I've been a devout follower of Final Fantasy since its inception, beginning when I wet my ears with the original NES game when it came to the states in 1989. Each new installment has brought unprecedented visual excellence and compelling stories, as well as a high degree of anticipation. The hype surrounding Final Fantasy X was much higher than normal, as this game would mark the series' debut on the powerful PlayStation2 console.

The series has always embodied quality and innovation, but my faith wavered significantly after viewing the spectacularly mediocre Final Fantasy movie, The Spirits Within. Convinced that The Gooch had lost his knack for telling a compelling tale, my interest in Square's latest opus, Final Fantasy X, took a major hit. But with Square vets like Kitase, Nomura and Uematsu leading the way, those fears were completely unfounded. Final Fantasy X is a masterpiece of cinematic gaming, and sets a new high-water mark for role-playing games in general.

Immediately noticeable is the jarring leap in visual quality afforded by the PlayStation2 hardware. Final Fantasy X is a gorgeous game, eye-candy in the purest sense. Detailed, richly-textured characters act out their parts with realistic facial expressions and body motions, a first for the series. The close-up shots are particularly amazing, each character sporting faces rife with minute detail like teeth, nostrils and eyelashes (you can even see the swirly pattern in Rikku's eyes). Unfortunately, the game engine uses low-detail models a bit too frequently during story segments, giving the game a blurry, uneven look at times. These models work great in battle, but look terrible otherwise. The high-detail models are divine, though, and thankfully are used more frequently as the game progresses.

The fully 3D environments are also quite striking. No longer is the journey through Final Fantasy a series of flat paintings traversed by blocky 3D characters. The world of Spira comes alive with exquisitely rendered locales filled with futuristic vistas, lush organic greenery, crumbling ancient temples and pseudo-hi-tech urban sprawls reminiscent of FFVIII's Balamb Garden. Even the barren Sanubia Desert is visually striking, as sand sifts and swirls around your characters while radiating heat waves make you feel hotter. There's never a wasted screen or location, and there is always something wondrous and interesting to see in your travels across Spira. Some weird display problems, like texture shimmer and the occasional bad blur effect, mar the presentation a bit, and show that Square still has a way to go to match the graphical heights that Sony and Konami have reached on PS2.

Although the world feels a mite smaller than in previous installments, the detail density is through the roof. The removal of the traditional zoomed-out icon-based overworld has raised the ire of some, who feel that FFX unnecessarily restricts their freedom. Final Fantasy has never been a wide-open game, but FFX is not any more linear than most other games, RPG or otherwise. Most RPGs with multiple paths give the player a false sense of freedom, as there is usually only one course of action that will advance the story forward. The changes in FFX merely serve to streamline the game and eliminate aimless wandering, a feature much appreciated by time-starved old guys like myself. The game opens up considerably towards the end, with many side-quests and dilly-dallying to indulge in.

The story progresses with a mixture of real-time and pre-rendered cinematic sequences, with seamless transitions between the two. Square's foray into motion pictures may have been a failure, but the software and knowledge that went into FF:TSW was put to good use in FFX, and the results are incredible. Real-time graphics have never before so closely resembled FMV, and of course the FMV is jaw-dropping as usual, greatly benefitting from the lower compression afforded by the DVD storage medium. Loading is also unthinkably quick; the transition from world map to battle map occurs in an astounding 1.5 seconds, which makes the game just breeze on along.

Another first for the series is the use of full voice-acting in place of text dialogue. Many (including me) believed this to be a huge risk that would either make or break the game. Luckily for us, Square took this issue seriously, and blessed us with one of the best English dubs you'll ever hear in a Japanese game. Square employed established Hollywood talent to supply the voices for their characters, like John DiMaggio (Bender from Futurama) and Tara Strong (Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls), and the results are impressive. While not exactly excellent by film or TV standards, the acting is good for the most part, and the lesser acting performances are at least tolerable. The characters themselves are outstanding, with none of the annoying or useless roster-fillers that plagued previous games in the series. From the perky and bubbly Rikku, to dignified and taciturn Kimahri, to Lulu's cold and huffy demeanor, the characters are all well-developed and fun to watch interact.

All of the main characters (with the frequent exception of Yuna) are brought to life in spectacular fashion by their actors, lending the cast those key human elements the series has strived for but ultimately lacked until this point. The acting allowed Square to craft short cut scenes that move the story along swiftly, instead of drowning the player in page after page of expository dialogue punctuated by silent characters flailing their arms about. This change is quite refreshing in such a story-heavy game, and as a result, Final Fantasy X feels much more engaging than any of its predecessors. There is rarely a dull or lacking moment, which is quite remarkable for a game of this length.

Characters grow by advancing along the Sphere Grid, a giant interconnected network of various types of nodes. Essentially a visual representation of character development, the Sphere Grid looks daunting at first, but quickly becomes addicting with use. Movement along the grid required the expenditure of S. Levels, which are earned by winning battles and gaining Ability Points. Each node is activated by filling it with a sphere; a Strength +2 Node, for example, is activated by using a Power Sphere. Stat increases are permanent and are needed to keep pace with the semi-tough monsters. Abilities are also learned on the Sphere Grid, from magic spells to special attacks to defensive manuevers. Character paths are limited at first, constraining each character in their native profession for much of the game. Once you're able to clear Level 3 and 4 Sphere Locks, however, you can send Tidus down the path of the black mage, or turn Lulu into a powerful bruiser. Completing the Sphere Grid for a character will take you plenty of time, as there are a whopping 828 total nodes.

The battle mechanics have received perhaps the biggest overhaul, as the tired ATB system is replaced with the much more flexible Charge Time Battle. An Active Turn window, similar to that in Final Fantasy Tactics, appears in the upper-right corner during battle, showing you the order in which combatants will act. Certain actions, like Defending or casting Haste, will affect the battle order. Checking the AT list will allow you to see when enemies will attack, and let you plan a strategy accordingly. As a result, battles have a much more strategic feel to them, especially the drawn-out boss encounters. A well-timed Dark Attack could spell the difference between victory and defeat. And status effects play a huge role in combat for a change, as conditions like silence, darkness, poison and zombie severely inhibit your ability to fight effectively. Poison, for instance, lops off 25% of your maximum HP every round, so you're going to want to cure it quickly.

Your battle formation is once again limited to three characters, but in FFX you have the ability to swap in characters sitting on the sidelines at any time. This effectively gives you a seven person team, and adds an unprecedented amount of flexibility to the battle system. You'll need this combat diversity, as certain characters excel in different situations. For instance, Wakka can take down flying enemies with ease, Auron effortlessly dispatches armored foes, and you can count on Lulu to eradicate thick-skinned elemental monsters with her magic. The enemies themselves are incredibly well-detailed and animated, although there a bit too few varieties for such a long game. Battles themselves are swift and painless, thanks to the quick loading and updated battle engine. You can literally fight five FFX battles in the time it took to fight just one in FFIX.

The most unique battle character, of course, is Yuna, who can summon Aeons into the fray. Aeons, such as Shiva, are the summoned monsters of FFX, and have received the complete FFX Overhaul Treatment as well. No longer one-shot eye-candy magic spells, Aeons are true battle characters who fight in place of your team. They attack, defend, use magic, special attacks and even Overdrives, just like the regular combatants. You'll find yourself relying on them more toward the beginning stages of the game, when their impressive Overdrives are more effective than those of your characters. The Overdrives themselves are pure eye-candy which you'll want to show off to your friends. Aeons can be "powered-up" automatically by advancing Yuna along the Sphere Grid, or manually by feeding them the ubiquitous varieties of spheres. While there are fewer Aeons than in previous installments, their versatility makes them much more useable. There are even 3 hidden Aeons for industrious players to find.

Other notable features in the game include fully-customizable equipment, available once Rikku joins your party. You can use the items you find after battle or steal from enemies to add new abilities to your weapons and armor; Firestrike or HP +20%, for instance. The best weapons, called "Celestial Weapons", cannot be bought, and must be earned through a series of trials. Some of these trials are harder than others, particularly the Chocobo balloon race, which is so poorly implemented that you're better off not even trying it. Dualshock controllers are expensive to replace. The mini-games are all a take-it or leave-it affair, with one notable exception: Blitzball.

Blitzball is one of the first (and maybe only) fantasy-sports-RPG games, a completely realized game-within-a-game. Essentially a cross between water-polo and soccer, Blitzball is a 6-on-6 game played underwater in a giant sphere. Points are scored by kicking the ball into the opposing goal, though passes are thrown with the hands. Your first experience is likely to be sour, as your underpowered Besaid Aurochs are pitted against the veteran Luca Goers in the championship match. (Savvy players will be able to win this match, resulting in a very cool extra scene.) You can win some fantastic prizes by playing the Blitz leagues and tournaments, so it's wise to put some effort into learning the game. It quickly becomes addicting, as your team learns new techniques, like Nap Tackle, which can put opposing players to sleep, or Venom Shot, which can poison the opposing goaltender. You move the ball-carrier in real-time, but actions (like tackling, passing and shooting) are all turned-based affairs, and the results depend on your statistics. You can recruit new players, and even sign free agents from other teams. A few quirks here and there will likely drive you mad at times, but overall this is one of the most well-implemented mini-games you'll play in an RPG.

The soundtrack is excellent, combining stripped-down acoustical sets, religious chanting hymns and even an explosive death metal outburst. This is some of Square's best work to date, as Junya Nakano and Masashi Hamauzu collaborate with long-time Square vet Nobuo Uematsu to craft a wonderful and refreshing musical journey through Spira. The main theme ("To Zanarkand") is a simple, beautiful piano melody used to great effect throughout the game, while "The Sight of Spira" perfectly captures the vibe of a breezy, laid-back island afternoon. The overall variety is impressive, and most of the pieces compliment the on-screen proceedings remarkably well.

What else is there to say, really? Final Fantasy is the top-selling RPG series in the world for very good reasons: it continually innovates with both play mechanics and visuals, and it is never afraid to strip away convention for the better. Final Fantasy X takes these trends to new levels, with a host of changes that completely reinvent the game in impressive fashion. This is most definitely the pinnacle of this series to date, immensely enjoyable for the 200+ hours I've played so far, and the updated Final Fantasy X International will ensure I take at least one more trip through the incredible world of Spira. I give this game my highest recommendation.