History YMMV / FinalFantasyX2

* HilariousInHindsight: Creator/GeorgeNewbern voicing a soldier who went mad from his war experiences becomes kind of funny, since he was picked to be the voice actor for Sephiroth in the ''Compilation of VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''.

* AntiClimaxBoss: Vegnagun can be taken down pretty easily if the characters' levels are even slightly above average. And they probably will be if players sought OneHundredPercentCompletion, or partook in even a few of the game's many sidequests. Afterwards, the climactic fight with Shuyin is a joke. Though he actually tries to put up a fight, unlike ''X'''s Yu Yevon [[PostFinalBoss who was virtually helpless]]. Not to mention, the sheer number of {{Bonus Boss}}es in this game means he's far from the toughest fight.

* ContestedSequel: The LighterAndSofter tone contrasted sharply against ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. Probably the rest of the series too, aside from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' (which it shares gameplay similarities with). You either like it as a breath of fresh air to a normally dramatic franchise, or feel it's completely out of place and clashes with the tone of the previous game. Its soundtrack is also contested, due not being composed by any of the series regulars and feeling ''very'' different compared to its prequel's, similarly being considered either refreshing in its own way or too drastically different from the previous game's. [[TakeAThirdOption There's also a sizable amount of fans that stand in a sort of middle ground]] of liking the game's various gameplay features but not being too fond of either its story or its soundtrack, in that while being okay in their own right, feel like very significant downgrades from ''X''.

* ContestedSequel: The LighterAndSofter tone contrasted sharply against ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. Probably the rest of the series too, aside from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' (which it shares gameplay similarities with). You either like it as a breath of fresh air to a normally dramatic franchise, or feel it's completely out of place and clashes with the tone of the previous game. Its soundtrack is also contested, due not being composed by any of the series regulars and feeling ''very'' different compared to its prequel's, similarly being considered either refreshing in its own way or too drastically different from the previous game's. [[TakeAThirdOption There's also a sizable amount of fans that stand in a sort of middle ground]] of liking the game's various gameplay features but not being too fond of either its story or its soundtrack, in that while serviceable feel like significant downgrades from ''X''.

* ContestedSequel: The LighterAndSofter tone contrasted sharply against ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. Probably the rest of the series too, aside from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' (which it shares gameplay similarities with). You either like it as a breath of fresh air to a normally dramatic franchise, or feel it's completely out of place and clashes with the tone of the previous game. Its soundtrack is also contested, due not being composed by any of the series regulars and feeling ''very'' different compared to its prequel's, similarly being considered either refreshing in its own way or too drastically different from the previous game's. [[TakeAThirdOption There's also a sizable amount of fans that stand in a sort of middle ground]] of liking the game's various gameplay features but not being too fond of either its story or its soundtrack, in that while serviceable feel like significant downgrade from ''X''.

* ContestedSequel: The LighterAndSofter tone contrasted sharply against ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. Probably the rest of the series too, aside from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' (which it shares gameplay similarities with). You either like it as a breath of fresh air to a normally dramatic franchise, or feel it's completely out of place and clashes with the tone of the previous game. It's soundtrack is also contested, not being composed by any of the series regulars and feeling ''very'' different compared to its prequel's, similarly being considered either refreshing in its own way or too drastically different from the previous game. [[TakeAThirdOption There's also a sizable amount of fans that stand in a sort of middle ground]] of liking the game's various gameplay features but not being too fond of either its story or its soundtrack, in that while serviceable feel like significant downgrade from ''X''.

* ContestedSequel: The LighterAndSofter tone contrasted sharply against ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. Probably the rest of the series too, aside from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' (which it shares gameplay similarities with). You either like it as a breath of fresh air to a normally dramatic franchise, or feel it's completely out of place and ruins the tone of the previous game.

* PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: Not everyone was keen on the direction of the game relative to its predecessor. However, most agree that ''X-2'' features a great implementation of the [[CombatantCooldownSystem Active Time Battle]] system, with characters performing multiple actions all at once (which befits the theme about teamwork) and allowing players to switch classes on the fly during battle.

** For all the flack Creator/TetsuyaNomura gets, you can spot the non-Nomura designs [[RummageSaleReject pretty easily]].

* WTHCastingAgency: It seems odd that they'd hire a NonSingingVoice for Lenne, when her English voice actress Creator/CreeSummer is a very gifted singer too. Even outside of her album, she demonstrated in ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp'' that she has quite a powerful voice, and could have added a lot to "1000 Words"; Jade Villalon and her could have duetted the track, with the former singing for Yuna's Songstress voice.

** Yuna somehow being a reincarnation of Lenne is a popular theory. This is mainly due to Shuyin mistaking Yuna for Lenne even though the two look nothing alike. The in-universe reason is that the Songstress Dressphere has Lenne's outfit and her memories are imprinted on it; it's also implied that Yuna sings with Lenne's voice. (This is better represented in the Japanese version, where Lenne's speaking and singing voice are provided by Koda Kumi.)

* HilariousInHindsight: Creator/GeorgeNewbern voicing a soldier who went mad from his war experiences becomes kind of funny, since he was picked to be the voice actor for Sephiroth in the ''Compilation of VideoGame/.
* JustHereForGodzilla: The man from the video. The main reason ''X-2'' was made was reunite Yuna and Tidus but this plot is only explored in Tidus' portion from ''Mobius''. Still, Shuyin is quite an interesting villain for the story due to its dark content which heavily contrasts the light ''Charlie's Angel'' like approach.

* HilariousInHindsight: Creator/GeorgeNewbern voicing a soldier who went mad from his war experiences becomes kind of funny, since he was picked to be the voice actor for Sephiroth in the ''Compilation of VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: One of the Fiend Tales depicts a Bomb pretending to be a blitzball to encourage a little kid (his best friend in the fiend's human life) to train hard. The audio drama has a scene of Tidus getting blown up by a grenade he thought was a blitzball.

###Two words that will make many visitors of the Via Infinito quake in their boots: [[KingMook Mega Tonberry]]. Its attacks are [[LightningBruiser more powerful and frequent]] than its normal brethren, along with inflicting some nasty side effects if the target ''does'' survive. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't ''require'' Cat Nip Gunner, it just requires players to be strategic in order to beat it. The Oversouled version also inflicts the Petrify status...unless the target has Stoneproof. In which case she'll just get hit with Confuse status instead, which ''cannot'' be blocked.
###Individually, these two specific Fiends are already a headache. But then you can face them together, as the Shady Duo team, in the lowest levels of Via Infinito and the Fiend Arena: Black Elemental casts powerful spells, Berserks your party, and comes with innate Auto-Reflect. Coming from an {{Elite Mook|s}} with max Magic, Ultima generally means GameOver even with Shell on, and it cannot be Reflected. (''X's'' Ultima Buster actually had ''less'' Magic at 178, and the next two below that were Jumbo Flan and Nega Elemental who didn't even break 100.) Mushroom Cloud's Pernicious Powder is an unavoidable, party-wide debuff which lowers the Strength and Magic of its targets to a mere 1/10th of their usual values. In addition, it inflicts a bunch of the more nastier status ailments, including Petrify and Itchy (the latter of which always hits), so there's a chance this attack can simply kill you outright if you're not protected against those ailments. Oh, and Mushroom Cloud also knows Ultima.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: A lot of fans hated how Yuna became DenserAndWackier, feeling it was a betrayal of the character that was seen in ''X''. Likewise, her HotterAndSexier outfits seem at odds with her modest kimono-inspired dress from the previous game. In the previous game, Yuna did have several moments of playfulness and goofiness -- playing along with a binoculars routine, the infamous fake-laughter sequence, being the referee for the Aurochs' foot race in Kilika, and Kimahri recounting a story of when she was younger and repeatedly jumped off a Shoopuff because she found it fun being picked up by its snout. Yuna was also the only one of the female characters to have a love scene in the game -- a very passionate makeout with Tidus in the Macalania Spring. Her wedding dress (the only other costume she wears) was also somewhat revealing. It's just that the first game's sombre tone meant that these were only occasional moments of levity, whereas the second game shows this side of Yuna much more prominently.
* FunnyAneurysmMoment: One of the Fiend Tales depicts a Bomb pretending to be a blitzball to encourage a little kid (his best friend in the Fiend's human life) to train hard. The audio drama has a scene of Tidus getting blown up by a grenade he thought was a blitzball.

* SelfImposedChallenge: There are those who say that there's not a lot of good challenges in ''X-2'' since they restrict one's Dresspheres, and the whole gimmick of the battle system is being able to switch Dresspheres on the fly and have lots of obscure abilities. If you're stuck with a single Dressphere for each girl, that could make the run of the game feel more akin to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' or the ''Four Job Fiesta'' for ''V'', though not as good. However, there are still a few options:
** The one many fans always point to is "First Steps Challenge." (First Steps Garment Grid, no accessories, and no items.) You have to use a ton of different abilities throughout the run and switch Dresspheres constantly, all with minimized stats and abilities. This can be done in a NewGamePlus on a maxed file, which is nice since players will most likely already have all of the Dresspheres and abilities without needing to grind for them again by that point.
** "All Songstress" team. Certain players find this one pretty amusing, especially in the early parts of the game when you can only kill things using magic, which requires creative use of accessories and Garment Grids. You have to balance out which girl is using her MP and how much, so you don't [[DroughtLevelOfDoom reach a boss and have no way to kill them]]. Though the rest of the game can be easily-broken by cheesing the Songs and Dances.
** "Fewest Steps" (taking the shortest-possible route to the final boss) is another good one. Not the most difficult (especially if you're using Creature Creator), but can be pretty interesting.
** [[SoloCharacterRun Solo runs]] are viable challenges thanks to the ''International/HD Remaster'' versions, though some might find this type of challenge pretty boring. The biggest positive about this is that it makes the more AwesomeButImpractical Dresspheres, such as Festivalist and the Special Dresspheres, [[NotCompletelyUseless more viable thanks to their versatility]]. [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome Many people end up choosing Yuna as their only character, however]]. This most likely has to do with a certain side quest, should they choose to go for OneHundredPercentCompletion.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation/FinalFantasy Here]].

** The audio drama ''Will'' has few defenders. Yuna breaks up with Tidus because he's supposedly cheating on her, and then claims to be in love with someone else, all of which [[AssPull comes out of nowhere]]. A new character made specifically for the drama claims to be the daughter to Auron purely on the basis that her mother told her so. Lastly, Sin comes back into the picture just because someone or something wished it back. A lot of fans prefer to ignore the audio drama and preserve what they liked about the characters, and it's never been mentioned in any ''Final Fantasy'' media ever since.

** Final Impact, which hits randomly 14 times for 1/8 of maximum HP ''and'' MP per each hit. Needless to say, somebody will likely die, and unless the remaining members have high MP or Spellspring, they won't revive anyone. It's used only by Oversoul Paragon and Allmighty Shinra, but you'll loathe it in hands of the latter.
* ThatOneBoss: Like ''X'', the story campaign is a cakewalk (even moreso without the worry of Seymour popping up), but it makes up for that by piling on the Omega-tier enemies:
** Azi Dahaka can be a major headache if you don't realize it can be skipped. It has over 150k HP (which is more than all phases of FinalBoss ''combined''), his regular attacks drains HP, and its Damocles Photon move hits entire party for 50% of **max** HP. You can skip it by solving puzzle though.

** In the Den of Woe, Meyvn Nooj. His Greedy Aura attack does hefty damage to your party as well as draining some MP but his biggest problem is his Lightfall: [[FixedDamageAttack 5,000 fixed]], unblockable damage on the entire party, in a game where the maximum base HP at Level 99 is around 6,600. Thankfully, he only uses it when he TurnsRed, so cutting him down to size before he uses it is quite doable. Unfortunately, Lightfall is his ''opening'' attack in the Fiend Arena, after which he'll use it in repeated intervals after cycling through his other moves.

** In the Den of Woe, Mevyn Nooj. Not only does Ligfall drain MP, but it hits your HP pretty heavily too: [[FixedDamageAttack 5,000 fixed damage]] on the entire party, in a game where the maximum base HP at Level 99 is around 6,600. Thankfully, he only uses it when he TurnsRed, so cutting him down to size before he uses it is quite doable. Unfortunately, Lightfall is his ''opening'' attack in the Fiend Arena, and he begins to use it at random intervals afterwards.
** Tonberry the Ripper team. You can't expect to win without any sort of strategy or putting thought into your setup. Even then, only a certain set of creatures will have a high enough Defense.

** Once you get the Cat Nip accessory, the game is as good as won. A Gunner's Trigger Happy skill will inflict 9999 damage ''per shot'' with this accessory on, you can get around a dozen shots per use of the skill, and it costs nothing to use. This was unsurprisingly {{nerf}}ed in the International/HD Remaster versions by making Cat Nip inflict Auto-Berserk and Auto-Slow, turning the Hunter who equips it into a MightyGlacier while still keeping the spirit of the accessory intact.

** Two Machina with Impale ([[ArmorPiercingAttack which ignores Defense]]) is overkill, and three even moreso; even [[BonusBoss superbosses]] will get wrecked in seconds by seemingly innocuous and low-level machina.

** Yuna somehow being a reincarnation of Lenne is a popular theory. This is mainly due to Shuyin mistaking Yuna for Lenne even though the two look nothing alike. The in-universe reason is that the Songstress dressphere has Lenne's outfit and her memories are imprinted on it; it's also implied that Yuna sings with Lenne's voice. (This is better represented in the Japanese version, where Lenne's speaking and singing voice are provided by Koda Kumi.)

** [[SoloCharacterRun Solo runs]] are viable challenges thanks to the ''International/HD Remaster'' versions, though some might find this type of challenge pretty boring. The biggest positive about this is that it makes the more AwesomeButImpractical Dresspheres, such as Festival and Trainer, [[NotCompletelyUseless more viable thanks to their versatility]]. [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome Many people end up choosing Yuna as their only character, however]]. This most likely has to do with a certain side quest, should they choose to go for OneHundredPercentCompletion.

* SelfImposedChallenge: Some fans have said that there's not a lot of good challenges in ''X-2'' since they restrict one's Dresspheres, and the whole gimmick of the battle system is being able to switch Dresspheres on the fly and have lots of obscure abilities. If you're stuck with a single Dressphere for each girl, that makes the run of the game feel akin to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'', though probably not as good. However, there are still a few standouts:
** The one many fans always point to is "First Steps Challenge." (First Steps Garment Grid, no accessories, and no items.) You have to use a ton of different abilities throughout the run and switch Dresspheres constantly, all with minimized stats. This can be done in a New Game+ on a maxed file, which is nice since players will most likely already have all of the Dresspheres and abilities without needing to grind for them again by that point.

** [[SoloCharacterRun Solo runs]] are viable challenges thanks to the International/HD Remaster versions, though some might find this pretty boring. [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome Many people end up choosing Yuna as their only character, however]]. This most likely has to do with a certain side quest, should they choose to go for OneHundredPercentCompletion.

** The Chocobo Ranch. The only useful thing you can reap from it is a few {{Bonus Dungeon}}s, a few Garment Grids, and access to the Central Expanse for digging. Aside from that, you'll just end up getting lots of VendorTrash. And locating one of those dungeons is [[GuideDangIt completely obscure]].

* TierInducedScrappy: Naturally, not every Dressphere can be winners, and there are a few that are abused to all hell. Case in point, Dark Knight; this Dressphere is essentially the complete package to a good number of players; not only is it the fastest Dressphere to master, it has the highest base Defense in the game, their signature Darkness ability is both a spammable (more so if you abuse the {{Good Bad Bug|s}} involving Spellspring) and non-elemental Magic Defense-piercing attack, and their auto-abilities essentially gives them permanent pseudo-Ribbon. However, other players see it as boring and getting stale when spamming Darkness over and over again. The only thing that keeps the players who do love this Dressphere from having a party full of Dark Knights is the need for a dedicated healer. And even then, Alchemists are pretty much as complacent as Dark Knights thanks to their Stash ability, especially with Mega Potion.