Final Fantasy X Official Strategy Guide Reviews

• Sometimes You Need a Leg Up

  
  By A1M4NJYP0WNL8Q on 2003-04-07
  Many published guides exist for games that simply do not need umpty dozen slick pages of fan information and a simple-minded walkthrough. These are simply marketing maneuvers to increase profitability. But occasionally, a game comes along that is so complicated and secretive that simply following the linear path may win you the game, but miss the real richness and effort put into it. Final Fantasy X (FFX) is one of those games that come along so rarely, and the possession of this strategy guide will greatly enhance play.

  Technically, this guide is typical in format. It starts with an introduction to the game, its main characters, and the spiritual forces called Aeons. There is a discussion of the unique system for acquiring enhancing abilities, discussions of weapons and armor, key items, shops, etc. Following the walkthrough are sections on side quests, secrets of the game, how to play blitzball (something I never mastered), an extensive bestiary and some interviews with the creative staff. This is a glossy, 270-page dissertation on the game - an alarming amount of information.

  The walkthrough itself is quite thorough, complete with the customary maps, illustrations, and directions. The discussion, however, is not always in the best order, creating the possibility that over reliance on the guide may lead the player to make some irritating, but not fatal mistakes. Some of the diagrams for the puzzles are also a bit hazy, perhaps deliberately. In any case, this is a complicated game, and even a guide like this will miss some details. I think this is for the best, actually. It keeps the player from simply connecting the dots.

  There is a real danger that the extra quests, etc., will lead the player to over-level the characters. It is possible to get to the point that the final series of battles is something of an anti-climax. Keep this in mind when using the guide. Some help is a blessing, but too much can spoil the show. Even so, this is the best resource for extending game play. If you want to squeeze the last few drops of value from the game, this is what you need.
  
  

• Final Fantasy X...Better Than VII?

  
  By on 2002-01-02
  When I first bought this book, I was stuck in Mushroom Rock Road at the sinspawn fight. After I bought this book, I have gotten about halfway through the game after starting over again. This is really a good book if you don't mind stuff like "For more information about loaning money to O'aka, turn to the "Shops" section of this guide." That can get kind of annoying after a while. Also, it does not explain the training arena in the Calm Lands very well; an FAQ online at gamefaqs.com really helps on that, though. And the directions to solve the Cloister of Trials are rather vague, and very confusing for the one where you get Bahamut. But overall, this is a very good guide for a very good PS2 game. The Blitzball character section at the back is especially helpful.
  Ryja y kuut tyo, yht ihdem haqd desa, rybbo kysehk!
  (Just in case you're wondering, that's the in-game language, Al Bhed, for "have a good day, and until next time, happy gaming!)
  
  

• The Best FFX resource

  
  By A29BQ6B90Y1R5F on 2002-01-03
  If their are two reviews by me sorry about that I wasn't sure if the other was posted.

  Anyway, I believe this is the best Final Fantasy guide I've ever seen. It has detailed maps, great walkthrough, boss strategies, and bestiary, plus much more where that came from.

  The best part about this guide is that there is no referall to playonline every paragraph, and boss strategy. The guide is actually concerned with helping you get through the game rather than trying to get you to explore a new website.

  The walkthrough is very detailed. Again, they tell you all the objectives and then explain it all. The maps are detailed showing you the location of every item in an area, and if it doesn't than it tells you in the walkthrough. The guide also doesn't spoil the plot and there are no story spoilers in the guide. The walkthrough also has crystal clear screenshots. Also, enemies in an area are listed so you don't have to flip back through to the bestiary all those 100+ pages. Also the maps are right there in the walkthrough rather than in the back of the book.

  The boss strategies actually help you. They display the HP and AP the boss haves, the amount of damage needed to trigger an overkill, and the weakness, half damage, immunity, absorbtion listing.

  The bestiary is quite possibly the best I've seen. They list the number of HP it has, they list how much damage you need to do in parenthasis to get an overkill and they list the number of AP the enemy gives. They also list status effects you can do to the boss, and the sensor reading below. Not to mention the items they drop and how much gil it takes to bribe them, and what you can steal. The only problem is that the bestiary doesn't tell you where you can find the enemy to fight him.

  The guide has a sphere chart and a listing of all the overdrives and what it takes to make each character learn them. The sphere grid pin-points out everything (Ability nodes, HP nodes etc.) so that you may decide what route they take.

  Every secret is revealed and all the side quest are fully exploited in the guide. Airship passwords revealed, coordnates also revealed.

  A poster also comes with the guide and shows you the sphere grid on one side, and the Rikku's overdrive Mix chart on the other. Being that the sphere grid is in the guide you should probably put it up on the mixing chart.

  Secret Aeons and legendary weapons are revealed, and in the back of the book are exclusive interviews with the creators of Final Fantasy X. If you want to learn of the development of FFX look at these interviews.

  Lastly, the guide completely covers Blitzball! It covers the teams, free agents, and gives you a stats chart for everysingle player of the sport. Letting you know who to hire and you may want to pass up. It tells you of all the Blitzball Basics.

  Have I left anything out? Well, aside from character bios and overdrive listings this guide is pretty much all you need for FFX. I can't find too many errors in the guide so I'd say that this is the best FFX guide you can buy.
  
  

• One of the best Final Fantasy guides ever made!!!!!

  
  By A2CZBGIJP8TZ1T on 2005-05-10
  This guide has everything you could possibly want to know about Final Fantasy X. Maps for every area, detailed walkthrough, shop lists for every area, each character's sphere grid, a whole picture of the entire sphere grid, how to get every ultimate weapon. There is a two page list of how to obtain every single ablility for weapons and armor including the No Encounters ability. It really goes into detail about every sidequest and mini-game including Blizball that has pages of Blizball player data for every single player and team. There is an interview with the Squaresoft team about the development and a two-sided poster of Rikku's Overdrive Mix on one side and the entire Sphere Grid on the other side which is also included in the actual guide. I love the pictures and illustrations, it's a very beautiful guide. There are pictures and details about every Aeon and all the abilities that every Aeon can have.
  
  There's only one minor flaw with this guide: in the Bestiary section, they don't tell where you see the enemies in the game. And I know that they list all the enemies in the beginning of each section throughout the walkthrough but those lists are a shorter version of the real lists in the back of the guide. For instance, if I just want to know an enemies' HP, it will tell me in that section of the guide, but if I want to know what I will get for Bribing, how much Gil is needed to Bribe, if I want to know if an enemy is immune to Poison or something like that, I have to turn to the back of the guide. That's the only downfall but other than that, the guide is perfect.
  
  
  

• FFX Strategy guide review

  
  By A35RMSYYL8FT1J on 2004-05-31
  An excellent guide book features 2 page charecter info for all 6 main charecters tells you how to find the 3 hidden aeons and tells you how to use the sphere grid tells you all 64 mix combonations Rikus overdrive can make! Comes with awsome two sided poster 1 side with the sphere grid and one with the mix combonations riku can make!
  Has an EXCELLENT walk through for every area!
  Defenitaly buy this book! Don not be hesitant to buy this cause of the authors horrible guide book he made for IX this one is much better!
  
  
• Good Guide that doesn't hold your hand
  By A169I83JL8QJGN on 2002-03-07
  Getting a perfect guide book is rare, Brady games usually gets it right though. After the horrid guide to Final Fantasy IX, which was virtually useless as it would merely referr the reader to the Play Online Website for the solutions, I was really hesitant to buy this book. The game is pretty staright forward and I found myself referring to the book on very few occasions, which is abnormal for an FF game. I used this guide for the not so obvious secrets, but not a lot. The guide does not hold your hand in it's walkthrough, but thankfully doesn't leave you hanging either. However, some of the secrets could have been, and should have been incorperated into the main walk through, having to bounce between sections of the book was aggrivating, and I think that Brady should reevaluate their format and consider throwing the secrets into the main walkthrough. Also, some of the secrets were vague and unclear. I opened the secret path in the frozen forrest, but couldn't get to the crystal to charge the clouudy mirror because some blockhead was standing in the way. The book says nothing about how to get that person to move. Also the Cactuar ghost side quest, Some of the rocks you have to touch would glow, but would stop glowing as I approached, and when they stop glowing it won't do anything. The book offers no remedy for this dillema as well. I did beat the game, but with many of the side quests unfinished, and for the first time in my long history of Final Fantasy with none of the ultimate weapons. The guide was efficent, but could have been a little more elaborate without guiding me by the hand.
  
  
• Great Guide
  By A18TVWGTCYJMV6 on 2002-05-02
  This is a great guide that covers nearly everything in the game; however there are a few things missing, but in an attempt to make up for that there are a few extras as well. This guide gives a comprehensive look into the game, and gives you great directions, but doesn't spoil every little surprise in the game. Sometimes a section will direct you to look up a chart, picture, hint, etc. in the back of the book, but it sure beats having to go online to get more information like in the Final Fantasy IX guide. Overall this is a great guide for someone who is stuck in a spot in the game, or for someone who just wants to play through the game again and get everything that they missed the previous time through the game.
  
  
• The REAL Rating
  By A134YAPVX523HQ on 2002-01-09
  FFX is the best game I have ever played!Don't get me wrong but this is the top notch game for RPG lovers.Final Fantasy has come a long way since their 2-D games. This is by far THE ultimate video-game.
  
  
• An Excellent Guide
  By A2A7KFKG8OU11D on 2002-02-08
  This guide book is very very useful. It pretty much outlines the hows, wheres, whens, and whys of everything without giving the storyline away. Everything is organized, accurate, and detailed into lists and sections. With the help of this book I found everything and every secret. It also comes with a huge poster of the sphere gride and Rikku's mix combinations, with in itself was worth the price of the book.

  Buy it with the game, and keep it handy.
  
  

• complete and useful
  By A2SIYZ4V2EUL56 on 2003-01-08
  You don't need this guide to finish the game because there's really nowhere you'll get stuck, but I recommend getting it anyway.
  Here's my FF tactic: I play the game a first time to the end, and then I buy the guide and play it a second time with the guide at hand.
  I found this guide to be very helpful in figuring out the leveling up of characters correctly. You will end up wasting your characters abilities if you don't know what you're doing.
  You'll also need it if you're interested in getting the ultimate weapons of your characters. You may be able to stumble upon most of the items you need, but unless you do this professionally, I can almost guarantee that you'll never figure them all out without help (and even with help, I had to give up on a few ... too frustrating to do).
  
  
• Good Strategy Guide for the new nex gen RPG!
  By A355TRFPGS3UVF on 2001-12-31
  Great Strategy in depth directions with full side quest guide and everything you need to play Final Fantasy X.
  
  
• FFX guide
  By AJ5QEITK74CM7 on 2002-01-09
  this game is the best ps or ps2 game ever. the guide is very helpful even if you want to find out the secrets on your own. this guide will help you with knowing about items or whart to use.i think it was the best guid i haave ever got.
  
  
• Worth the money for most.
  By A3B6E2WUEKE9WK on 2002-07-16
  This book is worth it. Why? Two words for you:

  Skill Map.

  That's right; a full-sized (and smaller sized ones in the book) of the skill map for your characters is included as a poster, along with ALL of Rikku's attacks.

  Nuff said.

  The book is an excellent example of what a hint book should be. It's nothing you can't get if you aren't internet savy, however, the convience of having a full-color guide in your lap while playing is invaluable. And for the skill map which you can uh, mark your progress on with a post it note. So you don't study any erroneous paths accidently. Not that I would do that myself, heh.

  If you're heavy into the weapon-customization track as well, this is handy for assisting you in getting the blade/staff/whatever of your dreams if the Ultimate Weapons don't quite cut it for you.

  Downsides: some of the area diagrams are off. The items listed that you can find in a few cases are incorrect as well. Other than that, it's pretty decent.
  
  

• it's great, but u can use GameFAQs
  By on 2002-12-23
  Yeah, you can use GameFAQs for all of the guides and stuff. But this is really worth the money. I had some doubts here and there but i don't remember making a wrong move in the game(the "Cloister of Trials"). So this guide was very helpful to me... I have a really strong Blitzball team(for those of you who don't know what blitzball is, it's the game you play in Final Fantasy X). And this guide is really, truly, detailed. I was at the end of the game and finished. But after I bought the guide I realized how much I missed, the sidequests and secret items, also the strategies(I knew some but not against bosses). And now I started over and I have all the good items, got all the aeons and am ready for "Braska's Final Aeon"! BRING IT ON! Damn, I'm being overconfident. Oh well, buy the guide it's good!
  
  
• Dan Birlew is Garbage
  By A3TZSS3RP60QIF on 2003-05-28
  I hate to be contrary, since most people seem happy with this guide, and since there's no alternative on the market, but I'd also hate for bradygames and playonline to think that most of their customers are satisfied. Dan Birlew seems to be the author of a great deal of official guides. He authored the notorious guide to ff9. (here's a summary of that guide: want to know more about x? go to playonline.com.) apparently Birlew and company learned from that experience that a guide can't consist of a series of links to a website, because this guide is more forthcoming than that one. As you would expect from an official guide, it contains information about who you're going to fight, what you can find, and where you can find it (though the maps aren't always terribly clear). What it doesn't contain is anything resembling STRATEGIES for anything except the boss battles. Want tips about the confusing weapon customization system? you're on your own. blitzball tips? sorry. an intelligible walkthrough for the temples where you aquire the aeons? well, you get the idea. guidbooks didn't used to be this bad. the unofficial guide to ff7 was the best ever. it was written from the point of view of the gamer. now it seems that the game makers suppress unofficial guides and control the kind of information that's released in the official guides. but the result is that there's literally no advantage to having the official guide, as opposed to downloading the tips that are freely available on the internet. please, please save your money.
  
  
• The Final Fantasy 10 Offical Strategy Guide!
  By A2DPSUXS8HVX7H on 2004-03-06
  I've heard that stores dont sell the Final Fantasy 10 Strategy Guide. So I thought how about if I get this right on Amazon.com! So I ordered it and then when I opened it, it was full with colorful pages, boss strategys, characters, items, weapons, walkthrough, 2 sided poster, sphere grid, secrets, and etc! LOL. This is the strategy guide that you will need for the game Final Fantasy 10. If your stuck on a part on Final Fantasy 10, this is the strategy guide for you, if you need to learn more about what the game is about this guide is for you, if you need to know where the hidden aeons are or any weapons or items this is...you know. Get this strategy guide, you will need it cause later in the game, you will need to know how to kill Sin and all. Well, if you want to see a couple of example pages, click on the picture of it. This has 272 pages! Also, it shows some of the graphic pictures on it. Anyways, good luck!
  
  
• FFX Strategy Guide
  By A5NGPY7OTFST4 on 2006-03-20
  Great comprehensive guide to the in's and outs of FFX still lacking some of the more detailed secrets eg where to get and claim lots of key spheres for unlocking the sphere grid
  
  barring that this guide has everything you would want to know about finding and moving through the world of spira
  
  a definite must for all serious final fantasy fans and those who are having trouble with some of the basics of the game
  
  
  
  
• Hit and Miss
  By A2JNQENZDMUZT5 on 2007-04-03
  Ok, I have to let my nerdy side show a little for this one. I own several games with accompanying strategy guides, and for the record, Dan Birlew is one of my LEAST favorite guide authors. Now I don't want to be too harsh on old Dan here, perhaps the versions of his games were different than mine. But it seems too consistent to be coincedence that his strategy guides always have omissions and errors that can affect your experience. On this particular guide, certain elements of the guide are confusing and generally not well layed-out. Of main concern is the bestiary. (It sounds dirty, but it's not, pervert.) It's a bit cluttered and quite eyeball intensive. The walkthrough and other elements are ok, but not quite what I would like to see for such a deep, engrossing game. This guide will help, but be prepared to go online in search of the deepest, darkest and best kept secrets to this game.
  
  
• Final Fiasco
  By on 2001-12-28
  After playing FFX, and then using the strategy guide, I found it more confusing on my second runthrough with the game. The wording and mapping is terrible, don't waste your money, buy lord of the rings instead.
  
  
• Could be better...
  By A1GDVCKZDETPQ0 on 2002-02-01
  This guide is very good in that it doesnt really spoil the storyline. The only thing I could say that's wrong with it is that the reminders to pick the Al Bhed Primers are really small and hardly noticable. They also could have gone a little more in depth with the weapon capabilites. Other than that, it's the perfect guide for any Final Fantasy diehard.
  
  
• It's a good guide
  By A1Y08BHZ3A8MSS on 2002-02-17
  This guide is good for finding all the secret weapons and aeons. It has a very detailed bestiary. It is definitely a buyer.
  
  
• good but not PERFECT
  By ARO64Q7WN5FXO on 2002-03-14
  BradyGames is an OK guide company but not NEARLY as good as PrimaGames or VersusBooks... It has an average walkthrough but a really good blitzball section and ok sidequest part. if either of the other 2 books were for FFX they would probably be a little more perfect. Anyway if your really stuck on something just get it because it still can help alot.
  
  
• Great shipping
  By AIN4OK347XXGK on 2002-03-21
  The book was in great condition and the shipment was very fast.
  
  
• Me Review
  By AX43NOHRBAIQO on 2002-05-04
  Ok, I owned, I played, and I loved it. First off...I'm a big RPG addict...seriously. I played many games and this was one of the best there. The Story line is not one of the best Final Fantasy story, but if it made me cry in the end...Two thumbs up!!! The graphics and music are excellent for a game. Their voice were magnifit...but one thing to add...learn how to lipsync programers. It would of been better if their voices moved with the words. The last thing I loved about it is the length (very long), battle and walking style, and last but not least...the characters, e.g. Yuna (hehe).
  
  
• Great
  By on 2002-05-19
  you should definitly buy this if you have FFX. It makes the game a lot more fun.
  
  
• a pretty good guide for someone who is stupid about FF
  By on 2002-05-30
  For one thing, this game was my first introduction to the world of Final Fantasy. I found this guide to be somewhat helpful in my travels through the game, (although I am still stuck on one of the battles). Great pictures and will definately help with some of the foes. I gave it 4 stars though because it needs to be only a bit more detailed on helping fight the monster you are up against.
  
  
• Excellent
  By on 2002-06-23
  two words- Love it

  this guide, if you have any trouble with the game, is EXCELLENT. it has everything, from all of Rikku's OverDrive combinations to detailed walk-throughs. if you are stuck anywhere, this guide will help you out. Can't delete the boss? no problem. just check the guide

  AH
  
  

• The Good The Bad Or Just Plain Cheating
  By A1DRMFYO1084YO on 2002-11-02
  This is what I hate. After I bought the book, I found a really great website that gave me most of the information from the book.I thought "Why didn't I just go on the internet and get a few cheats!",since I only needed it for one part of the game. You shouldn't waste your money on this if you have the internet. But one question, do you really want to spend money on a book that you're going to only use once,then throw it out,or do you want to get to the end knowing that you beat it all on your own? That's what being an avid RPGer is all about! Also they left a certain part out that I despratly needed.The book and the internet did not supply me with this info. But don't worry, even a person who isn't very great in RPGs can beat it with ease.
  
  
• The Best Guide For The BEST GAME EVER!
  By A7ZSKLNU8MMJ7 on 2002-12-08
  I just have to begin my review by saying that Final Fantasy X is the best game ever made following by such games as Metal Gear Solid 2 and Devil May Cry. No other game has such an amazing storyline with such an amazing cast of characters. Now that I've said that I can talk about the guide.
  This is the best strategy guide that has been made thus far and the one that has got me into the Brady Games Signature Series Strategy Guides because they not only give such a great walkthrough but also include fantastic bonus items. For example, this guide has interviews with the creaters of the game and a poster. I recommend this guide to anyone who has this game and I strongly recommend the game to all PS2 owners because you won't be disappointed (oh and it takes a few minutes to get into it, but once you do, you'll be hooked).
  
  
• If you like the game, this is it!
  By A3SB70AQJKGQWZ on 2003-02-08
  It presents all the material you want in a beautiful manner.
  
  

• Final Fantasy X
• Final Fantasy X-2 Official Strategy Guide
• Final Fantasy XII Signature Series Guide
• Final Fantasy X-2
• Official Final Fantasy VII Strategy Guide, Playstation Version (v. 1)