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It has been a celebratory week for Final Fantasy fans as the beloved RPG's tenth installment marks the 25th anniversary of its original Japanese release. Developed by Square (then known internationally as SquareSoft), the 10th main entry in the Final Fantasy series launched for PlayStation 2 in Japan on July 19, 2001, before arriving in North America on December 18 of the same year. Entering development in 1999, this particular Final Fantasy game was a landmark release for the franchise, introducing full voice acting, dynamic facial animations, and fully realized 3D character and environment rendering.
Set in the fictional world of Spira, Final Fantasy X follows Tidus, a star blitzball player mysteriously transported to a world plagued by a colossal creature known as Sin. There, he joins the summoner Yuna on her sacred pilgrimage to defeat the monster, only for the pair and their companions to uncover the devastating truth behind Sin and Spira's religious order. The game was both a critical and commercial success, selling more than 8.5 million copies worldwide on PlayStation 2 while earning a 92 out of 100 on Metacritic. More than two decades later, it continues to be widely regarded as one of the greatest RPGs ever made.
To commemorate the anniversary, Square Enix released a special celebratory video on its official YouTube channel (which you can watch via the player below), showcasing memorable scenes from the original Japanese release. While the video doesn't include footage from Final Fantasy X-2, which launched in Japan in 2003 and became the franchise's first direct video game sequel, it does confirm another reason for fans to celebrate. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, the 2013 collection featuring enhanced versions of both games, will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23.
'Final Fantasy X' Changed the Series Forever
Like previous Final Fantasy entries, Final Fantasy X includes a variety of optional minigames, most notably the fictional underwater sport blitzball. However, it also marked a major departure from the series' traditional design. Instead of using an explorable overworld map, the game features a largely linear journey through interconnected locations across Spira. Although players eventually gain access to an airship that allows fast travel between destinations, the conventional world map seen in earlier installments was replaced with a more streamlined progression, helping distinguish Final Fantasy X from its predecessors.
Stay tuned to Collider for further Final Fantasy coverage.
