Well, after spending a few hours with Final Fantasy X HD on Vita, here are some impressions. I have to note though, my Japanese is basic at best, so I'm playing it mostly with the help of this script and menu guides:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/197344-final-fantasy-x/faqs/43142
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_X/Translations
Visuals
The game looks simply stunning on Vita. I personally can't tell if it is native res or not, but it is definitely on the upper side of the scale. To give you a point of reference, I think it looks better than the MGS HD Collection and on certain points even better than Uncharted GA. On other hand, sometimes a texture shows up here and there which makes me think the game is not native res.
Cutscenes and CGs transition completely smoothly (CGs have been cropped, but aside that, they look particularly good), which is remarkable. It's just instantaneous and really help the story flow without hiccups. Perhaps this is not such a big deal for some, but for someone who used to to experience extremely long load times for these on the PS2 era, this improvement is eye-opening.
Other than that, every little detail from the PS2 version has transitioned beautifully to the small screen with the upgraded visuals. There are exceptions of course, especially when it comes to some of the game's temples and almost all NPCs, which sometimes look like they didn't work on them at all. Also some of the faces might get some time getting used to, specially Tidus with his new, enormous eyes and Rikku's.
And of course, needless to say, the game's colors just pop and are a joy to behold on the OLED screen. The game's amazingly varied color palette was made for this screen.
To get a general idea of how the game looks and runs, take a look at this YouTube video (has already been posted a few times).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rrhcog0ZHk
It does a fairly good job at showing how smooth the game runs. HOWEVER, the video is not too sharp. Even playing it on your Vita in HD via the YouTube app doesn't do the game justice on how sharp it looks.
To get a better idea of this, play the video on your Vita as mentioned above (in HD). I'd say that video scores about 6.5 or 7 out of 10 on representing how sharp and detailed the game really looks on Vita.
Gameplay/ Performance
I don't know if the game runs at 60fps or 30fps, but everywhere I read, they say it is 30fps. What I CAN tell is that it runs buttery smooth. In the around 4 hours I've been playing, the game only slowed down during a cutscene (lots of NPCs) for less than 2 seconds and then went right back to normal.
There are some loading screens here and there but they never lasted more than 2 - 3 seconds and I've only experienced them when going from one area to another or when going outside. There is no loading for battles, CGs or cutscenes as already mentioned. Overall, its quite remarkable how little loading there is in the Vita version of the game.
Also, you can swipe the screen anywhere from left to right to enable short or long summon animations during battle or to insta-heal your party on the field. It's a neat touch. Save points are also abundant, and with the suspend feature of the Vita it really makes playing easier through long segments.
Sound
Of course, playing it on Vita means you HAVE to use headphones. This is perhaps the area where I know less about, so I'll just say that the sounds, background effects and music sound really good. The only small issue for me is that the voice is not perfectly synced, and sometimes you see a character talking without moving his/her lips or the other way around.
About the new OST, well, there are entire threads about it. I'll just say that I haven't played the game for more than 7 or 8 years, so even while I notice the changes, I've already grown fond of them. Some new tracks are particularly good and since I'm not an audiophile, I have no issues associating these new tracks with the overall feel of FFX.
Conclusion
Overall, my impressions of the game are extremely positive. There's something special about running across the different locations and seeing details that were not as visible before, like the sand spread around when you run on the beach, or every tiny leave of grass moving with the wind, or birds and other animals roaming carelessly around. All that, when coupled with the sheer scope of the game makes it feel even more alive than before and really gives me that "wow, I can't believe I'm playing this on a handheld" feeling like no other game I have played on Vita.
Ok, that would be it. Feel free to ask me any questions, I'll do my best to respond. But remember, I have almost no knowledge of Japanese, so I might be at a loss with anything that has to do with that language.
And here are some screens. As usual, Vita compresses them to shit and watching them on anything but an OLED display won't do the colors justice.
http://i.imgur.com/or9N9Zo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/v5X5WSm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MCNZRE5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OWBSVB5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8OpvclI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5JcOUlH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Jdui5KW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vOQ5GWd.jpg
I didn't see any detailed impressions on the forum yet, but lock if there are.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/197344-final-fantasy-x/faqs/43142
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_X/Translations
Visuals
The game looks simply stunning on Vita. I personally can't tell if it is native res or not, but it is definitely on the upper side of the scale. To give you a point of reference, I think it looks better than the MGS HD Collection and on certain points even better than Uncharted GA. On other hand, sometimes a texture shows up here and there which makes me think the game is not native res.
Cutscenes and CGs transition completely smoothly (CGs have been cropped, but aside that, they look particularly good), which is remarkable. It's just instantaneous and really help the story flow without hiccups. Perhaps this is not such a big deal for some, but for someone who used to to experience extremely long load times for these on the PS2 era, this improvement is eye-opening.
Other than that, every little detail from the PS2 version has transitioned beautifully to the small screen with the upgraded visuals. There are exceptions of course, especially when it comes to some of the game's temples and almost all NPCs, which sometimes look like they didn't work on them at all. Also some of the faces might get some time getting used to, specially Tidus with his new, enormous eyes and Rikku's.
And of course, needless to say, the game's colors just pop and are a joy to behold on the OLED screen. The game's amazingly varied color palette was made for this screen.
To get a general idea of how the game looks and runs, take a look at this YouTube video (has already been posted a few times).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rrhcog0ZHk
It does a fairly good job at showing how smooth the game runs. HOWEVER, the video is not too sharp. Even playing it on your Vita in HD via the YouTube app doesn't do the game justice on how sharp it looks.
To get a better idea of this, play the video on your Vita as mentioned above (in HD). I'd say that video scores about 6.5 or 7 out of 10 on representing how sharp and detailed the game really looks on Vita.
Gameplay/ Performance
I don't know if the game runs at 60fps or 30fps, but everywhere I read, they say it is 30fps. What I CAN tell is that it runs buttery smooth. In the around 4 hours I've been playing, the game only slowed down during a cutscene (lots of NPCs) for less than 2 seconds and then went right back to normal.
There are some loading screens here and there but they never lasted more than 2 - 3 seconds and I've only experienced them when going from one area to another or when going outside. There is no loading for battles, CGs or cutscenes as already mentioned. Overall, its quite remarkable how little loading there is in the Vita version of the game.
Also, you can swipe the screen anywhere from left to right to enable short or long summon animations during battle or to insta-heal your party on the field. It's a neat touch. Save points are also abundant, and with the suspend feature of the Vita it really makes playing easier through long segments.
Sound
Of course, playing it on Vita means you HAVE to use headphones. This is perhaps the area where I know less about, so I'll just say that the sounds, background effects and music sound really good. The only small issue for me is that the voice is not perfectly synced, and sometimes you see a character talking without moving his/her lips or the other way around.
About the new OST, well, there are entire threads about it. I'll just say that I haven't played the game for more than 7 or 8 years, so even while I notice the changes, I've already grown fond of them. Some new tracks are particularly good and since I'm not an audiophile, I have no issues associating these new tracks with the overall feel of FFX.
Conclusion
Overall, my impressions of the game are extremely positive. There's something special about running across the different locations and seeing details that were not as visible before, like the sand spread around when you run on the beach, or every tiny leave of grass moving with the wind, or birds and other animals roaming carelessly around. All that, when coupled with the sheer scope of the game makes it feel even more alive than before and really gives me that "wow, I can't believe I'm playing this on a handheld" feeling like no other game I have played on Vita.
Ok, that would be it. Feel free to ask me any questions, I'll do my best to respond. But remember, I have almost no knowledge of Japanese, so I might be at a loss with anything that has to do with that language.
And here are some screens. As usual, Vita compresses them to shit and watching them on anything but an OLED display won't do the colors justice.
http://i.imgur.com/or9N9Zo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/v5X5WSm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MCNZRE5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OWBSVB5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8OpvclI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5JcOUlH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Jdui5KW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vOQ5GWd.jpg
I didn't see any detailed impressions on the forum yet, but lock if there are.
