ABOUT THE GAMEPLAY

Despite being a direct sequel to Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2 does not duplicate its predecessor's gameplay. The Conditional Turn-Based battle system has been dropped in favor of a fast-paced variation of the traditional Active Time Battle system. Instead of waiting for enemies to attack, it is possible to interrupt an enemy while they are preparing their attack, or chain the playable characters' attacks together for bonus damage. However, the same strategy can be used against the player's party.

Because the party never grows beyond three characters, the ability to switch out characters in battle is unnecessary; instead, characters switch classes mid-battle with the Garment Grid system. A Garment Grid is a geometric shape with nodes on it; the nodes are slots that can be filled with dresspheres, character classes (a.k.a. job classes) similar to those seen in previous Final Fantasy titles (such as Final Fantasy V). The Grid-sphere system allows characters to change from one character class to another during battle, and allows the player to decide which job class each character will have at any given time. Each dressphere has a smaller list of abilities than the characters and classes of most role-playing games, meaning that job-switching is often advantageous or necessary in some battles. Furthermore, each Garment Grid adds various bonuses, such as new magical abilities, increased stats, or other forms of combat assistance. Finally, each character has a unique dressphere, which can only be used if she changes between all her allocated jobs during the course of the same battle.

The field-map system has also been upgraded, providing the player with extended interaction with the environment through jumping, climbing and rotating camera angles. Moreover, the field-map is still dominantly three-dimensional.

Players are able to visit almost every location in Spira from early in the game, via an airship - another major departure from normal Final Fantasy fare, in which the most efficient means of transportation is not obtained until late in the game. These two changes provide players the option of choosing a less linear storyline. Unlike Final Fantasy X, in which the player's course through the game's world was largely linear, Final Fantasy X-2 is almost entirely freeform. The game consists of five chapters, with each location featuring one "event" per chapter. Put together, the five "events" in one locale form a subplot of the game, called an "Episode". Only a few events per chapter are integral to the game's central plot, which are marked on the world map as "Hotspots". By accessing Hotspots only, the player can quickly proceed through the game's story without indulging in sidequests. However, the game also keeps track of the player's completed percentage of the storyline, which is increased by finishing "events" and "Episodes". The completion percentage determines a significant portion of the game's ending; a higher percentage yields a more complete ending. Additionally, the game also features a fork in the plot, allowing the player to make choices that change what scenes they see and percentage points they acquire. It is not actually possible to see all of the game's content on a single playthrough, though it is possible to achieve 100% storyline completion in a single playthrough. When the game is completed for the first time, it unlocks a New Game+ option that allows the player to start the game over with all of the items, Garment Grids, dresspheres and storyline completion percentage achieved previously.

TIPS AND TRICKS
Easy Gil
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Once you pay off O'aka's by buying 100,000 gil worth of items from him on the Airship, he will start selling you items very cheap. Just buy 99 Hi-potions from O'aka for 50 gil apiece. Then, go over to the Barkeep (behind the counter on the Airship in Cabin, which is next to where O'aka is selling) and sell him the Hi-potions for 125 gil each. You will be making a profit of 7425 gil each time by doing this trick.

Easy AP and Experience
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This trick requires a controller with an auto-fire feature. At the start of the game after the fight with "Yuna" and during the chase, you will fight two goons. In the next area, you will fight two goons and two fem goons. In that room run over to the dock and you will see a Mog bent over and shivering. When you try to talk to it, it will heal you fully. Set yourself directly against her, and use the auto-fire feature. A fem goon will run around the corner and attack you. Remain there for a few hours to get all of ability for the thief and warrior.

Beating Ifrit (Chapter 3)
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Rescue all fifteen people from the cave in the Calm Lands to get a Garment Grid called Tetra Master. Set this grid up with your desired characters Dress Sphere around the green emblem (Fire Eater ability). Then, switch the Dress Sphere across the green emblem during the battle with Ifrit. This will cause half of his attacks to actually cure your party. For example, if you want two Dark Knights and a White Mage set the Dress Sphere as follows: White Mage <<--->> Green Emblem <<-->> Dark Knight. If you want Yuna to be your mage, before the battle set her as a Knight. If Rikku and Paine are to be your knights, set them to mages. Then, when the battle begins press L1 and change Yuna to mage, press L1 turn Rikku to knight, and press L1 turn Paine to knight. All of your characters will now have Fire Eater ability and will absorb fire attacks.

Crimson Sphere Locations
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Crimson Sphere 1: Chapter 3, Bevelle. Events in Kilika open up events in Djose and Bevelle (even though Djose is a hot spot and Bevelle is not). Go to Bevelle first. Go back down to where Vegnagun was housed in the Bevelle underground, past the place where you fought Baralai in Chapter 2. This should trigger a scene and a Malboro will attack. Afterwards, the sphere is left lying on the ground. To watch it, board the Celsius and talk to Shinra.

Crimson Spheres 2 and 3: Received at the end of Chapter 3 during the scenes in the Farplane Glen.

Crimson Sphere 4: Chapter 3, Guadosalam. Go to the room with the round door. Climb up to the top ledge of the room. There is a crate that Yuna can climb to reach the ledge. Follow the path all the way to the treasure chest at the end. Open it to receive the sphere.

Crimson Sphere 5: End of Chapter 4, Celsius. After the concert in the Thunder Plains, everyone goes back to the Celsius. Some uninvited guests are waiting. Buddy informs Yuna that LeBlanc and her boys are waiting in the engine room. See her immediately after he tells you this; do not speak to Shinra yet. LeBlanc is impatient and does not like to wait. She will come to see you if you wait too long and you will not get the sphere. Once the she hands it over, talk to Shinra.

Crimson Sphere 6: Chapter 5, Bevelle's Via Infinito, Cloister 0. Go inside the Temple at Bevelle and go to the east side chamber. Pacce and his friends have found a teleport to the Via Infinito. At Cloister 0, after speaking to the mysterious person, pick up the sphere that he dropped.

Crimson Sphere 7: Chapter 2, at Mushroom Rock Road. It does not matter who you gave the "Stolen Sphere: to; you will still get this Crimson Sphere. Find Nooj hanging around the door to the Den of Woe. Speak to him. Depending on who you gave the sphere to, he may be polite or rude. Afterwards, he will give you the sphere.

Crimson Sphere 8: Chapter 5, Bevelle's Via Infinito. At Cloister 20, you will fight an Aranea. After the battle, the Aranea drops the sphere. Make sure to it up.

Crimson Sphere 9: Chapter1, in front of the Den of Woe. Logos and Ormi are trying to find spheres to open the door. In their quick retreat, they drop this one behind.

Crimson Sphere 10: Chapter 2, Guadosalam. After sneaking into LeBlanc's Chateau and finding the secret hallway, go to Logo's bedroom. It is sitting on his bookshelf beside his bed.