Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission

Written by Adam Woolcott on January 27, 2004

First Impressions: They dare deny us more YRP love? Off with their heads!!

It's been a few months now since Final Fantasy X-2 released in the US Ц by now, the dust has settled, the smoke has cleared, the 100% ending has been seen by many, and closure has been brought to the world of Spira, and for Yuna as well. Right? Well, that's what you'd like to think. But no, the wizards (or, crack dealers as many might say) at Square Enix haven't quite rested on their laurels Ц while Final Fantasy XII is under development and nearing its summertime release in Japan, the team behind Final Fantasy X-2 is working on an ultimate edition of the game, fully titled Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission, to release on February 19th of this year in the Land of the Rising Sun. There's just one problem for us Ц as of now, we're not getting it released on our shores. We may never see it here. But since there's always a chance Ц and since it contains a major mode of play that apparently offers the true closure to the world of Spira, that chance is better than you might think Ц it's well worth discussing the prominent additions to what was already a great RPG, and why fans of the US version of X-2 should be thinking of ways to let Square Enix know that they want it here, and not leave us in the dark about how the FFX saga really ends.

The International side of things is similar to the Final Fantasy X International release a few years earlier (which only really had the УAnother StoryФ video extra that set the table for X-2). Effectively, X-2 Intl is the US version of the game, letting Japanese players play the game in English, with our voice actors and the Jade versions of the theme songs 1000 Words and real Emotion (along with the revamped 1000 Words FMV that was in the US version, but not the Japanese release), in addition to also playing with the original voices and themes from the Japanese version. At the least, this makes the actual X-2 game accessible to importers for the most part, though it's unknown whether or not the new features included are in English or not, though I'm guessing not Ц if they were, it would be even more reason to berate Square Enix for not releasing this package in North America as of now.

To be specific, there are a couple new additions to FFX-2 International. The least of it is a pair of new Dresspheres. The first one is called Psychicer (I'm fully guessing this is one awful translation, but who knows). With this, Yuna, Rikku, or Paine can transform into psychics of sorts, floating in the air dressed in a schoolgirl outfit and blindfolded (seriously, there's some really weird guy reading now thinking about Paine blindfolded and in a schoolgirl dress and getting very bad thoughts, and his name is probably Chris Reiter) and performing moves of the telekinesis sorts. Think Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid, only with 1 billion percent more sex appeal and you've got the right idea. No word on whether Yuna can read your memory card though. There's also a geisha girl-like dressphere called Festivalgoer (a loose translation from Japanese) that apparently uses fireworks of some sort to attack enemies; it's hard to tell from screenshots just what this sphere can do, but it's interesting and, as par for the Final Fantasy X-2 course, plain old goofy.

The major new addition is the mega side quest of Monster Breeding. It's sort of like that blasted Pokemon, only YRP look slightly better than Pikachu and his merry friends. Anyway, what happens is you can capture fiends that you've killed (similar to the old monster arena from FFX) and train them to battle representing the Gullwings in a coliseum-style battle arena. In a twist, screenshots from the game have shown Yuna and company fighting a few familiar faces that you'd least expect as part of this challenge, along with a new enemy in the vein of the Ultima/Omega Weapon variety called Emerald Weapon.

There's also apparently different party members that can join you Ц the Leblanc Syndicate have been confirmed, and a few scant screenshots show playing as the Gullwing pilot and resident Yuna obsessor, Brother, in some fashion anyhow; it sure would be fun to just let him get KO'd every round, and Ц whoopsie! Ц fail to revive his goofy ass. Of course, there's always the wonder of another appearance fromЕwellЕI better not mention anything, I'd dare not spoil X-2 some 2 months after the game has been released. We'll find out one way or another what other tricks Square Enix has in place for this re-release, that's for sure.

That's just but a small taste of what this game will be offering Ц and in comparison, the International side is pretty weak when stacked up against the main course Ц Last Mission. LM is considered to be the true finale of the Final Fantasy X universe, and will offer the ultimate closure to a wild pair of games, truly tying the series up in a nice little bow. It's immediately available as a separate disk in the package, but the important storyline scenes that offer the tying of loose ends and explain the whole Last Mission scenario will be only accessible if you have clear data (aka New Game Plus enabled, unknown as to whether you need the magic 100% Perfect Ending or not) on your memory card proving you've beaten the main game. Little is known about how it all ties in with the standard X-2 game, but you'll find out soon enough. Each of the scenes will be quite lengthy, surpassing even the Another Story/Eternal Calm video tacked onto Final Fantasy X International that set this whole X-2 thing up.

Little has been revealed about the story (at least in English), as it probably would spoil X-2's original release (and those who've at least seen the good ending understand the secrecy), but we do know some stuff. Taking place 3 months after the end of FFX-2, Yuna, Rikku and Paine (who have gone their separate ways, apparently) each receive a letter invitation to visit mysterious ruins that holds a huge structure known as the Tower of Illusion, where the sender of the letter awaits their arrival at the top, supposedly. The trio meets up in Luca (in a familiar location at Luca Stadium that you'll remember being mentioned at the beginning of FFX), gather up again on the Celsius, fly to this location, and their Last Mission begins. However, it's nothing at all like the main game, and from screenshots, looks to cover all new, completely new locales in Spira Ц including a mysterious area where the girls gather that looks eerily like Zanarkand before it was destroyed by Sin Ц possibly the remnants of an old machina city left undiscovered for 1000 years.

To start off, you begin with no items, levels, or dresspheres at the outset of the mission Ц and you don't even get all the girls at once in your usual party. Instead, you have to choose one of the party members, and head in alone, with the main goal of making your way to the top and find out just who sent this blasted invitation. The Last Mission apparently plays like a more in-depth version of the Gunner's Gauntlet (at least when Yuna is your character, it's probably different if you're using Rikku or Dr. P Ц actually, it's definitely going to be different), only tweaked a bit to be less annoying and more involved, and no Beclem to bug the crap out of you. Along the way, you can acquire your necessary items, dresspheres, and level up, as well as fight enemies as you progress. Do poorly and get near death and your clothes will slowly get destroyed and ripped away (this is right up the alley for Japan, the only thing we need now is a dose of FFX tentacle porn and you'll never see this game outside their borders) unless you can heal properly. The entire process is quite mysterious, but with supposedly 20+ hours of adventuring through the tower, and a major climax with the individual at the top (who's identity is obviously unknown, though it's fun to guess who's at the topЕfriend or foe), it's a huge mode of play that will give X-2 fans something more to enjoy before the release of FFXII.