When Square first began hinting about Final Fantasy X-2 -- that's "ten two," not "x two," by the way -- I was ecstatic. FFX is my favorite game in the series since 1991's Final Fantasy IV, and if any FF is ripe for a direct sequel, the rich and textured FFX, with its bittersweet and ambiguous closure, is. I couldn't wait to hear more after the highly suggestive Final Fantasy X: Another Story scenario appeared in FFX: International -- and when the teaser poster showing Yuna in Gunner gear showed up at TGS, I was giddy.
Soon Square started releasing information, designs, and screenshots that threw the game's direction into question: drastic makeovers of the heroines, a reversion to the series' traditional ATB battle system -- which I feel is inferior to the new, more strategic, and fully turn-based one FFX sported. I kept my chin up, but movies of Yuna performing pop songs got me down, and I began to wonder if Square was pandering to hardcore fanboys and leaving everyone else behind. But from what I’ve seen so far, I’m starting to think the whole pop star thing is played tongue-in-cheek; the game’s aware of its own silliness, and that does wonders for my opinion of it.