Final Fantasy X-2

Sure, you can get through FFX-2 easy enough. But getting 100 percent? That��s a much tougher prospect. With multiple endings, though, FFX-2 is worth playing through multiple times. If you want to get a jump on the very best ending, then use our handy guide for the game��s first chapter.

1.6% LUCA

Veer to the left when you reach the second boat, and you will find a person crouching, dressed up as a moogle A. If you talk to the person, your party will be healed.

Complete mission 1 by taking on Leblanc, Ormi, and Logos. This is an easy battle, so take a little time to get used to switching the girls�� jobs using the Garment Grid: First Steps.

3.4% CELSIUS

You return to the Celsius every time you complete a mission. Take a few minutes to talk to Rikku A, Paine, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra. You��ll get a little backstory on each of them. You may want to spend some extra time with Shinra; his tutorial text is quite helpful.

Next, talk to the barkeep, who��s working in the cabin. Before leaving the cabin, accept his invitation to take a nap A.

Return to the bridge and talk to Shinra. Watch the sphere movie called Journey��s Start.

6.0% MOUNT GAGAZET

Get to the top of Mount Gagazet before the timer runs out. If you can��t get to the top in five minutes, you��ll miss out on a star pendant, which is located in a treasure chest at the peak.

Don��t mistake your second run-in with Leblanc as this mission��s boss fight; the real challenge comes when you reach the top of the mountain. This spider boss is toppled by repeated gunner and warrior attacks C. Just make sure you keep an eye on your health and use potions when the girls�� health points turn from white to yellow. If you succeed, you��ll be rewarded with the Dark Mage Sphere.

6.6% CELSIUS

When you��re transported back to the Celsius, talk to Brother and choose the Comfort Him option.

8.2% LUCA

Yuna will tell her pals about how she bided her time while waiting for them to raid the concert. The flashback puts her in a moogle outfit; approach the vendor at the right of the balloon stand (he��s crouching, so he can be tough to see) A.

Hand out 10 balloons and don��t forget to knock on the ticket window at the back center of the square A. Upon completing the mission, you will receive the Garment Grid: Healing Wind.

When you complete your task, you��ll be pulled back into the Celsius. Return to Luca immediately and track down Rin, who��s waiting for you in the Luca stadium basement A.

8.4% HIGH ROAD

Take a little time to investigate the High Road.

13.0% MUSHROOM ROCK

When you get to Mushroom Rock, you��ll see a group of Youth league soldiers guarding the path to their hideout. Talk first to Clasko; it��s important to hear his story before moving forward.

Yavel will challenge you to take on a Fiend Conquest mission; accept it and make your way to the end of the ravine. If you succeed, you��ll be rewarded with the Garment Grid: Heart of Flame.

At Youth league headquarters, approach Lucil and make sure you talk with her twice A.

Listen to Maechen��s story; don��t end the conversation with him until he shakes Yuna��s hand.

Don��t go straight back to the ship. Instead, head back down the ravine and investigate the sloping area pictured to the right A. Head north and keep your eye out for a treasure chest containing Garment Grid: Restless Sleep.

You��ll run across Ormi and Logos A, but this time, things don��t devolve into fighting. They��ll drop a sphere (Crimson Sphere 9); you need to pick it up and then talk to Maroda, who appears behind you.

Continue backtracking to the save globe that you started at when you were first transported to Mushroom Rock. Offscreen, to the right of the globe, you��ll find Clasko. Talk him into joining you on the Celsius. When he boards, go back to the ship yourself. This is very easy to miss��if you do, you can��t get 100 percent completion.

13.5% CELSIUS

View the Crimson squad report 1 in Shinra��s Treasure Sphere collection.

Head down to the cabin and talk to Clasko. He��ll be feeling a little sick.

14.0% DJOSE TEMPLE

This area requires a little patience. Talk to everybody outside the temple while waiting for the registration line to wind down. When it��s your turn, enter the tent and talk to a recruiter; he��ll instruct you to speak with Gippal in the temple.

Head to the temple and chat with Gippal C. He will give you a letter of introduction.

14.6% MOONFLOW

Talk to Tobli, the goofy short guy in the bird costume. He will give you an assignment and promise you a sphere as a reward.

When you find Tobli��s assistant, agree to help him and make sure you don��t let bandits steal any of the packages. When you return the carriage to Tobli, you will receive the ultrauseful Gun Mage Dressphere C.

15.0% GUADOSALAM

Find the Farplane entrance and talk to the guards. They will keep you from entering, so go to the Thunder Plains instead.

15.2% THUNDER PLAINS

Walk through the Thunder Plains if your party is strong enough to handle the fiends.

17.4% MACALANIA WOODS

This area will reintroduce you to the tragic Guados. The first one you��ll run across is a musician named Bayra. Follow him all the way to the travel agency, which is where you need to go. Watch the cut-scene involving O��aka, then return to the woods.

To your immediate right, you��ll find an alcove. In the alcove is a man named Tomell. Talk to Tomell five times. He will give you a very important dressphere A.

Find Pukutak, who��s hanging out in the northern area of the forest A.

Find Donga, who��s located at the Holy Spring.

To the right of the Holy Spring, you��ll find O��aka��s hiding place. Talk to him and agree to let him board the Celsius A. As a prize, you will receive the Garment Grid: Ice Queen.

For the 100-percent ending, you��ll need to clear O��aka��s debt before protecting the travel agency in Chapter 3.

18.2% BIKANEL DESERT

Rikku will take you on what feels like a wild goose chase through the desert. Follow, and when you collapse, Al Bhed diggers will carry you to safety.

Wait around until Nhadala returns, then show her the letter of invitation you received from Gippal. She will send you on a mission to excavate Al Bhed machine parts. Complete the task, and you will earn Garment Grid: Still of Night.

18.8% BEVELLE

Look up Baralai, who��s located in the center of the city. Hear him out, then head back to the Celsius.

19.0% CALM LAND

Check out Calm Land and put some money into a few lupine races A.

Before you go, take on a PR job at one of the two competing companies.

19.4% MOUNT GAGAZET

Run over to Mount Gagazet for a little backstory on Kumari��s plight with the Ronso.

21.6% BESAID ISLAND

Many people jump to Besaid Island first, which is fine, but we find that it��s easier (and more fun) to take it on near the end of Chapter 1. Your characters should be fairly powerful by now, and the fiends should be a breeze to kill.

Say hello to Wakka A.

Talk to the inhabitants of the temple.

Stop by Lulu��s tent and stay the night.

In the morning, agree to help Lulu find Wakka. Head away from the temple and watch for pink marks on your overhead map. Each one (of four total) will yield a number. Some, like the one pictured below, require you to climb in order to reach them (hold d) A.

Dial the combo you��ve just gathered into the lock near the pier and enter the cave to talk to Wakka. Paine will insist that the gullwings help him find the sphere he��s looking for.

The flame dragon should be easy to kill at this point in the game. Don��t use fire to attack (it��s immune to fire)��use ice. Also, have one of the girls perform the Darkness Dance during the battle to keep the flame dragon blind. Completing this mission will add the

White Mage Dressphere to your collection C.

23.4% ZANARKAND RUINS

So, what is Zanarkand like today? It��s become an amusement park! Kind of offensive, eh? Yuna thinks so, too, so make sure she speaks her mind to both Isaaru and Cid (don��t let ��em off easy) A.

After talking to Isaaru in the temple, head down the stairwell to confront the giant sanctuary guard protecting the Broken Treasure Sphere A. Don��t bother hitting him with magic attacks��he��s immune to all of them. Just hack away with your swords and pistols and make sure you keep your eye on all of the girls�� health meters. When he��s down, you will be given the Protection Halo.

23.6% CELSIUS

Take a few minutes to refresh in the ship; talk to all of your teammates.

25.2% KILIKA

Go to Dona��s house; watch an amusing back-and-forth between her and Barthello.

Take the narrow forest path to Kilika Temple. Guards will block your path and ask for passwords. If there is an even number of guards in front of you, the password is Craven Monkey. If there is an odd number, the password is Carved Monkey.

At the end of the path is the YSLS-ZERO mech. Be careful��he is not vulnerable to magic. It��s best to hit him with as much firepower as possible right from the beginning, so don��t waste time setting up a white mage. Keep your party limited to warriors and gunners A.

Toppling YSLS-ZERO will bag you 1,500 gil and mucho experience points. It will also mark the end of Chapter 1.

Want to see how to get through the remaining 74.8% of the game? Keep an eye out for our blowout of Chapters 2 through 5 in the January issue of GameNOW!

Copyright © 2003 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine.