ffx-2 aka the jem rpg

ffx-2 was released in 2004 to mixed reviews. it revisits a world that has just deposed a kind of death god and the false religious authority that claimed to oppose it, so themes about religion that pervaded ffx have a chance to become more nuanced: if the authorities were just using us, then what do we do with the spiritual artifacts and rituals that gave us solace and comfort? the game posits that efforts to preserve them originate from those who “can’t let go” which feels very 2004.

atheist motifs litter the game as it struggles to represent complex ethics. it depict a dichotomy of authority and religion against technology and youth, and forces you to choose between them. the girlband elements are meanwhile mired in misogyny. yuna’s boss, Brother, is her biggest fan and a fucking creep. and still, his orders are orders. it’s gross. rikku hurts him a few times over it.

also: paine is a trans gq lesbian and you will never take that away from me.