#sinspawn gui

[tampire]

Seymour's Win / Seymour's Loss

[beefbloodcinnamonrolls]

How Final Fantasy X left me with so many emotions.

This is my first time playing a Final Fantasy game.

AHHH HA-HA

Tidus's antics either left me stunned or amused. Like whining about food in the underwater ruins then nearly choking to death on the food Rikku gives him. Launching the Blitzball into the sea, and kicking that one kid's into the plains along the highroad. Play fighting with Waka while Yuna was making her case to the Ronso, whatever the hell was happening in the background of one of the temples and just so much more. Nice character. Very Himbo.

HA-HA

Fell in love with the soundtrack after hearing the Besaid theme.

HA-HA

First time crying was when Waka was telling Tidus how much he reminded him of Chappu and then receiving Brotherhood.

HA-HA

I laughed when Tidus told the priest at the temple he didn't give a damn about their traditions and wanted to help Yuna.

HA-HA

Valefor is best girl. She killed Anima and the stone defender before Mt. Gagazet. She was the last one I sacrificed.

HA-HA

I was surprised to see chocobos powering the S. S. Liki. I also liked running in circles with the kids before their mom scolded them. The Jecht shot took what, 50 tries?

HA-HA

Felt a little heartbroken after failing to save Kilika. At least I got to save that one kid on the docks.

HA-HA

Got to the woods and "Calm Before the Storm" hit me like a ton of bricks after not hearing it for years.

HA-HA

Not fair how the boys start the race before you can move.

HA-HA

Damn the Luca Goers.

HA-HA

Ifrit is best demon dog/boar thing. He killed Spherimorph after it got stuck on fire spells. Loved how he carried Yuna on his shoulder.

HA-HA

Luca was fun to explore, especially when I got to annoy the reporter lady.

HA-HA

I believe in the Aurochs, even if I never won a game or scored a goal. Blitzball unfortunately combines the two things I'm bad at, sports and math.

HA-HA

As soon as I saw Seymour I thought, "villain".

HA-HA

I kept wondering when O'aka XXIII was going to pay me back the 400 gil I loaned him. Apparently he just gave the money to a random Al Bhed woman. Regardless, I was overjoyed to see him freed from jail and cried when he told the story of his sister.

HA-HA

I enjoyed walking through town with Yuna on her and Tidus's first date.

HA-HA

What do you mean 5,000 gil for one cutscene???

HA-HA

I cheered on as Kimahri punched Yenke and Biran.

HA-HA

I felt so disappointed in myself for letting Waka and the little fan section down.

HA-HA

Sure hope I don't have to fight that big demon thing Seymour just called up.

HA-HA

Achieving victory on the highroad with Tidus lying dead on the ground.

HA-HA

Guilt consumed me as I watched the chocobo feather flutter to the ground after getting pushed off the cliff by the Eater.

HA-HA

I decided to name my chocobo, Henry.

HA-HA

The Dark Magus Sisters kicked my ass and all I could do was watch.

HA-HA

I didn't know I was ordering a death sentence on Gatta or Luzzu, I just wanted to give Gatta sensible advice. At least Lulu got to hear the truth and Waka got a good swing in before Luzzu got sliced in half.

HA-HA

I forgot I had Yuna's Nulshock ability so Sinspawn Gui was probably a lot harder than it had to be. I forgot I had most of my abilities a lot of the time so I just kept relying on Haste.

HA-HA

When I first heard "Wandering Flame" I felt this immense sorrow and sense of failure. The Crusaders fought so hard only for it to all amount to nothing. Wondered what anyone could do to beat Sin. Hearing Gatta scream and breakdown hit me hard.

HA-HA

Ixion is best electric unicorn. Once I remembered his element was lightning the Thunder Plains were much easier.

HA-HA

Why can't I pet the little lemurs bouncing around Djose Temple, Square??? They were begging to be picked up!

HA-HA

I went back around the map before the final battle and those two guards who pretend to arrest you are probably my favorite NPCs. Along with O'aka of course.

HA-HA

Yuna's little bedhead incident got a laugh out of me. It was nice to see the party joyful for once. This was the point when I started to get invested in them.

HA-HA

I really wanted to see the Moonflow at night.

HA-HA

Yuna's shoopuf story was adorable.

HA-HA

I hated Tromell, especially the way he yanked Yuna around.

HA-HA

Going back to Guadosalam I felt bad for the Guado, especially when the Blitzball player apologized on behalf of them all. I enjoyed Tromell's suffering though.

HA-HA

I was against Seymour's marriage proposal from the start.

HA-HA

I cried three times at the Farplane. First with Waka talking to Chappu while Lulu looked on. Then with Yuna talking to her parents and asking Tidus about his. And finally with the parents who were visiting their son after Operation Mi'ihen.

HA-HA

Now that I think about it the concept of the Farplane is kinda messed up.

HA-HA

I was very tempted to choose the third option when Lulu warned Tidus not to fall for Yuna.

HA-HA

I HATE love the Thunder Plains. Between getting ambushed every five seconds and the lightning strikes I haven't been this frustrated with a game since the sliding walls in the Spirit Temple in OOT.

HA-HA

Guess who didn't swing back to Besaid for the Jecht sphere.

HA-HA

I did cry when Auron told Tidus that Jecht does indeed love him. Was nice to see Jecht's changes throughout the story because of Braska's and Auron's influences.

HA-HA

I almost died to that damn Crawler. Luckily Lulu was able to finish it off with Thundara fury before its big beam.

HA-HA

I laughed when Kimahri flipped the snowmobile over.

HA-HA

That temple lady saved all of Spira when she went through Yuna's luggage because Seymour was rushing her around.

HA-HA

I also laughed when Kimahri shoved the priest outta the way. Well deserved.

HA-HA

Perhaps the battle would've gone a lot smoother if I remembered Rikku could steal the guards potions.

HA-HA

Shiva is best ice lady. So she died to Anima, she at least got her revenge against Seymour during the final battle when he got stuck on Blizzaga.

HA-HA

First surprise was seeing O'aka warping. Second surprise was having to actually run from the guards.

HA-HA

Stupid goddamn Yeti bitch from the lowest depths of Hell.

HA-HA

I cried when Kimahri said Rikku should be Rikku at the bottom of Lake Macalania.

HA-HA

I cried when Tidus was talking to Sin. His voice was so tender it felt like the most heartfelt conversation he and Jecht ever had.

HA-HA

Wandering through the desert and picking up those potions, I began thinking the Al Bhed weren't so bad after all.

HA-HA

Poor Kimahri...

HA-HA

Goddamn, son of a bitch Cactuars. At least I got to kill one before the end.

HA-HA

I don't know what Rikku got stuck on, but Tidus had to roam the desert by himself with this strange noise in the background.

HA-HA

Uncle Cid's funny. I will permanently have "Ye haw! Here We Go!" and "The final showdown with Sin-" burned into my memory.

HA-HA

Guess who didn't explore the other rooms in Home before the door shut.

HA-HA

The thing that hit me the most during the big reveal was how sorry Not Valefor looked when Tidus asked her why.

HA-HA

The fight against Evrae was pretty fun, too bad the armor I bought barely helped. Thank goodness for Al Bhed potions.

HA-HA

Yes, the cutscene of storming Bevelle is cool, but boy was it a nerve wracking experience with no save spheres. Stupid flamethrowers, stupid robots. Auron was the only one I had left and he was nearly finished. Luckily his armor break ability was enough to destroy the final robot. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

HA-HA

I smiled when Kimahri helped Tidus open the door.

HA-HA

Bahamut is best dragon boy. I was in awe of his strength down in Via Purifico and he took the heat most of the time. I liked the way Yuna stood timidly behind him and the way he looked down on her.

HA-HA

I chuckled when Auron commented: "I hate this place".

HA-HA

Despite the whole betrayal thing, I was glad to see Isaaru and his brothers upon returning to Bevelle. Out of the gate Bahamut nuked Not Ifrit with his overdrive and pretty much handled the whole fight until Shiva took over for Not Bahamut.

HA-HA

Good thing I read a YouTube comment about using Phoenix Downs on Evrae Altana.

HA-HA

Is it wrong that I just spammed the Aeons against Seymour?

HA-HA

Water boy and dancing girl big dork couple.

HA-HA

They really just photoshopped the Grand Canyon into the background of the Calm Lands didn't they?

HA-HA

Someone's slipping those chocobos sips of red wine because they're veering off course like tipsy ostriches.

HA-HA

Did you know you can learn Lulu's level three spells before Zanarkand? Spares Tidus from having to get his head repeatedly bashed by the stone guardian.

HA-HA

Yojimbo is the best cheapskate. I slipped him 600,000 gil in order to kill Sin and onwards he cheated me out of Zanmato. At least Yuna petting his dog is cute and the fact that it followed him to the grave is sweet.

HA-HA

Maybe getting pissed when Yenke and Biran called Kimahri hornless is what got me through the fight. Along with high potions and the music.

HA-HA

I cried at Braska's final message for Yuna. Gotta love supportive dads.

HA-HA

Which's more twisted? Mt. Gagazet or Valak Mountain?

HA-HA

Fuck Seymour Flux. Worse than Yunalesca. Did you know if you keep using the Aeons you can restart Tidus's and Yuna's turns? First Strike is a miracle worker.

HA-HA

That janky frame rate on the waterfall made me feel nostalgic for PS2 era graphics.

HA-HA

BIG CHUCHU!

HA-HA

The trials in the caves were fun.

HA-HA

The Sanctuary Keeper was a tough battle until I realized casting Reflect on it stops it from healing.

HA-HA

I straight up bawled during Yuna's goodbye message to the party. First with her and Rikku hugging and when I realized they are cousins. Second thanking Auron for bringing Kimahri into her life. Third was learning that Kimahri hugged her after Braska's death and her begging him not to leave after delivering her to Besaid and saying she likes his horn. Fourth was telling Waka and Lulu they're her big brother and sister and reminiscing about their childhood in Besaid. Finally thanking Tidus for letting her experience her first love.

HA-HA

The background music staying on in Zanarkand gave me this feeling of determination along with watching the pyreflies float about and thinking of the Fayth in the wall. I wanted to avenge them.

HA-HA

I cried over young Auron begging Braska not to go through with destroying Sin.

HA-HA

Hopping around the Spectral Keeper was fun along with the Tetris puzzles.

HA-HA

Yunalesca wasn't as hard as I was expecting her to be. I did die the first time because I removed Zombie. Yuna's Holy was largely responsible for finishing her off along with Shiva. I sure as hell wasn't sticking around for Dark Bahamut.

HA-HA

Ya know, Sin is kinda cute when you look at it from the front.

HA-HA

I smiled when Cid hid his crying. Yuna must've really looked like her mother at that point. Rikku was really impressed with Waka for apologizing for his racism against the Al-Bhed.

HA-HA

I stuck with Tidus, Auron, and Yuna for the final battles. Just felt personal that way.

HA-HA

The City of Dying Dreams gave me similar vibes to Agniratha.

HA-HA

I take back all my hard feelings against the Thunder Plains, the goddamn Nucleus is the 9th Circle of Hell compared.

HA-HA

Jecht's battle was truly amazing. "Otherworld" got my heart pumping and I was on edge the whole time. One scary moment was when Jecht nearly nuked the party, but thankfully I had saved my one and only Mega Elixir. Yuna was the one responsible for defeating Jecht with Holy. They really needed the HD graphics for one frame of Tidus crying over Jecht.

HA-HA

Up until the moment I had to choose who to sacrifice I was in complete denial over the Aeons' ultimate fate. It was a bittersweet feeling in the end. I was happy they were getting to rest, but heartbroken that they were leaving Yuna.

HA-HA

I expected to cry during the final cutscenes, but Auron's "death" hit me the hardest. I kinda forgot he wasn't alive to begin with.

HA!!!!

Final Thoughts:

I had zero expectations for what this game would be like. What I certainly wasn't expecting was it to become one of my favorite games of all time. Those five star reviews were right: it was an emotional journey. Bracing myself for a divisive X2. All and all I'm glad I chose it as my first Final Fantasy. Can't wait to see what else the series has to offer.

I'm going to try VIII next. I'll stumble my way through it but I'll probably have a good time regardless. I hear it's flawed but I like a good underdog and besides, I love XB2, if you wanna know what my tolerance for goofy stuff is.

[liroyalty]

John was a Crusader & an exceptionally skilled one. Like when I say he was the cream of the crop of his youth, he was. If a Sinspawn appeared, John was the guy you called to handle it. He was exceptional enough to where he got offers from Bevelle to join the Warrior Monks many times, only to refuse them all. He just did not want to be stuck guarding the Palace, he was a Crusader that liked to move about place-to-place & rather do his duty to Yevon & it's people that way.

He origined from Luca, & looked up to the Crusaders that would guard the busy city, wanting to protect people's joy like that did. So, John joined the force when he was young, but only sixteen & his skills, & fame, from his many heroic actions, rose quickly; which cultivated in those many offers from Bevelle.

By the time he broke into his middle ages, he was present for an special operation on Djose's shore that involved forbidden machina use, & the results ended up with John reviving a serious, but non-fatal injury. Honestly, he would have died eventually, had he not received the add of a summoner-in-training, at the near-by Djose temple.

This apprentice summoner was Rosa, & she was older then other trainee summoners would be, as she was already a fully grown adult(not as old as John, but still defs older then Ann would be when she becomes a fully-fledged summoner), but was still accepted as a trainee regardless for her strong magic & her ability to learn quickly. Yevon placed high hopes on her for these talents of hers, including the priests at Djose saying they have no doubt that she will become High Summoner.

When others at the temple refused the aid the injured, Rosa instead insisted on helping the wounded Crusaders, which would include John. Using white mage to heal his wounds. This also resulted in John having to remain at Djose Temple for a while, where the two often talked & formed a bond, a bond strong enough that, even long after John was able bodied & could leave Djose, he stayed simply to be around Rosa, & Rosa forming doubts about the fate she resigned herself too.

When the time came for Rosa to eventually complete her training, the day off, John offered to be her guardian to protect her on her pilgrimage, to which Rosa voiced her fears. She thought she lived a good life by now, but John made her realize there were still things she wanted to do, she wanted love, to marry, & have children; & most importantly, she did not want to die like this, she wanted to die on her own terms. More over, her faith in Yevon has been shaken, not just from the temple refusing to give aid to the injured Crusaders all that time ago, but also from witnessing Yevonites, including a few high ranking ones, act like hypocrites to the very faith they believe in & see over. Questioning the morality of these supposed 'good people of the faith'.

The High Priest of Djose happened to 'over-hear' this confession from Rosa, & burst in, accusing her lying & mingling with a heretic, along with varies other insults & threats. Such was when John & Rosa, made their choice. John killed the High Priest to protect Rosa, renouncing his role as a Crusader in doing so, & Rosa not just allowed him to do so, but also casted down her summoning rod as the two fled from Djose Temple, abandoning her training. They both fled to Kilika, with John pulling in a favor from someone from the island that he knew from his youth to allow them to live their in secret. And that was where the two lived for a number of years. Away from Yevon, away from their old lives, on the island in the port away from the temple. They came to call it home.

They eventually had a child, a daughter named Ann who looked just like her mother & shared her kind nature, & another followed four years later, Sue, who had all her mother's magical power but all her father's fire. The peace did not last however, for one day, Sin came. While the little family was spared the brunt of the attack, they both had to use their own bodies to shield their children from the falling rumble that cascaded from the sky. Ann & Sue were saved by their parents actions, but John & Rosa were crushed by the impact.

Killika Temple sent a summoner to send the dead souls to their rightful place, & such not long after were the newly orphaned Ann & Sue found, crying under their parents bodies, still shielding them from threats even in death. But they could no longer shield them from Yevon's cold grasp, as their children were sent to Bevelle not so long after, & any memories of the life they had before were buried.

[criticalhitgaming]

Sinspawn Gui - Final Fantasy X HD Remaster (Boss #12)

[softdrinku]

I fould this collage app called Orenji.

[dailybestiary]

Updates & Article Announcement

Hey all!  I know I’ve been away for a bit, so here are some updates:

My next article: Has been announced! This is the one I was working on back in January/February on a pretty tight timeline (and during an 11-day international vacation to boot—thank God for Wi-Fi).  I can now share that it will be appearing in Pathfinder Adventure Path #134: It Came from Hollow Mountain by Mike Shel.  I just found out the preorder page is up, so please, please consider picking up this volume. Oh, and I hope you all like sinspawn…

This gorgeous (with a side of gorge) cover art from is Ekaterina Burmak.

Podcast appearances: Once again I was lucky enough to be on the Laughfinder podcast—and not just as a special guest this time!  Longtime listeners will remember my blood feud with Baltimore-area radio personality Aaron Henkin (who must henceforth be referred to as “national Edward R. Murrow Award-winning radio journalist Aaron Henkin”).  He was going to be late for a show, so I sat in and played his character…until he arrived. Part 1 is here (if you’re short on time, check out the fireworks 59 minutes in); part 2 (with me firmly back in the guest seat, and some bonus ska!) is here.  (Remember, NSFW.)

Actually, come to think of it, I never told you about my April appearances on Laughfinder!  You can find them here and here.  Or hell, just click on my tag.

Speaking of radio, what about my…?

Radio show: On hiatus for part of the summer—they’re doing renovations to the studio.  As soon as I’m back on air, you’ll know.  And as for hiatuses…

The Daily Bestiary: Yes, blogging will resume.  No, not sure when.  But it will resume.  I love you guys too much to abandon you and we have too many cool monsters from Bestiaries 5 and 6 still to go.  See you soon!

[fruitsclipper]

played ~3 hours of ffx, beat the final boss of sonic rush (twice), and did most of my math hw ,today was a pretty good day 

[zanarkand-babes]

Me, sobbing while looking for content of my boy: his last name is stormsurfer tag him with it you don't need to double tag it with just his first name the og sinspawn had the name first you animals this is my boy erasure

[dalimoor]

Yes, I did stall in the fight with Sinspawn Gui for like a million years so Seymour could get his Overdrive. Was it worth it? Totally.

Also having him gain S.Lvs at the end of the battle is a real troll move. Now I have to imagine what his area on the Sphere Grid would look like and be sad ‘cos we never get to see it.

[greenmagic-oilspill]

MATT WHAT'S YOUR FONDEST MEMORY FROM A NON-XIV FINAL FANTASY

OH MAN...

When I first played FFX in 2001 I was 9(!!!) years old, and so I had NO idea what I was doing. I fled from like every battle and somehow got through all of the bosses. Except for Sinspawn Gui at Mushroom Rock (took many tries to get lucky) and then Seymour’s first boss fight. It took me a MONTH of just trying to fight him over and over again because I didn’t know the concept of fighting the random encounters to level up. I was at my grandma’s house when I finally beat him - I think I only had one character left barely clinging to life when he died to a tick of poison. I cheered. My little brother cheered. I remember how much I was shaking and paranoid about saving the game ASAP afterward.

But also, on the same day-

My grandma, about Lulu: why does that lady have her boobs out

[tampire]

Venom / Contamination on Son and Mother

[cygnahime]

FFX Liverebloggening Part 2

Starting from wandering into Besaid Temple for the Cloister, because Tidus worries about complete strangers and doesn’t care about rules. What a good boy.

I used to have such troubles with the Cloisters. I remember calling my friend in desperation at Kilika to get me unstuck. Now, of course, I know them by heart. Poor Lulu, trying to lecture Wakka and suddenly there's someone with the face of her dead boyfriend staring at her. That would throw anyone off. I love Yuna's outfit in FMV. It's so pretty. I mean, Yuna is also very pretty, but I love how the fabric goes. Her hair is darker in the Remaster. What's up with that? I love seeing Yuna interact with Valefor. It's really good how her summon animations involve her doing it too. They're not just combat devices for her. Yuna's second lines, and she's already both taking everything on herself and subtly resisting what she thinks are unfair restrictions. That's good characterization. "Do you think I can become high summoner die in the most effective manner?" What a conversation to have with someone you just met and are kind of attracted to! Yuna, honey. Honey, no. Wakka thinks there's no way Yuna would make a move on Tidus when she's going to die. Little does he know, she wants to live what's left of her life to the fullest. She's subtle about it, like a Good Girl, but she definitely expresses her interest after this. I love Tidus's dream. It's so weird. ...Fuck off, Jecht. No one wants to listen to you. Is this the real Jecht speaking through dreams, or just Tidus's mental image of his father? Either way, pretty damning. Lulu is upset, not entirely justifiably. What was Wakka supposed to do, leave the guy on the beach and hope he died of thirst before disrupting their mourning? That's just silly. It's unfortunate, but it's not anyone's fault. The unspoken: Yuna's leaving Besaid for the last time; we're not making her leave alone. (I mean, except for when we come back immediately for Valefor's Overdrive. And later, for the Jecht Sphere. And theoretically even later than that, to beat Dark Valefor. But they don't know about any of that.) Do they not have magic in Zanarkand? That would be inconsistent with it having been a land of summoners, but Tidus seems confused about Lulu's black magic. Of course, it's really all about introducing the player to magic, but you know, Watsonian vs Doylist, gotta go Watsonian where possible. Except when dealing with misogyny/racism/homophobia, because in that case the creators don't get to hide from my wrath. Dude, O'aka, of course my clothes aren't clean: I'm wearing them! It's a long, sweat-soaked trip from Besaid Village to the boat. Also, everyone in this game appears to have only one outfit, and Tidus certainly does. Spiran ecology count: several chocobos, harnessed to provide human transportation. Poor things. Talking about Yuna having "noble" blood makes me wonder if there are other descendants/family members of the other High Summoners out there, maybe in Bevelle, and if they have any kind of position of privilege. Wonder what Yuna's life would have been like if Kimahri hadn't found her... Probably not as good. Braska knew what he was about, making Auron promise to take her away from all that. "You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon." Yuna, was that a line? It sure sounds like a line. Yuna understands the sailors wanting to attract Sin's attention to keep it away from Kilika, because that's just what she's doing too, albeit on a larger scale. So of course she forgives them. Love how Tidus can still hold his breath/breathe water while unconscious. Spiran ecology count: a pair of dolphins, who hopefully escape the Sinspawn. The Sending, aka the most beautiful necromancy scene in video game history. I wonder how many non-pilgrimage summoners there are around to do these things, or if everywhere except maybe Bevelle is reliant on whoever happens to be passing through. Apprentice summoners have to learn from someone after all, don't they? Poor Lulu has forced herself to become resigned to Yuna's death. She doesn't want it, she doesn't like it, but she is in some ways as tied to Spira's culture as Wakka is, and she's been drowned since birth in the philosophy that accepting death is the greatest good - after all, if you don't accept death, you become a fiend, and that's horrible, isn't it? You don't want to hurt the people you leave behind. If it's inevitable, you have to accept it. Meanwhile Tidus is struggling to comprehend that for the people of Spira, this is just another day - a disaster, yes, but not something they can stop for, or they'd never get any living done. Aw yeah blitzball kid! You live your dreams, kid! Fact I just discovered: you can examine blitzball players with square before the game tells you it's possible. You can't do anything about it, but you can see who they are. And here's Yuna, definitely coming on to Tidus in the best way she knows how. Tidus doesn't get it, because he's a doofus, but I think Wakka definitely does. So you know it's obvious. At least, it is if you know Yuna is saying she wants to be around Tidus for the rest of her life. I love...Yuna running up the stairs instead of starting off the race. It shows her mischievous side, which can get lost among all the noble self-sacrifice. She's still seventeen and a little silly. Leveling early on is a delicate balance; you want to get stronger, but ability spheres are at a premium and everyone comes up on new abilities pretty fast. Lulu definitely feels like everyone around her is projecting the dead onto each other, and she's the only one seeing them as themselves. It's not just about Chappu; it's also about Yuna trying to be her father, associating Tidus with his father. Those dead can't be replaced either. Oh hey it's the Asshole Squad. I'm going to kick their asses, no matter how often I have to reset. That's what my team deserves. Yuna definitely saw a version of Jecht who was on his company manners, and also, the second time, who had become less of a jerk. But the company manners had a lot to do with it. People can be very different with other people's kids. Dona appears, in her clothing-term-used-loosely. I really softened up on her my second playthrough -- once you know she also is planning to die at the end of her trip, she becomes more complex. After all, it would be a kindness to beat Yuna, wouldn't it? That said, I love Yuna gently sassing the shit out of her. "But I would never dream of questioning your ways, either, because I am more polite than you."

[mezzopurrloin]

Mezzo Plays Final Fantasy X: Part 1

"Listen to my story."

Here we are, my first actual screenshot LP. This is the tenth (or somethingth) game in the Final Fantasy series, originally released on the PS2. I'm playing the HD Remaster on PC, specifically. It's a nice linear RPG with a deeply involved plot. I'll try to avoid giving away any spoilers until they're revealed in the story, but some things you might have already heard. And obviously, if you don't want to be spoiled for this almost 20 year old game, don't read any further.

"This may be our last chance."

To Zanarkand

I'm not gonna try and link too much music, but this one has plot relevance.

Anyway, let's meet our hero. He's a sports star getting ready for the big game tonight. Some fans pass by and ask for an autograph, which he freely gives out.

I'm going with his canon name of Tidus. This is the first FF with full voice acting, but also included the option to rename the main character. The end result: No one ever, throughout the entirety of the game, refers to Tidus by name. It's very awkward and very noticeable. Thankfully they fixed this issue in future Final Fantasies.

On the way over, he passes by a poster of his father Jecht. He just disappeared out of the blue about 10 years ago, and has been missing ever since.

Game on! Tidus and his teammates are ready to blitz.

But on the coast, something emerges from the water... The game continues as the creature moves forth and begins destroying the city. Eventually the two meet and Tidus is forced to flee from the destroyed stadium.

Then he runs into Auron, the guy who saw the thing surface. Tidus and Auron seem to already know each other, but there's no time to reminisce on that now.

We saw this mysterious child a little bit earlier, when Tidus was signing autographs. They freeze time somehow and impart a few cryptic words of advice: "It begins, don't cry." Then, they disappear.

Sin launches a tentacled beast from its watery sphere, and that creature looses scales all over the city. Auron hands Tidus a sword, "a gift from Jecht" as he claims.

Battle time. These Sinscales are extremely weak, and go down in one hit from either Tidus or Auron's swords. Unlike some other FF games, this one's battle system is solely turn-based rather than being both turn and timing based. The little bar on the right shows the current turn order, which can change depending on circumstances. Right now all you really have at your disposal are basic attacks. Auron's heavy katana makes a very satisfying 'chop' noise when you smack something with it.

Chop down a few of those and you meet Sinspawn Ammes, the tentacled thing that loosed them. It's supported by a few Sinscales and will cast the spell Demi on you.

This spell looks pretty dangerous, and it can be in some circumstances, but its damage is always equal to 1/4 of the target's current HP, so it can never kill you. Tutorial boss and all that.

Speaking of tutorials, here's a new battle mechanic. When the orange bar under a character's HP/MP display is full, they can unleash their Overdrive. These are similar to the Limit Breaks of FF VII, and are slightly different for each character. First Auron can blast the field with his Dragon Fang...

Then Tidus can follow up with his Spiral Cut.

There's a lot more to say about Overdrives, most of which I'll save for when we get more. Anyway, as Tidus and Auron attack the Sinspawn it gradually loses tentacles, until it eventually dies. It'll drop your HP a lot with repeated Demi casts, but all it does is spam Demi so it can't kill. Plus you have a few potions in case of emergency.

They head closer to Sin, but find themselves stopped by a swarm of Sinscales.

The key to this battle is not to waste time attacking the Sinscales, as more will approach. Instead, you want to destroy the loose fuel tanker, causing it to explode and take out all of them at once.

The piece of road they were standing on is uplifted toward Sin, and there appears to be no escape.

Auron and Tidus are both sucked through the portal.

Tidus finds himself swimming through what looks like the ruined stadium. He finds what appears to be Jecht nearby, but it turns into a younger version of Tidus as he approaches.

"I thought about a lot of things...like where I was, what I'd got myself into. I started to feel light-headed...and then, sleepy. I think I had a dream. A dream of being alone. I wanted someone -- anyone, beside me...so I didn't have to feel alone anymore."

He awakens in this old ruin. Auron is nowhere to be found.

Thankfully, unlike most RPG heroes Tidus actually can swim. He moves toward the ruined temple, seeing if he can find anyone.

This sphere marks our first save point, and a good stopping point for today.

[courage]

i was playing ffx and i was at operation mi’ihen and just defeated sinspawn gui and then i got a green screen during the cutscene right after and had to quit out of the game. i apparently need to update my graphics driver but for some reason the geforce app won’t let me in. i’m frustrateddddddddd.

[painsrequiem]

Let’s take a moment to appreciate this blue-haired beast.

He has enough strength to hold off Sinspawn Gui at Mi’ihen to prevent it from going on a rampage while everyone is recovering from Sin’s attack.

With his bare hands.

And while I don’t have a gif to properly show off such strength, Seymour not only successfully holds it back, but even pushes the Sinspawn backwards a good distance with a strong shove.

[moonwhing]

simplymindspace replied to your post “toradh replied to your post “This will never go anywhere but I can’t...”

I never played it myself but my friend loved it and I would always watch her play it. X is one of her favorites and honestly I got pretty taken in by it as well. I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF THE GAME. Tidus was a little cringe here and there but overall I enjoyed it.

Tidus tends to be a big part of why people avoid the game. Poor kid was ripped out of a perfect little dream world to a very harsh and messed up reality. HE LEARNS it just... takes time. Sometimes a lot of it.

I don’t know if I would be any better if I suddenly woke up in a world that just assumed I would remember everything eventually and then told me everything I tried to do to fit in was wrong wrong wrong but didn’t ever want to give the reason why. But I’m also much quieter and probably wouldn’t have bust into the trials like he did. I would be a terrible RPG protag.

We played most of it by renting the game at Hollywood Video. We would always get stuck at a boss that wouldn’t let us go back and train (or at least we didn’t know where to try as kids) so we would have to rent it again and start over to work our way back to that point. It quickly went from everyone having their own files to watching my brother do most of it. I do remember taking the controller at the end to help in the final fight and it worked. I SAW A LOT OF SPIRA IS WHAT I’M SAYING

Fuck Sinspawn Gui, Evrae, and whatever form of Seymour it was. ...Flux? Probably Seymour Flux. He might’ve been trouble more than once though. Can’t remember.