Rikku's first impressions...

[Rikku, the Al Bhed]

Okay, so yesterday I rented FFXII to see what was all the fuss about the game was...
I popped it in the PS2...Picked up my controller...Started playing...

Big dissapointment to me, big time. Why was I so dissapointed in Final Fantasy Twelve? I'll tell you why...

For one, the gameplay is tedious to the finest degree. To pause the action around you to attack, use items or whatnot is irratating. Unlike in FFX or other installments that keeps the action around you going. To pause, then wait for an action bar to fill up, only to pause the game again is aggravating. In other Final Fantasy games, when you defeat an enemy, you get exp. and gil at the same time, in Twelve; this is forgotten. I ask you why? It was practical and logical.

Another thing I was greatly dissapointed in was the appearence of the game. For a second there, I thought it was a Lord of the Rings, Star Wars crossover! I really was infuriated when I saw my beloved chocobos decorated in heavy armor. Chocobos in Ten were decorated in armor as well, but not to the extent of the ones in Twelve. Chocobo's are supposed to be realistic, but adorable. In Twelve, they lose their trademark cuteness. So have the moogles. Moogles have a cat-like appearence, but in Twelve, they take the shape of a rabbit! Way to break tradition Square!

Another failure in Twelve is the shoddy storyline. Like I said before, the beginning of the whole thing looks like a Lord of the Rings clone. The story makes it seem out of place with the rest of the Final Fantasies. Although, I haven't gotten that far in the story yet, it seems to me, based by other posts here, that we don't have a specific main character. If that is true, then it's a failure. In a story, you must have a specific main character.

All in all, I'm very dissapointed in this latest installment of Final Fantasy. I was blown away by Final Fantasy Ten, but this game, doesn't make a dent.

Sorry to fans of Twelve, but this is Final Fantasies low point.

[demondude]

I think you dislike it because it differs from x to like the game I think you need to see it as it's own game not a sequal to x.

[LunarWeaver]

Wolf Kanno is about to come in here and eat this alive.

[CimminyCricket]

I can't wait.

[Rikku, the Al Bhed]

Wolf Kanno is about to come in here and eat this alive.

Bring it on.

[PeneloRatsbane]

wow what a unique opinion.......
X is forgetable and no where near as good as twelve, it realllllly really isn't any where as good as twelve.
i hated the battling in X and the stupid sphere grid, but XII got rid of that boring aspect of game play and made it fun.

[Ichimonji]

Okay. There are a lot of things wrong with your post other than your inefficient presumptions. First of all:

To pause the action around you to attack, use items or whatnot is irratating. Unlike in FFX or other installments that keeps the action around you going.

Final Fantasy X has a CTB system. Which means, nothing is going on while you're attacking, or even just idling. In FFXII, along with most other Final Fantasies, you can change the battle system from Active to Wait. This is something I did for FFXII right off the bat. Changing the ADB to Active allows you to enter commands while the enemies are attacking and etc. Like most other Final Fantasies, you can change the system to Wait, and no one will bother you whilst choosing commands.

In other Final Fantasy games, when you defeat an enemy, you get exp. and gil at the same time, in Twelve; this is forgotten. I ask you why? It was practical and logical.

Practical? Maybe. Logical? Absolutely not. Please; explain the logic with piles of money pouring out of a dead animal's carcass. Also, in Final Fantasy VIII you didn't receive Gil from killing fiends. You can get your precious Gil from selling Loot, fighting humans, or opening treasure chests. This is just fine.

The rest of your post is plain foolishness. Complaining that the chocobos are creepy, and the moogles look different. First of all, play Final Fantasy XI. Chocobos do not look friendly. Secondly, moogles have been changing appearance drastically since they've been introduced. FFXII isn't the first game to change their appearances.

Listen. Final Fantasy has been breaking the mold from its predecessors since day one. As the series progresses, the games differ from the last. This is what makes the series so special. It creates a new experience for every gamer. If you want to play the same game over and over again, go play Dragon Quest. This series isn't for you.

[f f freak]

To pause the action around you to attack, use items or whatnot is irratating. Unlike in FFX or other installments that keeps the action around you going.

I'm sorry but I have to argue with this. You say about pausing the action in FF12 but FF10 keeps the action going? What a load of crap!! You can sit there all day and not get hit in FF10 because of the system. The action comes to a standstill while you just stand there. To me you just sound like a crazed lunatic fan of FF10.

[Vivisteiner]

This is all your opinion. And I (and others) disagree with you.

One of the strengths of Final Fantasy is its versatility.



And how can you say this moogle isnt cute!!!

FINAL FANTASY XII Net - Image Viewer


Why must you have a main character, and whats so good about Final Fantasy X!?
And I wont even touch on your gameplay points.

[f f freak]

^ Awwww that picture is so cuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!!

[Bolivar]

Sorry people, but I gotta agree with the threadstarter on some points, this game is beyond great but you gotta take the good w/ the bad.

1. I recommend you turn the battle system (config in the menu) to active. I use that the entire time and only use wait if it's a tought boss battle and i need to take my time/i'm in trouble.

2. Unfortunately this is the first FF that completely ripped off of another RPG series rather than revolutionize it, apparently Knights of the Old Republic had a much similar battle system to ADB. I've heard this from several people, maybe someone else can clarify this for me.

3. You're right, the battle for Nalbina looks a little too much like LOtR.

4. Yes, I too realized moogles....don't look like moogles in this one.

5. I, II (kinda), III, V (kinda), and VI all don't have a main character, i wouldn't say it's necessary for an FF.

Like other people have said, FF is about bringing something new to the table with each game, but only a novice to the series would honestly say that there aren't underlying traditions that bind them all together, beyond Chocobos and Cids. IMO XII unnecessarily broke with some of those traditions, but for the most part did a great job as an FF installment.

Rikku, I recommend you keep playing this game, as pretty soon you'll get access to Gambits and you won't have to input a command everytime. Also this is a great game and I highly suggest you give it a shot, but if you're already disliking it i would recommend playing straight through the storyline because mark hunting can get really boring and monotonous and only drive your perceptions of this game down further (at least it did for me 1st time).

edit: by the way, X destroys XII.

[Goldenboko]

2. Unfortunately this is the first FF that completely ripped off of another RPG series rather than revolutionize it, apparently Knights of the Old Republic had a much similar battle system to ADB. I've heard this from several people, maybe someone else can clarify this for me.

Wrong. KOTR was a deceptive fighting system, it appeared to be doing the same thing as FFXII but in reality it was a turn-based game. Plus KOTR's attack style really made the entire thing feel different from FFXII.

[Bolivar]

2. Unfortunately this is the first FF that completely ripped off of another RPG series rather than revolutionize it, apparently Knights of the Old Republic had a much similar battle system to ADB. I've heard this from several people, maybe someone else can clarify this for me.

Wrong. KOTR was a deceptive fighting system, it appeared to be doing the same thing as FFXII but in reality it was a turn-based game. Plus KOTR's attack style really made the entire thing feel different from FFXII.

lol thanks for the, ummm... agressive clarification.

[Proxy]

Well, you were blown away by 10, so your taste in Final Fantasy games is somewhat lacking flavor. It appears you like boring games that are predictable, and have bad voice acting, and characters with no emotion.
Let me guess. FFVII was utter garbage in your eyes right?
Ichimonji is right. Final Fantasy has been breaking the mold for EVERY RPG that has been made. And it's constantly upgrading from the previous game.
Oh no they changed the appearance of something.
"Hey Square! Why doesn't Shiva look the same from IV as she does in X? Way to screw that up jackasses!"
I'm surprised you didn't say anything about the Espers (Which although are useless later in the game, are a great change from the typical same-ol' we see from every FF game).
The chocobos are meant to be heavy armed, because the timeline in this game, if you even played far enough, because you did rent it, is set in a war torn world. And if you look at it that way, the other Final Fantasy games have it wrong, now don't they? The trusty "steed" without any protection?
A Star Wars & LoTR cross? I love how you say that but prove no points in the similarities between the movies & game. Or is it cause "They have ships that can fly, and they use swords, and bows & arrows & stuff?"
Your turn based, more realistic battles when the entire thing is paused waiting for you to make your choice.
And your lack of comments on the gambit system makes me think that you didn't get far at all, or else you would have ripped into that.
Turn on active mode, instead of wait, then you get a better feel for, what I think, to be a very innovative and creative battle system, that I hope sticks around with the rest of the Final Fantasy games, because it's a whole hell of a lot less boring then sitting there & selecting whatever you want to do each round.
I can safely assume that you didn't play far enough into the game to appreciate it's value, and as to what Square was trying to do.
You can go back to playing your "amazing" FFX.

[Hambone]

I thought X was amazing.



Was XII your second FF? You really need to open your mind to change because FF does a lot of it...