The Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster originally received a release on the PS3 and PS Vita. Now with the current generation of consoles in full swing, Square Enix has released the collection on the PS4.

The question that remains is does this new version of the collection maintain the quality of the original remaster, and most importantly, does it improve on its predecessor to make this a valid purchase.

Summoner Priestess Yuna, isn’t she pretty.

Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy X-2 less so, is considered one of the best JRPGs from the PS2 era. Final Fantasy X had a simple turn-based battle system, which was great for beginner and advanced players alike.

The game follows the story of Tidus who is  transported a 1000 years into the future. He finds himself in the world of Spira, and befriends a blitzball player named Wakka, becoming a guardian for Summoner Priestess Yuna. He is joined by the female mage Lulu, his friend Auron, a feline humanoid named Kimahri and Rikku, a mechanic and thief.

Battles are conducted via random encounters and the world is free and open to explore. You can summon spirits called Aeons to help you in battle and the game also featured Overdrives, a type of Limit Break, which meant characters could use highly powerful spells or attacks when their energy bar peaked from excess enemy damage.

The game also featured the sphere grid system where you could learn and upgrade character skills through choosing certain spheres. This allowed you to boost stats along with opening up new skills, and skill trees for characters.

Final Fantasy X is definitely the best game in the collection and is a stand-out in its own right. Final Fantasy X-2 is a much weaker entry in the collection by comparison.

The basic gameplay mechanics remain the same from the previous game. It is is set two years after the events in the first game and follows Yuna’s journey as a sphere hunter in search of Tidus.

Tidus, he’s just so cool.

X-2 introduced a job system involving dresspheres which allowed characters to change character classes by changing outfits. This was all possible using the Garment Grid.

In essence, Final Fantasy X-2 felt less like a serious Final Fantasy, and in many ways was a sign of what was to come for Square Enix in the future.

There is some extra content in this collection which does bolster its value somewhat. But the extras are more for hardcore Final Fantasy fans than anything else to be perfectly blunt.

Extras included are: Eternal Calm which is an FMV cutscene connecting the story of Final Fantasy X to Final Fantasy X-2, as well as Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission which is a roguelike-action game with dungeon crawling in a grid-based system.

Finally, there are special credits included in the collection along with an audio drama which should satisfy hardcore Final Fantasy fans.

Yuna’s company are a real collection of characters.

Truly, where this Remaster collection stands out is in the visuals and sound department. All the previous sound issues and graphical issues present in the PS3 and PS Vita version have been ironed out.

The game runs much smoother than on the PS3 and with Full-HD crisp graphics. Honestly, there is not much to complain about.

The arranged soundtrack is stellar and as a complete package the game is a definite must-buy for Final Fantasy X fans who don’t have the game for PS4.

Even if you have the game for PS3 or PS Vita, you can transfer your saves to the PS4, which means the collection is a win-win for gamers.

Score: 7/10