EoFF 2020 RPG Thunderdome Semifinals: Match 2

Match 2 and the categories are Gameplay and Characters!

Mass Effect 2


vs.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

So...my distaste for FFXII is surely known by now and, in particular the characters. On the other hand, while I'm not particularly fond of FFXII's gameplay and consider it kind of boring, I managed to finish the game. Meanwhile, I quit Mass Effect on the first area of the first game because I hated the gameplay. Thus, I know little to nothing of the cast. It probably couldn't be worse than FFXII's but I sort of doubt it's much better either. I'm leaning FFXII, but maybe should abstain. Since everyone who chose a strength for Mass Effect 2 chose characters, I'm not gonna vote against that from a position of ignorance.

I don’t care about Mass Effect at all tbh and I think both of the aspects that these games are being compared against are incredibly underrated in FFXII. FFXII it is!

Its a no brainer for me, I love XII gameplay and Ashe is one of my favourite characters of all time!

For me, it's FFXII by a mile on gameplay, and Mass Effect 2 by a mile on characters.

I might have to flip a coin on this one...

I do find it a bit sad to see XII lose to ME2. Mainly because FFXII renewed my interest in FF whereas ME2 ultimately killed my interest in ME. That's not to say I don't feel ME2 has strengths, and I wholeheartedly agree that the cast is one of them.

I think characters were a strength of both games, though I went with ME2 on that one given how much the characters were a central focus of the game.

For gameplay, as Romeo has pointed out before, gameplay is more than just battles. The battles and upgrade systems in both games were a wash. But it is hard to beat traveling around to different planets in a spaceship for an RPG. Also I really liked the specific character missions in ME2.