Final Fantasy X-2

[Naiera]

RE: how to get Beserker

Naiera,

Thanks, but as far as I've read in a guide earlier today, it can't be found in chapter 5, where I am now. Nothing happens when I got to the O'aka-whatever store at Macalania Woods...

[JetBlack]

Gah.....I'm sorry to hear that.

Perhaps they lock it out after so long. This speaks to what Marcus implied earlier. That in a way it's a bit of a pisser to not have access to certain items simply through playing the game. One would think that the more time a gamer spends on this, the more should be opened up.....rather than locked out.

My sympathies..... I guess this game really does enforce replay - though for the life of me I find it hard to pick up the desire to go back through all that trouble, pain and misery of searching every nook and corner of Spira. Square is asking an awful lot of their gamers.

But hey....it is Final Fantasy. I guess I should know better.

This makes me wonder all the more about FF 12. Just how many secrets does a dev need to dump into a game....and still attempt to reach a "new" audience with each incarnation. It boggles the mind. It seems Square is quite content with providing more inside jokes for their fan base rather than build open and accessible games for a growing audience.

Ah, whatever.....there I go on a rant, again. Gomen.

Naiera, are you the type to create multiple game saves on your memory card? Perhaps you can "go back" to a slot where the dress sphere is still available. Though as marcus has shown (and others) you don't need this dress sphere to win the game....but if it's bothering you, or if you're a completist, I can fully understand.

Been there myself. I actually tossed 12+ hours of my old game and started over.

[marcus]

Just FYI I have uploaded the CG sequence at the start of the game for anyone interested - http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/viewtopic.php?p=194206#194206 - thanks

[Naiera]

Naiera, are you the type to create multiple game saves on your memory card? Perhaps you can "go back" to a slot where the dress sphere is still available. .

I do have three saves, but none of them go two chapters back. I'm not too bothered with loosing the Berserker thing as long as I can beat the last bosses, but I'm just a bit peeved with the fact that I'm not going to get more than 55 % completion... I think I'm strong enough to take out the boss in the Bikanel Desert now, though, so I might be able to get near 60 % if I'm lucky. Only Calm Lands and Bevelle have unfinished Episodes now, though, so I've lost loads by almost only going to the Hot Spots while going through the chapters.

[Naiera]

56 % and it's over Yuna on lvl 76, Rikku on lvl and Paine on lvl 76. Like with Xenosaga, where I could have done without about 5 hours of level-upping, I could have done without the last ten levels here. Didn't even get to use Yuna's special dress-sphere...

[marcus]

Ive just restarted as the New Game, and Im glad I did as I missed this first time round. Go straight to Luca, and you will get a cut scene whereby Yuna is dressed in a controllable Moogle costume! I swear I laughed my ass off when I saw that! Check it out in case you missed it first time round.

[JetBlack]

Marcus, I did miss that the very first time I played FFX-2. Then I tossed it out and started over. When I went back I proceeded straight down the locations list.

SPOILERS
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The trick also to the matter is that you can see Yuna in the moogle suit RIGHT AFTER the very first intro fight. When chasing after LeBlanc, there is a left onto a pier with loads of crates. Crouched down will be a Moogle, and if you talk to it, will "heal" you.

It's later on you see how Yuna's Balloon adventure ties into that. Very nice back and forth on that.

Furthermore, right after you finish the Balloon mission with Yuna and get a mission complete - turn around and go right BACK to Luca - AGAIN. This time the entire city is opened up and you should run down and talk to Lord Rin (where the Sphere Break players are located below ground).
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END Spoilers

You will get something interesting.

But yes, it's quite easy to miss a TON of story and side quests in FFX-2.

[marcus]

Im noticing this now, and to be perfectly honest with you, this time round I am going through the game with a walkthrough. Ive already beaten it so need not to prove anything to myself in any way, but I do want to see all that the game has got to offer, and its already clear that Ive missed a lot as within an hour I located two rather large things I missed first time round. I did go back to Luca as you say, and spoke to Rin. I also missed the entire Youth League HQ part also which Im currently on now. My completion has already gone up by 5% too.

[JetBlack]

Poor Marcus.....

It appears you're being sucked right back into the game....Hahah!

I have to admit, the tucking away of more game content within layers and layers under the skin of FFX-2 is something more people should be talking about.

The concept of the LINEAR RPG has been an issue for over a decade. There are enough posts and threads to fill a warehouse full of servers. Yet, here we have a fairly close nonlinear combination of story and adventure with FFX-2 and it seems very few people have taken notice. Of course, it's not true "nonlinear" for the console, but it's so damn close and a hybrid of Square's own making that the concept alone should be worth the salt of discussion.

This flummoxes me even more when Japan recently reported that FFX-2 was the number one selling title in 2003. Yet, the idea of a nearly nonlinear game selling about 2 million copies just floats below the surface of promotion and discussion. I find it quite odd that we can achieve this level of gaming and yet not be jumping for joy. Play a game to completion - even to the point of satisfaction, and still yet have not played nearly 50% of the game!

The mind boggles.

However, Grand Theft Auto has been lauded over at will for it?s nonlinear game play. Why not FFX-2, as well? We are indeed living in extraordinary times in video gaming when such advances can be nearly overlooked and glossed over. It speaks volumes to the degree in which our perceptions have changed about gaming, and how the developers are trying to match, or surpass that. Sometimes failing miserably, but in other times soaring high.

And still, this is only a step.

I await more from video games, and at least for me, I'll continue to be astounded by the achievements they make. Perhaps I?m just an old fart gamer (clocking in at 40 years of age) but I still find the leaps and bounds noteworthy.

Okay...silly rant *off*. Sorry 'bout that.