Final Fantasy X is one of the most beloved games of all time, bringing the series forward in a slew of audio and visual upgrades, and establishing Final Fantasy on the then-recently launched PS2. 25 years and several re-releases later, here we are at the latest edition of the game on Nintendo Switch 2. On the surface, this release appears to be barely different than its previous iterations, and for the most part this is correct. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2 is the familiar, content-expanded re-release you’d expect to get an umemellished port, but surprisingly, it goes a smidge further.
An old classic rises yet again with high-res docked and portable modes alongside some stellar additional quality-of-life features unique to this console version! Is this the ultimate version of the game or just more of the same? After spending some time with this release, it’s safe to say that if you want to play on console, Final Fantasy X/X2 Remaster is best played on Nintendo Switch 2.
Still a Star Player
While FFX, X-2, or this remaster certainly aren’t new games by any means, they’re still amazing classics to this day. Final Fantasy X had a lot of hype riding on it with Square’s absolutely generational run on the PlayStation, and now it’s one of the best-selling and most fondly remembered entries in the entire series. And for good reason! It pushed Final Fantasy in multiple new directions stylistically, directionally, and mechanically; the definition of fresh!
It’s this level of evolution and how Final Fantasy manages to keep it up to an astounding bar of quality each time that is truly amazing. While the battle system and exploration are departures from previous entries, they’re reinvented staples under the hood. Turn-based battles are completely reimagined with turn order and turn amounts being integral aspects of strategy. Aesthetically, you aren’t going to find much like the Eastern Fantasy or islander looks.
All that’s without mentioning how deep the story and characters are, where the world of Spira feels like a lived-in place with its own cultures on display. Everything is then exemplified with the top-notch production values. Battles have tons of animations and camera angles; areas now have more depth with full-3D panning cameras, cutscenes are immaculately shot and detailed, and the soundtrack is some of the best in the series (shoutout to Masashi Hamazu)!
Final Fantasy X is such a wonderful game that it’s a real no-brainer as to why it’s a classic. From the unique Eastern Fantasy aesthetic to the revolutionary Conditional Turn-Based battle System, Final Fantasy X already had a ton going for it. But really, it’s the music, story, characters, and presentation that take home the cake.
This is No Dream…
These days it’s probably pretty well known that this remaster does have some extremely contentious things about it. Upon announcement and release way back in 2014, it was awesome to be receiving a high-definition upgrade to Final Fantasy X with the added International content. Sounds amazing, right? Well, it was for the most part! The extra content was awesome to have, but the monkey’s paw curled… all three fingers, in fact… The small, more nitpicky aspects that some (me included) feel that the ball was dropped on lie in the UI and music. As far as the arranged OST goes, I just simply prefer the original OST. I find the instruments way more appealing. The new UI is also just that, a new UI. It sort of elicits the feel of the original game’s UI, but the effects and style are their own thing. Our real big offender since day one has been the butchering of the high-quality models used in key scenes. The newly constructed faces lose a lot of animation and texture detail. When compared to the PlayStation 2 version, it’s actually insane how much better the “worse” graphics convey a scene’s emotion.
Unfortunately, this HD Remaster never was (and still isn’t) the ideal, ultimate version Final Fantasy X or X-2 deserves. It certainly does come pretty close, however. Outside of the inferior high-quality models, completely different UI, and rearranged soundtrack, this HD remaster does have some benefits. Generally speaking, the updated textures are well done, adding detail that matches the style of the original game. Many environments, NPCs, and monsters look amazing in the remaster. The additions to the lighting and shadows are also nice, with the added ambient occlusion in later versions adding a decent sense of depth. It’s also hard to go wrong with the additional content, from new Aeons and locations in the base game to the extra side material like Eternal Calm. For all intents and purposes, this remaster does a bang-up job while really only fumbling a few aspects. Good thing FFX is such a masterpiece that it shines through any small nicks.
A Polished Sphere
To my surprise, this rerelease actually went a bit further than I expected, and it’s these additions that make the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of FFX/X-2 one of the best ways to experience this classic, either for the first time or as a trip down memory lane. All the major stuff expected to be in this remaster is accounted for. However, this time, on Nintendo Switch 2, the last little bit of polish needed has been applied. I think this is just about as good as this particular HD remaster will get; it’s clearly an antique with wear, but it’s polished proudly, nonetheless.
Ever since the PS3 release, we’ve had HD resolutions, starting at 720p and bumping up to 1080p on PS4 and Switch. PC and XBOX have up to 4K resolution available, and now, Nintendo Switch 2 joins this party – sadly leaving PlayStation behind. With up to 4K resolution docked, that’s already great, but get this: portable mode is the full 1080p experience. No matter which way you slice it, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game competes visually with the highest-end versions of the game while exceeding most of the others. Here, you get possibly the best portable and console experiences when it comes down to the graphics. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD on Switch 2 won’t be leaving any player jealous. While being pretty and portable is amazing, it’s the rest of the small additions here that really seal the deal.
Similar to the Pixel Remasters and PS1 entry rereleases, but unlike the previous console iterations of this remaster, the Switch 2 edition of the game contains various boosters, a speed-up, and an encounter rate toggle. While these features aren’t necessary for any Final Fantasy game, they are nice to have and appealing to most prospective players. Battles can be tuned from zero to more frequent, the game speed can be boosted 2 and 4x, there’s an auto battle toggle, and party members can be Supercharged in battle. All of these are completely optional and triggered by holding ZL and pressing a directional button. As of this review, this is the only console version available that retains these formerly PC-only features. This also includes the parameter changers that allow max gil, all items, and an unlock for every skill for each character. Uncontestably, this is one of the main selling points of this version of the game, as it has the most quality-of-life features.
Touchscreen-focused features originally featured in the Vita and Switch versions have been retained, of course. The ‘Quick Recovery’ and ‘Summon Animation Length’ slide functions are easily accessible in portable mode, truly solidifying this version of the game as the best portable version, as it retains all features across the board. It’s just nice that something so inane has stuck around, although this is sadly still locked to portable mode. Regardless, whether you’re on the couch with a controller or sitting in a cafe portably, you can rest assured that you’re squeezing one of the best experiences possible out of Final Fantasy X/X-2 in terms of content, features, and fidelity. The load times are practically instant for this release, as well.
Though, of course, nothing is perfect. One visible, and extremely disappointing, crack to this release is the fact that there is no upgrade path or save data transfer. This should go without saying, but this is a poor decision. Especially having the “over 100 hours of content” label on the eShop page. There’s tons of online posts showing the Switch version running on Switch 2, so it’s beyond unfortunate that those who started the game on prior hardware will have to restart. This is a definitive miss.
Old Sword, New Meaning
Just like how Wakka regifted the Brotherhood sword to Tidus, Square Enix has rereleased FFX/X-2 HD to the world. However, this time, it’s being utilized a bit differently. At first glance, this is the same old remaster we’ve seen released time and time again over the past decade, and it totally still is that familiar remaster with all of its pros and cons, but now, on Nintendo Switch 2, you can get the complete feature package that was formerly split between versions. The only mark against this specific version of the game is the lack of an upgrade path and the absence of save data transfer, which is absolutely disappointing; Square Enix, please do better.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2 offers up to 4K resolution in docked mode and a full HD experience in portable mode, while including features previously seen only on the PC release. With item boosters, max gil, character superchargers, and a full game speed-up, Final Fantasy X and X-2 are finally up to snuff with their Pixel Remaster and other Final Fantasy port cousins. Even the touch screen-oriented ‘Quick Recovery’ feature from PS Vita has been retained. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2 is what I consider the best console version of the game. It has exclusive quality-of-life features while being visually superior to almost every other available version. Definitely pick this legendary game up on Switch 2 if you’ve never experienced it before or if the higher visual settings and additional QoL are appealing to you.
Disclaimer: Square Enix provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Final Fantasy X/X2 HD Remaster for review purposes.
