Holy smokes that beginning!

When I got Final Fantasy XII for the PS2 and first started playing it it didn't take long at all for me to get into it. That whole opening sequence gave me goosebumps and even inspired my writing at the time. And then I was introduced to Vaan and the excitement ended soon after. Which is a shame too because IMO if they could have found a way to make the whole beginning the game they would have really had something there. But then they just cut to Vaan and everything came to a crashing halt and I lost all motivation and interest to play the game.

Anyone else feel this way or am I the Bad Wolf-- I mean, Lone Wolf.

This so much


The opening was just very well done and well very opening to the player and then like a balloon it deflates.

The game either gets much better or much worse depending on your tastebuds, but for me personally, once the game deflated, it deflated.

I agree that the opening was far more epic than the remainder of the story (at least, in my opinion).

Playing through FFXII again, I think I maintained the hype by remembering that Basch was supposed to be the main character, not Vaan. So instead of feeling frustrated that I was doing menial trout as Vaan while in town, I instead imagined that he was just the errand boy while all the other party members plotted their next movement against the Empire. This is kinda backed up by how many cutscenes Vaan isn't important in.

And yeah, that opening is one of the best I've seen in an RPG. While it's sad that the whole game didn't take place during the War it depicted, it's also understandable why, given the game's nature as an RPG. Regardless, I've always enjoyed the game more for being a tour of Ivalice rather than the game's actual narrative.

Very strong start that over weakened by the introduction of Vaan, but still a wonderful game.

I like the story and ye the opening for that game is epic imo. Vaan always annoys me though, I sometimes have the feeling he doesn't fit into the story at all (except for that one person). I always felt myself being swept away in the story of the other characters, having more depth and seeing how they feel,...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Valerna

I like the story and ye the opening for that game is epic imo. Vaan always annoys me though, I sometimes have the feeling he doesn't fit into the story at all (except for that one person). I always felt myself being swept away in the story of the other characters, having more depth and seeing how they feel,...

---

That seems to be the majority voice on Vaan. That's he a cardboard cutout that has no real relevance to the story. I think that's why he's one of the most hated Final Fantasy characters of all time.

Then again I can't keep up with what people say anymore. There was a time where I'd see XII bashed everywhere I went and now I see more and more people in several places saying they liked it.

The game doesn't start for me until Ashe joins the party. Then she becomes my main. Everything before that was just a tutorial, if I could replace Vaan with Ashe when I was in cities I would've done so. He would be relegated to the bottom of the party list never to be seen again.

Balthier's introduction is where I think the game starts. A party isn't a party until you have that suave man in the party.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/653b622e8...iehlo1_400.gif

I was so disappointed when you didn't get to play as that prince or whatever from the beginning. I feel like there was a really interesting story there that should have been focused on; at least, I felt that way when I first played it and then it switched to Vaan. I still have yet to get very far in this game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Freya

Balthier's introduction is where I think the game starts. A party isn't a party until you have that suave man in the party.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/653b622e8...iehlo1_400.gif

---

Where is that scene in the game? :eek: I can't remember it! Which is weird, considering I'm such a BalthierXFran fanboy! :love:

Friggin' loved the intro of this game. Like many of you I lost interest soon after :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Loony BoB

I agree that the opening was far more epic than the remainder of the story (at least, in my opinion).

---

I think that was actually one of it's weaknesses. The opening segment is so, so good, so dramatic, that when it segues into Vaan and his little 'adventure' collecting some bloody foodstuffs, it sort of loses some of the grandeur.

However, it picks up quite well later on.

I agree though, overall the opening of XII was just amazing.

The intro was one of the best god damn moments in any Final Fantasy game. And... well... yeah. All downhill from there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Formalhaut

However, it picks up quite well later on.

---

Sadly not. :p Even if anything as interesting as the opening did happen again, you have no idea how it relates to anything else because you have forgotten what's going on because too much mark hunting. xD

If I wanted to watch Star Wars, I'd just watch Star Wars.

I think that's an unfair criticism against FFXII's plot. Yes, of all of the FFs, this one does have the strongest allusions to Star Wars, but The Archadian Empire =/= The Galactic Empire. There's a lot more nuance and political strife in Ivalice, not to mention that Vayne, Venat, Professor Al-Cid, Larsa Marquess Ondore, and the rest of the Judges outside of Gabranth lack any parallels to Star Wars, to name a few. Hell, if Basch was to be the main character like originally planned, we wouldn't even have a "Luke Skywalker".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shauna

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Formalhaut

However, it picks up quite well later on.

---

Sadly not. :p Even if anything as interesting as the opening did happen again, you have no idea how it relates to anything else because you have forgotten what's going on because too much mark hunting. xD

---

For me, the game hits it's drive from the Dreadnought Leviathan to The Raithwall Tomb, and then again from Archades onwards to the end.

And there wasn't that many mark hunts! They spaced them out quite well between story events. I do concede though, the overall pacing of the game isn't the best I've seen in the series. :p