Iirc, FFX is a ~200h game if you go for optionals, ~80h if you focus mostly on the main story. So if the start takes maybe 3h (at least how long I go about without rushing and without challenges), the start doesn't seem too long.

About looking weird, could be, yeah. Apparently from the SNES to the N64 and PS1 was a major leap too, which gave all those experimental 3D games;