Swordplay
Tidus’s Overdrive is called “Swordplay.” All of his Swordplay-related abilities deal damage either to a single target or to multiple enemies. New moves are unlocked by using any of his Overdrives over a cumulative number of times. It does not matter which move is used, nor whether you execute the button inputs successfully (outlined below).
Input Mechanic
When Swordplay is activated, a cursor scrolls along a horizontal bar with a time limit. In order to deal damage, you’ll need to press the X button to stop the cursor within the highlighted yellow center section of the bar. Stopping it in the highlighted area increases the Overdrive’s power, and completing the input quickly grants additional bonus damage based on remaining time.
If you fail to stop the cursor in time, the attack deals minimal damage. The yellow-highlighted section will be smaller for Tidus’s more powerful Swordplay abilities.
Swordplay Abilities
| Ability | Unlock Requirement | Impact | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spiral Cut | Available at the start of the game. | Hits 1 target. | Tidus leaps into the air and spins, slashing downward onto a single target. This ability has the largest timing window and is the easiest to execute. |
| Slice & Dice | Use Tidus’ Overdrive 10 times total. | 6 hits to random targets. | Tidus runs between the enemies (if there is more than one) attacking 6 times. |
| Energy Rain | Use Tidus’ Overdrive 30 times total. | All enemies. | Tidus strikes all enemies at the same time. |
| Blitz Ace | Use Tidus’ Overdrive 80 times total. | 9 hits to one target. | Tidus will slash one enemy 8 times and then kick a Blitzball at the enemy for the final hit. This is his most powerful Overdrive. It has the smallest trigger window and is the most difficult to execute. |
Unlocking Swordplay Abilities
Because you can use any of Tidus’s Overdrives to unlock the remaining abilities (i.e., you don’t need to use “Energy Rain” to unlock “Blitz Ace”), you can speed up the process of unlocking the remaining abilities by using Overdrives on weaker enemies. Use an Overdrive Mode that charges quickly (like “Stoic”) and use “Spiral Cut” over and over again.
