Final Fantasy X-2

Final Fantasy X-2 is the first ever sequel to a Final Fantasy game; taking off from where the Final Fantasy 10 story came to an abrupt end. A significantly improved battle system and smoother gameplay are just some of the features included in Final Fantasy X-2. This game also features an all-female cast, which is another first in the series; there are no playable male characters in the game.

The game is set 2 years after the tragic events of Final Fantasy 10, but this time around it's Yuna's Story. She has become a high summoner and is now living back on Besaid Island. She still hurts over the loss of Tidus and wonders is she will ever see him again. One day Rikku shows up at besaid with a sphere that shows blunt shadows of what appears to be Tidus. These days there are groups called Sphere Hunters all over Spira. In a bid to find Tidus, Yuna joins Rikku and Paine and together they form the sphere-hunting group, "The Gullwings".

There are many familar faces from Final Fantasy 10 that make an appearance in Final Fantasy X-2; although some of them have gone through a few "changes". Yuna and Rikku return from Final Fantasy 10 with different attitudes, more 'unique' looks and a very different outlook on life. They are joined by their close friend, Paine who is quite the opposite. Paine does not like to talk much and like's to keep to herself; especially about her past. Although Yuna might look the same, her personality has undergone a significant change. No longer is she a quiet summoner who never voices her opinion, after what happened 2 years ago, she speaks her mind and when something happens she doesn't like; she lets people know about it - Yuna: "I dont like that plan, It sucks".

Gameplay

Despite being a direct sequel to Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2 does not duplicate its predecessor's gameplay. The Conditional Turn-Based battle system has been dropped in favor of a fast-paced variation of the traditional Active Time Battle system. Instead of waiting for enemies to attack, it is possible to interrupt an enemy while they are preparing their attack, or chain the playable characters' attacks together for bonus damage. However, the same strategy can be used against the player's party.

Because the party never grows beyond three characters, the ability to switch out characters in battle is unnecessary; instead, characters switch classes mid-battle with the Garment Grid system. A Garment Grid is a geometric shape with nodes on it; the nodes are slots that can be filled with dresspheres, character classes (a.k.a. "job classes") similar to those seen in previous Final Fantasy titles (such as Final Fantasy V). The Grid-sphere system allows characters to change from one character class to another during battle, and allows the player to decide which job class each character will have at any given time. Each dressphere has a smaller list of abilities than the characters and classes of most role-playing games, meaning that job-switching is often advantageous or necessary in some battles. Furthermore, each Garment Grid adds various bonuses, such as new magical abilities, increased stats, or other forms of combat assistance. Finally, each character has a unique dressphere, which can only be used if she changes between all her allocated jobs during the course of the same battle.

The field-map system has also been upgraded, providing the player with extended interaction with the environment through jumping, climbing and rotating camera angles. Moreover, the field-map is still dominantly three-dimensional.

Players are able to visit almost every location in Spira from early in the game, via an airship—another major departure from normal Final Fantasy fare, in which the most efficient means of transportation is not obtained until late in the game. These two changes provide players the option of choosing a less linear storyline. Unlike Final Fantasy X, in which the player's course through the game's world was largely linear, Final Fantasy X-2 is almost entirely freeform. The game consists of five chapters, with each location featuring one "event" per chapter. Put together, the five "events" in one locale form a subplot of the game, called an "Episode". Only a few "events" per chapter are integral to the game's central plot, which are marked on the world map as "Hotspots". By accessing Hotspots only, the player can quickly proceed through the game's story without indulging in sidequests. However, the game also keeps track of the player's completed percentage of the storyline, which is increased by finishing "events" and "Episodes". The completion percentage determines a significant portion of the game's ending; a higher percentage yields a more complete ending. Additionally, the game also features a fork in the plot, allowing the player to make choices that change what scenes they see and percentage points they acquire. It is not actually possible to see all of the game's content on a single playthrough, though it is possible to achieve 100% storyline completion in a single playthrough. When the game is completed for the first time, it unlocks a New Game+ option that allows the player to start the game over with all of the items, Garment Grids, dresspheres and storyline completion percentage achieved previously.

Final Fantasy X-2 is the true ending to Final Fantasy X, It is Yuna's story.