On Final Fantasy X-2’s 20th, let’s remember its incredible dressphere system
destructoid.comFinal Fantasy X-2 first hit the PlayStation 2 20 years ago in Japan, on March 13, 2003. It was a very unusual kind of game for Square to make, both in tone and it being a direct sequel to a previous Final Fantasy game. But 20 years later, I’d argue it’s a stellar entry in the series, in ways well-exemplified by its dressphere system.
Spheres are the core of a lot of technology in Spira, throughout most of Final Fantasy X. After the events and revelations of FFX, though, Spheres suddenly become much more in-demand. Team YRP, or Yuna, Rikku, and Paine, form up as sphere hunters to try and track down lost, rare spheres for big rewards.
It's showtime, girls.
Today marks 20 years since Y, R, P first took position with the launch of Final Fantasy X-2.
What was your favourite memory of returning to Spira? pic.twitter.com/2ataNgAYcd
— FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) March 13, 2023
Gameplay-wise, this leads into the dressphere system. We see some of this in the game’s absolutely stellar intro, but Final Fantasy X-2 uses spheres as its mean of re-classing and changing jobs. Your party is, outside of the creature capture feature, just Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. The variety in their abilities and what they do, then, stems from the dresspheres, which sees them don new outfits to invoke the power of different jobs.
It’s a mechanic that draws very direct, overt homage to the magical girl genre. These transformations aren’t just a hot-swap of items or weapons, but an entire transformation sequence, where the girls shed the armor of one job and clad themselves in another. Strike a pose, get a special intro, all the bells and whistles. It rules.
Concerns about Final Fantasy X-2 in the past swirled around worries that it might be too “girly“,
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