I personally think that the Aeons and the summoning system in FFX is the best in the whole series. The Espers of XII were almost the Real-Time counterparts, but they still seemed to phail ...

The systems in III - IX were all the same, weren't they? Summon a creature, blast of doom/status effect, and they went on their merry way again.

X added something to the series that gave it extra flair, and actually made the Summons more useful than beefed-up spells.

The only things that I think FFX had lacking in the summoning department was the number of summons. I think there was easily room and pacing for two or three more hidden or storyline Aeons (I'll say more when I get a few replies ), also, I think the Aeons could have had more going for them in individuality. Once you customised them, they could all be clones, save for the Unique attacks and Overdrives.

But as a whole, I think it's a very good system and the best so far. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree?

Discuss.

I mean on top of Yojimbo, Anima and the Magus sisters. I still think 8 is too small a number :\ I think the game could've fitted two or three more.

I understand what you're saying though. What made the Espers of XII inferior, in my opinion is the fact that you cannot control them, and they don't have a variety of attacks. They have 4 or 5 at max, and half of them are normal usable spells and not unique abilities. Their ultimate abilities are really unreliable too, as some/most of them have to meet certain criteria, and they weren't nearly as powerful. I don't mean the fact that Aeons could break the 9999 barrier, but I've never had my Belias match Ifrit for Hellfire damage, even keeping to 9999.

I personally like III-IX. It was just a burst thing, not sacrificing my partie's EXP so a summon can take damage for me. It was less... Refined yes, but... I dunno, I just liked it.

I agree. The summoning system of X is the best so far. It's the only one that really gives you full control of what you are summoning. XII was ok but you didn't really have a choice as to what it did. The espers of XII relied on gambits. The summons of the previous FF games were somewhat one-track minded, blasting everyone and going off.

I liked the summoning in FFX, and how Ifrit, Ixion etc can cast Thundaga, Firaga etc on themselves to heal.

Yeah, the elemental advantages and stuff really helped. I still feel that it had even more potential though. Instead of having four non-elemental Aeons, I feel that Square could have done more with them

Valefor could have been a Wind-based summon, and have spells like Aero/Aera/Aeraga and White Wind, with an Overdrive like a Tornado or Hurricane.

I still think a Water-based summon would have been PERFECT for the game. Isn't Spira known to be some waterworld, of sorts? Also, an example of Bismark or Leviathan Vs Sin would have been ace ...

Since the Magus Sisters are bugs and are summoned from flowers, I'm surprised that they weren't Earth-based summons. Anima could have been Shadow-based, since few enemies are Shadow-Elemental, it would have been a nice touch, since that element is rarely touched on in FFs.

I'm really surprised that since Mount Gagazet is known as a trial, that it wasn't made into a Cloister of Trials with a Holy-based summon, since it's the sacred mountain and all.

I really loved the summoning system of the tenth. Its great to use a powerful summon as a character its very creative so square has done it again.