Retry it. Play it ages ago across a few sleepovers, and my save file left with the copy of the game, since it wasn't mine.Originally Posted by Pumpkin
Tried to play it years after that, and for whatever reason, my emulated copy on the XBox wouldn't keep my save data.
It does look very fun.
Chrono Trigger is too low. By about 8 spots.Still, good to see this being updated again.
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Aha! Someone said itChrono Trigger is too low. By about 8 spots.
I've played a tiny bit of BG. I wanted to play it with Danielle but for some reason it was horribly buggy on our Windows XP (I think it was XP at the time, anyway) desktops and in the end it just didn't really work out very well. I don't think I could tear her away from FFXIV for long enough to get another attempt going, sadly.
Bow before the mighty Javoo!
#7
This is a game I will fight you for. I find it undeniably better than its predecessor, and I really wish the following games would take more from the things this game did so right. But then, not enough people think following Matsuno’s vision is the optimal course of action, which is pretty obvious to me…
FINAL FANTASY XII
Here we are. Let me get this out of the way – there is no numbered FF higher. This is my favorite numbered FF. There can be no other, as there are no words that I can use to express HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS GAME!!!!!!!!
Still not as much as Balthier love Fran SHUT UP YOU STUPID BALTHIER/ASHE SHIPPERS!!!!!
But I’ll try. First of all, I love the art style. Akihiko Yoshida gives us really beautiful character designs, and I love how most of his brushwork is still visible in the 3D models. I love how he uses mostly browns while still utilizing very vivid colors, making the whole game look like some really old painting. The same is true for the locations. Everything just seems to fit so well together. Too bad the FMVs didn’t really capture that, but hey, you can’t have everything
Plus, Yoshida gave us two really sexy Cids in this game (Cid Bunansa still wins out though).
On that note, I think the world in this game is amazing, not only because of how it looks. It is big with tons of nooks and crannies to explore. I love how varied the locales are and how the monsters really seem like an organic part of it. Ivalice really feels alive. I know a lot of people complained that you don’t get to travel the whole world, but IMO, that only makes it all seem bigger, that that huge swath of land you just explored is actually part of something even bigger.
See, you even get a lense flare effect.
Now for the controversial opinion: I love the story and characters. Seriously. After the forced drama and over-the-top characters from FFX, seeing a cast that is subdued and more human in a very subtle way is extremely refreshing. The absolutely stellar voice-acting really helps make the characters feel alive, their emotional reactions natural and believable, and even though the dialogue (amazingly translated as it is) is spread out pretty far between the long journeys you have to make, you can tell the characters make very natural progressions. What I’m saying is, the character development may not be so evident (or in your face) as in previous games in the series, but I feel the end effect is that much more powerful thanks to that. The main theme is freedom, and the message is that revenge can’t solve anything if you want true peace. I always like to bring up how Vaan is actually crucial to the story, because without his decision to ignore the Occuria and forget about avenging Reks, Ashe would become a crazy dictator, but that’s a rant for another day. Bottom line, I really love how mature this story is and wish it was appreciated more than it is.
Larsa quite possibly still remains my favorite FF character.
Another controversial opinion, though arguably less so – the battle system is also amazing. “But the game plays itself,” you may say. And I say “only if you set it up so”. There is a huge amount of strategy involved in the gambit system and I absolutely love how flexible you must be to really get by (arguably, this is probably the most challenging FF). If you can set it up so that the game plays itself, you have my utmost respect, because that is quite a feat (though still achievable). You want a game that plays itself? Just add another I to the number
You really need to stay on your toes otherwise.
You really can’t go wrong with the music in FF. Seriously, even the most hated FFs are always praised for their music, and this one is no different. The soundtrack has a very similar feel to the FFT series and Vagrant Story, thanks to Hitoshi Sakimoto. Though the melodies stand out less, there’s a swooping, movie-like quality to it, which I really love. It’s definitely one of my favorite FF soundtracks. Oh, and it has an awesome remix of Battle on the Big Bridge.
Overall, I can’t say I can recommend this to anyone. I realize people come into FF expecting specific things that I guess X delivers on better. But FFXII showed me how an FF can be and it turned out to be something I always wanted without being aware of that. I loved the mature tone and subtle story-telling, and I really wish more games delivered in that regard.
YEP YEP YEP YEP. Everything you said and more. Very very close to where XII will end up on my list
I'm discussing my 108, er, 111 favorite games of all time in THIS THREAD so go check it out and join the conversation!
Excellent choice Fynn, agree with the points you made. XII is an epic and I consider it the silent under appreciated gem of the series.
Love XII. I didn't like it the first time I played but now it's one of my favourites
Did playing and enjoying other western and open world RPGs play a role in changing your mind about it? I ask because while I did like XII right from the start, when I replayed it recently after many years and after going through western/open world games like Skyrim/Oblivion, Dragon Age and the like, my appreciation of it increased.
I can't wait until I reach FF XII, but seeing as how I still need finish VI and onward, that will be quite a while yet.
I also can't wait until I can play XIII just because of how much flak it gets. Knowing me, I'll probably love it and defend it to no end because most people don't. That's kinda how I am with FF II.
No not really. I think it came from the fact that I was expecting something different from an FF game so I was disappointed. But once I started to appreciate it for what it was I liked it much moreDid playing and enjoying other western and open world RPGs play a role in changing your mind about it? I ask because while I did like XII right from the start, when I replayed it recently after many years and after going through western/open world games like Skyrim/Oblivion, Dragon Age and the like, my appreciation of it increased.
FFII is a fantastic game. And XIII is getting its share of fans now tooI can't wait until I reach FF XII, but seeing as how I still need finish VI and onward, that will be quite a while yet.
I also can't wait until I can play XIII just because of how much flak it gets. Knowing me, I'll probably love it and defend it to no end because most people don't. That's kinda how I am with FF II.
Yeah, XII was really something different. I personally found it to be a bold and riveting step forward for the series and it has a certain western RPG vibe (no doubt due to Matsuno's appreciation of the genre) which is probably what set back some of the fans on first impression. I hope it gets an HD remaster since I think it would be more appreciated today than it was back when it came out.
Ah yes, Final Fantasy XII. The original game was pretty good, the IZJS version made it one of my favorites and on-par with the PSX titles.
Besides maybe X-2 (but only thanks to X) I've never had so much fun going through the world more than once, revisiting areas I've already gone through. XII Ivalice really is a beautiful world and the amount of freedom you get is just perfect. Also there's never been an FF game where just running around killing random monsters has been nearly as fun and satisfying. Can't say I cared all that much for the original License board, but IZJS solved just about all the issues I had with it.
The original had a few dark stains on its postgame content, what with Yiazmat and the crippling damage limit also making other bosses quite annoying, but IZJS solved even that with the removal of the damage limit and creation of the "Trial Mode Yiazmat" where he only has 4.5 mill HP, cutting just about all the redundant and boring parts right out. Though whatever they were thinking giving the player a win button... I will never understand. I still love IZJS quite a lot.
Amazing game. Playing through it together with my brother when he had a fracture last year is a treasured memory.
I'm finally working my way towards beating XII for the first time. The furthest I've gotten before is just before Phon Coast (I may have gotten to Phon Coast, but it's not familiar to me at all). Every time I try to play this game again, I find myself having more and more fun with it. I do think my issue when I first played it was that it felt very different from other FF games, and it just wasn't what I was looking for at the time.
That being said, it's an extremely pretty game, and I love the soundtrack. The soundtrack doesn't have the emotional punch that I get from other FF games, but it's always fitting and fun to listen to. I like most of the monster and character designs. I liked that the world felt alive as well. This is not just because of the populated towns/camps/cities, but also the fact that you could see other hunters occasionally roaming the world or monsters that have no desire to attack you unless you fight first.
Now some things I don't like (and keep in mind, I have no experience with the IZJS version)... My main issue is the license board. I would have preferred something a little more akin to the Sphere Grid where you are focusing more both on stat upgrades and abilities. I didn't really like having armor and weapons tied to it. It doesn't really hinder me that much when I play, but it creates a sometimes unnecessary grind for License Points when wanting to equip certain things. I also would have preferred to have licenses unlock abilities rather than having to buy those as well. The game is kind of stingy when it comes to money.
Another thing I don't like: The treasure system. Chests usually give me pretty pointless things like extremely small amounts of gil. I would prefer a smaller number of chests with useful things than a large number of useless chests. I also don't like the thing with the Zodiac Spear. That design just feels like something made to sell strategy guides more than anything. I don't necessarily have an issue with setting something up where you should avoid certain chests or have to weigh the risks and rewards of getting a pretty good thing now to miss out on something great later on. That's fine... but the game does nothing to even hint that you should avoid opening some chests. This is particularly annoying considering you start getting these chests right at the beginning of the game right by places you go to to progress the story.
I like the story and characters, but I do think the pacing is a bit odd at times to where it feels a bit too much like you aren't getting much story or development at all. I think this could have been vastly improved upon were the game made for the PS3/PS4. Higher specs and more disc space I think could have created more opportunities for the characters to have some banter while you are exploring places like the Yensa Sandsea or during battles. I think that just that little extra push for interaction in those sections could have gone a long way towards both making sure the player doesn't forget what they are doing and to help build the characterization of the characters. I also think that more development throughout the game would have been nice in general. There are some nuggets of Vaan or Balthier or Ash's past that I think should have had more prevalence throughout the game. Most of the characters feel like they just kind of appear and that's it for much of the game outside of a few scenes for each. I just want more for each of the characters as I genuinely like everyone that appears in the party.
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