IN-SPIRA-ATIONAL

Defeating Sin wasn’t the end for Final Fantasy X Format PS2, audio, book Released 2003 Expanded Final Fantasy X

While Yuna may have brought about Spira’s Eternal Calm in 2001, that was far from the end of her journey. The developers made a short film showing Yuna living her life on Besaid two years later, and it showed how the world of Spira was being rebuilt. However, people had different ideas on how to do that, giving rise to various factions such as New Yevon and the Youth League. Eventually Rikku shows up with a sphere that shows someone who looks a lot like Tidus, and presents Yuna with an opportunity to go on her own adventure, setting up the series’ first direct sequel, FFX-2.

Unlike the original X, X-2 used a dress sphere system that allowed Rikku, Yuna, and new friend Paine to switch outfits and classes (such as

Thief and White Mage). The game had a lighter tone and felt like an alternate universe take on Charlie’s Angels with the girls going on missions all over Spira to see what had become of the world, and how some were finally embracing Machina. Of course, a world-ending threat has to pop up along the way, requiring Yuna to masquerade as the dead lover of the ghost of a man that looks like Tidus but isn’t Tidus. Don’t worry, we were as confused as you were while playing. Her reward for all that hard work? Actually getting the real Tidus back. Finally, a happy ending! Or was it?!

TIME AND TIDUS

Turns out the developers still couldn’t leave Yuna and co alone, writing a novella about the Zanarkand war that never made it out of Japan, and creating a game set six months after X-2. Last Mission sees the girls get back together to explore a dungeon, but they all argue and reflect on how they’ve changed and drifted apart. Finally an audio drama was produced, set another six months later, in which we discover Sin has been reactivated and there is no Eternal Calm after all, so Yuna has to set off on her pilgrimage once more. Oof, what a downer!