Dive into Final Fantasy X

With the recent release of the Remastered version of Final Fantasy X/X-2, I decided to catch up on whatever I ignored till now...

If you've played Final Fantasy X all those years ago (or just recently played it), I'm pretty sure you're aware on the sad state Spira is in. Sin being the swimming disaster that he is brings grief to everyone in the world. It all changes though as after the journey ends, Spira ends up being a better place. Final Fantasy X-2 then came about and completely removed that feeling of sadness and grief, instead making it a pop motif and made everything upbeat.

That's what most people know so far. However, the two Remastered Edition of the two PS2 games brought in a rather melancholic tide with them. Yes folks, for those not aware of it yet, Final Fantasy X-2.5 -a novel- and Final Fantasy X -Will- -a Radio Drama- has also seen the light of day!

Released on December 26th of 2013 Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~Eien no Daishou~ -Price of Eternity- takes place a few months after the events of Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission and then ends half a year before the start of Final Fantasy X -Will- (We'll get into that in a few).

Going on a trip together at Yuna's behest, Tidus and Yuna end up ship-wrecked on an unknown island where Tidus dies. Yuna is able to call him back from the Farplane after encountering a millennium-old unsent, but Tidus is not his old self after this event. The Farplane grows unstable afterwards and soon the dead are being beckoned back to Spira, including Sin.

Which then brings us to the included Audio Drama that came with the Final Fantasy Remastered Edition.

“Two years—It's been two years since Spira entered the Eternal Calm. I was given a new life. For a year, I was able to walk alongside Yuna. It was great... It really was.” —Tidus at the beginning of Final Fantasy X -Will-

So Final Fantasy X -Will- starts of a year after the events of Final Fantasy X-2 and a few months after the events of Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~Eien no Daishou~. It centers around two new characters named Chuami and Kurgum.

Chuami – A 17-year-old girl who is a member of the Spira Council. She acts as her friend Kurgum's assistant when in reality she's the one in charge. She hates Yevoners for their role in her mother's death and claims to be Auron's long-lost daughter. She serves as the narrator.

Kurgum – Chuami's childhood friend and a fellow member of the Spira Council. He is a sender, a specialist who sends dead people to the Farplane. He admires Yuna and her legendary guardians. He would've sought to become a summoner if not for the fayth's disappearance after the events of Final Fantasy X.

The content does not depict a particular event, but hints to the lives of the characters after the end of the pop motif game known as X-2. Not wanting to leave a particular image of their state, Audio-Only was chosen to leave room for imagination. For those thinking of the possibilities of seeing Final Fantasy X-3... Here's some words from Hashimoto Shinji

"Since we're revisiting Final Fantasy X and X-2, which were released about 10 years ago, the series' scenario writer Kazushige Nojima and character designer Tetsuya Nomura had a discussion and thought that the HD Remaster release would be a good opportunity for them to include this additional story episode. But the audio episode's inclusion wasn't because we have any plans to develop a Final Fantasy X-3."

Chuami and Kurgum are being sent to Besaid by Baralai to meet with Yuna. They meet Tidus, a blitzball star, on Bevelle's Stadium Road, and Chuami notices he's injured and has little energy although he is trying to hide it. Reaching Besaid on their airship, Chuami and Kurgum meet Lulu and Wakka who take them to Yuna, who has returned to the mannerisms and dress style of her summoner days and spends her time praying for Spira's peace in the temple, much to Chuami's chagrin. Kurgum shows Yuna a movie sphere with a recording of two shoopufs at the Moonflow. The shoopuf was the last of its kind after the female was killed by Sin thirty years ago, but it mysteriously reappeared one morning, causing Yuna to speculate the shoopuf had been "beckoned".

Kurgum tells Yuna she must accompany him and Chuami back to Bevelle and address the Spira Council. When Yuna refuses, Chuami tells her about the injured Tidus, compelling Yuna to take action. When Lulu hears Chuami mention being Auron's daughter, Lulu confronts her, saying that she doesn't look like him and that many people claim to be children of Auron, Jecht, and Braska. Chuami says she takes after her mother, who wouldn't have lied to her, but Lulu says Auron would have mentioned having children since he wasn't the type of person to hide such a thing.

Kurgum and Chuami's airship needs repairs, so the pair, Yuna and Wakka journey to Bevelle on foot. Stopping at the Moonflow, they see the shoopufs and a crowd of onlookers where half of the people are illusions created by the pyreflies. They see a father and his daughter Maelu with the illusion of her mother, who answers Maelu's request for them to go home together, which stuns the group since the illusions normally can't hear or speak. Kurgum tries to send the illusions to the Farplane, but stops after Yuna says they don't have the right to interfere with the reunion.

At Bevelle, they find Sin has been reactivated, possibly beckoned by someone's wish, and Yuna rushes to meet with Tidus. Yuna had previously told Chuami that Tidus is her boyfriend, but when Chuami and Kurgum eavesdrop on the conversation between the two it seems they are breaking up. Yuna is jealous of Tidus's friend Marphie, but soon tells him she doesn't care anymore, and has already got another person she likes. Tidus asks who it is, but Yuna tells him it's someone he doesn't know and leaves. Kurgum tells Chuami they should split up because he's in love with Yuna. Chuami is angry and confused but Kurgum tells her it is something that only summoners can understand.

Chuami and Kurgum part ways with the latter accompanying Yuna and Wakka, and the former returning to Besaid with Tidus. When Tidus asks Lulu about Yuna's new love interest, Lulu says she thought Tidus would know Yuna better and tells him to figure it out himself. She says that if something else can be brought back, then Sin's revival shouldn't be surprising. After Tidus figures out the meaning behind Lulu's words, they depart with Chuami in tow. On a ship with Lulu and Chuami, Tidus says he wants to accompany Yuna and the others on her new journey since he promised to be with her forever. Elsewhere, Yuna delivers a speech to a crowd in a stadium, proclaiming she will defeat Sin once more.

Yeah that inclusion brought a lot of speculation about a Final Fantasy X-3. But sadly it doesn't look like it will see the light of day. Bringing it back to the state of upheaval is a perfect way to end it though, since it leaves a lot to be desired from the many fans. X-2 just destroyed the game for me and with this, it was slightly salvaged in my opinion.

Nevertheless, you never know what the future might bring. Square tends to do things...