Final Fantasy X-2 sequel carries beautiful game to new heights

By TOM HAM
SPECIAL TO WASHINGTON POST
Final Fantasy X-2 -- the first sequel ever shipped by Square Enix, formerly SquareSoft -- takes place two years after the events in Final Fantasy X. Instead of saving the world yet again, its complicated plot focuses on reuniting youthful heroine Yuna and her companions Rikku and Paine with long-lost friends and love interests.
X-2 tells this story through an open-ended structure: You can wander anywhere you want in the land of Spira at any time. You must complete each of the 14 missions here for the story to advance, but you can -- and should -- take time to dive into the many side quests here, which reveal underlying plot lines.
Combat also differs from the norm. Instead of long, drawn-out, turn-based battles, players can string together series of fast-paced attacks to win clashes quickly. And then there's the we're-ashamed-to-admit-it's-cool "Dressphere/Garment Grid" angle. Each girl can change outfits before and during battle to switch among 20 different classes of attack; one set of clothes, for instance, lets you fight as a thief, while another casts you as a Black Mage or Alchemist.
Final Fantasy X was already a beautiful game, and X-2 maintains this high level of aesthetics. Many of the environments and locales reappear from previous games, but the developers went back and added a little more detail.
XFinal Fantasy X-2 is available for PlayStation.