Really enjoyed what I've played of Zodiac Age so far. Excited to finish it.
This FF is, by far, my favourite. The uniqueness of it's art, the characters you get easily attached to and it's marvelous gameplay. It has everything I love about FF. Do yourself a favour and play it.
mainline final fantasy game that is less about the characters and their interaction with the world and more about the world and its interaction with the characters. shows that a game doesn't need immense dialogue to be well-written because few-but-well-put-words and good cutscene direction (jun akiyama is amazing) can do a very good job - i also love the voice acting, gideon emery's balthier is really good.
the gameplay is perfect. i've spent more than 100 hours doing most of the content and exploring the gambit and the job system. of course you have Certain Characters with faster speed animations with especific weapons (basch is better with spears than penelo, for example), but you can try any job combo that'll work as long as you can understand and dominate the gambit system.
it's a phenomenal videogame. my favorite final fantasy so far (and probably gonna be for a long time).
the gameplay is perfect. i've spent more than 100 hours doing most of the content and exploring the gambit and the job system. of course you have Certain Characters with faster speed animations with especific weapons (basch is better with spears than penelo, for example), but you can try any job combo that'll work as long as you can understand and dominate the gambit system.
it's a phenomenal videogame. my favorite final fantasy so far (and probably gonna be for a long time).
Having played the PS2 versions years ago, I loved this game for its story, gameplay and characters (Minus Vaan and Penelo, they suck lmao). The overall designs were extremely nice felt different from other FF titles. Having replayed it on the PS4 with the new mechanics, it got even better.
Ashe
Good shit.
This game is outstanding. I love it. I really like the license board, and the job system is actually helpful.
The Mark hunts are fun, and idk. I know it's kind of weak to be a numbered FF bit it's good.
The Mark hunts are fun, and idk. I know it's kind of weak to be a numbered FF bit it's good.
É incrível como um jogo onde vc apenas configura a AI do jogo e aperta fast forward para ver no que dá pode ser tão viciante.
Talvez esse tenha sido o último Final Fantasy realmente ótimo, todos os elementos que fizeram a franquia tão boa estão aqui.
Talvez esse tenha sido o último Final Fantasy realmente ótimo, todos os elementos que fizeram a franquia tão boa estão aqui.
Absolutely marvelous. Feels like the culmination of several ideas Square had been working through with JRPGs since the NES era. I thoroughly enjoyed the gambit system, and I'm sad this style of play hasn't been used for any projects since, Final Fantasy or otherwise.
Took an already great game, and made it better.
why play ff12 when you can play ff14 instead
At the first university I attended I lived in the dorms. Two friends hated their roommates and basically moved into our dorm's living room. One of them had a PS2 and Final Fantasy XII. I watched them play a lot of the game together, mostly gameplay but I caught a little story here and there. The names of the characters were burned into my brain. I couldn't forget the semester I watched them play Final Fantasy XII, and I finally bought it and played it.
This game is the first Final Fantasy I've played and I truly enjoyed it. I wish I could have played it with my two friends. I messaged one of them about it while I played, but it wasn't the same as them sitting on the floor of the dorm room playing together. I loved navigating menus in this game. Any game that can make navigating menus fun is a good game. I loved figuring out gambits and tinkering as I went from area to area. Unfortunately, my problems with the game come from this same mechanic. It is exceptionally easy on the story path. I made the game play itself because I set up my gambits so well. While I did love the feeling of everything working out, I wish the game would have thrown more curveballs my way. On the other hand, the post game hunts cannot be solved by gambit tinkering. Levels are critically important, and if characters are underlevelled they are too difficult in a way that cannot be solved by gambit manipulation. I wish there were a middle ground of difficulty between easy story and difficulty post-game, but that is not the case.
This game is the first Final Fantasy I've played and I truly enjoyed it. I wish I could have played it with my two friends. I messaged one of them about it while I played, but it wasn't the same as them sitting on the floor of the dorm room playing together. I loved navigating menus in this game. Any game that can make navigating menus fun is a good game. I loved figuring out gambits and tinkering as I went from area to area. Unfortunately, my problems with the game come from this same mechanic. It is exceptionally easy on the story path. I made the game play itself because I set up my gambits so well. While I did love the feeling of everything working out, I wish the game would have thrown more curveballs my way. On the other hand, the post game hunts cannot be solved by gambit tinkering. Levels are critically important, and if characters are underlevelled they are too difficult in a way that cannot be solved by gambit manipulation. I wish there were a middle ground of difficulty between easy story and difficulty post-game, but that is not the case.
Definitely one of the best Final Fantasy games out there, and probably has the tightest ratio in the series of "good game" vs "not acknowledged as much as the others".
The story is great. You'll find people that say the story is "just like Star Wars" or derivative. While these complaints aren't completely meritless, I can't help but admit that anyone who genuinely thinks this to be a mark against this game likely didn't play through it entirely. The moment-to-moment experience of playing through this story is consistently thrilling, and a satisfactory adventure. You're thinking about just this game while playing it, and nothing else, because it's one of the most tightly-plotted games in the series.
To the story itself, it tells the tale of Dalmasca, a desert country in continent of Ivalice, and the next target of the encroaching Archadian empire. Upon the annexation of the Dalmascan capital, Rabanastre, a small group of freedom fighters from all walks of life find themselves thrust together by fate in an adventure that will shape the very face of history. FFXII has you playing as all sorts; from larger-than-life heroes, politicians, and knights, to swarthy thieves and scoundrels, to the hoi polloi commonfolk. They all pepper the main cast, as well as the guest characters you find along the way. This game has little in the way of "hanging out with each other" among these characters, but it does have quite a bit of "hanging out in the WORLD" that makes it such an enamoring adventure. Beyond that, there are moments where your party shows unexpectedly-charming, teeth-clenched affection for one another, if the viewer is able to read between the lines of the fantastic voice acting.
And yes, the voice acting IS fantastic. I doubt it's a stretch to say Final Fantasy XII has the best English dialogue of any Final Fantasy game, and its place in the pantheon of dialogue for all games is quite high up there. You feel less like you're playing a quirky JRPG and more like you're witnessing one of Shakespeare's masterpieces. And yet, despite the characters' hifalutin, Byzantine cadences and vernacular, the viewer absolutely never feels left behind in the vocabulary. It's sharp and cutting, and it certainly does make every character feel like they're brimming with life.
The music is incredible. It's orchestral, it's heady, it's classical, it's weighty, it's just so good. The tracks range from light-hearted to heart-pounding, but not a single song in this DOESN'T inspire the listener to want to take up arms and embark upon a country-trotting adventure. I can't even begin to name all the most beautiful tracks in the game, but I'll go ahead and try: Flash of Steel, The Dalmasca Estersand, Nalbina Dungeons, The Tomb of [SPOILERS], Jahara - Land of the Garif, the Ozmone Plain, ERUYT VILLAGE (I really like the Eruyt Village theme), Discarded Power, The Stilshrine of Miriam, Respite, the Salikawood, A Moment's Rest, the Cerobi Steppe, Realm of Memory, To Walk Amongst Gods... and those are only the ones on my Spotify playlist. And I think I can safely say that the Final Boss theme of Final Fantasy XII is absolutely one of the most rousing, inspirational music tracks I have ever heard in a video game. If you can listen to it and not feel SOME sort of emotion come over you -- especially at the end of such a far-flung adventure, you would need to be either deaf, or a BORN. HATER (I'm kidding but seriously, it owns so hard).
Let's get to the gameplay. Many describe this gameplay as "MMO-like". I have dabbled in a few MMO's, but to be completely honest, I don't REALLY get the comparison, at least when compared to other Active Time Battle Final Fantasy games. Is it because the combat is seamless in the world? Probably. Moving along, the combat is quite good. The lifeblood of it is the Gambit system, a very rudimentary coding scheme that allows your dudes to automatically perform certain actions in a hierarchy upon the combat environment meeting certain conditions. For example, you could set it so Penelo will heal any ally of hers that dips below 30% health with a potion. If you place this at the top of the list, it will be her first priority, but she'll only perform it once that condition is fulfilled, so one could put BENEATH it "Attack any enemy" and she will attack. This is more or less how all your gambits will likely be organized; healing skills and curatives at the highest priority, followed by attack skills. It's both deceptively simple and... well, simple. It's not very hard. Which, in my evaluation, is good, as there's not much mental stimulation in the typical JRPG turn-based loop of "Run into monster" > "navigate menu" > "use effective skills" > "win" > "Run into monster" > "repeat". But there is still room for strategy, particularly with Final Fantasy XII's bosses and hunts, which offer the daring thrill-seeker a chance to stretch their tactical muscles.
That in mind, this game has quite the bevy of side-content. By some metrics, FFXII is even considered the mainline non-MMO Final Fantasy game that takes the most time to 100%, what with the dozens and dozens of side-quests in the form of the game's hunts. They're fun, no question, and they're quite challenging, but at the same time, I wish there were MORE sidequest mechanics. But that's a minor quibble in a game as stacked as this one; in addition to the hunts, there are multiple secret optional areas, optional summons, and hidden passageways, befitting of a fantasy world loosely based on a steampunk reimagining of the Mediterranean.
In conclusion, I have gone on record saying Final Fantasy XII is quite possibly my favorite game of all time, and it's definitely my favorite JRPG of all time. Is it a perfect game? No. Is it a really solid game for JRPG fans? Certainly. I hope this review might just convince you to play it if you're on the fence, and the Zodiac Age version is definitely the definitive way to do it.
The story is great. You'll find people that say the story is "just like Star Wars" or derivative. While these complaints aren't completely meritless, I can't help but admit that anyone who genuinely thinks this to be a mark against this game likely didn't play through it entirely. The moment-to-moment experience of playing through this story is consistently thrilling, and a satisfactory adventure. You're thinking about just this game while playing it, and nothing else, because it's one of the most tightly-plotted games in the series.
To the story itself, it tells the tale of Dalmasca, a desert country in continent of Ivalice, and the next target of the encroaching Archadian empire. Upon the annexation of the Dalmascan capital, Rabanastre, a small group of freedom fighters from all walks of life find themselves thrust together by fate in an adventure that will shape the very face of history. FFXII has you playing as all sorts; from larger-than-life heroes, politicians, and knights, to swarthy thieves and scoundrels, to the hoi polloi commonfolk. They all pepper the main cast, as well as the guest characters you find along the way. This game has little in the way of "hanging out with each other" among these characters, but it does have quite a bit of "hanging out in the WORLD" that makes it such an enamoring adventure. Beyond that, there are moments where your party shows unexpectedly-charming, teeth-clenched affection for one another, if the viewer is able to read between the lines of the fantastic voice acting.
And yes, the voice acting IS fantastic. I doubt it's a stretch to say Final Fantasy XII has the best English dialogue of any Final Fantasy game, and its place in the pantheon of dialogue for all games is quite high up there. You feel less like you're playing a quirky JRPG and more like you're witnessing one of Shakespeare's masterpieces. And yet, despite the characters' hifalutin, Byzantine cadences and vernacular, the viewer absolutely never feels left behind in the vocabulary. It's sharp and cutting, and it certainly does make every character feel like they're brimming with life.
The music is incredible. It's orchestral, it's heady, it's classical, it's weighty, it's just so good. The tracks range from light-hearted to heart-pounding, but not a single song in this DOESN'T inspire the listener to want to take up arms and embark upon a country-trotting adventure. I can't even begin to name all the most beautiful tracks in the game, but I'll go ahead and try: Flash of Steel, The Dalmasca Estersand, Nalbina Dungeons, The Tomb of [SPOILERS], Jahara - Land of the Garif, the Ozmone Plain, ERUYT VILLAGE (I really like the Eruyt Village theme), Discarded Power, The Stilshrine of Miriam, Respite, the Salikawood, A Moment's Rest, the Cerobi Steppe, Realm of Memory, To Walk Amongst Gods... and those are only the ones on my Spotify playlist. And I think I can safely say that the Final Boss theme of Final Fantasy XII is absolutely one of the most rousing, inspirational music tracks I have ever heard in a video game. If you can listen to it and not feel SOME sort of emotion come over you -- especially at the end of such a far-flung adventure, you would need to be either deaf, or a BORN. HATER (I'm kidding but seriously, it owns so hard).
Let's get to the gameplay. Many describe this gameplay as "MMO-like". I have dabbled in a few MMO's, but to be completely honest, I don't REALLY get the comparison, at least when compared to other Active Time Battle Final Fantasy games. Is it because the combat is seamless in the world? Probably. Moving along, the combat is quite good. The lifeblood of it is the Gambit system, a very rudimentary coding scheme that allows your dudes to automatically perform certain actions in a hierarchy upon the combat environment meeting certain conditions. For example, you could set it so Penelo will heal any ally of hers that dips below 30% health with a potion. If you place this at the top of the list, it will be her first priority, but she'll only perform it once that condition is fulfilled, so one could put BENEATH it "Attack any enemy" and she will attack. This is more or less how all your gambits will likely be organized; healing skills and curatives at the highest priority, followed by attack skills. It's both deceptively simple and... well, simple. It's not very hard. Which, in my evaluation, is good, as there's not much mental stimulation in the typical JRPG turn-based loop of "Run into monster" > "navigate menu" > "use effective skills" > "win" > "Run into monster" > "repeat". But there is still room for strategy, particularly with Final Fantasy XII's bosses and hunts, which offer the daring thrill-seeker a chance to stretch their tactical muscles.
That in mind, this game has quite the bevy of side-content. By some metrics, FFXII is even considered the mainline non-MMO Final Fantasy game that takes the most time to 100%, what with the dozens and dozens of side-quests in the form of the game's hunts. They're fun, no question, and they're quite challenging, but at the same time, I wish there were MORE sidequest mechanics. But that's a minor quibble in a game as stacked as this one; in addition to the hunts, there are multiple secret optional areas, optional summons, and hidden passageways, befitting of a fantasy world loosely based on a steampunk reimagining of the Mediterranean.
In conclusion, I have gone on record saying Final Fantasy XII is quite possibly my favorite game of all time, and it's definitely my favorite JRPG of all time. Is it a perfect game? No. Is it a really solid game for JRPG fans? Certainly. I hope this review might just convince you to play it if you're on the fence, and the Zodiac Age version is definitely the definitive way to do it.
Um sistema de batalhas muito interessante e inovador, o personagem principal não vale nada. Um bom jogo, mesmo com seus defeitos!
this game was unplayable on ps2 without fast-forward
This review contains spoilers
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is the first title I have played this year in my quest to finally finish every mainline, numbered FF game (minus the MMOs). My goal is to fully complete the games as much as I possibly can before writing my reviews, rather than writing them lacking critical information.
Final Fantasy XII (aka, FF12) came out back in 2006, and, to the dismay of my younger self, being the huge Final Fantasy fan I was, and still am, it couldn't hold my interest as it was nothing short of a sluggish grindfest. Having now revisited it via Zodiac Age, I do feel like I have a better grasp on the game, but was it enough to change my mind?
Straight away, Zodiac Age makes some huge improvements. For example, the ridiculous requirements for the Zodiac Spear are gone, i.e., never open any one of four specific, unmarked, not hinted at all chests in the game, else the spear vanishes permanently.
Zodiac Age also, in my opinion, improved the License Board system, a system which stops you using any overpowered gear and abilities until you save up enough License Points to obtain the licenses to use them. It's an interesting system, but can be a bit annoying if you don't know when and where to farm for LP.
Whilst a full license board in the original was available for everyone so you could play with any 3 OP characters you wanted, it was much grindier, and Zodiac's class focused license system is much friendlier for newcomers. It means those who do max their builds don't necessarily steamroll the endgame stuff, and it is easier throughout the game, particularly earlier on, to make focused builds instead of buying the wrong licenses and screwing yourself entirely.
On top of this, Mist (I'll discuss the Mist system later on) no longer attaches directly to your MP. Brilliant!
Despite the improvements and some of the more ridiculous issues being removed, like the Zodiac Spear dilemma, many issues still exist in this version, including the ridiculous requirements the game asks of the player to 100% the bestiary and finding certain items, such as invisible chests with a 1/10000 chance of a super strong weapon.Obviously, this can make certain tasks, especially for completionists, particularly tedious, especially if trying to do it without any outside help.
Moving onto gameplay, FF12's main combat system revolves around the concept of automated combat, using a system called 'Gambits'.
Gambits regulate and automatically execute commands based on certain criteria, like Foe: Weak to Thunder, use Thundaga, or Ally: HP is less than 50%, use Cura, that sort of thing. The issue some players may have is that Gambits, whilst a very unique and clever system, is that they can take out the need for direct interaction with the game during combat. If Gambits are set up well, then a player may never need to do any sort of manual input during combat for the whole game, which is a sign of a good player, but may make some players feel a little left out whilst the game plays itself.
On the other hand, some players may struggle with the Gambit system. If it is your first time playing, and you find yourself struggling to get to grips with the system, it may actually hinder more than it helps. Luckily, the option to manually control battles is there, but can make the game much slower if manual inputs are entered in Wait mode (time stands still whilst commands are made), and can mean slower reactions in Active mode (the game continues whilst commands are chosen), which may be the difference between life and death. When you look at it like that, it's definitely worth learning the system, because an automated battle can be safely fastforwarded with less risk to speed the game up a bit.
To put into perspective how ridiculous Gambits can be, and how little input the player actually needs to do in combat if their Gambits are full optimized, I was able to set up my team to take on the 50 million HP super boss, Yiazmat, leave the room entirely, come back with a cup of coffee and some food just over half a hour later, and they had just beaten it. Would have taken two hours, but I had Zodiac's 4x fastforward feature on.
Going back to a system I have briefly mentioned, 'Mist', once unlocked on a character, allows you to use 'Quickenings', FF12's equivalent to a limit break. You then must chain these together in specific ways to try and get a 'Concurrence', a final burst attack that does major damage and is far superior to just a single Quickening. This makes Quickenings useless before you have three characters with all of their Quickenings unlocked, and the chaining minigame you have to perform is entirely RNG. Even the best players can be screwed over if they don't get any Mist Charges during a Quickening. This introduces a risk/reward concept to the idea of limit breaks, but can be annoying if you don't get that nuke you are desperate for in a difficult battle.
Mist can also be used for summoning Espers, provided you have defeated them and obtained their license. Sadly, whilst they have their uses, they are rather underwhelming and unneeded, to the point where the only time I used one myself was for a story plot point where doing so is the solution to a puzzle.
One of my favourite things about FF12 is its plot. It isn't the best plot in the series, but it is still pretty good, and it could be described as a steampunk, medieval Star Wars. Admittedly, it does follow a lot of cliches, but it is a fantasy story, so what do you expect? It's a rather fun story of regaining a kingdom, preventing war, and bringing peace. Unlike other Final Fantasy titles, there aren't necessarily any mind blowing twists in the overall plot (they're more character backstory specific), but it plays out well, despite some small pacing issues.
One of the weaker points of FF12 is, unfortunately, its cast. The playable characters aren't necessarily unlikeable. The series has definitely had worse. However, compared to a lot of the franchise's most beloved characters, FF12's cast is kind of bland at times.
The whole playable party are pretty much one note characters, with little to no character development. Nobody ever really evolves as a person, except for Ashe and Vaan, who don't really change much, but go from wanting revenge to realising it won't solve their problems, which is about as deep as the character development gets.
The best character by far is Gabranth, an antagonist with nowhere near enough screen time, but probably one of the best story arcs in the game. Sadly, the main antagonist and actual villain of the game is probably among the worst in the series.
My absolute favourite thing about the world of FF12 is how immersive the actual environment is. The world is absolutely gorgeous, with variety in its landscapes, spanning from bustling cities to vast natural areas, such as plains, deserts and caves. Not one location in this game is ugly. Even the original PS2 version of this game looked amazing, and the fact that Ivalice reaches beyond FF12 into games like the Final Fantasy Tactics games is wonderful.
To summarise, I'd call Final Fantasy XII an acquired taste, which many will find sluggish and tedious, but those who can get to grips with its combat and progression system may find it rather enjoyable, for the most part. It's certainly worth trying at least once, but it won't be for everyone.
Final Fantasy XII (aka, FF12) came out back in 2006, and, to the dismay of my younger self, being the huge Final Fantasy fan I was, and still am, it couldn't hold my interest as it was nothing short of a sluggish grindfest. Having now revisited it via Zodiac Age, I do feel like I have a better grasp on the game, but was it enough to change my mind?
Straight away, Zodiac Age makes some huge improvements. For example, the ridiculous requirements for the Zodiac Spear are gone, i.e., never open any one of four specific, unmarked, not hinted at all chests in the game, else the spear vanishes permanently.
Zodiac Age also, in my opinion, improved the License Board system, a system which stops you using any overpowered gear and abilities until you save up enough License Points to obtain the licenses to use them. It's an interesting system, but can be a bit annoying if you don't know when and where to farm for LP.
Whilst a full license board in the original was available for everyone so you could play with any 3 OP characters you wanted, it was much grindier, and Zodiac's class focused license system is much friendlier for newcomers. It means those who do max their builds don't necessarily steamroll the endgame stuff, and it is easier throughout the game, particularly earlier on, to make focused builds instead of buying the wrong licenses and screwing yourself entirely.
On top of this, Mist (I'll discuss the Mist system later on) no longer attaches directly to your MP. Brilliant!
Despite the improvements and some of the more ridiculous issues being removed, like the Zodiac Spear dilemma, many issues still exist in this version, including the ridiculous requirements the game asks of the player to 100% the bestiary and finding certain items, such as invisible chests with a 1/10000 chance of a super strong weapon.Obviously, this can make certain tasks, especially for completionists, particularly tedious, especially if trying to do it without any outside help.
Moving onto gameplay, FF12's main combat system revolves around the concept of automated combat, using a system called 'Gambits'.
Gambits regulate and automatically execute commands based on certain criteria, like Foe: Weak to Thunder, use Thundaga, or Ally: HP is less than 50%, use Cura, that sort of thing. The issue some players may have is that Gambits, whilst a very unique and clever system, is that they can take out the need for direct interaction with the game during combat. If Gambits are set up well, then a player may never need to do any sort of manual input during combat for the whole game, which is a sign of a good player, but may make some players feel a little left out whilst the game plays itself.
On the other hand, some players may struggle with the Gambit system. If it is your first time playing, and you find yourself struggling to get to grips with the system, it may actually hinder more than it helps. Luckily, the option to manually control battles is there, but can make the game much slower if manual inputs are entered in Wait mode (time stands still whilst commands are made), and can mean slower reactions in Active mode (the game continues whilst commands are chosen), which may be the difference between life and death. When you look at it like that, it's definitely worth learning the system, because an automated battle can be safely fastforwarded with less risk to speed the game up a bit.
To put into perspective how ridiculous Gambits can be, and how little input the player actually needs to do in combat if their Gambits are full optimized, I was able to set up my team to take on the 50 million HP super boss, Yiazmat, leave the room entirely, come back with a cup of coffee and some food just over half a hour later, and they had just beaten it. Would have taken two hours, but I had Zodiac's 4x fastforward feature on.
Going back to a system I have briefly mentioned, 'Mist', once unlocked on a character, allows you to use 'Quickenings', FF12's equivalent to a limit break. You then must chain these together in specific ways to try and get a 'Concurrence', a final burst attack that does major damage and is far superior to just a single Quickening. This makes Quickenings useless before you have three characters with all of their Quickenings unlocked, and the chaining minigame you have to perform is entirely RNG. Even the best players can be screwed over if they don't get any Mist Charges during a Quickening. This introduces a risk/reward concept to the idea of limit breaks, but can be annoying if you don't get that nuke you are desperate for in a difficult battle.
Mist can also be used for summoning Espers, provided you have defeated them and obtained their license. Sadly, whilst they have their uses, they are rather underwhelming and unneeded, to the point where the only time I used one myself was for a story plot point where doing so is the solution to a puzzle.
One of my favourite things about FF12 is its plot. It isn't the best plot in the series, but it is still pretty good, and it could be described as a steampunk, medieval Star Wars. Admittedly, it does follow a lot of cliches, but it is a fantasy story, so what do you expect? It's a rather fun story of regaining a kingdom, preventing war, and bringing peace. Unlike other Final Fantasy titles, there aren't necessarily any mind blowing twists in the overall plot (they're more character backstory specific), but it plays out well, despite some small pacing issues.
One of the weaker points of FF12 is, unfortunately, its cast. The playable characters aren't necessarily unlikeable. The series has definitely had worse. However, compared to a lot of the franchise's most beloved characters, FF12's cast is kind of bland at times.
The whole playable party are pretty much one note characters, with little to no character development. Nobody ever really evolves as a person, except for Ashe and Vaan, who don't really change much, but go from wanting revenge to realising it won't solve their problems, which is about as deep as the character development gets.
The best character by far is Gabranth, an antagonist with nowhere near enough screen time, but probably one of the best story arcs in the game. Sadly, the main antagonist and actual villain of the game is probably among the worst in the series.
My absolute favourite thing about the world of FF12 is how immersive the actual environment is. The world is absolutely gorgeous, with variety in its landscapes, spanning from bustling cities to vast natural areas, such as plains, deserts and caves. Not one location in this game is ugly. Even the original PS2 version of this game looked amazing, and the fact that Ivalice reaches beyond FF12 into games like the Final Fantasy Tactics games is wonderful.
To summarise, I'd call Final Fantasy XII an acquired taste, which many will find sluggish and tedious, but those who can get to grips with its combat and progression system may find it rather enjoyable, for the most part. It's certainly worth trying at least once, but it won't be for everyone.
Hay un juego excelente enterrado en FF XII. El problema son demasiados peros. La trama está muy chula pero da la sensación de apresurada y algunos personajes principales son un poco pegote (incluido el "prota", Ashe es la auténtica protagonista). El mundo de Ivalice es interesante pero se siente apretujado.
Y bueno, el juego a veces es obtuso sin razón. Demasiadas habilidades y hechizos escondidos por el mundo, combate que te hace ir en piloto automático el 99% pero que no es tan responsivo como cabría esperar en el 1%, mazmorras eternas con mal diseño de niveles...
Dicen que la idea original del juego era muy distinta y que tuvieron que rushear al final haciéndolo Star Wars y lo peor es que me lo quedo. Lástima.
Y bueno, el juego a veces es obtuso sin razón. Demasiadas habilidades y hechizos escondidos por el mundo, combate que te hace ir en piloto automático el 99% pero que no es tan responsivo como cabría esperar en el 1%, mazmorras eternas con mal diseño de niveles...
Dicen que la idea original del juego era muy distinta y que tuvieron que rushear al final haciéndolo Star Wars y lo peor es que me lo quedo. Lástima.
innovative ff game with great characters and story
The best Final Fantasy and its definite version.
The story is Star Wars. The game is MMOffline.
Still, it's just pure genius. With the QOL improvements in-game, the width of options for gameplay makes it an experience for the ages. It's even got fast forward for those in a hurry.
The story is Star Wars. The game is MMOffline.
Still, it's just pure genius. With the QOL improvements in-game, the width of options for gameplay makes it an experience for the ages. It's even got fast forward for those in a hurry.
Meu jogo favorito de todos os tempos!!
EN: My favorite game of all time!!
EN: My favorite game of all time!!
La vida después de Squaresoft es menos vida.
Pros:
- El sistema de Gambits alcanza tal profundidad que hace palidecer a la IA de cualquier otro juego.
- El sistema Zodiac, así como los tableros de progresión de cada una de sus clases, provocan una sensación de desarrollo de personajes constante y muy diferenciada.
- El universo de Ivalice es uno de los más completos y complejos de la saga.
Contras:
- Los personajes tienen el carisma de una naranja aplastada. Sin duda el peor elenco de protagonistas de toda la saga.
- El sistema de Gambits está tan bien implementado que directamente borra el papel del jugador, convirtiéndose en casi un idle-game.
- Las misiones de cacería se hacen tediosas al depender siempre de intermediarios: lees una misión en el tablero, vas a hablar con el personaje que la manda, haces la cacería y después tienes que volver a hablar con el personaje. Así durante más de 40 cacerías.
Pros:
- El sistema de Gambits alcanza tal profundidad que hace palidecer a la IA de cualquier otro juego.
- El sistema Zodiac, así como los tableros de progresión de cada una de sus clases, provocan una sensación de desarrollo de personajes constante y muy diferenciada.
- El universo de Ivalice es uno de los más completos y complejos de la saga.
Contras:
- Los personajes tienen el carisma de una naranja aplastada. Sin duda el peor elenco de protagonistas de toda la saga.
- El sistema de Gambits está tan bien implementado que directamente borra el papel del jugador, convirtiéndose en casi un idle-game.
- Las misiones de cacería se hacen tediosas al depender siempre de intermediarios: lees una misión en el tablero, vas a hablar con el personaje que la manda, haces la cacería y después tienes que volver a hablar con el personaje. Así durante más de 40 cacerías.
They improved all that could be better on the original PS2 game. Props to SE.
Sleep inducing dungeon grind.
EDIT: The cutscene involving the diplomat guy who tries to woo the crowd when giving a speech and who critiques the temple's design afterward (with Vaan not having any of it) is surprisingly nuanced writing by videogame standards even taken entirely on its own, but you'd think if the folks at SE were really going for intelligent/mature they wouldn't sandwich that scene in between gratuitous crotch shots, nor would there be an inexplicable and hokey "Congratulations!" screen after the first boss, (Why does nobody ever talk about this? The other bosses don't even have it, making it doubly bizarre) or that the game's hub world and primary setting wouldn't be nearly as forgettable and confusing as it is, and I would have also liked it if they could've explained the job system better instead of forcing you to just choose one without elaboration up front, and without any elaboration after the fact. (Or would that make the game less "smart"?)
For that matter I have no investment in the characters. Fran and Balthier are like one dimensional tropes, I consider them 'cool' but my like of them pretty much stops there.
EDIT: The cutscene involving the diplomat guy who tries to woo the crowd when giving a speech and who critiques the temple's design afterward (with Vaan not having any of it) is surprisingly nuanced writing by videogame standards even taken entirely on its own, but you'd think if the folks at SE were really going for intelligent/mature they wouldn't sandwich that scene in between gratuitous crotch shots, nor would there be an inexplicable and hokey "Congratulations!" screen after the first boss, (Why does nobody ever talk about this? The other bosses don't even have it, making it doubly bizarre) or that the game's hub world and primary setting wouldn't be nearly as forgettable and confusing as it is, and I would have also liked it if they could've explained the job system better instead of forcing you to just choose one without elaboration up front, and without any elaboration after the fact. (Or would that make the game less "smart"?)
For that matter I have no investment in the characters. Fran and Balthier are like one dimensional tropes, I consider them 'cool' but my like of them pretty much stops there.
I really really like the story, characters, the world... But I just couldn't overcome the gameplay. It has plenty of cool ideas that I will give it credit for; the gambit system is incredible and just adds to how customisable your play style is. This is really a "JRPG Fan's JRPG", and not beginner friendly to those new to the genre.
From a narrative perspective, this is fantastic. I enjoyed the political feuds between nations, an idea that works due to the amazing world building.
The gameplay is another matter... It's still very much a clunky PS2 game. At times you feel like your fighting the game itself to get it do what you want, and it gets frustrating. There's a lotta grind too, it requires a lot of patience, something I don't currently possess.
Make sure you know what you're getting into before you play I guess. Good game, probably not for me.
From a narrative perspective, this is fantastic. I enjoyed the political feuds between nations, an idea that works due to the amazing world building.
The gameplay is another matter... It's still very much a clunky PS2 game. At times you feel like your fighting the game itself to get it do what you want, and it gets frustrating. There's a lotta grind too, it requires a lot of patience, something I don't currently possess.
Make sure you know what you're getting into before you play I guess. Good game, probably not for me.
Final Fantasy games are not strangers to the trick of having the player-character a step removed from the main story. Where heroic fantasy relies on the idea that the main character is fated to deliver peace and harmony to the world (and that the world then opens and closes for them), Final Fantasy's best titles subvert this through the perspective of the nobody. Here events are always already in motion, the absence of fate leaves conclusions open, and the world seems to endure before and after the protagonist ever entered the stage. The series has had hollow shells tricked by false memories of heroes, clones, puppets, and even ghosts; it is an always posthuman approach to fantasy that involves killing God and his mission of Peace through the restoration of fate and the divine right of kings. In God's place are nobodies. Final Fantasy XII is curious because it is very much mapped out as a heroic fantasy, but its traditionalist elements play out at a distance. Amidst stories of exiled royalty, imperialism, the ambivalence of soft power, and revenant princesses, Vaan just wants to be a pirate.
With its deserts and grimy machinery and big blue skies eclipsed by floating islands Final Fantasy XII clearly draws on the space opera of Star Wars. Vaan, like Anakin, wants to leave his poverty to find out what's up there instead. Unlike Anakin though Vaan never rises to become the centre of anything; fate never plucked him out, the heavens never conspired his overthrow, he only stumbled into something bigger than and other to himself. Vaan's perspective grounds the human impact of empire, and his distant observation of world events strips them of their drama, highlighting the bland subterfuge and broader geopolitical negotiations of royalty and commerce that determine who lives and dies. The series' enduring panpsychism is set aside for something drier too. There are minerals of supernatural origin, the use of which draws mysticism, politics, and business to the same stage in conflict, but in other Final Fantasy titles the minerals are always more than their use value. The panpsychist world exceeds the human, the earth gets revenge on humankind, or it otherwise recedes again. In Final Fantasy XII however there is no mystery, because the minerals are totally reified within the game-world's network of extractive capitalism. Of course there's the Mist, and there's always magick, but this is all secondary to what the mineral represents on the geopolitical stage as a commodity.
Maybe its fantasy is compelling because kept at a distance it's allowed to be more intricate. The characters in XII are less instantly memorable than other titles, thanks in part to their subdued mannerisms (more high fantasy than anime), and otherwise their connection to a story that we, as Vaan, are never intimately attached to. In fact many feel like discarded drafts from other titles or assemblages from a Final Fantasy database. But get lost in it from Vaan's very grounded perspective and their relative anonymity has them believably sutured into a world that is always bigger and more unknowable than what we're given. Because it always feels about ten times bigger than it is, and that's thanks to the way it always withdraws from full focus. Even returning to that small fishing village every week or so and finding it unchanged, there are clearly mysteries and forces and something being always withheld from us. It's something about the intricate patterning of the woven textiles, the grimy surfaces of the stones and sandblasted fabric of the tents, the cautious villagers that continue with their day but look across quickly just to see if we're still there. It's the most imaginatively and least narratively efficient way of presenting a world teeming with life, because it exists in its resistance to narrative purpose but never truly opens up and becomes home. It is magical because it is aloof; the feeling of 'I wish I could be here more and really get to know this place' never goes away because it is always extending beyond what we can access.
My only complaint about this remaster is that it sands off the distortion that made the PS2 version so unique, revealing too much of the 3D shapes that were always hidden behind layers of grain. The visual noise added to each location's sense of mystery, suggesting cracks and moving parts and just obscured details the remaster kills dead. It's a shame of course because mystery is such a big part of what makes Final Fantasy XII's one of the most alive gameworlds of any generation. The battle system is still ingenious, partly because it allows both exploring and fighting to take place in the same gorgeous panoramas, and partly because it leans on the small satisfactions of ultrabasic programming: if>then commands, or a play of algorithms that as the game goes on comes to absorb the player into the machinic team they've created within the machine. Final Fantasy XIII would automate things too much, XV would loosen things to the point of chaos, and Final Fantasy VII Remake would ultimately unify the live and algorithmic battle styles through a satisfying rhythmic punch. I still think this one is genius, and perfectly suited to a game that needs to make exploration in and of itself gratifying.
I earlier compared it to Star Wars because of its sand and laser gun retrofuturism, but its approach is very Lucas. Try as the story might to contain and make sense of the world for us, it also expects us to get distracted with Vaan, and to imagine our way off into the distance, to what's down there or around the corner, to what that unnamed character is doing or thinking, to whether the people here are happy. Much has been written about how the fragmentedness of Star Wars is its best asset, because its inconsistencies actively encourage investigation from audiences to fill in the blanks and tell stories about what's happening in the margins. No world exists beyond the images we access through the work, and yet we imagine one that grows and changes every time we revisit it. We're drawn to these broken worlds because the films we watch and games we play and stories we read feel like relics of something now lost; some unattainable feeling of home. Videogames require the wilful illusion that 'there's something over the horizon' more than any other medium, but Final Fantasy XII is the one that most consciously engages with the participatory nature of cult cinema.
There's a pathos to it, because not only is it the most fragmented of the Final Fantasy games, it's also the least remembered then and now, coming right at the end of its generation. A very quiet swan song, but one that swarms with more life than you can fathom every time you let it run.
With its deserts and grimy machinery and big blue skies eclipsed by floating islands Final Fantasy XII clearly draws on the space opera of Star Wars. Vaan, like Anakin, wants to leave his poverty to find out what's up there instead. Unlike Anakin though Vaan never rises to become the centre of anything; fate never plucked him out, the heavens never conspired his overthrow, he only stumbled into something bigger than and other to himself. Vaan's perspective grounds the human impact of empire, and his distant observation of world events strips them of their drama, highlighting the bland subterfuge and broader geopolitical negotiations of royalty and commerce that determine who lives and dies. The series' enduring panpsychism is set aside for something drier too. There are minerals of supernatural origin, the use of which draws mysticism, politics, and business to the same stage in conflict, but in other Final Fantasy titles the minerals are always more than their use value. The panpsychist world exceeds the human, the earth gets revenge on humankind, or it otherwise recedes again. In Final Fantasy XII however there is no mystery, because the minerals are totally reified within the game-world's network of extractive capitalism. Of course there's the Mist, and there's always magick, but this is all secondary to what the mineral represents on the geopolitical stage as a commodity.
Maybe its fantasy is compelling because kept at a distance it's allowed to be more intricate. The characters in XII are less instantly memorable than other titles, thanks in part to their subdued mannerisms (more high fantasy than anime), and otherwise their connection to a story that we, as Vaan, are never intimately attached to. In fact many feel like discarded drafts from other titles or assemblages from a Final Fantasy database. But get lost in it from Vaan's very grounded perspective and their relative anonymity has them believably sutured into a world that is always bigger and more unknowable than what we're given. Because it always feels about ten times bigger than it is, and that's thanks to the way it always withdraws from full focus. Even returning to that small fishing village every week or so and finding it unchanged, there are clearly mysteries and forces and something being always withheld from us. It's something about the intricate patterning of the woven textiles, the grimy surfaces of the stones and sandblasted fabric of the tents, the cautious villagers that continue with their day but look across quickly just to see if we're still there. It's the most imaginatively and least narratively efficient way of presenting a world teeming with life, because it exists in its resistance to narrative purpose but never truly opens up and becomes home. It is magical because it is aloof; the feeling of 'I wish I could be here more and really get to know this place' never goes away because it is always extending beyond what we can access.
My only complaint about this remaster is that it sands off the distortion that made the PS2 version so unique, revealing too much of the 3D shapes that were always hidden behind layers of grain. The visual noise added to each location's sense of mystery, suggesting cracks and moving parts and just obscured details the remaster kills dead. It's a shame of course because mystery is such a big part of what makes Final Fantasy XII's one of the most alive gameworlds of any generation. The battle system is still ingenious, partly because it allows both exploring and fighting to take place in the same gorgeous panoramas, and partly because it leans on the small satisfactions of ultrabasic programming: if>then commands, or a play of algorithms that as the game goes on comes to absorb the player into the machinic team they've created within the machine. Final Fantasy XIII would automate things too much, XV would loosen things to the point of chaos, and Final Fantasy VII Remake would ultimately unify the live and algorithmic battle styles through a satisfying rhythmic punch. I still think this one is genius, and perfectly suited to a game that needs to make exploration in and of itself gratifying.
I earlier compared it to Star Wars because of its sand and laser gun retrofuturism, but its approach is very Lucas. Try as the story might to contain and make sense of the world for us, it also expects us to get distracted with Vaan, and to imagine our way off into the distance, to what's down there or around the corner, to what that unnamed character is doing or thinking, to whether the people here are happy. Much has been written about how the fragmentedness of Star Wars is its best asset, because its inconsistencies actively encourage investigation from audiences to fill in the blanks and tell stories about what's happening in the margins. No world exists beyond the images we access through the work, and yet we imagine one that grows and changes every time we revisit it. We're drawn to these broken worlds because the films we watch and games we play and stories we read feel like relics of something now lost; some unattainable feeling of home. Videogames require the wilful illusion that 'there's something over the horizon' more than any other medium, but Final Fantasy XII is the one that most consciously engages with the participatory nature of cult cinema.
There's a pathos to it, because not only is it the most fragmented of the Final Fantasy games, it's also the least remembered then and now, coming right at the end of its generation. A very quiet swan song, but one that swarms with more life than you can fathom every time you let it run.
nice sistema
I had a funny feeling whenever I got around to this game that I would enjoy the updated version more than the PS2 version.
Story: The best way to describe the story of FF12 (other than obvious Star Wars jokes), is a political determination. This FF is the most politically driven story told in a game. It can be slow at points but is it gets captivating when it gets to a point it captivating.
Gameplay: This is best described as a single-player MMO, and at first when i tried to play this many years ago is that I did not click with me however the ZA changes a lot to where this gameplay is not so bad like it was. The new class system makes it so every character has their own role and they stick to it, and it makes swapping out characters all the more useful and tactical. This version has a turbo mode which is a very nice addition, I used it probably 90% of the time except for bosses and so on. The only issue with the gameplay is if the gambit setup is great then it basically makes it so you never really have to do anything except for emergencies. Also, the quickening is the get out of jail free cards in a fight.
Music: I will say that FF12 has an ok soundtrack, it has some of it dud but some of the tracks (like boss fights) are A+.
Sidequests: So I did most of the sidequests in this game up to a certain point because I did get a slight burnout in the end and I wanted to b lined the main story to the end. The sidequests in this game I divide into two sections the hunts and actual sidequests. The hunts were the most interesting side stuff to do in the game because it was basically the challenge that I got because the story is a bit too easy so all the hunts that I did challenge me in the end. the actual sidequests were ok but I would not say that they were not engaging as much but I do want to go back, later on, to finish up some side stuff.
Enjoyment/Last thoughts: FF12 is the most diverse FF, and is definitely worth a playthrough. 7/10
Story: The best way to describe the story of FF12 (other than obvious Star Wars jokes), is a political determination. This FF is the most politically driven story told in a game. It can be slow at points but is it gets captivating when it gets to a point it captivating.
Gameplay: This is best described as a single-player MMO, and at first when i tried to play this many years ago is that I did not click with me however the ZA changes a lot to where this gameplay is not so bad like it was. The new class system makes it so every character has their own role and they stick to it, and it makes swapping out characters all the more useful and tactical. This version has a turbo mode which is a very nice addition, I used it probably 90% of the time except for bosses and so on. The only issue with the gameplay is if the gambit setup is great then it basically makes it so you never really have to do anything except for emergencies. Also, the quickening is the get out of jail free cards in a fight.
Music: I will say that FF12 has an ok soundtrack, it has some of it dud but some of the tracks (like boss fights) are A+.
Sidequests: So I did most of the sidequests in this game up to a certain point because I did get a slight burnout in the end and I wanted to b lined the main story to the end. The sidequests in this game I divide into two sections the hunts and actual sidequests. The hunts were the most interesting side stuff to do in the game because it was basically the challenge that I got because the story is a bit too easy so all the hunts that I did challenge me in the end. the actual sidequests were ok but I would not say that they were not engaging as much but I do want to go back, later on, to finish up some side stuff.
Enjoyment/Last thoughts: FF12 is the most diverse FF, and is definitely worth a playthrough. 7/10
Underrated entry
This game has the blandest 3D mainline Final Fantasy characters.
A game that focuses on lore instead of the characters, to the point were characters will end up monologuing lore sometimes, which doesn´t really help when the story feels like a rip-off of the Star Wars prequels.
It´s the first 3D Final Fantasy were I was starved for some heart to heart between the party, there was very little of it, and even when it happened, a character had to come in and spew more lore.
The battle system is somehow worse than the ATB system, since get this, it plays itself, your reward for being prepared in this game, is the battle system playing itself.
I am not kidding it got to the point were I would be able to fast-forward 4X in boss battles and win easily without pressing a single button.
So, a Final Fantasy where the characters are bland, the battle system plays itself, and the world is front and center, what gets you?
The Anti-Final Fantasy.
You are not the leading man Han Solo rip-off, get out of my house.
A game that focuses on lore instead of the characters, to the point were characters will end up monologuing lore sometimes, which doesn´t really help when the story feels like a rip-off of the Star Wars prequels.
It´s the first 3D Final Fantasy were I was starved for some heart to heart between the party, there was very little of it, and even when it happened, a character had to come in and spew more lore.
The battle system is somehow worse than the ATB system, since get this, it plays itself, your reward for being prepared in this game, is the battle system playing itself.
I am not kidding it got to the point were I would be able to fast-forward 4X in boss battles and win easily without pressing a single button.
So, a Final Fantasy where the characters are bland, the battle system plays itself, and the world is front and center, what gets you?
The Anti-Final Fantasy.
You are not the leading man Han Solo rip-off, get out of my house.
A fantastic game just got better.
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is an HD remastered version of the original PlayStation 2 game released in 2006. More specifically it's based on the International Zodiac Job System edition previously only released in Japan which balanced out some of the gameplay mechanics among other things to improve the original. This PS4 release with higher quality visuals, remastered orchestra soundtrack and ability to play at X2 and X4 speed is sort of the ultimate release of the game and it is, in my opinion, fantastic.
The story of Final Fantasy XII is a very political one. Set in the world of Ivalice, more precisely the Kingdom of Dalmasca after a war where the Empire of Archadia has invaded and taken over. The characters are an assorted bunch from a pair of orphaned street thieves, a dishonored Knight, a Princess and a couple of sky pirates. They all get brought together for different reasons, some for their honor and duty and others just because they got swept up into events much bigger than themselves in an attempt to free Dalmasca from Archadia's grip. The story isn't a huge world saving quest like many previous Final Fantasy games or other Japanese role playing games in general and I kind of like it for being more grounded in many ways. That's not to say the story doesn't take the player to fantastical places like floating islands or towns full of strange races while fighting fantastical monsters or anything, only that the characters problems and motivations just seem much more realistic than previous games have gone for.
The gameplay on this quest is of course the most important aspect and I thought it was way ahead of it's time when it was released and didn't actually think I would like it, when I finally played it though I loved it. During the parties travels both between cities in the wilds as well as numerous dungeons they will cross paths with many enemies such as wild monsters or Archadian empire troops. During fights or traveling the player can use up to three characters on the field at any one time and as long as they aren't being targeted can be swapped with back up members at anytime. These three members in the field can be swapped between at any point and given orders to attack, use a variety of offensive/defensive and heal items/abilities etc. or they can be set up to automatically perform actions under certain conditions.
This is called the gambit system. Each character has a set amount of slots for these gambits which can be set up to target specific enemies, characters or themselves under a variety of conditions to perform an action. For example "Ally health <60% - use potion" so any ally who drops below 60% health that character will automatically heal them with a potion. It's a simple but effective system where you can assign priorities to which gambit they will use over others in different situations gaining both more slots for these gambits as well as conditions to use them and abilities as the game goes on both from leveling up and shops. It is a system people either love or hate but you can turn them off at any tame should you wish and control characters manually. I liked to set up my gambits and have my party take a boss out running on automatic without me even touching the controller if I've done it right but there is some flexibility if you want.
The big change to the game over the original is each character now take on up to two specific jobs that can't be changed, locking in what skills, weapons and armor they can use for the entire game rather than everyone being a jack of all trades super soldier as in the original. This makes for a much more interesting and strategic game where you have to choose characters jobs very carefully as you can't go back once they take on that job. I also found myself swapping between characters a hell of a lot more to use different skills such as various magic or long ranged attacks etc. How everyone plays will be entirely up to your job choices and it makes the party feel a lot more diverse.
Visually this game is just wonderful. It's obviously still a PlayStation 2 game and that must be taken into account but in many places it looks better than some PS4 games. It was cutting edge at the time of release and with higher detailed models, crisp outlines and better colors it looks much better. There are some blurry undetailed textures here and there for backgrounds compared with the detailed character models but all in all FFXII still looks fantastic thanks to it's great usage of color and design. I seriously love the overall art and atmosphere of FFXII from the normal citizens, the races, buildings, armor etc. It all looks great.
The audio and music are also fantastic. The whole soundtrack was re-recorded, you can switch between it and the original in the menu to see the difference and use whichever you prefer. I personally loved the higher quality new soundtrack, the music is exactly the same otherwise which is no bad thing because the soundtrack is great. A nice mixture of more upbeat tunes such as exploring the city of Rabanastre up to the more epic orchestral boss fights. As for the voice acting, I always loved it in Final Fantasy XII and the voice acting is exactly the same, no re-recordings of that. The cast does a great job of all standing out, from the British skypirate (Balthier is the leading man after all) to the enigmatic Vierra and grizzled sounding Knight, each part is really perfect for each character. The only problem is some of the voice acting sounds like it was recorded through a tin can or a tiny room and comes across as a little echoey, it didn't bother me much, just something I noticed people should be aware of.
Lastly on my standard review list is value. I got the platinum trophy in around 110 hours beating all super bosses, doing all optional hunts and side quests. I was however doing this having played it all before and a lot at x4 speed. For someone new to the game that's not hunting out every little secret or trying to take on the 100 levels of trial mode it's still a solid 40 hours experience which at £30 was good value to me.
In conclusion Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is a great game. It improves on the original balancing out characters and combat with better visuals, improved music, an ability to speed run through the large open areas. It has a ton of content and is just an all round great game. I can see how some people may be turned off by both the gambit system and the story but it's worth a try as you may end up surprised and loving it like I did eleven years ago.
Recommended.
+ Gambit system is excellent.
+ New job selections make for a more diverse party.
+ Great visuals, color and music.
+ Balthier.
- Voice acting is superb but sounds like it was recorded in a small room. May annoy some people though I was fine with it.
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is an HD remastered version of the original PlayStation 2 game released in 2006. More specifically it's based on the International Zodiac Job System edition previously only released in Japan which balanced out some of the gameplay mechanics among other things to improve the original. This PS4 release with higher quality visuals, remastered orchestra soundtrack and ability to play at X2 and X4 speed is sort of the ultimate release of the game and it is, in my opinion, fantastic.
The story of Final Fantasy XII is a very political one. Set in the world of Ivalice, more precisely the Kingdom of Dalmasca after a war where the Empire of Archadia has invaded and taken over. The characters are an assorted bunch from a pair of orphaned street thieves, a dishonored Knight, a Princess and a couple of sky pirates. They all get brought together for different reasons, some for their honor and duty and others just because they got swept up into events much bigger than themselves in an attempt to free Dalmasca from Archadia's grip. The story isn't a huge world saving quest like many previous Final Fantasy games or other Japanese role playing games in general and I kind of like it for being more grounded in many ways. That's not to say the story doesn't take the player to fantastical places like floating islands or towns full of strange races while fighting fantastical monsters or anything, only that the characters problems and motivations just seem much more realistic than previous games have gone for.
The gameplay on this quest is of course the most important aspect and I thought it was way ahead of it's time when it was released and didn't actually think I would like it, when I finally played it though I loved it. During the parties travels both between cities in the wilds as well as numerous dungeons they will cross paths with many enemies such as wild monsters or Archadian empire troops. During fights or traveling the player can use up to three characters on the field at any one time and as long as they aren't being targeted can be swapped with back up members at anytime. These three members in the field can be swapped between at any point and given orders to attack, use a variety of offensive/defensive and heal items/abilities etc. or they can be set up to automatically perform actions under certain conditions.
This is called the gambit system. Each character has a set amount of slots for these gambits which can be set up to target specific enemies, characters or themselves under a variety of conditions to perform an action. For example "Ally health <60% - use potion" so any ally who drops below 60% health that character will automatically heal them with a potion. It's a simple but effective system where you can assign priorities to which gambit they will use over others in different situations gaining both more slots for these gambits as well as conditions to use them and abilities as the game goes on both from leveling up and shops. It is a system people either love or hate but you can turn them off at any tame should you wish and control characters manually. I liked to set up my gambits and have my party take a boss out running on automatic without me even touching the controller if I've done it right but there is some flexibility if you want.
The big change to the game over the original is each character now take on up to two specific jobs that can't be changed, locking in what skills, weapons and armor they can use for the entire game rather than everyone being a jack of all trades super soldier as in the original. This makes for a much more interesting and strategic game where you have to choose characters jobs very carefully as you can't go back once they take on that job. I also found myself swapping between characters a hell of a lot more to use different skills such as various magic or long ranged attacks etc. How everyone plays will be entirely up to your job choices and it makes the party feel a lot more diverse.
Visually this game is just wonderful. It's obviously still a PlayStation 2 game and that must be taken into account but in many places it looks better than some PS4 games. It was cutting edge at the time of release and with higher detailed models, crisp outlines and better colors it looks much better. There are some blurry undetailed textures here and there for backgrounds compared with the detailed character models but all in all FFXII still looks fantastic thanks to it's great usage of color and design. I seriously love the overall art and atmosphere of FFXII from the normal citizens, the races, buildings, armor etc. It all looks great.
The audio and music are also fantastic. The whole soundtrack was re-recorded, you can switch between it and the original in the menu to see the difference and use whichever you prefer. I personally loved the higher quality new soundtrack, the music is exactly the same otherwise which is no bad thing because the soundtrack is great. A nice mixture of more upbeat tunes such as exploring the city of Rabanastre up to the more epic orchestral boss fights. As for the voice acting, I always loved it in Final Fantasy XII and the voice acting is exactly the same, no re-recordings of that. The cast does a great job of all standing out, from the British skypirate (Balthier is the leading man after all) to the enigmatic Vierra and grizzled sounding Knight, each part is really perfect for each character. The only problem is some of the voice acting sounds like it was recorded through a tin can or a tiny room and comes across as a little echoey, it didn't bother me much, just something I noticed people should be aware of.
Lastly on my standard review list is value. I got the platinum trophy in around 110 hours beating all super bosses, doing all optional hunts and side quests. I was however doing this having played it all before and a lot at x4 speed. For someone new to the game that's not hunting out every little secret or trying to take on the 100 levels of trial mode it's still a solid 40 hours experience which at £30 was good value to me.
In conclusion Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is a great game. It improves on the original balancing out characters and combat with better visuals, improved music, an ability to speed run through the large open areas. It has a ton of content and is just an all round great game. I can see how some people may be turned off by both the gambit system and the story but it's worth a try as you may end up surprised and loving it like I did eleven years ago.
Recommended.
+ Gambit system is excellent.
+ New job selections make for a more diverse party.
+ Great visuals, color and music.
+ Balthier.
- Voice acting is superb but sounds like it was recorded in a small room. May annoy some people though I was fine with it.