When creating any video game, a number of concepts and ideas get left on the cutting room floor. Games on any scale go through various iterations until they eventually reach a "finished" state. Sure, sometimes this finished state isn't actually complete, but those are risks developers take. Game development is a wild ride, and the concepts left out can be just as interesting as those left in.
Take, for example, Final Fantasy X. The game was a huge investment from SquareSoft at a time, especially following the disastrous Spirits Within, which released the same year. It changed a lot from its first presentation at the 2000 Square Millennium Event, where the game was shown off as a display of the PS2's capabilities. The finished product is a beloved classic, despite some problems. This list will serve to document some of the craziest things that were cut from the game from its first showcase to its release. Also, some spoilers for a 19-year-old game are ahead, so tread lightly.
10 Wakka Had A Different Theme
This is probably one of the more well-known bits of unused content, as it is still accessible within the final game in Luca's Sphere Theater. There were a few unused songs still on the disk, one of which is a theme for Wakka. Although it doesn't have a composer attached to it, the Final Fantasy IX vibes it has points it to being a product of Nobuo Uematsu, who composed many classic tracks.
Instead, a more catch-all song for Blitzballers was selected for Wakka-centric scenes. While it hardly changes the final product, it would have been nice for Wakka to get more love.
9 Tidus Can Wield The Buster Sword
In the game's data is also a completely modeled and (mostly) functional Buster Sword. The weapon is used by Tidus and can be accessed through hacking. It's not uncommon to see these kinds of references be included during testing. A lot of games use models of older content to help with testing or just for fun.
However, the fact that the weapon wasn't removed makes it interesting. Was it just a cute reference that was used during testing? Or was there originally supposed to be a Buster Sword for Tidus to wield? And would it have beaten his Ultimate Weapon? No one knows for certain.
8 Auron Was Originally Jecht
This factoid was detailed in Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega, a game that shed light on a lot of unanswered questions. In it, the developers explained some of the original concepts for the world of Spira. Some fun details include Tidus being a plumber and an entirely different opening sequence. Summons were also always integral to the world. However, one of the most interesting facts is about Auron.
In the final version, Auron is an unsent (essentially a tortured, undying spirit). He helps guide Tidus to save Yuna from sharing Lord Braska's fate, along with breaking Spira's spiral of death. However, Auron was originally supposed to be Jecht, but in disguise. They decided against it since they didn't want Jecht to be a main character.
7 A Whole Host of Prototype Debug Rooms
A lot of information about early versions of Final Fantasy X can be found on The Cutting Room Floor, a website that documents cut content from games. In 2009, a prototype was leaked online, revealing a version of the game close to release. In fact, the prototype is mostly translated and voice acted.
The exception comes from a series of debug rooms the programmers used for testing, each with their own respective names. It is certainly possible to access the debug menu in the final product, but these specific debug rooms are exclusive to the prototype. It's always a treat to see what in-jokes developers create during development.
6 PS2 HDD Integration
Similarly to the cut rooms, the prototype had a specific feature on the options menu showing integration with the hard-disk drive that could be installed into some PS2 models. The HDD would allow for games to install certain bits of data that would help games to load faster.
It was required to play Final Fantasy XI at all and worked with the network adapter. However, only 35 titles in North America supported the HDD. Final Fantasy X was originally going to be one of those titles, although it's unknown to what extent.
5 Tidus Had Gloriously Animated Hair
A trailer does exist from the 2000 Square Millennium Event showing off an early beta of the game, archived by Unseen64. The rest of the entries follow details from this trailer, so check it out for reference. In it, one of the most obvious details are changes in movement and animation.
First, Tidus wasn't originally a blond; he had black hair. Second, his hair moves so wonderfully in the wind. The physics engine on both his clothes and his hair is much more advanced than what was seen in the final product. Whether this is a case of an over-ambitious project getting scaled back a case of a bull shot, it's impressive either way.
4 A Traditional Leveling System
The 2000 trailer also shows off the menu for a period of time. The menu shows the ability to save and load at any time on the regular menu, which is neat to note. However, more interesting is that Tidus and Yuna both have a traditional level next to their profile.
Judging by the lack of a Sphere Grid option on the menu, it's highly likely that the game originally used a traditional leveling system like previous games. Depending on the player, this is either a welcome change or a terrible one. The Sphere Grid was still a great addition, though, especially in the future remaster of the game.
3 The Player Could Control The Camera
While Final Fantasy X is many things, the fact it is a full-3D game without the ability to control the camera definitely dates it. The game is already linear, and the set camera angles can be jarring at first. This is especially a problem for younger game players who may be revisiting the game out of curiosity.
However, the original trailer shows what could be interpreted as the player controlling the camera. It definitely stinks of being an E3 camera pan, but it's unlikely they would've removed this feature if not for the removal of another important feature.
2 The Game Might Have Been Open-World (At Parts)
This is a little more hearsay than absolute fact, so don't take it as an absolute. However, judging by the trailer and what we know of the final versions of areas shown, the game might have been pseudo-open world. One of the areas shown, called The Calm Lands in the final version, is a large open field and Tidus is shown to be exploring it.
He's also seen exploring what looks to be one of the game's temples, but it is much more complex than anything in the final product. It's speculated that this represented a desire for a more open game. Considering the game is criticized for its linearity, even a fraction of an open-world to explore would have been nice.
1 PlayOnline Integration
This is the coolest part of this early version of the game: online functionality. The option at the bottom of the menu opens up a menu to connect to PlayOnline, Square's online service. This service would later be used for Final Fantasy XI. It's hard to tell exactly what the online function serves, but it looks to be a datalog of sorts, showing details about the various areas of the game.
A bestiary is a feature included as well. It's unknown what other goodies the online would provide, but its lack of inclusion is understandable. There isn't any point in the game where going online would make it better or worse. The fact it was planned at all is more interesting than what the online actually does.