New Final Fantasy X game, character details

[06.19.01] » Final Fantasy VIII-style special attacks to return, plus more on Lulu.

   New Final Fantasy X details have been revealed in the pages of Shonen Jump and translated by The Madman's Cafe.

   The mysterious "Overdrive" moniker has been revealed to be Final Fantasy X's equivalent of Limit Breaks. The Overdrive system blends FF VII and FF VIII's versions of Limits. Each party member will have a unique Overdrive command, as in Final Fantasy VIII, but the method for reaching Overdrive will be similar to FF VII's or FF IX's. As a party member takes damage, his or her Overdrive meter will increase; when it is full, the character can execute an Overdrive command. (In FF VIII, characters randomly had the chance to use Limits whenever their HP was low.)

   Three character Overdrive moves have been revealed thus far. Tidus' Overdrive is unsurprisingly similar to Squall's: Various sword techniques that can be powered up by tapping a button when a moving cursor reaches the center of a gauge. Kimari uses blue magic for his Overdrive, while Lulu wields a new attack known as "Temptation." In this attack, players spin the right analog stick while a timer counts down; for every complete rotation, Lulu can cast a spell. (As previously reported, each summoned monster has a single Overdrive spell, such as Ifrit's Hellfire and Shiva's Diamond Dust.)

   Lulu is also reported to be "the strongest female character" yet in a Final Fantasy title. Lulu has a "calm but strict" personality similar to FF VIII's Quistis. While she is one of Yuna's many protectors -- a coterie now including Tidus, Kimari, and Lulu -- she acts more like a sister to the summoner.

   Additional screenshots of the title, including the first look at the blitzball mini-game, are also available on Madman's Cafe. From these screens, it appears that the floating block of water seen in the Tokyo Game Show trailer is actually a blitzball stadium.