A lot can happen in a quarter century. You can build a career, watch society change in real time, and eventually reach the point where the games you grew up hearing about are suddenly celebrating their 25th anniversaries. It is a strange reminder of how quickly time passes. There is also a certain group of gamers who insist that gaming peaked around the turn of the millennium. While there are certainly aspects of that era that deserve praise, those opinions often come through a pair of very rose-tinted glasses. That brings us to Final Fantasy X, and to a lesser extent, Final Fantasy X-2, celebrating their 25th anniversary. Many fans consider Final Fantasy X to be the series’s last true cultural phenomenon before the franchise entered a long period of inconsistency, with many arguing it wouldn’t recapture that same level of mainstream excitement until Final Fantasy VII Remake arrived more than two decades later.

As someone who grew up with a Nintendo GameCube, I completely missed the game when it originally launched, thanks to Sony’s exclusivity deals, making this my first opportunity to finally experience one of gaming’s most celebrated RPGs. The short answer is that it absolutely holds up. The longer answer is that you have to appreciate it as a game attempting several major firsts for the series, some of which have naturally aged better than others. The most obvious example is the voice acting. As Square’s first fully voiced Final Fantasy, there are plenty of awkward pauses and stiff deliveries that immediately show the game’s age. Thankfully, those moments become far less distracting as the journey continues, thanks to the cast itself. Tidus, Yuna, Auron, Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri, and Rikku all develop believable chemistry, and despite a handful of scenes that have been endlessly memed over the years, the story’s emotional core remains just as effective today. Rather than relying on endless plot twists, Final Fantasy X tells a surprisingly personal story about sacrifice, faith, tradition, and accepting the inevitable, themes that still resonate twenty-five years later.

The world of Spira is equally deserving of its legendary reputation. Every village, temple, and ruined city feels connected to a civilization trapped in an endless cycle, making it one of the most cohesive worlds the series has ever created. The game’s linear structure received criticism for years, but I never found it to be a negative. Instead, it allows the narrative to remain tightly focused while constantly introducing memorable locations and characters without unnecessary distractions. Combat is another area where Final Fantasy X has aged remarkably well. The Conditional Turn-Based Battle system remains one of the smartest implementations of turn-based combat I’ve played, clearly displaying turn order while rewarding thoughtful planning rather than button-mashing. The ability to swap party members during battle keeps encounters fresh, ensuring every character has a purpose rather than sitting idle for dozens of hours. Character progression is just as satisfying thanks to the Sphere Grid, which replaces traditional leveling with an interconnected progression system that offers meaningful customization without sacrificing each party member’s identity. It looks intimidating at first, but quickly becomes one of the game’s most addictive mechanics. That said, not everything has stood the test of time. Certain minigames remain every bit as frustrating as their reputation suggests, some late-game side content demands an incredible amount of patience, the camera occasionally works against you, and the inability to skip cutscenes is a reminder that this is still fundamentally a PlayStation 2 game from 2001.

The HD Remaster remains the definitive way to experience both games. Character models have been cleaned up, environments look sharper, and the soundtrack remains one of the greatest ever composed for a video game. The Nintendo Switch 2 release is arguably the most convenient version yet, thanks to several welcome quality-of-life additions. Players can enable boosters such as high-speed mode, disable random encounters, and make use of several other gameplay enhancements that significantly reduce grinding without taking away the option to play the original way. While these features aren’t exactly new, they’ve been available in the Steam release for years; it’s nice to finally see them included on a Nintendo platform. Combined with smooth performance in both docked and handheld mode, it makes the Switch 2 version an excellent entry point for newcomers, even if existing owners won’t find enough exclusive content to justify another purchase. Then there’s Final Fantasy X-2, a sequel that has always lived in the shadow of its predecessor. Its lighter tone can be jarring after the emotional weight of Final Fantasy X, but once you accept that it isn’t trying to tell the same story, there’s plenty to appreciate. The Dressphere system is one of the most enjoyable job systems in the franchise, and its fast-paced Active Time Battle combat remains fantastic. While its narrative never reaches the emotional heights of the original, it’s a worthwhile bonus rather than an unnecessary sequel.

Looking back, it’s easy to understand why Final Fantasy X remains one of the defining RPGs of its generation. It represented a technological leap for the franchise, introduced full voice acting, delivered one of gaming’s most memorable stories, and featured a combat system that still feels rewarding decades later. Its rough edges are impossible to ignore, but they are ultimately overshadowed by everything the game accomplishes. Twenty-five years later, Final Fantasy X is far more than a nostalgic classic—it remains a reminder that memorable characters, thoughtful gameplay, and sincere storytelling never really go out of style. Whether you’re finally making your first pilgrimage through Spira like I did or returning for another visit, this collection remains one of the easiest RPG recommendations I can make. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster may not reinvent these classics, but it preserves two of Square Enix’s finest adventures in a package that still stands among the best the genre has to offer.

Score: 9 out of 10

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2