Due to completely unjustifiable excuses, I’ve never completed a Final Fantasy game. I’ve gotten pretty far in 12, I think – it’s hard to tell with JRPGs if I’m near the end or still in the tutorial stage. Because I just can’t seem to finish RPGs, the Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2 HD Remaster has sat on my shelf for years, gathering dust, remaining unplayed. A recent covid diagnosis meant I was legally obliged to remain indoors and not touch grass for ten days, so I decided to finally tackle Final Fantasy 10 – since outside distractions were technically illegal, I’d have no excuse not to finish it.
I’m well aware of FF10’s status as one of the best video games of all time, and I know about the love story between Yuna and Tidus, but beyond that, I have no experience with the classic. So far, my experience with FF10 has been great. The music absolutely slaps, and I love that it plays even when the game is paused. The levels look fantastic, Tidus is a himbo king, and I’m honestly a fan of the fixed camera and turn-based combat. I’ve only encountered two truly bad parts of the game so far: Blitzball – curse whoever invented this heinous sport – and the Cloister of Trials. I’m not sure if it’s Cloisters of Trials or if Cloister of Trials is already plural – that’s how bad it is, I can’t even write it out properly.
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The Cloisters ofs Trials’ (is that how you do it?) are little puzzle dungeons designed to – you know, I’m not entirely sure what they’re there for. The lore explanation for them is that they’re meant to test a Summoner attempting to pray before the Fayth, located deep within numerous temples scattered across Spira, protected by the Cloister of Trials. Each Cloister involves moving spheres from one recess to another until doors open and the way towards the Fayth is cleared. If these dungeons had a miniboss, or some sort of faith-based puzzle, I’d appreciate them a lot more than I do in their current state.
The first few Cloisters I put up with begrudgingly. I didn’t like them, but they served a narrative purpose, so I solved their silly little sphere puzzles and got on with the story. My attitude changed when I did the Djose Temple Cloister of Trials – that one can fuck right off. Part of the Djose Cloister involves pushing a pedestal with two spheres embedded in it into a bit of crackling electricity. How on Earth was I ever supposed to figure that out by myself? No part of the game has ever suggested that was a possibility up until this point. Somehow, I’m meant to figure out I need to first fill this pedestal with spheres and then just yeet it off the edge so that I can use it to hop to the other side. FF10 is a game without a jump button or any platforming before this point, so it really does come out of nowhere.
Games teach you how to interact with their world, and although I don’t think a game has to tell us how to do everything, it should at least hint at some of the possibilities or let us know we can think outside the box. Including a random platforming section in an annoying puzzle dungeon is infuriating, and the next time I face a Cloister, I’m just going to look up a video guide instead of wasting my time trying to figure the thing out. Also, Tidus has two hands, he should be able to carry two spheres, and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.
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