Is Final Fantasy X the best Final Fantasy?

[@AlleywayJack]

Hi guys. If you liked my video I'd appreciate you subscribing to help support my channel. Thanks for watching. For more Final Fantasy videos check out my playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLZWhz2atvtVhKtMRler9T3-0-nhu9KX91

[@budweizer100]

Redcoat I did and I have. So well presented!!

[@bludtinge]

Recently finished X for the first time. Love listening to long, complex critique videos. Subbed sir.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks man, appreciate you listening :)

[@MisterWyllt]

Listening to you at work and your deep dive into this game made my day fly by. Incredible work!

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks man, glad you liked it!

[@chunkmcbeefnob717]

One thing is I'd like to mention is, I think Tidus's VA gets a lot of undeserved shit for this performance. I'll be honest, at first I disliked it as well. However, I have to say objectively I actually think his was the right casting for the character. The problem I see isn't the voice, it's the way the studio handled the entire voice work. It becomes clear, when you hear the voice acting in FFX, be it Tidus or Yuna or anyone else, that the VAs seemed to have very little direction, were probably given few outtakes, or were not really given much context of where their characters were when stating lines or what the situation was or how it related to previous and subsequent dialog. I wouldn't even be surprised if you told me their scripts didn't even include such notations. I mean, listen to every time you hear a character say "yes" in a clipped, overly casual way, during scenes when they were just belting out their hearts a line before. Often it feels completely misplaced, like that line was edited in after the fact some other day long after the previous conversation had been studio'd. A perfect example is when Tidus sees Zanarkhand again and says in the most descriptive, unemotive voice "A city dead for a thousand years." I mean come on, James Arnold Taylor has a long history as a VA. This is the voice of Obi-Wan in the Clone Wars animation. He knows how to deliver an effective and emotional performance. Regardless of how you feel about the quality of his voice for Tidus, that line delivery makes no sense except for if while in the studio, they just told him "here, read this." gave the guy no idea of the scene or what it meant to the character, and then after the first take, just said "good enough" and rolled with it. Then there's the screen writing, where much of the dialog just seems awkward because it was translated weirdly or even just written that way in the first place. For instance, people love to point at the fake laughing scene Tidus has, but I'll be honest, could anyone have delivered that and it not sound cringe-inducing? Even in the Japanese, it's a cringey scene. So I really have to say, I don't think it's a bad voice. I think genuinely it was a mix of badly written dialog, poor editing, and few outtakes. This was the first FF with any voice acting at all, at a time when Japanese to English localization of voice acting was still very new and not many studios were really set up for it. I don't think that Square was honestly concerned with delivering a perfect English port, or were going to concern themselves with throwing money at ensuring the takes sounded perfect, ala Legacy of Kain. They likely just looked at the resumes of these VAs, hired them, had them voice it all out within a week, and just rushed it along to get to market.

[@AlleywayJack]

Yeah I've certainly warmed to the voice-acting element over the years. I think Tidus's voice is reflective of his optimism - which is his whole contribution to Yuna's pilgrimage anyway - and he was never going to be voiced in the same way Cloud or a more conventional FF protagonist would be (i.e. smooth). As you've noted on the localisation, the Japanese producers probably relied on others to tell them how the dialogue delivery and quality sounded, combined with the fact they always try to rush games to market. Overall I don't mind it for the time and Tidus has definitely grown on me.

[@fluffyduffyasmr3861]

j0sH092 give more context? lol

[@nickbeutler]

The fake laugh is supposed to sound fake and cringey, that’s the whole point of the scene. That’s why it sounds the same in Japanese; it was the original intent. Tidus and Yuna have just been through this hugely traumatic and tragic experience, but they are forcing themselves to put on a happy face and laugh because they are the source of hope for the people of Spira.

[@marine76a]

My view is that being given undeserved shit does not detract from the soundness of the criticism. However, when criticism crosses a line that is undeserved. In other words it's too bad he was raked across the coals, but it was not a good performance.

[@Zarolea]

I liked Tidus a lot growing up. I guess he is a bit of a manic pixie dream boy. Don't see a lot of those. 16 yo me definitely had a crush on him. Now that I'm older, I still like him. He's ditzy but I enjoy his antics. I don't think his give acting is that bad.

[@leonardoferro2102]

I really really love your ff reviews, ive watched your ff8 review a couple of times now and it still totally amazes me each and every time, it is great to see someone share the fascination for this franchise and provide us fans with such high quality content. Thank you !!

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks Leonardo :) really glad that you've enjoyed them. And ff8 is very close to my heart so I'm particularly glad you liked that one!

[@bd_bandkanon]

Good video. You have a very relaxing voice. Honestly though, I never had a problem with Tidus. His voice never annoyed me and his character development had far more relevance than I guess is most obvious. Replaying FFX years later, I find... that hasn't changed. In fact, I've found even more meaning in Tidus' character now that I've lost a few people close to me over the years. This is something that not even highly observant people can pick up on until they've had a few experiences with death, especially of the gradual kind. Cutting to the chase, my analysis is this: Not to say I'm disagreeing with Yuna playing the role of protagonist-- Tidus is most definitely a deuteragonist in this case. But Tidus' story is not just the hero's journey, nor is he just eyes for Yuna's story. His role is that of a young man going through the process of either grief or death. Or both. Both works just as well, if not best. If you look through the Kübler-Ross model (five stages of grief) you'll be able to pinpoint on your own the arcs that Tidus goes through over the course of the story -- bearing in mind that the five stages don't go in any specific order and vary in length and potency. (Some people may take years on end to recover, in the event that their grief is for a lost one.) If you need some pointers to further analyze this yourself, I suggest paying close attention to the dialogue regarding not just Tidus' relationship with Jecht, but also his association with Zanarkand and his assertion of his "story" (replace story with another word and you might start hearing it the way I do). Also, the linear structuring of the world map, which mind you I HATED when I first played the game, might just play the most crucial role in Tidus' progression in this regard. That said, I think I have warmed up to the linear world map. Just give it some form of poignancy and I'll be happy, I guess. Basically, just-- give Tidus a little more credit. If you have time, try going back through and look at him with death on your mind. There is more to garner from him than what was covered in this video. It's already obvious enough that FFX bears major themes of death and grief (as well as faith), so why not apply that logic to him as well? I think he deserves it. And while my interpretation might come across as the mad prattling of an emotionally scarred dimwit that never went to therapy, I think it's good and even healthy to revisit, discuss and reanalyze the themes to a title you like more than once. Come back to it every two to five, even ten years. See if you pick up on anything new or see something in a new light. Anyway, I still really liked listening to this, regardless of whether or not I agreed with your points. I hope you continue doing these analysis videos! Also, I like your username. Alleyway Jack is one of my favorite npcs in FFIX~

[@johnmanfreda2738]

I've had a lot of thoughts on this game myself, but you bring a lot of information to the table that I wasn't aware of. Great video

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks John

[@fagnernunes4984]

Spira still my favorite fantasy world in a video game, such a memorable experience, i will never forget !

[@AlleywayJack]

Yes, loved it

[@charlieross4674]

Can you tell me a bit about what makes Spira your favourite FF world? I haven't played X since I was 14 or so back in 2003/4 So I remember next to nothing. The fight against Jecht-Sin is what always comes to the forefront of my mind when I think about FFX. That was a crazy boss fight, music was rad too, so unique and wild

[@rebecca9904]

Only just discovered your channel. I felt like I was listening to a lecture on a world class literature course, could have carried on listening for ages! Thank you for this fantastic analysis

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks Rebecca! Glad you enjoyed it. Probably the closest I'll get to lecturing as I'm not sure I can brave a PhD at the moment :)

[@TylerJBrown192]

I'm late to the party, but fantastic retrospective! You seem to be very knowledgable with prior works of art and storytelling frameworks, which really makes it a very insightful listen. Cheers!

[@AlleywayJack]

Cheers Tyler, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@nickhall_music]

Your channel is exactly what I've been looking for on KZbin. New subscriber!

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks Nick, glad you like it !

[@supremeoverlorde2109]

This is a great analysis. You take a very balanced approach in terms of discussing some of the game's strengths and weaknesses, as well as how you were able to find the value in certain things about the game that you didn't used to appreciate. Of all the FF games, I think X is one of my favorites to just straight-up play, thanks to its excellent battle system. I know some people don't like the linearity, but I think it works for the narrative. Because the environments are so rich and there are lots of NPCs to interact with, it never feels like a slog in the way, say, FFXIII does for instance. And I do think FFX has one of the most compelling stories and well-rounded cast of characters who complement one another extremely well. I think the only thing that tends to make me hesitant about calling FFX my favorite is Tidus. I don't hate him. And functionally speaking, Tidus's character works well. But his personality just doesn't do it for me. Maybe I watched too many Shonen anime as a teen with oblivious yet happy-go-lucky protagonists, but with Tidus I feel like I've seen it all before. If he was still cheerful but portrayed with some greater degree of intelligence or emotional maturity, I might like him a bit more. But... meh. I'd have liked it if they focused in a bit more on certain elements of his character arc --- particularly after finding out the truth about his existence. The game barely lets him react to it. I know they wanted to depict him being strong for Yuna and everybody else, but if we'd even gotten one scene of him on his own or privately with Auron showing some vulnerability or questioning himself, I think that would have added so much more to his character. Tidus's decision to accept his fate implies a lot about him, and shows that he's willing to not only sacrifice for the world itself, but for Yuna to finally have a chance at living the life she wants to live. This is all very sweet and romantic and tragic, but I think it would have hit home more just how brave and strong he was to make that choice if we'd seen him actually react and grapple with the reality of his situation. I do realize that technically, the story is more Yuna's than Tidus's and he is meant to be more of an observer. Yet I think creators do a disservice when they create a narrator type character who's both kind of involved but an outsider in the events of the story, particularly if they choose to give that character limited development and agency for the majority of it. There are times while playing FFX that I feel like I'm reading a self-insert fanfiction.

[@michaelhorvath62]

This my 2nd FF I ever played, and its hands down my favorite. (FFIX being the first I've played and that's my 2nd favorite). And everything you said was spot on, only thing I disagree with is the voice acting. While it hasnt aged all that gracefully, I believe James Arnold Taylor did a solid job of what he was given. Thanks for this great video, I play through this game at least once every year, and I can't get enough discussion of my favorite game ever.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks for the comment. And yeah the voice acting remains a hot topic for this title ;) but as you say, it’s grown to become one of my favourites and I also try to return to it every year or so! If you like FFX discussions I’ve done separate discussions on Jecht and Seymour recently.

[@DanielImms]

Finally got a chunk of time to listen, really enjoyed it :)

[@AlleywayJack]

Great, thanks :)

[@swagmimic1010]

Really love for discussions on Final Fantasy games keep up the great work! :)

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks so much :)

[@j.m.3600]

I love how fast and satisfying the combat is. It is so satisfying to armor break with Auron

[@bucky5970]

Kind of shallow, but the most interesting thing to me about Auron lately is how Square decided to design a man at the age of 35. I look at him and at least think he's into his mid-late 40s. When I realized he was supposed to be 35, I being in my 30s myself, instantly felt a billion years old lol

[@AlleywayJack]

Oh tell me about it! I thought Cid Highwind was in his 50s In FF7 but he's about 30. Square are notorious for making the 30+ demographic seem ancient, and I'm at an age where I'm mildly offended by this 😅

[@jacobreeves3110]

Excellent video 👍 I've been looking for a video that dives deep into the themes, characters and narrative for a while now. This exactly what I wanted. Thank you for your insight and research. Side note: I always felt Wakkas backstory is amazing, and in my opinion he's the most emotionally realistic character in the party.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks Jacob, glad you enjoyed it. And yeah I agree, I think Wakka's very human in how he exhibits this initial denial and prejudice and so on to conceal his despair at Chappu's death. He was brilliantly written.

[@adot9259]

When I played it as a young kid I took everything surface level and he came off very annoying and childish. It was only when I grew up that I could understand his place within the overall story. It was a risk to put a character that could be classified as racist in the main party and having his growth focus on moving beyond his trauma based prejudice was kind of brilliant and original.

[@jacobreeves3110]

@@adot9259 going back and playing it as an adult changed my perspective on it. I figured it’d be childish but it’s actually got some depth.

[@theseviolentdelightz]

I havent commented yet but ive watched most of your final fantasy videos. You make great content, and I'm sure your channel will explode when you analyze a more current games.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks Christopher, I'm glad you have enjoyed them :)

[@radrose4864]

Such a good video. Exactly what I wanted to find.

[@gamer2101]

My favorite game of all time. It can teach people so many things if they pay attention.

[@busydad4858]

Another great job. The religious / “church” connotations in this game are fascinating.

[@colpugno7]

I want to add Rikku's importance in the FFX plot. she actually cares Yuna a lot. she didn't want Yuna to continue her pilgrimage to get the final summoning due to the fatal consequence. she also attempted abduction to prevent her pilgrimage.

[@uraninezak]

I need to jump to defense of all the voice acting. Yuna, Tidus, and Lulu all had relatively amateur voice actors in English. From interviews with both the actors themselves and the localization team, the game was hard coded around the file size of voice clips so that meant not only did they need to match lip flaps because they were set to the Japanese dub, but also the audio file had to be the same size with zero wiggle room. This made it challenging because the game is obviously written with Japanese nuance in mind and Japanese dramatic speech doesn't translate to English well at all. That being said, and I will die on this hill, the problem was the actual recording sessions in English themselves. The actors were in a booth, heard the Japanese audio, and then recorded with guidance from the directors. They had the character artwork and Japanese voice to learn their character. It's not like anime dubbing where they watch a scene and then record alongside the scene they just watched so they understand what's happening on screen as their lines are playing. They just recorded and the sound engineers sped up or slowed down the clips to fit the ADR. This makes so much feel stilted. Take Lulu's speech during the Yunalesca fight vs during the big plot reveal at Home and how were these lines recorded by the same person for the same character. That's why FF13 has so much better of a dub because the file limitations, lip flaps, and blind recordings weren't obstacles. With all of this in mind and the fact it was the first voice acted Squaresoft title and their only voice acting experience prior was The Spirits Within, this voice acting is actually pretty decent. And the progress from FFX to FFX-2 and then FFXII, the progress is astounding.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks for the details on the V/O production that's interesting stuff

[@elizabethlovett4318]

Great video. I appreciated the portrayal of religion, particularly the christian religion as I have distrust towards organized religion and the possible warping & corruption that could be within. Personally I also somewhat dislike organized religion as opposed to spirituality for various reasons that I won't go into. That being said one of my favorite characters of FFX is Wakka due to his change that happens by witnessing the truth, accepting it for what it is and opens his mind, leading him to befriend characters like Rikku and apologizing to the Al Bhed without blaming Yevon, rather taking responsibility himself. The first Final Fantasy game I ever played was Final Fantasy 8. I later played FF7, FF9 then FF10. Final Fantasy 10 was the first installment where I beat the game before my brother did who is older, a longer & more experienced fan of the series. Actually he never finished it or FF10-2 because he couldn't get passed certain points. He couldn't get passed Seymour on Gagazet in FF10 & he couldn't get the musicians into the elevator of the Celsius the night Yuna entertains the other Gullwings by singing & dancing in FF10-2. I believe he broke his disc of FF10-2 in irritation. He tends to have a temper in gaming (punching the tv screen, breaking a controller etc) :/ Anyway I found it odd he couldn't get passed those points not because I found those easy but simply because he's the more experienced gamer but since then I thought it was a result of game mechanics etc and as such he wasn't used to compared to older games.

[@OuterHeaven210]

I’m part way through my playthrough of FFX. Haven’t played it since the HD version came out and I didn’t beat it then. Playing on PS2 now and plan on beating the story at least, maybe get all the ultimate weapons

[@charlieross4674]

Did you beat any of the Dark Aeons? They were terrifying and I don't recall beating a single one so I gave them a wide berth, and thus never got everybody's ultimate weapon as a consequence. Would love to have another playthrough but I could never find the time and I don't think I could put my heart through it all again either!

[@OuterHeaven210]

Charlie Ross I can’t remember what I was doing at the time in my life but I took the time to master the systems with Rikku modding weapons and I got most of the celestial weapons. I was able to get the magus sisters and my life changed and I was playing FFX too much anymore. Lately I been playing the fuck out of it. Currently in the calm lands getting yojimbo

[@StarPrismatic]

Just found your channel - LOVE your content. Final Fantasy and narrative analysis are two of my favorite things.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks Kate! Glad you like it.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks glad you like it!

[@TommyPKFire]

Spiral doesn't mean circle or cycle. It actually is a gradual tightening or widening. When something spirals downwards, it usually get's smaller and smaller until it's disappeared. Not the same concept as a cycle. Anyway, I think Spira more refers to Respira... as in respiration. We get the word respiration from the Latin derivative that basically means life (to live and breath) I think Spira represents life. Maybe that would be a better representation of your cyclic idea. JUS SAYIN

[@frisbeejames]

Literally just finished FFX HD and "eternal calm". Going to start 10-2 tomorrow. Falling asleep to this now....😴.

[@AlleywayJack]

Awesome, I have eternal calm on my Steam purchase of X X-2 But I haven't ever watched it. I'm glad this helps you rest. I hope it makes you feel... calm :D

[@Leonard_Washington76]

FFX also has the best summoning system. Anima is my favorite summon in the entire series.

[@puddpuddle5461]

Bit of a late comment, but I enjoyed your analysis. My eleven year old self picked up this game on a whim, about a year or so after its release. It was my introduction to FF and rpg's in general, so I obviously have a fair bit of bias towards this game. It's interesting though how my thoughts on and analysis of the game and its characters have evolved as I've got older and my general knowledge - such as it is - has grown. Some of the parallels you draw I had thought of before, while some connections, and the extent to which you pursued them, were an interesting surprise. The question of who the protagonist really is, is an interesting one. Obviously, the main events that transpire are centered around Yuna. However, the way the narrative on these events is constructed gives Tidus a credible claim to being the lead figure in his own right, I think. It's important to remember here that, for all intents and purposes, the majority of the game's story is basically a flashback of the events until Zanarkand. Though it's sometimes easy to forget, we are, in a sense, playing through the story that Tidus is telling us; a story that, despite Yuna's importance, is very much focused on Tidus' experience of the unfolding events. Without Yuna, there wouldn't be much of a story. Without Tidus, there would be no one to actually tell us the story. It's another way in which this pair depends on each other, in which they are Sun and Moon (the symbolism applies to the narrative framing too, if you think about it). I think the protagonist role is ultimately divided amongst the both of them. In that sense, it's both a break with tradition and a precursor to what would happen in XII, where the sense of a clear protagonist is even more absent. Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks for an interesting video!

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks for the comment. Yeah, a joint protagonism is probably the best way to consider the game and, as you've alluded to, one without the other would essentially unravel the impact of the game story, as Tidus's influence is integral to the shifting of ideals in Yuna and her agenda (not to mention the romantic aspect). As you've mentioned FFXII was a huge shift into the ensemble story... I've always wondered how that game would feel if Vaan was the narrator, because he's essentially the player window into events, but they utilised Marquis Ondore for the narration instead.

[@nicholasrickhoff2912]

Tidus does say “This is my story” multiple times. And the boy in the purple hoodie tells him this at the beginning. FFX 2 is Yuna’s story.

[@baizawai]

The story is Yuna's and Tidus's together. They are the sun and the moon. It starts as Tidus's story and ends as Yuna's story. To me....they are intended to be equal.

[@AlleywayJack]

Nice perspective on it, I can see it

[@fluffyduffyasmr3861]

i love your videos man, thank you for thoughtful and amazing content!

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy them :)

[@Leonard_Washington76]

FFX is good to me. Think it’s the last of the classic FF we were us to playing in our younger days.

[@budweizer100]

Would love to have these as podcasts

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks, it's something I've considered but it's a case of finding the best platform and re-editing the content to suit that slightly.

[@budweizer100]

Redcoat I just finished a flight from Oz to the UK. I managed to DL your videos to my phone and listen to them. Honestly, some of the best thought-out and presented work I’ve ever heard, and I read a good few journals during my time as a biochemist.

[@AlleywayJack]

@@budweizer100 Thanks, I really appreciate that and I'm glad the videos ticked over some of your flight time. - hope the jetlag isn't too bad, that's quite a journey.

[@Goozeeeee]

Great critique! I wish we had time stamps so I could digest this a bit better

[@shiveringmousepodcast7153]

I actually appreciated the more linear game play in X. It was my first FF and one of the first games I ever played and so when I tried 7 I immediately got lost as soon as I hit the world map and was never able to track down where I was supposed to go next

[@AlleywayJack]

Yeah the linear nature of FFX made it flow very well and I know several people who had it as a first FF and loved it for that excellent pacing :)

[@elbvidya1968]

Thank you so much for sharing your perspective on these games! I think here in the West it can be difficult for some of us to get into the right mindset to appreciate the storytelling in games like Final Fantasy because it seems very foreign. Our stories (at least in modern times) often focus on very concrete problems in very 'realistic' situations. Even our more fantastical stories often seem very 'realistic'. There is an unspoken contempt for stories that aren't logical and don't manage to stay consistent (without plotholes). That's why expressing deeper emotions through our stories is so hard, because cold logic doesn't have many crevices for emotions to squeeze through. I guess that's because we traditionally didn't need to write stories that focus on explaining our emotions because western societies are very loud and allow people to express themselves freely in day-to-day life; even in professional environments like work you can see emotional outbursts! But I think as our societies start to become more and more aligned with those from the East due to us being less and less comfortable with ourselves and the people around us, starting to keep more to ourselves and escaping to our comfort zones after depressing amounts of work, we start to appreciate these eastern stories more. But really, I guess it's never so much about the stories themselves but more about the way they are told. Final Fantasy focuses so much on emotions and so little on trying to remain 'logical' and 'consistent with its lore' that it allows the players to really divert all the energy from the thinking-parts of their brain to the feeling-parts (very childish to explain it like that, sorry..). Sorry, I just meant to say thanks for helping me understand all of that, or at least for getting me on this track. Now I can play other games using that type of perspective rather than through the traditional 'logical' lens that many of the extreme opponents of JRPG use due to these stories being seemingly nonsensical at times, or featuring non-realistic and ridiculous imagery at times (the obsession with belts when it comes to japanese character designs, for example) Edit: And I know that FF is inspired by Star Wars at times, but the stories are told in a different way. I think even Star Wars focuses a lot on the logic of the world and keeps emotions rather light.

[@AlleywayJack]

Yes I think you're correct in your observations, and western media has this notion of a 'Hollywood ending' where everything is neatly concluded in a superficial way in the end, the bad guy dies and the guy gets the girl etc. I've generally found Japanese media, particularly novels, rely a lot on subtext and symbolism. But the problem here is twofold because not only are Western audiences less accustomed to it, but we must also rely on the creative interpretation of the translator, and if you have a bad translation the intended meaning can be lost entirely... a very interesting example of this is Metal Gear Solid 1, where Jeremy Blaustein produced a creative interpretation of the game rather than a word for word translation... the creators essentially fired him for it, but he actually made the games themes understandable in the West, which is great!

[@smarch3912]

I agree with the fact that the narrative of this game benefits of the linearity. But games like FFVI show that you can have both. In that game the exploration comes in a moment of the story when it makes sense and it makes everything way more powerful, that's why WoR is so memorable.

[@AlleywayJack]

Yeah I agree and I think FF6 was pitch perfect in how it paced the exploration/story dynamics... I really need to go back and play it soon actually :)

[@jmc4365]

I didn't miss the world map at all

[@evanwoodham6296]

Great review. Spot on that this game is great despite some softening and degradation in the franchise. I agree that the battle system is improved from the ATB in earlier games. The plot loses some complexity from the earlier games but there's still enough work in to make it excellent Some loss of story depth and music, but overall it still has that magic spark, qnd improves in some ways over tha classic approach

[@YusiDJordan]

You have the best username on KZbin.

[@davidsabillon5182]

Liked, commented and subscribed. Good stuff bro 👍

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed!!

[@zkeeg]

I played other FF titles, but I didn't get an opportunity to play FFX until last year. Admittedly, I really do dislike the game for many reasons. However, being a die-hard FF fan, I feel relieved that your vid can present for me so many aspects of the game that are really impressive. I definitely won't replay it, however, I think I can review the story with a much better appreciation for the plot. Thanks so much for these vids!

[@AlleywayJack]

Yeah I know a few people that didn't particularly like it, was there anything in particular that detracted you from it?

[@zkeeg]

​ @Alleyway Jack The vid "Final Fantasy X Changed Everything (and I hate it)" from the KZbinr "Jacbros" really nailed all the points for me. However, my major issue was the lack of meaningful dialogue among party members, especially between Yuna and Tidus. I prefer the Japanese translation of Yuna saying "Thank You" instead of "I love you", because I can't possibly see how she could love this dude she barely knows. To be honest, I had seen the ending fmv many years before playing the game. I loved it. It made me sad. I wanted to know how Tidus would be shocked to hear those words from Yuna. I wanted to know how he could not see the need to say the those words back. I wanted to know how Yuna could know at that point that she loved him. I wanted to know the kind of person Tidus was to not linger any longer, and just dive off a ledge, leaving her behind. Having played (and loved) FF8, I was looking forward to so much more bonding between them. I didn't get enough of that at all. Also, as I said before, Jacbros, says everything else for me. lol

[@AlleywayJack]

@@zkeeg I will look up the other video you mentioned as I haven't seen it, but that's a fair take on that aspect of the game. I agree 'Thank you' works, because for me Tidus's significance resides in his breaking of the summoner cycle and changing the course of events, rather than being an overtly romantic character, that said I also think there's intervals intended to draw them closer together - awful laughing sequence etc - and there's bits of subtext that they touch on such as absent/reputable father figures that make them understand one another. So, generally I'd agree they made a climactic feature of a romance that was only subtle secondary story at best.

[@CaptainAugust]

Wandering Flame still hits me like a drug when I hear it

[@AlleywayJack]

Yes fantastic tune, hard to articulate the dreamy nostalgia attached to that one.

[@SuperFamiKing]

In my opinion, this was the last true Final Fantasy game. And the last good one too.

[@megamike15]

while i agree i still have issues with the game. it's why i say 9 is the last real ff while 10 is the last good one.

[@alianasart9463]

My introduction is FFVIII as a kid and I skipped FF9 I didn't like the artwork. I liked FF10 overal design to begin with and I bought and fell in love with it! But still If I had to choose FFVIII is still my favorite final fantasy today. A pity I never played FF7, when you start off with FF8 it's kinda hard to go back and play FF7. But I will give the FF7 remake a go!

[@AlleywayJack]

FF8 is also my favourite ✌

[@radrose4864]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the theme for the cloister of trials in your “actively irritating music” section

[@drkhan462]

I dunno but I played x as my first ps2 game, and played 7 in 2014 and 8 in 2020 and I would say they are comparable. I can definitely understand if someone thinks 7/8/10 are best ff even tho x is my favorite of all time.

[@charlieross4674]

Those are the only 3 Final Fantasy games I've played and are three of my all-time favourite video games. VII being my number 1 favourite game of all time, VIII ranking very highly and then X one of my lesser favourites. I definitely need a replay of VIII and X because I last played those 2003/4 and earlier. I played VII last in 2007 so it's fresher in my mind. Metal Gear Solid 3 is my number 2 all-time favourite game btw. Sorry, just realised this is a pretty pointless comment since nobody asked for my opinion haha. My bad. Just saw that you had also only played the only 3 I myself have played.

[@coldeed]

I gotta say this, the 17 y/o that gets the shit end of the stick by being a dead man walking and taking that all in stride showing that his optimism and good nature wasn't just a childish act is the best god damn story arc any main character got. Tidus goes from a stupid idealistic kid to a mature person that reasons and rationalizes things in a broken world. He goes from a crybaby to a man quietly burdening the suffering of the world on his shoulders and doesn't even show an ounce of the stress to everyone around him. People that called the va work inconsistent due to the somber voice over being a monologue towards the end when the stakes and circumstances are fully understood by Tidus by comparing it to his more carefree demeaner at the start never finished the game. I'll take a twerp that turns into a character I love over some tool trying to be cool and likable off of shallow bs that panders, because its a mark of good writing to make a character grow so much you transition from hate to love. The only reasons not to like him is being too dense to release whats happening and why it involves and effects him, or you dont like the story at all.

[@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725]

5:10 Yea cuz you dont leave sin sitting on the ground with a portal open to get inside him so you can go play mini games... All the endgames are open

[@danielm9753]

Hi Redcoat, have you played Skies of Arcadia by any chance? Would love to hear your analysis!

[@AlleywayJack]

Hi Daniel, man that's brought back some memories! My friend owned it on Dreamcast and I played through it with him years ago... completely forgot about it to be honest! I'll have to look it up on an emulator somewhere, thanks for the comment and reminding me about it :D

[@zackstaal5965]

yu yevon was the king of zanarkand during the war with bevelle

[@sharondraginis9994]

I'm glad you did this one. Your FF8 review is one of my favorite game reviews I've come across. Are you planning on touching FF10-2?

[@AlleywayJack]

Sorry for such a belated reply. I have honestly only played about 7-8 hours worth of X-2 so don't feel I could do it justice in a discussion. However, I am currently on a mission to play back through all these old games and possibly upload playthroughs/do more talks about them :) glad you liked my FF8 review, it's my fave game!

[@alianasart9463]

I love FFX

[@danielmclean3733]

Aurons last name is Aburame

[@jahssweden8925]

I appreciate this.

[@SmileDance123]

Great discussion!

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks :)

[@ChaosN0110]

great review

[@imreplyingtothiscomment2378]

My favorite ff game

[@jus4000kicks]

I know a lot of people have expressed not liking Tidus's voice but that does not mean it was voice acted badly. The guy who voices tidus is a good voice actor and he voices tidus well. James Arnold Taylor is his name kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4PbdpmNr52Ka9k. Personally, he's actually one of my favorite characters (including his voice) and I know that many people had the opposite reaction to him. While I understand what you are saying in terms of imagination I think the voice acting and more cinematic approach makes the game more lively and better in a sense because it gives us more details. The laughing scene for example has been explained as it was supposed to be that way kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYO6kpVmpp6UrZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/nF6cgmWVZ95_o7M.

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks for the comment, particularly the links to James Arnold Taylor, he's pretty interesting to listen to. I have since softened to Tidus's voice, and the laughing scene wasn't something that bothered me too much (I hope everyone knows its an ironic laugh as Taylor mentions). I was initially more bothered by the protagonist being given a certain personality through voice and delivery that I didn't imagine him having by looking at him... however, i'm aware this is just an entirely subjective reaction from when I first played the game and, as with a lot of my reviews, my opinions have changed somewhat since recording :) Thanks again for those links!

[@jus4000kicks]

@@AlleywayJack I'm unsure what my first impression was of him but I know I quickly warmed up to him over the playing of the game and now I can't separate the voice and the character. Its not an unrealistic thing for that to happen though even in real life (referring to cases where you meet someone and their voice seems different than you expect). Instead of seeing him as an archetype I see him as a unique real (as far as a game character can be) character. Final Fantasy VIII didn't have voice acting and still managed to be controversial. I think the "problem" has to do with making detailed and deep characters unlike silent protagonists in other games. Just like in real life people who are opposite to someones else's personality is likely to be misunderstood until you get to know them better and learn to understand them. I will always prefer the detailed approach though.

[@AlleywayJack]

You're right, for a variety of reasons VIII was a controversial game (but is one of my favourites), so I guess it comes down to subjective opinion. As I said, Tidus warmed to me and I can no longer separate him from the voice... it was just a surprise I guess. Particularly when we have sullen protagonists such as Squall and Cloud in previous games (and Zidane, who was also optimistic like Tidus, but is another character I still can't put a voice to, because I haven't played Dissidia).

[@jus4000kicks]

@@AlleywayJack I am one of those people who loves Final Fantasy VIII as well (including Squall). I gotta say I really love your analysis on that game and characters. It basically cemented my position that FFVIII is a flawed masterpiece. I played and I think got into VIII before I got into VII and it probably was because of the enemies leveling with squall. I wasn't good at rpgs back then and this was one of those games where once I got into it the story motivated me hugely. I kept feeling like I should probably sit and level but then I was like but I HAVE to see whats next! I could easily talk about FFVII - FFX forever I think. Haven't beat VI or XII yet but I will. FFIV and FFV I could probably talk a whole lot about as well as FF Tactics.

[@AlleywayJack]

Yes VIII is my favourite and I was entirely motivated by the story to pursue that game. I'd play for hours just to find out what happened next. VI and XII are good but in very different ways, and XII tends to divide opinions so I'm interested in how you find that.

[@CatzDaLegit]

"This is my story"

[@Icameron259]

Except it isn't; it's really Yuna's story.

[@dinham16]

Another great review & analysis. My favourite part but how you said voice acting robs the player of using their imagination, couldn't agree more! It's one of the many reasons 6-10 are so good. But realistically, Square were also going to jump at the chance to add voice acting, especially being the first project on the PS2!

[@AlleywayJack]

Thanks man, glad you like it. Yeah I agree, Square have always pushed along with technology wherever possible; which can either be good or bad depending on how you look at it. I used to get quite precious about how the newer games strayed away from the dynamics seen in 6-10 - but I've long since got over that. As long as the story and characters are strong, I don't mind so much!

[@andrewmclellan1623]

This game really bothered me. I was just out,of,college and riding high on FF8 (and FF7 before it)- they were bonding experiences with me and my sister who loved to,share the story with me. I remember sitting down and playing this for the first time after waiting years and building up excitement. First of all...the voice acting. Nuff said in this video- it made it impossible to like the whiny moron. Next, both of us are Christians and the villification of a church was hard to stomach (not to,mention the dreadfully on the nose "using 'fayth' to defeat 'Sin'" theme). Next, it seemed very very slow paced after the deadlines and action of the first 2. In addition, too,much goofy nonsense like "wanna scream?" Tue action was ok and the premise was fine, but aside from Auron the characters gave us no reason to care about them. My sister gave up on,it,after a few hours and we never gamed together again. Worst. FF. Ever.

[@TheOtherSideBooks]

You should do 13!

[@baizawai]

I kinda view Seymour as the embodiment of nihilism, but that's probably just me seeing that.

[@michaelrussell7806]

Auron should have been older, around 45 instead of 35. Still, my favorite character by far.

[@AlleywayJack]

I always found it bizarre how Square perceives anything over 30 to be old age, and I agree Auron is much more appropriate to a man in his 40s. The way he bridges the stories together is fantastic though.

[@willdurfee4211]

Honestly Tidus did not have any development at all. He is exactly the same person we meet in the fist 5 mins as we get in the last 5 mins. He was boring and unimpressive. The look or the VA wasn't the problem...we didn't get a character we got a vehicle to traverse the game and that really is all he is to the game.

[@baizawai]

You mean the emotionally abused and abandoned child, that forgave his father and sacrificed himself, his home and everyone he knew in zanarkand to brake the cycle of death?

[@billl.2441]

I loved the story. I believe ffx story can be made into a movie and hold its own.

[@AlleywayJack]

Definitely the most cinematic story to date

[@saroporoggo]

"y'know"

[@omarct]

This is a very low effort video, you didnt even bother to put pictures of the characters you were talking about.

[@tomasgarcia7499]

And what about it??? It’s still good.

[@adthomp]

FF X really the last time we had turn based system FFX-2 was terrible it was more of a spin off

[@StopHim]

You know, kind of, really

[@AlleywayJack]

I know, not the best orator!!

[@atoasttototoro]

good video less "you know's" would be great though

[@dinham16]

Picky

[@northernheel2829]

You just had to shove your political ideologies in this video about a video game huh?

[@MakaiKishiZero]

Absolutely terrible opinion and views on the game. I'm honestly really surprised you kept making videos based on the game (which are far better then this video), but I really have to ask why? I'm curious if your opinion has changed on the game or not. If they've changed you should make a newer video explaining the changes and how they came about. If your views are still the same then I think you should refrain from making more videos on a game you sound incredibly "meh"on.

[@skysquall-s]

what are u.?ur accentt make it more difficult to understand

[@dickydmcd]

I think he is english. He doesn't sound American

[@SaberRexZealot]

“what are u.?” Great icebreaker dude.

[@s0urp0wer5]

This game really grew on me honestly first few times I tried I thought it was one of the worst games I'd ever done now I really like it a lot Still cant stand the story and characters which are by far the worst part of the game

[@ridleyroid9060]

Game footage ffs, back your claims up with game footage not static images

[@AlleywayJack]

Yes sorry, my recordings were originally intended as podcast style audio clips. I've recently started contributing video alongside them though as I'm aware this is preferable to some people and can highlight certain points.

[@JayInDecent]

No offense but this is one of the most boring things I've ever heard in my life