Final Fantasy X

Lore & Background

Final Fantasy X is set in the fantasy world of Spira, a setting influenced by the South Pacific, Thailand, and Japan, with the city of Zanarkand inspired by Samarkand in Uzbekistan. The story follows Tidus, a star athlete in the fictional sport of blitzball, who finds himself in Spira after his home city of Zanarkand is destroyed by the rampaging monster Sin. After meeting the summoner Yuna, Tidus embarks on a quest to destroy Sin, discovering its true identity is that of his missing father, Jecht. The game's narrative revolves around a group of adventurers and their quest to defeat Sin.

Development began in 1999 with a budget of more than (in dollars) and a team of more than 100 people. It was the first main series game not entirely scored by Nobuo Uematsu; Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano were signed as fellow composers. The game replaces the Active Time Battle system with the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system and uses a new leveling system called the Sphere Grid. Final Fantasy X was followed by Final Fantasy X-2 in March 2003, making it the first Final Fantasy game to have a direct game sequel.

Reader's Guide

Final Fantasy X is significant for its technical and gameplay innovations within the Final Fantasy series. It was the first main entry to feature fully three-dimensional areas and voice acting, setting a new standard for presentation. The Conditional Turn-Based Battle system replaced the real-time Active Time Battle system, allowing players to select actions without time pressure, and introduced a graphical timeline showing turn order. The Sphere Grid replaced traditional experience points, offering a customizable character development system. The game's setting, Spira, drew inspiration from Southeast Asian cultures rather than the European-style worlds of previous games. Blitzball, an underwater sport minigame, played a role in the plot and was mandatory early in the game. The summoning system was overhauled, with Aeons replacing the battle party and fighting in place of characters. Final Fantasy X shipped over 8.5 million units on PlayStation 2, and as of September 2021, the Final Fantasy X series had sold over 20.8 million units worldwide. A remaster, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, was released for multiple platforms from 2013 to 2026.

Did You Know?

• Final Fantasy X was the first game in the main series to feature fully three-dimensional areas and voice acting.
• The game's setting, Spira, was influenced by the South Pacific, Thailand, and Japan.
• The Conditional Turn-Based Battle system replaced the Active Time Battle system used in previous games.