Final Fantasy X and X-2 have been ported once again to a new generation of hardware, and this time on the Nintendo Switch 2. Crowned as one of Square Enix’s most memorable entries since its 2001 debut, Final Fantasy X (and later X-2) was beloved by many and was definitely way ahead of its time on the PlayStation 2. What followed was a series of ports to the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Steam, and the original Nintendo Switch.
The majority of the gameplay is identical to the HD Remaster released in 2019 on the original Switch. However, it has been fine-tuned for the Switch 2 and isn’t merely a free upgrade path, meaning save data cannot be transferred over from the original Switch version.
Final Fantasy X was one of the last entries released before SquareSoft merged with Enix, marking a whole new era for the company. It was widely praised for its technical fidelity, seamlessly transitioning from in-game cinematics to active gameplay on the PS2—much like other groundbreaking titles of that generation, such as Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Resident Evil 4, and God of War II.
Personally, I never had the chance to play Final Fantasy X or X-2 back in the day, but I’ve always been a fan of its story and character development. Each character’s backstory paints a beautiful part of a sprawling canvas. You have Tidus, the overzealous Blitzball star adored as a celebrity; Yuna, a humble yet selfless Summoner driven by a duty to guide the dead and protect Spira at all costs; and Wakka, a loyal follower of Yevon and Yuna’s guardian, who exudes big-brother energy while constantly shielding Tidus from danger. These are just a few of the characters who resonate so well with newcomers, showing how much care the developers put into crafting a cast that syncs together so naturally.
For returning players, the strong sense of nostalgia makes replaying it feel deeply rewarding. The game is packed with a lengthy narrative and a rich character growth system that binds the whole experience together, alongside abundant endgame content for players who want to continue long after the credits roll.
Gameplay-wise, FFX and FFX-2 have aged a bit. Some of the voice acting feels dated, and movement/combat controls lean toward the slower side. Even on the Switch 2 port, cutscenes remain unskippable—so you can imagine the pain of sitting through an eight-minute cinematic every single time I tried to win that notoriously difficult first Blitzball game (because nobody likes the Luca Goers, and they deserve to lose). Luckily, the Quality-of-Life features from previous remasters return: players can speed up the game by 2x or 4x (which is a lifesaver when farming XP or grinding items) and toggle random encounter rates. There’s also a “Supercharge” mode that fully heals the party and maxes out Overdrives every turn—it feels broken and borderline like cheating, but to each their own. Parameter boosters are also available for anyone who wants to skip the grind entirely.
On the visual front, the game looks similar to the remaster from a decade ago, albeit a bit sharper. You still get the option to swap between the original and rearranged soundtracks! While the pre-rendered cutscenes hold up remarkably well, the transition to in-game graphics can still feel jarring. The remastered character models look a bit too sharp and unnaturally stiff (rumor has it Square lost the original source files, but who knows?). On the bright side, environmental contrast makes the world pop, and load times are lightning-fast.
All in all, for long-time RPG fans who never had the chance to play Final Fantasy X or X-2, this port is worth every penny—it’s not too late to correct your past mistakes. The Switch 2 version builds nicely on previous releases, and the built-in quality-of-life options make it far easier to digest for modern players who don’t have time for a full-tempo 2000s grind.
Thank you again Bandai Namco and Square Enix, for the review code.
