Should Final Fantasy X Be The Next To Be Remade?
With the success seen by the Final Fantasy VII Remakes, Could Square Enix Consider Another Remake?
Remakes have become a trend in gaming lately. Franchises such as Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Final Fantasy have experimented with remaking key games to the franchise.
Final Fantasy has released two remake installments of the hit game Final Fantasy VII. They were released with relatively positive sales numbers and critical/fan reviews. With this in mind, Square Enix could very well decide to remake another game in the long-running series. If another Final Fantasy is to be remade, I would argue that Final Fantasy X would be the entry to remake. Let’s look at some reasons why.
Is it Time for a Final Fantasy X Remake?
A New Setting to Explore
Like previous Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy X has its own standalone story, characters, and setting. As gamers entered the world of Spira, a few key differences stood out when compared to other Final Fantasy games.
Instead of the medieval or industrial settings of past entries, Spira was inspired by Southeast Asia and features more beaches, mountains, and palm trees, and has an overall brighter and more tropical feel to the world.
This was a first for the franchise. Just as the remakes of Final Fantasy VII brought the industrial world of Gaia to next-generation consoles, Spira could be rebuilt in a Final Fantasy X remake. Gaia and more specifically Midgar looked stunning in the remakes of Final Fantasy VII. The industrial setting wowed gamers when it was updated in 2020 for the PlayStation 4, and later PC. The world felt lifelike as gamers jumped from sector to sector on foot or train. From the streets of Sector 7 to the Mako reactors and corporate buildings of Shinra, gamers were immersed into the world of Gaia.
Now picture the same level of detail but on the tropical and beach themed world of Spira. The graphics would jump off of the television screen and immerse gamers in the world of Final Fantasy X. The remake would also be a significant reminder of the technological jump Final Fantasy X took, as it was the first in the series to three-dimensional backgrounds instead of fully using pre-rendered backgrounds. Although graphics are key to a game, the gameplay is also key, and a remake of Final Fantasy X can highlight some features that stood out upon the original release.
It Overhauled Many Gameplay Elements
The introduction of three-dimensional backgrounds was a significant jump to the series, but it was not the only feature added to the Final Fantasy franchise with the release of Final Fantasy X.
Starting with Final Fantasy IV, the series utilized an Active Time Battle (ATB) system. The ATB system is turned-based and gave gamers a time limit to select their next move. Final Fantasy X introduced the Conditional Time Battle (CTB) formula. The CTB allowed gamers to control up to three party members and eliminated the time limit in addition to showing a bar at the top of the screen with the order of what characters would attack next. The order can be changed if certain spells or items are utilized. This refreshed the battle system and made veterans of the series rethink battle strategy while giving newcomers an innovative battle system to jump into.
In addition, the summoning combat feature was overhauled for Final Fantasy X. Final Fantasy X made summoned Aeons become part of the battle party. They stayed in the battle until the battle ended or they were defeated. In prior Final Fantasy games, the Aeons would perform one move when summoned before exiting the battle. This added another dimension of strategy for when to summon and how to best utilize the powerful Aeons.
As gamers gain experience through combat, Final Fantasy X gave gamers a new way to level up the playable characters. The Sphere Grid was introduced. Once enough Ability Points are earned gamers can move around the grid to choose what they would like to upgrade. This gave more flexibility in what characters can learn what skills than ever before.
Even if a remake didn’t have a carbon copy of each of these features, it goes to show how significant the title was in the Final Fantasy lineage. Although having the option for open combat or the CTB would be a nice feature for the game along with the Aeon summons and Sphere Grid leveling.
It Was the First Final Fantasy to Feature Voice Acting
Final Fantasy games tend to have deep and complex plotlines. The plot tends to be very character-driven with emphasis on how they interact with each other. Final Fantasy X was the first game in the franchise to feature voice acting which added another layer of realism and emotional connection to the game.
Some of the key plotlines and subplot stories such as Tidus’ relationship with his dad, his confusion about what happened to Zanarkand, and his relationship between Tidus and Yuna, and more were flushed out further via the voice acting. The voice acting made it easier for the audience to connect to the characters and the story. A strong voice cast of James Taylor, Hedy Burress, John DiMaggio, Tara Strong, and others gave vocal life to Final Fantasy characters for the first time. Even if the cast changes, the symbolism of the first Final Fantasy to feature live voice acting is a monumental feat that adds to the argument of it being remake worthy.
It Spawned a Direct Sequel
This is a rarity for the Final Fantasy franchise. Each game has a self-contained storyline and characters. Although some common elements carry over from game to game, they are largely self-contained.
With Final Fantasy X spawning a direct sequel in Final Fantasy X-2, a potential remake has even more source material to draw from. As seen by the remakes of Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix has flushed out some parts of the original game and built upon them. With two games worth of source material, there is plenty of source material for developers to draw from, expand on, and edit.
It’s One of the Best-Selling Games in the Franchise
With its many ports and re-releases onto PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems the game has sold over 20 million units (combined X/X-2 data via VGChartz). This is by far the most in the series.
When looking at potential remakes Final Fantasy VII was surely chosen as it is a landmark entry in the series, but it is also the second best-selling behind Final Fantasy X (via VGChartz). The fandom for the base game is there as it was for Final Fantasy VII. If another game is to be chosen for the amount of work and budget needed to produce an AAA blockbuster game, Final Fantasy X seems to be a logical choice to have a return on investment for.
How do you feel about another Final Fantasy remake? Is there a different game you would remake in the franchise? Sound off in the comments below.