3.5/5 ★ – Gibbs's review of Final Fantasy X: HD Remaster.

The best word I can use to describe FFX is soulful. Absolutely everything about this game is so full of soul, so human, and a real piece of art. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, the writing and characters are charming yet grounded. The story and themes are moving, and the atmosphere is authentic. Aesthetic and vibes are timeless. There’s a whole lot to like about FFX, and I enjoyed my time with it. The introduction grips you immediately, and while the story wasn’t insanely grabbing, it’s full of smaller scenes that hit hard and stay with you. The overall plot, characters, settings and aesthetics are captivating, and I loved every single FMV in the game. God I really love Tidus and Yuna’s relationship. Battles are simple and fun. Everything works well! I really love how each character fills a specific niche and all are very useful against certain enemies, it made swapping them around for fights very easy. I also love how you can swap characters mid battle. All of the bosses were cool and I found a lot of fun in figuring out their gimmicks. They all genuinely felt different and so this game didn’t fall into the JRPG trap of just repeating the same strategy on bosses with more and more inflated stats. I also loved the sphere grid levelling system - in practice it’s not too far off of regular levels, but the agency and command it provides in how you play is rewarding. That said, the simplicity, paired with the pretty tired recycled battle music, meant the combat didn’t hit top-tier JRPG for me. It’s good — just not exceptional. Overall, a good time. It’s a bit ‘expected PS2 JRPG’ and repetitive, but it has some amazing stuff too. More importantly, this is just a game made by people who clearly loved what they were creating - it’s just got so much heart. I wish I could bask in FFX’s earnest warm feel forever.