Should I give FFXII another shot?

[Jinx]

I hate FFXII. With a passion. I think it's the worst in the series after VIII...but lately I've been wanting to play it again. As of right now, I'd have to purchase another copy, but...

Everyone on this forum seems to really like it or LOVE it except me. When I first bought the game, I was maybe 15. I only tried playing it through the one time, and got to the Tomb thing with the fucking Demon Wall that I didn't realize you could skip, so I spent days getting my levels high enough to beat it. Then I finally reached that mountain thing with that weird disco Cid guy, and the STILLSHRINE OF MIRIAM (I remember the name because I hated it and got so fucking lost) and I finally just quit.

My thing about FFXII was that I hate, hate, HATE the battle system. I think it's terrible. And that there is almost a complete lack of story. It leaves a really bad impression on me.

But, I realize that I was also 15, and very against any changes to the series I grew up on. I realize now that I'm older I'm better at games, and more open to playing things. And I wonder if I gave it a shot now, if I'd like it.

What do you think? What are some reasons I should try (or not try) this game again?

[Hollycat]

An open world
MMORPG feel with better controls and lack of douches.

[Sylvie]

If you disliked it that much then don't play it again. I hate it too for pretty much all the same reasons. That is why I sold it.

[Slothy]

What are some reasons I should try (or not try) this game again?

Because your opinion is objectively wrong?

I kid (partly). but seriously, the battle system has some real depth to it and is the most interesting the series has had since FFV which is kind of sad when you think about it. I would play through the game again for the battle system alone.

[DMKA]

I actually found it pretty disappointing the first time I played it, too, but now I like it. I liked it way better the second time around than I did the first time.

The game has a story, it's just all about politics and war rather than the characters. Combine this with the fact that it's spread apart by huge expanses of land filled with monsters that you have to travel through to progress and it really can feel like there's not much story there. It's there though.

If you hated it so much you weren't willing to play through it further than that, I wouldn't recommend you play it again because you probably still won't like it all that much. But it is a great game. There are still things I wish they wouldn't have done though, like changing the battle mechanics so radically, and getting rid of all the classic summon monsters, and completely abandoning the concept of character development, and not having characters speak in plain modern layman English rather than Quasi-Shakespearean dialect. These things by no means make it an inferior game to other FF titles...just radically different from them.

If you can get your hands on another copy without having to pay/pay much for it, I say give it one more chance. Otherwise, I wouldn't if I were you.

[Sylvie]

hey sam how about you just play the god damn video game and stop crying

I respect you like a good partisan should

[Jiro]

The pacing feels a little off but the game really is good fun.

[Wolf Kanno]

I always say go for it but then again, I've been the forums FFXII (http://home.eyesonff.com/final-fantasy-xii/98290-stupid-utter-genius.html) apologist (http://home.eyesonff.com/final-fantasy-xii/102046-game-awful.html) since I first joined. Most people tell me that the second time through is usually better, probably because they know what to expect this time around and not the usual "oh it's going to be like the last game!".

It's actually got a lot of story, I believe the running time of dialogued cutscenes is about the same as FFX actually, it's just that, as DMKA mentioned, it's spaced between large MMO style landscapes and hordes of monsters to battle so it can take some time to get to places, especially if you are consistent with side missions. It's also more plot focused than character driven, which tends to be rough on people who really liked entries like FFX and XIII where the games have an excuse plot and the story is mostly the cast angsting about.

[Hollycat]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, xii is my second favorite ff, right behind crisis core.

Loved it the first time, loved it the second, currently on the third (doing a playthrough where if you die, you are completely dead till we reach a red crystal.

[Quindiana Jones]

I'm afraid you'll find nothing but an atrociously biased opinion from me. I loved the game. I loved the battle mechanics, I love the world, I loved the plot, I loved the characters, and I loved the enemies. I particularly loved the Stilshrine of Miriam.

Naturally, I think you should try it again, but don't bother spending a fortune trying to get it.

[Jinx]

I'm afraid you'll find nothing but an atrociously biased opinion from me. I loved the game. I loved the battle mechanics, I love the world, I loved the plot, I loved the characters, and I loved the enemies. I particularly loved the Stilshrine of Miriam.

Naturally, I think you should try it again, but don't bother spending a fortune trying to get it.


Yeah, that's my biggest issue. If I could find it for cheap, or borrow it from someone--cool. But I don't want to pay a ton of money for a game I'm not sure I will like (and by past experience, I hate.)

[Quindiana Jones]

The only place you have a chance of finding it cheap is high street game shops, where it will be at a reasonable market price. The problem this has is that it will more than likely take a bloody age until you finally find it. People on ebay and Amazon typically think that an old game is worth millions of pounds, because they are stupid.

Either way, you're risking losing a lot of your time or a lot of your money if you end up still hating it!

[ReloadPsi]

An open world
MMORPG feel with better controls and lack of douches.

Is exactly why I like it. Kinda forgettable otherwise though.

[Wolf Kanno]

If you have a Gamestop, it should be pretty easy to find and for relatively cheap actually. Probably around $9.99 - $14.99 depending.

[Hollycat]

You can get the collectors international edition for 12.98

edit:
international edition with the collectors disk thrown in.

[maybee]

Well personally I don't like Final Fantasy 12 either. Final Fantasy 12 seems to be that game that you either think that's the best Final Fantasy ever or the worst.

Personally I've given it at least 3 tries maybe 4 and I just can't get into it.

[Sylvie]

The only place you have a chance of finding it cheap is high street game shops, where it will be at a reasonable market price. The problem this has is that it will more than likely take a bloody age until you finally find it. People on ebay and Amazon typically think that an old game is worth millions of pounds, because they are stupid.
This is all bulls**t.

[Quindiana Jones]

Ah right, yeah, I see your point. :roll2

[Jessweeee♪]

I too was fifteen when I first played it! I wasn't too crazy about it. It was alright, but nothing special. I found the battle system to be super fun though, so I gave it another run and liked it much more the second time around. FFXII is one of those titles that grows on me with each run through the game. It's one of my favorites in the series!

[Alpha2099]

Well personally I don't like Final Fantasy 12 either. Final Fantasy 12 seems to be that game that you either think that's the best Final Fantasy ever or the worst.
The same can be said about FF8. When a game is that polarizing, you gotta give it some props. That said, I don't like 12 very much. I was 17 when I played it, and just never had enough interest to keep up with it. It didn't feel like the older FFs I had played and enjoyed.

I won't say it's the worst FF ever (I might reserve that for FF3), but to this point I have played/attempted to play eight FF games (1-7 and 12), and the only ones I abandoned before finishing were FF5 and FF12. Someday I intend to go back and give 5 another try, but I don't feel the same way with 12.

[Slothy]

That said, I don't like 12 very much. I was 17 when I played it, and just never had enough interest to keep up with it. It didn't feel like the older FFs I had played and enjoyed.

That was one of the big reasons I liked it (that and it being good anyway). After nearly 20 years of playing the other FF's in the series at the time, playing something that wasn't like the older titles was a breath of fresh air, and a much needed kick in the ass for a series that had stagnated a bit. Then they abandoned it and made FFXIII. Ah well, at least I got a brief glimpse of some hope.


and the only ones I abandoned before finishing were FF5 and FF12. Someday I intend to go back and give 5 another try, but I don't feel the same way with 12.

Quite the interesting avatar and sig choice based on this tidbit of info. :D

[Alpha2099]

Quite the interesting avatar and sig choice based on this tidbit of info. :D
Well...5 has cool-looking sprites. In most FFs, the characters look the same from the start to the end. In 5, you can change it up as much as you want. I like that.

[Bolivar]

I firmly believe FFXII is a game most people will have to pick up a second time before they appreciate it. I was very disappointed by it in 2006, but now it's one of my favorite games of the last decade. I used to hate the mindless hordes of monsters stopping you from any plot progression at all. Now, I love fighting hordes of monsters, exploring every nook and cranny of every area, mapping out each region and coming up with different equipment and gambit combinations. The story also hits you th at much harder when you get a gist of what the plot is before jumping in.

I just wish the camera controls weren't outdated.

Go for it - you can find the game for less than $5 if you really want to.

[Jinx]

Just bought the game off of Amazon for 8.64 after shipping. :P

It should be here next week.

[Jessweeee♪]

Nice o:

[Elpizo]

My PS3 died on me and the replacement just arrived today. Lost all my saved games, including my 192 hours on XII. Now I have a reason to go through this great game again! :D

[Quindiana Jones]

So... have you tried it again yet, Sam? Keep us updated! :D

[Sephex]

I would also like to know that.

I actually like this game. I don't LOVE it, but I appreciated how Square-Enix approached this entry so differently. I'm actually kind of bitter towards all the negative feedback XII gets because fans complained that that the FF series was growing stale. Hell, that argument still exists today! So they actually try something new and fans ended up complaining that it was too different. Fine, I can see that, but no one should have been surprised when Square-Enix went back to porting/remaking stuff, revisiting FFVII, and making another -2 game.

[escobert]

I enjoyed this game, it was decent compared to the last few FF's I had tried. Was it awesome and sucked me right in like VII VIII and Tactics? Hell no. But it did give me a good 30 or so hours of fun until I just got sick of it and stopped playing.

[Del Murder]

I think I gave FFXII an unfair shake the first time I played. I initially loved it and couldn't but it down. But the game was so massive and the mark hunts were so enticing that I got too caught up with that aspect of it and got bored with the game entirely. Then I didn't come back to finish it until two years later.

FFX is getting a HD treatment sometime soon. If they ever do the same for FFXII then I think I'll pick it up and give it another go.

[Goldenboko]

I'd say try it again, if you only got to the Stillshrine because you didn't get very far. I don't even think you got Belias yet? I don't know when I'd say is a good time to say you've gone far enough to tell - did you do any of the marks?

[Freya]

I just got this game again and plan on playing it again so maybe we can play it together Sam :3

[Madonna]

Oh man, I remember when the game came out, there were quite a few hate threads going on; I was depressed. Even people who said they liked/loved it in the end said the story sucked.

Just a newsflash for everyone, but the story of Final Fantasy has been almost this one formula all of the time:
Rebels fight against the empire.
With exception to how people took exception to the plot, most people liked it and their reasons why are great. The new combat system was similar to what Square-Enix used for XI, the world was full of a rich history and culture, and you had to take a few different tacks with a few different bosses and marks. I liked everything, and XII ranks up there in my list of Final Fantasys worth playing.

I hope you two ladies both enjoy the game.

[Mercen-X]

"Play it again, Sam!"

Yeah, play, play, play.

I find the game to be quite good, growth and gambit system aside.

[Old Manus]

I've played through this game twice, years apart, and both times have lost interest by the time I got to Balfonheim. Christ, it is boring at times. You can go for hours and hours, through multiple areas (which, by the way, are pretty bland), and not hear anything in the way of plot advancement, or even information on the area you're actually going through. I always forget the plot within a few weeks. It's just a pretty dungeon crawler. Grinding is easier though (but more boring).

[Elpizo]

Kinda sad you made it all the way to Balfonheim and quit, when, plot-wise, all that you had left to do was the Fey Wood, Giruvegan and the Pharos. So, you were near the end of the game.

[Laddy]

To me FFXII was a step in the right direction that XIII completely, utterly, and unforgivably fucked up.

The game's dialogue is amazingly well-written, "I'm Captain Basch!" nonsense aside. With the exception of maybe Baldur's Gate, the good Fallouts, and Planescape Torment, I have never seen a better written RPG, or even game for that matter. The localization is shockingly good. The dialogue is almost Shakespearean at times but it totally works. That is enough for me to get into it.

The battle system, while not perfect, is fun, involving, deep, and strategic. It's tactical but gets your blood boiling.

The story is good, just different. The plot is much less melodramatic and much more subtle and nuanced. I wouldn't say it's the best, but it's handled in a fun and exciting new way.

I hated this game and voted it as the worst in the series when I first got it. But after I matured and played through it, I grew to thoroughly enjoy it. I'd give it another shot if you view it a certain way.

[Jinx]

Let's, Kaycee. :3

Let's see...I got to the part where I was killing the Rogue Tomato (sad ;-;) and then viciously murdering sleeping cacti. :D

[krissy]

ff12 was one of my faves

best dialogue writing of the series for sure. atmosphere was wonderful. characters were great.

there's a lot, and i mean a lot, of subtleties in the story and in the character interactions. maybe i'm reading too much into it, but the subtlety really made this games story for me. it made it more real, and the voice actors all did a great job i think.

[Jinx]

ff12 was one of my faves

best dialogue writing of the series for sure. atmosphere was wonderful. characters were great.

there's a lot, and i mean a lot, of subtleties in the story and in the character interactions. maybe i'm reading too much into it, but the subtlety really made this games story for me. it made it more real, and the voice actors all did a great job i think.

I'm Captain Basch von Ronsenburg! Don't believe Ondore's lies!

[Quindiana Jones]

Mar-kwiss Ondore. :mad2:

[krissy]

ff12 was one of my faves

best dialogue writing of the series for sure. atmosphere was wonderful. characters were great.

there's a lot, and i mean a lot, of subtleties in the story and in the character interactions. maybe i'm reading too much into it, but the subtlety really made this games story for me. it made it more real, and the voice actors all did a great job i think.

I'm Captain Basch von Ronsenburg! Don't believe Ondore's lies!

yeah! they send vann out on a political protest, and this is what the 15 year old kid comes up with on short notice! legitimate dialogue!

edit 17 whatever

[Sephex]

ff12 was one of my faves

best dialogue writing of the series for sure. atmosphere was wonderful. characters were great.

there's a lot, and i mean a lot, of subtleties in the story and in the character interactions. maybe i'm reading too much into it, but the subtlety really made this games story for me. it made it more real, and the voice actors all did a great job i think.

I'm Captain Basch von Ronsenburg! Don't believe Ondore's lies!

That part will always remind me of this:

vSyfGm6wXgs

[Jinx]

YES

I love that. <3

[Hollycat]

Gave me a jolly.

I'm supposed to wait 4 hours before calling the doctor about that right?

[ryanraze]

ff12 was one of my faves

best dialogue writing of the series for sure. atmosphere was wonderful. characters were great.

there's a lot, and i mean a lot, of subtleties in the story and in the character interactions. maybe i'm reading too much into it, but the subtlety really made this games story for me. it made it more real, and the voice actors all did a great job i think.

I'm Captain Basch von Ronsenburg! Don't believe Ondore's lies!

You know, that part alone turned me off of Vaan and Basch a bit. I rank that up there with the Yuna/Tidus laughing scene as some of the most uncomfortable dialogue in the FF saga.

[Cloudane]

I've been wondering the same thing. It seems that people either LOVED this game or HATED it, with not too many people in between (I fell into the latter camp, and it's not an age thing, I was in my late 20s). Those who loved it tend to be quite vocal about it and it tempts me into giving it another chance.


I think the main reason I hated it was expectation. It also came after FFX (sequels and MMOs aside) which is my joint favourite with VII and I was kind of hoping for a HD equivalent.

I expected interesting and exciting characters like Yuna and Auron, and none of them seemed to meet that for me. I expected a strong badass clear antagonist like Seymour or Sephiroth (probably with some Sin or Jenova thing behind them) and got... that guy I can't even remember the name of. I expected all the good guys to be nice in some way especially the pretty ones, and got Ashe (who I couldn't stand, she came off as a cold hearted brat IMO). I expected the usual story about a small group of misfits saving the world from a maniac (I like this story, that's why I play FF games) and got a story about war and politics. I expected turn based battles (I like turn based battles, that's another reason why I play FF games) and got the MMORPG type system. The list goes on. In summary expected a typical FF game in the style of either the classics or the VII-X era, and got something completely different. So I was bitterly disappointed, hated it and metaphorically stuck the logo over the box of Lost Odyssey instead.

But now that I know it's the black sheep of the FF franchise, I think I could enjoy it for what it is. I know what to expect. I know that there are very realistic shades of grey and the good guys are not all completely good and the bad guys are not all completely bad. I know it's a sort of "single player MMORPG" (a contradiction, but you know what I mean) and designed more for taking your time exploring and doing quests ("missions/marks") than following the main story. I know not to look for much in the way of character stories and to instead enjoy and analyse the politics, and I know that the characterisation that is there is subtle and requires deeper analysis than say, Yuna and Auron.

So maybe I'd be able to stop looking for the wrong things in it, and see its good sides.

[Shauna]

I never played much of FFXII when I first tried it as I wasn't hugely impressed, but I have been convinced by you guys to actually give it more of a chance. That and boredom needs to be sated. xD

It better be awesome or else I will be disappointed! *shake fist*

[Jinx]

I did give FFXII another shot. Sort of. :3 I got really busy with school and didn't get very far. I only completed the first mark. I was having fun ruthlessly killing sleeping cactuar after that.

I have to say, even though I didn't get too far into it, I was having a lot more fun this time around. I intend to pick it up again soon. I don't think I appreciated the gameplay when I was younger. But now that I'm a bit older and have replayed my copies of older Final Fantasies with the ATB system to death, I enjoy the new battle system much more.

[Quindiana Jones]

It better be awesome or else I will be disappointed! *shake fist*

If you're disappointed, it means you're not awesome. :colbert:

[Formalhaut]

The only reason why I haven't really played this game much recently is because simply that I am a perfectionist. In the Cerobi Steppe there are tons of treasure chests with potentially lucrative items, and a very base chance of receiving it. Being the perfectionist, I refuse to continue until I have got a ribbon.

I'm going to hate obtaining the Danjuro :mad:

[Hollycat]

I was having fun ruthlessly killing sleeping cactuar after that.

.

:cry:


Glad you enjoyed it though!

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

yea hcbailly's LP is making me give this game another shot even though I was bored with it when it was new. I keep getting distracted though with other games lol