his way back, Tidus crosses paths with Yuna, a summoner of beasts who – along with a small group of ‘guardians’ – is travelling to Zanarkand in the hopes of destroying Sin. From there, you’ll travel down a relatively linear path across the major cities, villages, islands, temples and dungeons within the vast and beautifully realised world of Spira. Being an outsider – both as a character and as a player – you’ll spend much of this time slowly unravelling the stories of your multiple companions, as well as the world’s history and shaky reliance on religion and ancient tradition.

While it becomes quite complex towards the end of the journey, the plot is executed well and at a good pace. You’re never far from the next story beat, with each presenting a new piece of history, a better understanding of a complex character or a wrench thrown into carefully laid plans. A trip over an ancient, snow covered mountain will hit a wall, as one of Yuna’s guardians runs into the tribe he abandoned there years ago. Another member of your group will suffer an internal crisis when forced to cut ties to a religion he’s built his entire life upon. Watching these characters overcome their challenges and personal demons is half the story, it gives them real stakes and ties to the world they’re trying to save.

If you’re thinking this all sounds a bit like a sci-fi soap opera, you wouldn’t be wrong – however it’s not always traditional drama and danger during the group’s travels. Throughout the 30-40 hour adventure, the cast will be struck by lightning (more than once), crash a shotgun wedding, play in a championship underwater football game (the brilliant Blitzball) and will ride on the backs of 7ft tall yellow birds. While all these things sound like a circus on paper, each aspect is given a surprising amount of weight and relevance to the story at large. When that main storyline is teeming with revelations, betrayal, romance, death, religious subplots and complex twists, these left-field surprises offer a refreshing change of pace.

While story and characters are pivotal to any good fantasy game of this type, much of the action does come from testing your mettle against those that cross your path on the way. When you’re not deep in a well choreographed cinematic or major plot event, chances are you’ll be dealing with many of the game’s ‘fiends’ – creatures formed from spirits of the restless dead, unable to leave their former world behind. These monsters will range from small wolves and overgrown wasps, right through to ancient golems and zombified dragons – each generally requiring a different strategy or character to go toe to toe with.

While fairly adjustable in the late game, most of your party members will be a specialist in a general RPG role – swordsman, black mage, tank, thief and so on. Your swordsman will be able to quickly strike through smaller enemies, while your black mage will ignite icy monsters with the wave of a hand. Similarly, the team’s ranged specialist will make short work of airborne fiends, while the thief pulls mechanical enemies apart piece by piece. You’re free to fight enemies any way you like, however there’s almost always a weakness to be exploited. But if there isn’t, you can always fall back on one of Yuna’s summonable ‘aeons’ – great beasts bestowed upon her throughout the adventure to aid in destroying her ultimate enemy. These beasts are truly grand in scale, ranging from a ladylike nymph made of solid ice, right through to an enormous mummified monstrosity that is not in keeping with Yuna’s otherwise calm and pure appearance. While calling on these spirits can give you an edge in combat, many of the later bosses will have means of shutting them down to keep you on your toes.

I should also mention that all battles here are fought using the old school turn-based system, which means random encounters and waiting your turn to take a swipe at something. You’ll be able to know the order in which your enemies and your party will attack, allowing you to plan out each play and anticipate what you’ll see in return. It’s done well, but might catch modern RPG audiences off-guard at the start. It’s probably best to not get your hopes up for any of those other modern RPG conveniences making their way to these ports either. While the remasters have brought overhauled visuals and a great new soundtrack, there have been no extras for the console version as there have been for other recent ports in the series. There’s no speeding through battles and story beats at the press of a button, and there’s no option to skip cutscenes. If you’re a veteran returning for another playthrough, or even trying to get through a bunch of scenes to the battle that just sent you back to the main menu, these extras would have been handy. That being said, FFX is built on its well told and engrossing plot, so you can’t really blame them for fleshing this out in grand scenes and events as much as possible.

It also helps, then, that one of its most recent ports has been to the Nintendo Switch. While it’s been available on a portable device for some time, releasing on the PS Vita a few years back, the Switch allows it to be played on a much larger and more powerful screen for a wider audience. Being able to pick up and play FFX so easily is a huge plus, whether you’re looking to simply see the climax of the story, or if you’re aiming to sink many more hours into the tale’s optional late-game content.

If you’re in the latter category, your primary concern will be Spira’s multiple hidden super-bosses – the ‘Dark Aeons’. These are the corrupted forms of Yuna’s collected beasts, and you best believe they’re a challenge. They will almost definitely require a party of maxed-stat characters, each equipped with their respective upgraded ‘celestial weapons’ (a feat that requires a crafting process on a whole other level). Alternatively, you can instead lose hours to a deep and complex Blitzball career, travelling the world recruiting and developing an unbeatable team for various rewards (but mainly for that sweet, intangible glory).

However you choose to spend your hours along the way, FFX continues to offer a genre-defining experience full of diverse and interesting characters, compelling storylines and a fantastic soundtrack. The linear nature of the world will seem a little dated by modern standards, but it does help to keep the plot engaging and rolling forward with a decent pace. A must-play for fans of the franchise – and a good place to start for those looking to dive in – FFX is just a quality old school JRPG that can sink its hooks in and steal an entire weekend. Heck, I’m probably sitting in front of the thing somewhere right now.

Available now on PS2, PS3, PS4, PSVita, PC, XBOne & Nintendo Switch

Tags Final Fantasy X, Square Enix, Tydus