New Final Fantasy X HD Remake Trailer Samples New Soundtrack
While the biggest reveals of gamescom have come and passed, tidbits of gaming news are still trickling in. For example, this week we got a new Final Fantasy X HD Remaster trailer. Instead of just focusing on the graphical changes that have been made, this time they revealed a bit of their newly-remastered soundtrack.
For the first half, the video displays the party entering a battle with an audio overlay of the game’s
Everything runs as it did back when the game first released for the PlayStation 2 back in 2001. However, halfway through the trailer cuts to the Final Fantasy X HD version.
A couple of differences are immediately noticeable. First, before the random battle even begins we see Tidus running around on the map. The ground textures, while not as fully fleshed out as the PS3 hardware should allow it, still represent the barren wasteland that is the Calm Lands accurately. Additionally, the map HUD shows off a bit more of the area map than the original map did. We then lead right into battle, which seems to load character models much faster in the remake.
Let’s jump right into the differences in the music. The original battle theme had a much simpler design. Midi-esque trumpet and string instruments to complement a funky bassline enthused with energy to bring excitement to each and every battle. The Final Fantasy X HD edition, however, is much more complicated. The trumpet section greatly overpowers the track and makes unnecessary additions (like chime bells, electric guitar overlay). The result creates a theme that seems too muddy. It’s nothing worth cancelling a pre-order over, and it might be just me not being able to handle change, but it does seem a little odd.
Other improvements made in the graphics include a much sleeker battle UI, clearing up a lot of room for the characters and monsters on screen. We also get to see the party in action, getting a much better look at Kimahri’s fur, Wakka’s pauldron, Yuna’s summons and Lulu’s unfathomable number of leg belts. Furthermore, the damage and Overkill text appear much crisper.
Overall, Final Fantasy X HD still looks to be worth its $40 price tag for experienced fans and newcomers, especially when bundled with X-2 on the PlayStation 3 version. Hopefully we will get the option to switch between the original and remastered soundtracks whenever the game releases later this year on the PS3 and PS Vita.