Working as Intended

Operation Mi'ihen is probably where 'Disc 1' of FFX would end, were it not on a single DVD. Which means it's time for a pointless textual vomiting spree about what I thought about it all. Huzzahs! I think FFX probably has the most interesting and varied set of scenarios and set-pieces in the series, outside of possibly VI or VIII. I really enjoy how the story is essentially a flashback throughout most of the trip, as it allows us to see and relate to the characters as we come across them almost immediately, as you go, "Oh! They were in the opening. I guess they'll be Very Important later on too!" Or at least have instant recognition for them.

Tidus' Zanarkand sequence at the start was also very well done, in my opinion, and it did a pretty good job setting up the contrast and culture shock between it and Spira. The only real complaint I have so far is that the pacing of the scenarios is making it hard to translate into these Let's Plays sometimes! With VIII there was always one Big Event wedged somewhere between hours of lesser/pointless events, so I could always tell when to start/stop entries. With X, however, it's all a long stream of continuously important stuff, so I'm still trying to figure out when I should start/stop. Which, really, isn't a complaint against the game so much as it is my just having to decide what the best length is.

I've been getting positive feedback (<3) thoughout all of X, and nobody has said that they're too goddamn long for their own good (at least until I decide to go insane and post a 12,932 image post), so I guess the problems entirely on my end. Anywho, let us begin the next section!










Time to enter the ice water chocolate bacon lightning trial! They're very subtle about it!




And we suddenly meet a fellow summoner. Unlike Dona, however, Isaaru isn't a total bitchlozenge.

However, he does seem to be in a constant state of arousal, judging by his facial expression half the time.




It'd be funny if after several dozen hours of gameplay and leveling we finally reached Sin, only to find out some entirely random summoner we've never seen before already vanquished it or something.




No. Do that and I'll have to shoot you in the face. That Calm is mine, bitch!




"Sniper teams have been placed around the temple perimetre and are ready to fire on my command. Have fun~!"




... I.. I can't... you don't... I.... WHAT?!




What up, ponytail man?




If it's about Wakka acting weird because he's been 'blitzing', I'm way ahead of you.




Oh, yeah, because they've totally proven themselves to be a legit source of intelligence.




I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often, given the giant fucking monsters that roam this planet.

Or maybe a lot of them had the poor luck to start off their Pilgrimage where the monsters are obscenely high level?




So, what, the summoners vanish, but the guardians are perfectly fine?

Man, they must suck at their job.




I'm always prepared, baby!




For some reason, the Djose (Sorry.. Djose) cloister always stumped me the most (outside of a certain one later). I seem to suffer a brain-fart while trying to solve the puzzle and end up manually going in circles with the placement of the spheres for a good hour or so.

Thankfully I wasn't a complete moron this time, and managed to do it within what I'd call a reasonable time.




Also, another Destruction Sphere down~




Well, well, if it isn't Mrs Slagston von McBitchington herself!




Still completely failing to grasp the concept of clothes, I see.




Eh, could've been worse. She could've called him a rapscallion! *gasp*




Hah!




Auron's got himself his own little fanboy!




And then he shakes his hand. Awww~




Uh.. I think that's taking the whole 'role-model' thing I bit too... God, you're creepy.




But touching you with the other hand is A-OK?

Just trying to figure out how this works.




Ahhh, so Dona's bitchy because she's jealous.

Or because that g-string of hers seems to be riding up something fierce. Eugh...




Oh, just piss off already.




Well, it is a horse, y'see.




Tidus seems to have an issue of suddenly falling asleep for no good reason.

I hope he doesn't start to do this during battles of anythZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz




Yuna begins the morning with her usual skirt-sniffing ritual.

She's kind of weird like that.




WE'RE NOT SAVING THE WORLD UNTIL LADY YUNA CAN GET SOME HEAD AND SHOULDERS DAMMIT




Hurray! It's Taunt the Mary Sue Day! My favorite time of year~




And people say he doesn't have a sense of humour.




Can we keep doing this for the rest of the game? That'd be awesome!




No? Well, poop.

Oh well, at least this day's off a good start!




Ah, crap!

Actually, Shelinda's outfit reminds me of something....




I knew it!




SHUT UP, SHELINDA




Oh dear, it seems Fartball and Gruber, or whatever the hell they're called, are taunting that Yuna-stalking lad.




.... WHA?




No, I think they've come to make absolutely no goddamn sense.




Or incredibly old information. Yes, we know this already.




GO BACK TO RUSSIA GAGAZET!




Assuming nobody under any circumstances makes a mistake in any way, sure. Why not?




Lulu can tell he's full of shit.




Even more running~!




Why is everyone obsessed with stalking Yuna? Do you think the other summoners get stopped every 10 seconds by some random arsehole that has nothing better to do then follow them across the entire planet for increasingly flimsy reasons?




Look at that horse!




Sadly, the horse is no match for point black annihilation via: fire!

But, in the end, are any of us? I think we've learnt something powerful here today.




Damn right I did, Stalker #4922, now hand over the shinies!




By winning this battle, we can now give Aeons all sorts of new abilities and spells! In essence, all you need to have are the right items to help an Aeon learn what you want 'em to. Like, for example, if you want to learn Cure (which can be handy for those who can't absorb their own element), all you need are some Hi-Potions to convert over. It's pretty shiny, and it allows you to make up for any shortcomings you feel a particular summon might have with your playstyle.




Anyway! Back to the plot.

Or a giant river full of glowing things. Both good.



Someone pointed this out to me a while ago. Moonflow sounds like the hippy terminology for that time of the month.

Yes, I did have to share that. You're welcome!





Ohhh, shot down before he could even finish the sentence.

Auron's a master at this, apparently.




Uhhhhh, yeah, Tidus, about that....




Foreshadowing and awkwardness aside, this place sure is purty.




That's a funny way of saying 'boat', Jamaican Bender. Has somebody been putting magnets on you again?




LOOK AT THE DIRECTION TO WHICH I AM CURRENTLY POINTING




Oh dear. Looks like Tidus accidentally got into Wakka's stash and/or booze again.




Wait, that elephant isn't pink!




The wacky blue guy there is a Hypello. THEY'RE FUNNY BECAUSE THEY TALK DIFFERENT!




Wow, so if I buy from you I won't have to worry about killing Sin or anything? Score!




Ah, yet another of Yuna's stalkers. But at least he has the courtesy to ask if we want to hear his exposition.




It's mostly just boring 'omg wut am shoopuff eat??' talk. Except that I like how Maechen says shnoz.

SHNOZ!




Ah, time for a visit down memory lane!

Does this mean Tidus is telling the group about the time Yuna had a little flashback to when she was a child? Or would Yuna tell this bit? Or are they skipping this, but we get to hear it anyway because we're technically 'in the time', except for when Tidus starts narrating and the... Why does my brain smell like hotdogs?




No, wait, I guess Kimahri is telling the story.

He was always such an attention whore.




No, no, nonononono, no, Kimahri. It's a 'Shnoz'~!




Okay, that's kinda funny.




WHOOSPIE DAISY




Even more Lessons in People Acting Like Idiots!




Yes, that's clearly the logical thing to d--




Oh. Right, well.. disregard then!


Absolutely nothing of worth?




Um... duh?




"BUT WHEN WE USE IT IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT I HATE THINKING FOR MYSELF PAIIIIN"




WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES!!




Oh, how very convenient.






Wow, he must've really been holding a lot i---

That's so gross even I won't finish it.




:D




D:




DID YOU KNOW THAT WAKKA DISLIKES THE AL BHED?

He hides it well!




Speaking of~!




YUNA'S GONE! EVERYONE ABANDON GAME!




Boss battle time~! Like the Sinspawn water battle way back before Kilika, this is mostly straightforward. Just keep attacking and then save some of your stronger hits for when it rises up above your party, as that means it'll use the powerful Depth Charge attack on the next turn. If you hit it a bunch it just eventually sinks back down to your level in defeat.




And then it explodes! As tends to happen to everything ever on this planet.

I'm pretty sure you couldn't even flush a Spiran toilet without it performing some sort of fireworks display.




YOUSA THINKIN YOUSA PEOPLE GONNA DIE?!???




What have you got against Tusken Raiders?!




"... Shut your goddamn mouth!"




Another happy landing for the crew of the Shoopuf with the Nightmare Before Christmas Curly Hill Thing for a Shnoz!




Also, corpses. Hurray!




That's.. um.. certainly one way to introduce a character.




Tidus' downright brilliant powers of deduction never fail him.




wut?




It was you in that giant robot thing? You dropped explosives on me! Prepare yourself to die!




Oh, well I guess that settles that then.




UH-OH!




Wow, Tidus. Nobody will ever be able to guess her race now that you've cunningly left one letter off saying it!

That's fucking watertight, man.




Though it probably helps that Wakka is a complete moron.




Rikku drags the girls away to tell them a thrilling story. Something to do with doggy-paddling, apparently.




I like how Yuna has to ask Auron for permission about this now. He's definitely got himself a sweet set-up.




GIVE ME YOUR FACE!




AHHHHH DEMON SWIRLY EYES OF DEATH KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT!




"... We'll have to put it down. Who's got my shotgun?"




She's a 15 year old, Tidus. Not a dog.




HAHA HOW AWKWARD




Well I doubt Lulu's about to try and usurp your position on that.




Now we've got every party member~ Huzzahs for all!

Except Rikku is Level Retarded still, and only has 300 HP. Boo!




We do get a funky tutorial about Rikku's contributions to the battles, however. For some reason, treasure chest will now oh-so conveniently appear in some battles, which Rikku can use Steal on. On top of that, her Overdrive is probably the best in the game. Mix allows you to... well, mix any two items together to create an absolute crap-ton of different results. If you get the right items, she can help you outright dominate every single
major fight in the rest of the game.

Not bad for a currently 300 HP character.




ONWARDS TO GUADOSALAMI. THE MOST DELICIOUS TOWN OF THEM ALL




This world seems to consist of two people: Stalkers or arse-kissers.

Or Dona.




I think I'm gonna call you Sniggletooshie instead, okay?




Ohhhh, this probably won't end well then.




Yes, I'm sure the creepy, ragged old man dragging a group of mostly young teenagers into a mysterious building is completely legit! Nope, nothing suspicious here at al--Oooh, candy!




It's Final Fantasy, Rikku. Just go along with it. It's less painful.




And if Mix wasn't neat enough, Rikku can now customize your weapons in very much the same fashion as the Aeon customizing thing from earlier. You can put pretty much any ability/trait you can think of into any clear slots your weapons and armour may have, if you've got the proper items.

... Why don't more characters bring this sort of stuff to the party when they join?

 I'M LOOKING AT YOU KIMAHRI HMMMMMMMM




I wouldn't have an easy way to end this entry, that's for sure.

See ya~!