Why Final Fantasy 10 is an Iconic Entry in the Franchise

gamerant.com:

Final Fantasy is the most iconic Japanese role-playing game franchise in the world. While the Square series sometimes loses out to its Enix counterpart Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy stands as the merged Square Enix’s flagship franchise. Many names and visual elements are instantly recognizable. Final Fantasy 7 in particular holds the honor of being one of the best-known titles in gaming, and holding multiple character slots in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, its PS2 debut Final Fantasy 10 has also stood the test of time.

Everyone has the favorite entries, whether it’s the aforementioned 7, the highly acclaimed MMO 14, or the charming 9. Final Fantasy 10 has been kept relevant since 2001 thanks to it being the first numbered Final Fantasy to with a direct sequel, Final Fantasy 10-2. FF10 was also the first 3D game to get a major remaster, Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster from 2013. That version was later ported to PC and modern consoles, serving as a reminder why Final Fantasy 10 is so highly regarded.

20 Years Later, Final Fantasy 10’s Dual Protagonists Still Hasn’t Been Matched

Final Fantasy 10 represented a lot of firsts. For the first time in the franchise, a Final Fantasy game had voice acting, with Japanese and English dubs being produced. Even minor characters of note had voiced dialogue in the field, which made a big impression on fans after Final Fantasy 9. The English dub is frequently mocked for its poor voice direction, but it turned out a lot better than many games of the era. Final Fantasy 10 set the golden standard for JRPG cutscenes in the PS2 era, and games with lower budgets had a hard time keeping up.

While Square Enix’s typical impressive CGI scenes were present, Final Fantasy 10 worked hard to bring