FFX-2 – Part 1: YRP

Summary: Singing, dancing, gunslinging Yuna. Rikku and Paine. Leblanc. Magical girl transformations. Gullwings aboard the Celsius. High quantities of pure joy.


Predictions and Expectations

-I think it’ll be best to give these predictions in two phases. The first, which I made before I watched Eternal Calm, and some amendments now that I’ve seen Eternal Calm and the FFX-2 title screen.

-I wrote these three predictions on Spoils before I saw EC in response to a question from balthier7285:

1) I think it'll be a sequel set after the events of FFX rather than, say, a prequel focusing on Jecht, Braska, and Auron.

2) I think it'll focus on a mix of new characters and side characters from FFX. I think Yuna et al. will more likely be figures of legend and honor that we consult and not main characters. Like, Shelindra and Clasko are the kind of characters I expect to be X-2 protagonists.

3) I think the plot will focus on some group or individual that intend to restart the cycle of death, attempting to become a new Yu Yevon.

I'm not really confident in any of these predictions, but to the extent I am, I see them going in descending order of unlikeliness. 1 more likely than 2, 2 more likely than 3.

-I still believe #1. I now think #2 is wrong, and that it’ll focus on Yuna, Rikku, and the third woman in the title screen who might or might not be Lulu. I do think there’ll be new characters too, but not primarily new characters.

I still believe #3. That some new group will be nostalgic for the certainty and nobility of sacrifice in the old order of Yevon, and try to restart it.

-Also possible: Tidus returns??? I mean, I really thought he was gone, so we’ll see if that imprisoned dude in EC was really him.

-Mechanically, I think it’ll be a bit like FFIV: The After Years. Same basic mechanics as the base game with a couple of new twists.

-oh god there’s one more thing I noticed and since I saw the new game screen can’t get out of my head.

Yuna. With. Guns.

-YUNA WITH GUNS HOLY SHIT WILL YUNA HAVE GUNS??? Now, if this turns into Dirge of Cerberus and a shooter rather than a turn-based RPG, I’ll be a bit pissed tbh. BUT IT HITS ME THAT THE AEONS MIGHT BE GONE AFTER FFX, SO WILL YUNA BE A MOTHERFUCKING GUNSLINGER????

-That’s all I got. More than I usually put in this section, but I have more info going into this game than usual based on my recent experience with FFX, EC, and seeing the title screen. There it is. Let’s go.

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Introduction

-Beach setting to start? Seagulls.

-Blitzball sphere. Packed game.

-uh oh early trouble, a dude knocked out and being pulled away. Heist?

-YRP in position? Yuna rikku someoneelse?

-My guess is that “P” is the punky looking woman who ran past.

-The sphere is rocking. Guitarist, animatronic drummer.

-YUNA HOLY SHITTHJKLHDS

-hAHAHHA SHE’S A POP SINGER NOW WHAT?? IT’S NOT A BLITZBALL GAME, IT’S A CONCERT

-WHAT THE FULC IM

-Rikku knocks a guard out.

-These intro name screens are amazing.

-What the helly hell is happening, I don’t know and don’t care, this is amazing and I love the music and costuming

-HI PAINE WHO ARE YOU

-Okay, I expected a list of things and Yuna’s pop concert this wasn’t really remotely near the list

-like – what are words??

-Are we battling? A LITERAL DANCE BATTLE?

-This combat is so bizarre. Is this real or part of the show, like the theater battle early in FFIX? Given that two people are “Goons,” I’m guessing real. However, “????” is the person who was marked as Yuna, so maybe not?

-I’m super confused.

-There’s a new battle mechanic I’m already seeing, “Chain.”

-The two goons are down now. It’s just Yuna versus Rikku and Paine.

-Chain seems to be something related to hitting multiple attacks in a row.

-After winning, Paine: “I could’ve danced all night.”

????: “Sorry, no time for an encore!” “Yuna” must be an imposter.

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Luca Docks

-This music is hype af btw

-I have movement control. Rikku is a thief, Paine is a warrior. Each has a size, “S.”

-One of the Key Items in my inventory is New Beginnings Sphere: “Led Yuna to become a sphere hunter.” Is Yuna basically a Spiran “treasure hunter,” FFVI Locke-style?

-Back to an ATB system it seems. Boo. I set it to Wait.

-Something called spherechanges are a thing.

- lololol “Goon” and “She-Goon”

-It seems like skills have speeds. When I use Steal on Rikku, I have to wait a bit before attacking with Paine. It’s possible to attack with Paine afterwards but kill the enemy before steal finishes.

-Paine learned sentinel.

-Learned Pilfer Gil. Can only do so once per enemy it seems.

-I’m trying to explore and running into a gauntlet of enemies. I should probably just chase after ProbablyNot!Yuna.

-…is that a vomiting moogle??

-I touched the moogle and regained HP/mana.

-“Nice knowing you.” I IMMEDIATELY LOVE PAINE’S VOICE ACTRESS.

-I question the tactical wisdom of Paine standing in combat with her back towards the enemy. It looks badass, don’t get me wrong, but perhaps not the most stable strategic idea.

-Paine learned Flametongue.

-A dual-revolver-wielding enemy emerges.

-Along with a dude with a sturdy shield.

-The facial animations are great. Huge improvement on FFX.

-HAHAHA WTF GUNSLINGER YUNA

-fhadjklsfhdasklfhalsfhld SHE FLIPS OVER THEM GUNS BLAZING I CANT DEAL

AND I CANNOT REMOTELY DEAL WITH THIS YRP BATTLE POSE ALBUM COVER – I CAN’T DEAL WITH ANYTHING, I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED HOW TO DEAL BY NOW

AND YET

-Logos and Ormi are the two enemies here.

-Yuna’s got a thing called “Trigger Happy.” Seems to have an element of Squall’s ability escaping me right now, with RB for extra bonuses.

-Steal only worked once. Silver Glasses and then Iron Bangle from Ormi.

-Oh my god the split screen, the television style, hahahha I love this os much already

-This impostor is their boss.

- Yuna’s garment grid” (sphere grid?) was stolen.

-Okay and now the impostor is dressed a bit like the chocobo knight whose name I can’t remember. And gets funky sinister music.

-Garment grid? Dresspheres?

-OH SHIT – Is this like being able to change your class/job mid-battle? From fighter to healer sorta deal?

-Her name is Leblanc. Interesting – I immediately think of the illusionist mage, Leblanc, from League of Legends. I wonder if both are drawing on some mythical/archetypal illusionist.

-YUNA GETS A MOTHERFUCKING MAGICAL GIRL TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE

-THIS IS A DANCE-OFF

YUNA’S NOW ABLE TO DO A DANCE (“Eyes on me!” she said, beckoning from FFVIII) THAT INFLICTS DARKNESS AND THE ANIMATIONS ARE INCREDIBLE

-Okay, so it looks like you can only swap to a garment adjacent to wherever you are on the garment grid at the time.

-I wonder if I can only change garments once per fight. I can’t seem to swap Yuna again.

-Leblanc scampers away, defeated, going “I’ll get you next time, Gadget!”

-oh my god the closing sequence of her dancing XD XD XD

-YOU WERE TAKEN BY THE MUSIC, JUST ROLL WITH IT YUNIE [Later edit: although this must’ve been more than a bit scary for her.]

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The Celsius

-A fancy red aircar thing picks up up. Yuna liked the feeling of the dance taking over.

-An Al Bhed person is in the ship. The same Al Bhed who piloted the airship in FFX maybe.

-…the person piloting the plane is “Shinra?” Hee!

-Shina is a kid inventor. A dude named Buddy is aboard the ship.

-The music is so expressive!

-Brother is the guy I recognized from Cid's ship. Something something (in Al Bhed) and Gullwings. Must be the ship’s name.

-A Creature Creator? Sounds a bit like the Calm Arena mechanic. I use Shinra’s trap pods to capture fiends and train them as allies. This will also likely be a gateway to lore.

-The ship is the Celsius. The Gullwings must be her group or gang or whatever.

-There’s a LOT of Dresspheres.

-Trying to get a sense of what the Dressphere is vs the Garment Grid.

-The ability screen is especially intriguing, and seems to borrow something from FFIX more than FFX. I get abilities that I can choose to level up with experience.

-oh lord I’m over the moon ecstatic overjoyed at the initial depth I’m seeing in the various dresspheres

-Let’s explore the ship a bit.

RIKKU: “Having fun?”
YUNA: “You bet!” DAMN RIGHT I AM

-Yuna joined the Gullwings (this group, yeah) to find more spheres of “you.” So her voiceover is addressed to Tidus.

-The Gullwings are sphere hunters. What kind of spheres do they hunt? Stat spheres? Recording spheres?

-Buddy was also aboard Cid’s airship, like Brother.

-Got an Al Bhed Primer for the letter U.

-I can find Al Bhed primers in the Bikanel Desert and practice helps Yuna learn. Just talking to Brother got me three more primers.

-Talking to Brother and watching his exuberance also netted me the Festivalist dressphere.

-I’m just… so delighted and simultaneously overwhelmed by all the abilities in the Dressphere.

-Paine is a woman of few words, stoic and mysterious. Joined the Gullwings shorlty before Yuna.

-Shinra’s an Al Bhed “whiz kid.” He has a ton of tutorials which I want to spend time with, but first want to find a save point.

-Found it just inside.

-Another interesting change! I’m in Chapter 1, with 2% of the story completed. No more guessing how close to the end of the game I am. (Not sure how it will account for side stuff, like the Omega Ruins in FFX. I’ll see.)
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Some Quick Parting Thoughts

I’m a broken record and I don’t care. I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW GREAT THIS IS ALREADY!! It’s starting out clearly in Spira, but in a Spira finally freed from the constant burden of imminent destruction that Sin’s presence carried. There’s exuberance, there’s joy, there’s magical girl transformations, there’s dancing and music and color and light.

And I know the game will get dark at points. This is true regardless. Everything in the game so far, from the music to the animations to the facial expressions to the colors on the status screen is its own wondrous tone. A pervading sense of celebration.

Also not remotely lost on me: a main cast so far of all women. Like holy shit??? ABOUT FUCKING TIME. Closest we got was FFV, when in the second half there were three women and one dude. Brilliant choice.

This is literally everthing I wanted so far and didn’t know I needed in my life. Yes, it’s SUPER early, and there will no doubt be stuff I like less in this game than prior games, but fears of a mediocre and pretty mindless milking of the franchise a la FFIV:TAY (much as I still enjoyed the game overall) are fading fast.

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Next time: MORE MORE MORE!!! Starting with reading Shinra’s tutorials.