A pair of great games with minimal changes made, for better and worse.
The classics return in Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, a remastered compilation of Final Fantasy X and X-2, which were previously rereleased back in 2019 (with the originals releasing in 2001 and 2003, respectively) on Nintendo Switch. Boasting improved resolution and an optional arranged soundtrack, as well as a handful of quality of life options, this HD remaster on Nintendo Switch 2 appeals to those looking to experience the classics again or even for the first time.
The gameplay, story, and voice acting all remain the same from the original so the core experience largely remains the same. However, for those who want something different, there are optional modifiers you can toggle when you feel the need, which seem to be standard additions to the Final Fantasy remasters. Most players of older JRPGs would likely complain about the older style of game design with random encounters and the need to grind for hours to gain levels and power, but these modifiers help alleviate some of that friction. You can turn on increased game speed from 2x up to 4x. Increasing the frequency of random encounters or flat out disabling them is also an option giving you more control over battling. Fight as much as you want or focusing purely on getting to the next bit of story. If you do go down the path of grinding random encounters and experience, auto battle is also an option.
If you end up struggling in combat, the supercharged option is there to heal your characters to full health every turn as well as fill their overdrive. On top of that you have the option to max out your gil so you can afford anything you want, obtaining all the items as well as unlocking all skills. Some of these might be a bit extreme for some, but the option is there if you want to use it or it can be avoided entirely. All of these additions are available in both games, and fully optional, so that’s a very nice feature to have to help smooth out some of the parts that might drag on in an older style JRPG like these.
Considering this is a remaster of games that are over 20 years old, a lot of it still holds up to this day. The sphere grid that allows you to build out each character however you want that resembles skill systems of current day ARPGs is a testament to what the Square Enix developers were onto back in the day. Load times are extremely fast on the new hardware so very little waiting occurs, but the games stay intact from their original versions, for better or for worse depending on what you’re looking for in JRPGs in this day and age. If you’ve yet to play either of these games, Final Fantasy X/X-2 is definitely worthy of your time and consideration.
Nintendojo was provided a copy of this game for review by a third party, though that does not affect our recommendation. For every review, Nintendojo uses a standard criteria.