Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD is back again for the 25th anniversary game with a Switch 2 release of the compilation. And honestly, it makes sense for a number of reasons. This isn’t like the Star Ocean: The Second Story R port that’s showing up about two years after the Switch release. It’s been seven years since the collection showed up on the Switch in April 2019 and 13 years since the original PS3 and Vita version dropped. The lack of an upgrade pack is still disappointing, but there are quite a few reasons why this Switch 2 version of FFX | X-2 HD Remaster makes sense. To start, Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster remains the full and complete story of this duology based on the International versions and their extra content. So someone starts with the original story of Tidus and Yuna as the two meet, go on her summoner pilgrimage to defeat Sin to guarantee a period of peace for the world of Spira. As they do, they learn truths about the other characters, themselves, and the history of the world. From there, there is an Eternal Calm short experience that acts as an interlude chapter between the main game and FFX-2. FFX-2 involves Yuna, Rikku, and newcomer Paine going around the world as Sphere Hunters two years after the events of the original, dealing with loose ends and repercussions of that mission, while also finding out who a strange individual who looks like Tidus is. That’s followed by the roguelike Last Mission expansion that sends the trio into Iutycyr Tower after receiving mysterious letters drawing them together again for a final adventure. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway.Join Siliconera+ In general, it’s a really solid compilation. It acknowledges everything about this installment and its spin-offs. The complete story is here. FFX | X-2 HD Remaster runs incredibly well on the Switch 2, and I think it was hitting about 60 fps when I played. The resolution looks fantastic in Handheld mode, which is how I played it. The downside to that is that the games in the collection still have the issue where characters look different in the CG segments, the up-close story sequences, and the in-battle and overworld general character models. So it is like Tidus, Yuna, and other major characters are each being played by three different actors depending on the situation. I mean, here’s a perfect early example of that with Rikku’s initial appearance in FFX. Screenshots by Siliconera That awkwardness with the updated models aside, it means if someone has never had played the games before or on the Switch, the collection is a valuable potential addition to a JRPG library. The two base games are incredibly strong. Especially with the International version additions like Last Mission. (I’d even say that mode was ahead of its time!) Paired with the gap since we’ve seen this release, it doesn’t feel that bad or out of line for the port to show up. The Switch 2 version of FFX | X-2 HD Remaster does feature the booster elements and bonuses, which also could prove handy for a number of reasons. It could be a good introductory JRPG at this point as a result. You can basically press a button to get max gil, all skills, and all items. It’s also possible to press ZL and down to supercharge the characters and gain access to Overdrive at all times. Some of these elements feel like they could be quality-of-life features. The turbo feature lets you speed things up to 2 or 4 times speed, which helps with general battles. Swapping to auto-battle is also handy in areas with a lot of encounters, though those can also be turned off now. It’s a bunch of little things that can make things more convenient or mitigate the encounter rate in the original. Screenshots by Siliconera It would be great and I’d love the Square Enix updates a lot more if the company consistently offered Switch 2 Upgrade Packs for its Switch games. I do get that, in some circumstances, that isn’t possible. In the case of the Switch 2 release of FFX | X-2 HD Remaster, the amount of time that’s past and booster additions make this port make more sense. There’s been enough of a break that people might have missed past releases of this collection. It runs well on the system. Plus, the optional quality of life features can make it easier to get through more annoying or time-consuming elements. The Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster is out now, and the original FFX collection showed up on the Switch, PS3, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, and PC already. The game first showed up on the PS2 in 2001. We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.