Disclaimer: This review is aimed solely at FFX; not FFX-2! This might have spoilers. Praise be to Yevon.
I never really familiarised myself with this game until several years after it was released. I knew it existed and had been meaning to play it but never found the time. When I did give it a go, I was hooked. It was the first game developed by the then newly merged Square Enix, introduced a new take on the ATB system, and it was fully voice acted!

I'll start with the voice acting. It was crude but not necessarily bad by any means. People tend to think of the 'Tidus laugh' scene when talking about the voice acting but they either haven't played the game or failed to get the awkwardness was indeed intentional. I was especially fond of the VOs for Auron, Seymour, Tidus, Rikku, and Wakka. Sometimes it was a little on the stiff side but that only made it sound more natural in my opinion. From my understanding, when voicing the game, the cast didn't interact much with each other which may have contributed to it but overall, not too shabby.

Another big point for me was the music. It felt right at home with the game's island setting. It's very easy listening. The light strumming of the guitars for "Spira Unplugged" to the melancholic piano of "To Zanarkand" just to name a few. It's not all 'breezy' though. Some of my favourite tracks include "Enemy Attack" and "Otherworld" which I think many of us can agree are absolute bangers.

The scenery is relaxing and sets it apart from all the woods, castles, cities, and caves you'll see in other FF games. Their attention to detail and world-building gives the lore a solid foundation. You can tell inspiration was taken from real-world settings like the South Pacific islands. It's different enough that the culture and landscape feel it's own. I also thought that the different races and the Al Bhed language were a great way of giving Spira a more fantastical setting. I remember wanting to learn Al Bhed after my first playthrough and taking the time to study it for a while.

The side-quests and optional areas/bosses are all there. Some of the hardest extra bosses making their first(non-PAL) western appearances like Penance or the Dark Aeons. Sidequests include nigh-Herculean tasks of catching butterflies or racing on chocobos. There's a Monster Arena that lets you fight monsters in a sequence, gradually getting tougher and more challenging. Some monsters can only be fought in the Monster Arena and are key to doing a 100% run of the game not just for their bestiary entry.

And then there's Blitzball! It's an entirely new game inside within FFX. I've sunk well over 100 hours in the past just playing Blitzball. Think of it as a combination of Rugby and Football all underwater. You'll only be required to play Blitzball once in the story but it's a fun pastime and imo a must if you want the full experience(including Wakka's strongest weapon). You start with the Besaid Aurochs, the underdog team the story gives you but as you journey, you can recruit players you meet or get them from opposing teams when their contracts end. You level them up by playing games and it can be worth the grind as some only reach their potential at higher levels. They can also learn abilities as you go which can make or break a match. A game of Blitz is 10 minutes not counting overtime or halftime and it's easy to learn. Highly recommend.

As for the characters, I thought were interesting, there was Auron who at a glance seems cold and distant but gives great advice and witty one-liners. He genuinely cares for the team's wellbeing and tends to take things into a broader perspective. I'd honestly have to say he is my favourite FF character period. This game offers some nice but easy to miss backstory on him so keep an eye out!
Yuna who at first didn't give me much of an impression but as you come to know her struggles and her resolve, she grows on you. People I've talked to usually call her boring and prefer her FFX-2 appearance more but to me, stuff like her seriousness or formalities are just part of the reason why I like her so much.