FFXII Story - A Homage to Star Wars ?

[Renmiri]

I didn't mean a ripoff. The FF series has long been paying homage to the Star Wars movies. There's a Biggs and a Wedge in every single game of the series (both were with Luke Skywalker on those Delta flier squadrons) and many other references to it in all FF games.

I also loved the opportunity to be able to rescue a princess on a huge ship crawling with empire troopers

Meh.. FFXII ain't so bad after all

I found it odd how the music in the Ogir-Yensa sandsea is strikingly familiar to the Star Wars score...

Not to mention you're fighting small little creatures in brown robes...

Hihi, true on both counts. But using SW's John Williams as inspiration while having Nobuo Uematsu in your staff is a crime!

[Wolf Kanno]

Nothing beats the homage to Star Wars from FFVI. When you rescue Celes in her cell and you choose to stay in the Imperial Uniform, her line will strike a familiar chord...

There's also FFII, now there is a game that just blatanly rips off SW.

[Roto13]

I think it was obvious from the opening cutscene that the game was going to pretty much be Star Wars.

[Renmiri]

Someone pointed out to me that Biggs and Wedge are in FFXII too. Anyone wants to answer where ?

I'll post the answer later tonight

They may not be there, but "Deweg" and "Gibbs" are

[ekkatin]

I've thought that XII had a very SW prequel feel to it.

[ffxatticus]

omg, I was thinking the same thing when I played FFXII. especially the (SPOILER)ride to and from the bahamut. I totally thought I was flying through a starwars movie

[Tainted Angel]

*I see my first Ogir-Yensa* "HK-47.. we need a translator." *Runs off like Revan and friends to kill stoopid dessert people anyways bwcause I'm evil.*

I was thinking as a game it feels like Kotor.

[chionos]

I think the similarities between FFXII and Star Wars are a result of Star Wars' generic plot which copied from stories and concepts that have long been part of the literary world. You're not seeing in FFXII things stolen from Star Wars but ideas taken from the same sources that Star Wars got its ideas from. You think sibling rivalry, father/son relationships, or rescuing princesses were original ideas in Star Wars? Go to a freakin' library; you'll find that Star Wars is one of the most UNoriginal movies. Ever.

Huge space battles existed before Star Wars, especially in literature, so every time someone creates a huge war in the air it's not a direct rip-off of Star Wars. Star Wars was just the first time it'd been done well. In any case the battles aren't as similar as they're being made out to be. The physics of each are very different, the artistic direction is different, and the stories compelling each are very different.

Also, the Judge's aren't meant to be anything like Darth Vader. Just because they wear masks and their voices are muffled doesn't mean they're automatically Vader clones. Everybody that wears a helmet is not Darth Vader, and helmets necessarily muffle voices. Also, the Judges and Darth Vador symbolize completely different ideas. There are more contrasts than comparisons, really.

None of this is meant to belittle Star Wars. I <3 Star Wars. Star Wars was not original, but it -was- good. If it inspired any FF at all(apart from simple references) it set a par for quality that all storytellers, special effect technicians, and composers must meet.

[Timerk]

You are talking about individual elements that, when taken on their own, can be found in many works of literature and film. The problem (and I don't know if I would even call it a problem) is that FFXII combines these elements in a similar manner to Star Wars, which is why the feel is so much the same. There are some scenes, (SPOILER)like Ba'gamnon being knocked into the Saarlac, which are lifted almost directly from the film(s), but for the most part, it is the spirit and feel which is copied. The Judges are not like Vader in motivation, but they fill his roll as a dark, intimidating figure serving the Empire. By the same token, Balthier is almost a direct homage to Han Solo, even if he has his own style as well. Also, FF games have paid homage to Star Wars before (Biggs and Wedge, anyone?), so it isn't like this is some surprise.

FFXII isn't the blatent ripoff of Star Wars everyone made it out to be in the beginning, but they share enough of the same spirit and feel that it is something you notice while playing through. There is a scene in Rabanastre where Balthier tells Vaan that the Strahl is 'the fastest ship in the galaxy,' or some such line, and the pride from Balthier added with the excitement of Vaan reminded me of a similar Luke/Han scene in ANH.

I had a smile on my face the whole time .

[Renmiri]

Yes, it actually made me like FFXII more. At first I was like chionos and going "WTF ? This is a ripoff of so many old, stale stories!" but when I realized how much of it was a homage to Star Wars I started liking the story more. Besides, if I could tolerate George Lucas cheesy story telling and still love SW I should be fair and tolerate FFXII's cheesy dialogs too, right ?

BTW chionos, you forgot history books too: the Roman Empire with it's Emperor and Senate politics, Julius Caesar and Brutus with their father /son power struggles... (SPOILER)Brutus (son) kills father (Caesar) for power... A subjugated desert kingdom (Egypt) with a strong princess (Cleopatra)...

[Giga Guess]

The sequence after (SPOILER)the Leviathan goes down felt SO Star Wars it hurt.

[ValiantKnight]

The rearranged(letters changed around) Biggs and Wedge are (SPOILER)at the entrance to the Mosphoren Highwaste(sp?) from Nalbina for the first half/third of the game.... If no one answered it already. but I'm sure somoene has.
Never can remember the full or correct spelling of that place.

[Gabranth]

Someone pointed out to me that Biggs and Wedge are in FFXII too. Anyone wants to answer where ?

nalbina right?

[Renmiri]

"Deweg" and "Gibbs" are in XII, I think going from Nalbina to Mosphorian Highwaste as ValiantKnight said above

[Avarice-ness]

Lunar's first post is the reason I might start replaying this game tonight. I think I'lll have more fun with it if I see it as Star Wars than an FF game.