X marks the spot

Recently, I've been having a crack at Final Fantasy X (the HD Remaster).

FFX and I have a fascinating history: It was the first game I got for my PS2. It was the first game I played after some time away from modern gaming, it was my first JRPG and it was my first Final Fantasy game.
Of course in the time since, I've played more games and more Final Fantasy games - subsequently FFX may have been left by the wayside. So why not have a revisit?

Well the HD looks real nice - especially seeing favorite locations looking better than ever (Besaid anyone?). However replaying the game now, I realize something. Something that never bothered me when I originally played this game:

There is a lot of story.

Now I like a good story in my game as much as the next person but in FFX, both the story and game are treated as separate entities, separated by a wall five feet thick.
Indeed, it's only playing FFX now I realize: for the first three hours I was doing very little actual...playing. Instead, I realized that I was watching Tidus' journey play out but as an audience rather than a participant - which is the point of gaming.
True the set up had to be established, explaining the characters the world they live in and the situation that requires my involvement - but at the same time, i felt there ratio between cutscene and actual-gaming-portion was way off.
At time of writing, I have reached the Kilika Woods - where I'm actually feel like I'm playing a game: I'm wandering the woods, bashing heads, scoring gold, grinding and abusing the Sphere Grid. I've spent three hours trudging through cutscene after cutscene and now I'm at a point where I feel I'm actually playing, and enjoying, the game. I could call it a shot of revenge after those three hours doing what the game wants me to do, but really, I know what I want these characters to do and I will make sure they do it (have I mentioned how much I loved messing around in the Sphere Grid?).

That being said I realise: I'm Grinding but in this instance the Grinding fells like.......well.......fun. Call it a relief after three hours of having control of the game taken from me, but this is a rare instance when the Grinding doesn't feel like a chore. Matters are helped with the Remaster's option of having increased random encounters, meaning more xp and setting paths in the Sphere Grid.

So to summarise: After being dragged through three hours of cut-scenes, I am ceasing advancing the game's plot in favor of finding of finding enjoyment in Grinding.
What can I say except Revenge is indeed sweet.