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 smurfing 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 smurfing 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 apologist 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.