As much of a misnomer that Square Enix’s Final Fantasy title continues to be for what most people see as the RPG series, you can’t help but forgive the fertile minds of our Japanese friends for their slight case of misrepresentation. I mean, who amongst those who played Final Fantasies past can forget the bizarre range of characters, the epic snowballing plots or the perennially quarking chocobos? I’ve lost far too many hours of my life absorbed in them to bother counting (plus, it’s Monday morning and I can’t remember any number above 30 at the moment), so as soon as I heard there was to be a proper, full-on sequel to number 10 I pretty much cleared time in my social diary, filled the fridge with various types of long life food and drink and turned my phone off.

Okay, perhaps it wasn’t quite that drastic. Hang on a ticking jiffy though - a proper sequel to a Final Fantasy game? It seems more than a little strange to most people, especially given Square’s decision not to listen to the hundreds of thousands of requests for a sequel to Final Fantasy 7. Obviously encouraged by the response to number 10, Square have this time decided to give Spira another run through so fans can add a lot more flesh to the bone and get a deeper understanding of the world and the characters within.

Final Fantasy X-2 is by no means a quick rehash of the prequel, though. Not only has the world of Spira changed, the characters have undergone serious life changes in the two years since the end of the previous game. In line with this, the atmosphere of the game has changed from being primarily traditional oriental based to somewhat of a more Western, pop music feel at times. The game opens up with the once demure summoner Yuna yelling her way through a rather startling J-pop number in some of the tightest hot pants known to man, whilst eventually being backed by little Riku and broody newcomer Paine. It’s Final Fantasy, Jim, but not as you know it.

It’s these three characters that will be your party throughout the entire game. Gone from X-2 are the character-swapping antics and sphere grid of its predecessor, replaced with a more focused set of party members and a job system vaguely reminiscent of Final Fantasy V. Despite initial misgivings and the creeping feeling that the game might turn out to be some bizarre sort of action RPG with barely a dose of Final Fantasy dropped in for good measure, everything pulls together and provides that familiar series feeling with a rather zesty twist.

The most striking addition to the punch bowl is the garment grid and dressphere system. This sees each character collecting a series of grids for themselves on which spheres can be placed, with the spheres representing classes such as black and white mages, thief, gunner and warrior. Wearing a particular dressphere in battle will gain it AP, which can be then spent on unlocking new abilities for whatever class that sphere is. On top of all this, switching between a number of dresspheres is possible during battle, and switching between every sphere on your grid will unleash a kind of limit break native to the garment grid you are using. The basic upshot of all this is that the higher you level your character, the more dressphere abilities they will learn and the stronger they will become. Some spheres and grids are hellishly tricky to find though, so unless you’re a detailed explorer you might miss out on a few.

The nature of battling has also been changed, with 10’s queuing system thrown out in favour of real-time encounters. Menus still pop up, but by timing your selections right you are now able to combine two characters’ attacks in one go, often resulting in bonus damage. Conversely, hanging about too much or dithering over selection will give the opposing beasty a chance to get in a sneaky extra strike or two. The result is a more fluid, instinctive battle system that rewards quick thought and tactical appreciation. A change for the better, then.

Another of the better changes is the way the story progresses, allowing the player to choose their own path through events. The game is divided into 5 chapters and the player allowed to visit anywhere on the world map at their own bidding. Each location has one event per chapter for the player to complete, and polishing off each of the tasks in every area will see the plot advance on to the next chunk. Whilst in reality you’re often prodded in a certain direction by events, searching everywhere becomes really quite addictive and the sphere hunting along with the incidental plot threads that happen will see you taking your time to see and do all you can.

The choice isn’t an illusion, either. About midway through the game the player is offered a direct choice between one faction and another, and selecting either will lead them in different directions for a chapter or so. In doing this, one play through is now not enough to see everything, which may annoy some of the purists. To remedy this slightly, Square Enix have allowed players to carry over all equipment, money, grids and spheres earned from the first time through if they wish to replay, and the game completion rank is also maintained. Missed a few monsters for the bestiary or spheres initially? You can now concentrate fully on gaining them the second time around, and completing X-2 with a full 100% rating does have a rather satisfying reward waiting at the end.

The plot itself focuses on Yuna, who has made the transformation from summoner to sphere hunter and general pop sensation. Tagging along with here on here sphere hunting antics are Riku from the previous game and Paine, a rather surly female warrior who often scorns the other two for childish behaviour. Whilst out on a sphere hunt one day Yuna uncovers a video sphere which seems to show Tidus alive and well. Unable to let it drop, she embarks on a journey to find out the truth. The degree to which she does is also determined by the player; achieving certain things or making certain choices at points will give the player one of six possible endings, with a whole spectrum of possibilities catered for.

Luckily, the story is as enjoyable and twisting as any of the previous games in the series, although it will only fully blossom if you played number 10. Going back to locations and meeting familiar faces is a positive joy, with a load of familiar faces dotted around the world for you to run into and catch up with. It all feels like closure on some wounds which were left open at the end of 10, giving fans the chance to check out how Lula’s coping as a mother and see if Wakka’s impossible quiff is still gelled firmly in place. It’s treatment that a few games prior to 10 need to, so if anyone at Square’s reading….

In many ways, X-2’s appearance is something to be thankful for. With the memories of 10 starting to fade and the wait until 12 looking longer than ever, something to act as a stopgap is more than welcome. Whilst some are going to be divided on the episodic nature of the storyline and the change in cultural atmosphere, for me personally I found the whole thing to be a refreshing take that allows the game to use the same locations as its predecessor without feeling stale. It allows you to bring closure on the characters and places that burnt themselves deep into our brains two years ago. Square have finally realised that fans of the series have itches which are better off scratched, which hopefully will open the series up a lot more with future instalments.