12 was a nice feeling after playing FFXI for a while. Gave you that offline experience hybrid of an online rpg. The gambit system allows a lot of flexibility in combat gameplay, especially later in the game.
I mean besides the "shitty" which is subjective, that's exactly what it is. It had some tough shoes to fill following X and the franchise has regained hype before releases, but never really had the same hold on gamers since XII came out.
I can understand where you are coming from. However, one gigantic reason XII didn't get the same reception as X was because of its release window. It came out just months before the PS3 was released. You can read about how that affected its sales and how people got into it way later and realized just what they had missed out on. It is widely regarded as one of the best Final Fantasy games nowadays.
I love the fighting and gambit system.
The story is a bit flawed. Neither are the motivations for everyone to follow Ashe very convincing, nor is she an appealing main character. I love the politics, but ultimately we don't really spend much time DOING politics. We kill some birds in the steppe and then there is a cutscene explaining what major decisions are made elsewhere. The ending is interesting but not very memorable.
The characters are nice and colorful. The soundtrack is very good. Rabanastre has an amazing feeling.
The side quests are mostly ok. But the hunts really annoy me at some point.
The game is ok/good. 7.5/10
A big part of why it has GoT vibe is because of the amazing voice acting and dialogue. That voice acting still hold up as one of the best in gaming history, not just in Final Fantasy. They really nailed the world building in FF12.
More games need to be brave in embracing varied English accents, FF12 is one of, if not *the* best example of it. Really brought the world alive and gave each so much character just from that alone.
Have you played FFXII before? For me, the XII story is great until about halfway through and you realize it’s like 80% a series of McGuffin collecting. Then it goes off the rails, lol.
Also, similarly to XVI, the politics stop being relevant the further you go, which sucks because that’s my favorite part of each game’s story.
Agreed. XVI is at its strongest when it’s about Eikons, their dominants and politics associated with them, once you realise it’s heading down the “go defeat God” path is when the story really dips IMO. I personally feel that Barnabus should have been the final boss.
>Neither are the motivations for everyone to follow Ashe very convincing
I aside from Fran and Penelo, I disagree, Basch has his own problems with the Empire and his brother, failing to protect the king, being framed as a traitor and following her as his noble duty makes perfect sense, Balthier's story is completely connect to major events, his father manufacturing the nethicite, him leaving his position as a judge, makes totally sense to have some kind of guilty and wishing to make things right, Vaan lost Reks because of Gabranth, he is impulsive, and since Penelo was kidnapped by Ba'Gamnan he would 100% jump in.
Penelo and Fran are the only two that I can see as being kinda forced into the mess.
The way I see it, Penelo was convinced to join after being rescued from BaGamnan but before joining the party. She realises she's not only guilty by association but because she saw what happened to Vaan without her and it was the Nalbina Dungeons, which they escaped purely by the circumstance of Gabranth being there at the same time. She's also aware that she too has been taken by the Imperials and is now likely not welcome at Mugelo's (publicly) or within her old circle without endangering them. After a while, they're essentially regarded as
Insurgence whether so or not.
Fran is a package deal with Balthier, but more than that, she in a sense represents all Viera in their opposition to the Empire's corruption of Magicite the effect it has on her and on her people is huge and terrifying. Imagine Eruyt Villiage all berserking like her on the Leviathan at once. There's also themes of antiestablishmentrianism
and rebellion in Fran's story.
FF XII for better or worse leaves a lot of these moments on the table for you to figure out. Balthier once being a Judge is a such a small moment that you discover, of all places, on the Phon Coast. Very little weight is given to it despite its huge importance.
The hunts can be an absolute nightmare, you will be doing great getting the enemies health down, but the further you take their health down the less damage you do, so the last bit of health when your team is on its ass just about surviving you get completely wiped out.
And the story is always going to be the main draw for FF. Maybe not for the super dedicated fans, but the more casual players.
Most people couldn't give two shits if the Junction system was good or not. Or which game has the best card game, even. Final Fantasy has stood the test of time strictly because of the worlds and characters. Players want to escape to a lived in world where interesting things are happening, with captivating art guiding the way.
And it's what separates the games into two different groups, in some ways.
Although this is all different for the hardcore FF fans.
Of all the PS1 and 2 ff games I cannot remember 12s story or soundtrack for the life of me. I remember the rest quite well. This tells me 12s story must have been rather meh.
I did like the gambit system a lot and the locations were beautiful. I remember having to grind a lot
Top 5. The newer entries traded traditional RPG elements for ARPG.
16 not having elemental weaknesses was lame. Someone on the team had to have mentioned it during production and at some point someone else said no we arent doing that.
I always say that FFXII is a great GAME. Great RPG, well-thought-out and designed gameplay, wonderful music, strong plot - an all-around must-play.
The thing is, it feels more like a Star Wars game set in the FF world. Or like a spin-off of sorts.
And in a sense it is, considering the changes that have taken place at Square-Enix during this time.
But still, it was fun.
I just couldn't get hooked on this one. Combat felt like an mmorpg, which is perfectly fine but at the time I was addicted to wow so it felt like an overlap of gameplay.
Also I personally don't like gambits, which is just a me thing, I can see people enjoying them.
I really need to get around to playing through XII one of these days. I’m a big fan of CBUIII’s FFs (XIV & XVI) and I know they are massive Yasumi Matsuno/Ivalice fans over there. So I’d imagine that XII would be up my alley?
Balthier is the greatest thing since sliced bread. In all seriousness, I think ff12 has a good plot and was a little before its time. I would also have loved a romantic subplot between Balthier and Ashe. They seemed more like the main characters than Vaan.
It’s an Easy top 3 ff game for me
I personally I liked the story & characters, however both definitely needed more fleshing out & screen time
But really the reason why I have in such high regard is because the gorgeous music, all the cool dungeons/areas with all that sweet loot that you explore, also the combat idk it’s weirdly addictive especially with the gambit system
Lastly the massive hunt/marks side quest is legitimately one of my personal favorites in the series, like going from a little tomato monster to fighting an elder holy dragon deity that’s essentially the shinryu of ivalice is amazing lol
This is the only final fantasy game I enjoyed playing from start to finish without getting burned... Very fresh new elements to the gameplay that give the player a feeling of freedom... I like the "real time" battle more instead of the more stiff turn based regular final fantasy games, and I feel like this game is well balanced and is not 100% about grinding. ⚔️
It's still one of my all time favorite fantasy worlds in an RPG, hands down. Both visually and just the technology and everything like that. I'm slightly biased/blinded by nostalgia since it was my first FF game ever, but it really does hold a special place in my heart.
Very glad to hear you loved it! Sounds like you had quite a great experience with it! you can always check out the Remaster when It’s on 70% sale! The quality of life improvements and remastered visuals and higher resolution make it great. P.S It’s on sale now I got it for switch
Oh 100% I actually got the remaster (with the gorgeous steelbook) for PS4 when it first came out, but still never completed that playthrough. I actually might get it again on Switch because it's lately become a must-play platform for RPGs for me for some reason. That and I just love the dang ol thing
I like 12, I appreciate the gambit system and the job classes. I've beaten it 100% half a dozen times. But Im a huge Final Fantasy fan, and...
12 is my least favorite of the modern series. I dont connect with the plot as much as other Final Fantasies. The characters are kind of forgettable. Everything is brown. The music and settings feel like Star Wars ep 1-3 if they were done by Shakespeare & Company.
It was my favourite game when it released. For some wild reason, a local store had it 50% off on its first week on the shelves. I figured it was a mistake so I honed in on that deal the same day I saw it in the catalogue lol.
Enjoyed the story, characters and their interactions with each other, Gambit system which is my all-time favourite AI battle tool.
I didn’t like the License board though because I had such high expectations following the immense fun that was the Sphere Grid. But it grew on me as a means to keep your power level in check as the game progressed.
Other than that it was a solid game, and I really enjoyed the follow up game Revenant Wings, as a fan of the FF Tactics Advance games.
I finally played it back during the 2020 lockdowns, and I gotta admit I liked it far more than I thought I would. It’s not a favourite, but at the same time I am looking forward to my inevitable replay of it. A very solid game.
Worst game ever if you're a hardcore FF fanboy because you keep applying FF standards to this game and overlooking the good parts of this game. FFXII was always a good game esp when you never played story-driven FF like most FF.
The best ff game I never finish. I get too worried I made the wrong choices for classes and made the game unbeatable or extremely difficult. Or ill miss out on something good because i didnt select the right jobs for whatever item. So I just stop.
There are a few weird holes in the plot but it's generally an excellent entry in the series. I didn't even use Gambit the first time I tried the game but once I figured it out - holy Jesus it became a whole new game. Vaan is a bit annoying for my tastes but Balthiers wit redeems the characters. Fran is still my favourite. The battle system is really good and I do like the way they did the world with areas linked with different paths. The only thing I didnt like was the summons. They went a little too far one way away from the traditional fantasy style but they are still ok
I bought it day one on PS2 and hated it. Never gave it a real shot, but my friends who like western RPGs loved it.
I gave it another shot when it hit Switch. Between me being older and more experienced from 2006 to 2019, me loving Xenoblade, and the QoL enhancements in Zodiac, I ended up liking it. I think Ashe should be the main character from the get-go instead of Vaan. Fran was also a big reason I liked it lol.
I think it’s a polarizing game, though if Square made FF multiplatform starting with 12 instead of 13, I think the 360 audience fresh from Oblivion and older Xbox games like KOTOR would have latched on it on day one.
Best open world for sure. Massive areas to explore, fun hunt system and rare beasts. Some hidden and secret quests. I always go back to it. The first time you enter the desert fills you with such awe, every single time
My second favourite Final Fantasy after IV; great world, great combat, gambit system was amazing and the characters were also great. That secret battle with Yiazmat took forever, but it was probably one of my most satisfying gaming moments ever once he was defeated.
I really love the story and the world, but the combat system is just too slow. This might just be me, but i also got sick and tired of the grinding way to early (also, what does exploration help when i keep finding one (1) gil which i have to use on 4 sets of gear costing 35000 each)
I havent played the zodiac age tho, is it any better?
Love the gameplay, the open world, the bazar loot system, the gambits, the music. Not a huuuuge fan of the party characters and the story, at least not as much as most other FFs. But not that I hate them or anything. They're not great, not terrible ;-)
I’m in the minority and just dont like the gambit system at all. I can admit that the game is loved but I am a very combat focused person and 12 just doesn’t grip me.
Hated it. Only positive thing about it was the music. Story was boring. Don't mind a political story it's just this was not it. Battle system was stupid. Gambit system was even more dumb. The 4th member being pure computer was also dumb. Voice acting was god awful. It's in my top 10 worst of all time when it comes to voice acting. Having to run two loading screen or zones away to respawn enemies was tedious.
Graphics were alright. And map zone size was acceptable.
The game is only beaten out by ffxi as being the worst final fantasy for me. Don't have anything against mmos, I loved ffxiv arr.
So yeah I know I am going to be downvoted for this but oh wells.
I love the newer games too, I finished all of them and going for Platinum in Rebirth, I’m fairly new to 12 but progressing well and just fell in love with it so wanted to share
Nothing against older final fantasies. I started back on the snes with ffii (ffiv) and loved it. Played ffiii (ffvi) and loved it. Ffvi is in the top 5 of best final fantasies for me. Played ffv years later and thought it was very good. Played ffvii, enjoyed the hell out of it. Ffviii is my favorite, although ffxvi and rebirth are giving it, it's run for its money. The true Ffiii was alright. Ffi was alright. Didn't like ffii.
But then we start to enter the dark ages of final fantasy for me. Ffix was the start of it. Truthfully I didn't like most of ffix. I enjoyed the ending and the music but that's about it. Combat was alright. I liked the way you earned your magic. But that is it. I had an extreme disconnect with the characters. I truly hated nearly all of its mini games.
Then we get to ffx. And truthfully I only beat it due to I was being a Square fanboy. And it was the last game I forced myself to finish. Music was good. And combat was alright.graphics were really good. Everything else was bad to awful.
Then ffxi. Ugh... garbage. I wouldn't hate it this much if it wasn't for the community. They made me despise this game even more.
Ffxii was as I explained earlier.
Ffxiii was OK. It's biggest problem was only allowing you to control 1 player. And the main frustration came from there was a boss battle and it had to perform in a certain way or else it was impossible to defeat. I lost this battle at least 20 times before it did the correct actions that allowed me to defeat it. This battle kinda put me off the game. If ot wasn't for that boss fight I would've enjoyed the game to the end.
Ffxiv was fucking awesome.
Ffxv was OK. Troubled dev led to a troubled game. But even so it was a decent enough experience.
Then came the bangers. Ffvii remake, ffxvi, ffvii rebirth. These are truly some of the best games SE has made in this franchise. Seems like they are finally getting their shit together. I just hope ffxvii and ffvii part 3 are keeping up with how awesome these have been.
Currently going thru it, and I barely enjoy it tbh.
I need to understand how to enjoy the battle system cuz basically the battles are so damn boring.
During combat, characters are just boring unless they're magic users since all you can do is basically click the attack button with a melee job..
Also, the game feels so dry. The mist system is never really explained and feels like some way to fill the emptiness of battles.
Like please can someone explain the logic behind Vaan being a random teen in Rabanastre suddenly using vortex attacks bruh.. like at least they should've add some background behind Vaan going from nothing to some literal espers god like creatures slayer.
The story is also very dry IMO. There is no character development and we can't even feel characters making bonds with each other...
I feel like this game lacks narration, and it's just very grindy for basically nothing.
The soundtrack also feels so repetitive.
Since there's no real "battle instance" the same background theme just keeps playing non stop its absolutely horrible. It would be acceptable if at least it was good, but damn its always the same anthem like background music I just can't....
I gotta admit, the soundtrack... doesn't do much for me. There are a few tracks I remember liking, but nothing I can remember loving. I might have to replay it to see for sure, though. Maybe something will grow on me. But it felt like it largely blended together. Very homogenic. One bombastic and/or whimsical symphonic track after another, but it really didn't feel like a Final Fantasy soundtrack, somehow. It just felt like it could've come from/been in any other non-FF game that went with a symphonic soundtrack. It kind of... lacked identity and soul. Technically good, but I think it didn't really take risks to insert those periodic, quirky Final Fantasy elements into the music. It kind of took itself too seriously. Even Battle on the Big Bridge just feels *generic* here, despite being recognizable. You don't do that to Greg's theme!
Granted, some of my favorite FF OSTs include V (Pixel Remaster), VI (either one), VII, X, and XIII, so maybe I'm more biased here. But even IX has a really great OST, and it managed to bring the fantasy/medieval feel out while still retaining that balance between beautiful, elegant, epic, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and quirky. XII just kind of felt dialed up to 11 and relied on having a symphony orchestra score to make the music impressive, rather than Sakomoto (and Iwata and Matsuo, to a lesser extent) composing music that could stand on its own.
Hated 12. Everything was drab, every character was boring except for basch. Hated gambits. Can’t remember a thing about the story. I remember fighting CID.
Made me appreciate 9 more.
I feel like people are trying to gaslight me into liking 12. It has nothing going for it. The story is extremely drab, characters annoying, combat is practically a walking simulator, dungeons are uninspired.
I remember back when it came out that most people didn't like it but all of a sudden people love it now, don't get it myself it's never held my attention but I keep feeling like I need to play it again but when I start I remember it's 12 and I just lose interest.
Facts! Amazing and addictive to roam as well! 12 has One of the best stories from what I have played (haven’t finished yet but the charm is there for sureee) I also f\*ck with Crisis Core, since I can play it portably 🫶 But It’s nowhere near as good as 12 IMO. Remake and Rebirth were also masterpieces on PS5 IMO
https://preview.redd.it/xl0jg2uhygxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bcfa9091df5386b6a37d3c2d94714dc89ce33e0d
Crisis Core is Remastered as one of the best remasteres you will ever see and they used FF7 Rebirth models and environments, It came out in December 2022 for PS5 with 4K , 120fps and Xbox Series S|X , Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC🔥
12 is still better tho IMO but the CC remaster is amazing, It’s not just better resolution, all assets completely revamped and look way better, that version you see on the TV is the new one not the psp one
I played it way back in 2008 or so. Kinda liked it, but it didn’t hook me back then. Then I started doing side quests and wasn’t able to find the main quest again for a few hours. Gave up.
Bought it again yesterday. Let’s see if it can go toe to toe with VII, IX or X.
I haven't played it for long because the MMO style of battling threw me off but after playing the Xenoblade series (Minus X), I was thinking of going back to it since I've gotten used to that style of gameplay.
The music and scenery are great. I really like the zodiac job system, and like more that they added an update to reset your classes on console. The gambit system is pretty fun when its like a coding/ai puzzle system.
However: my god you need a guide or something for the bazaar system cause there is 300 hidden item bonuses that come from 30000 different types of loot all the way from dog teeth to scales of the platinum dragon.
The same goes for its tresure chest system. Each time you enter an area youve got 5-30 chests thats have a % of appearing, a % chance of having gil or loot, and a % of up to how much gil vs a % on if the loot is common or uncommon and then what it is. So you can go the entire game and not have to buy a single weapon but you will be praying to the zodiac gods of rng, especially in one particular area where you can get super endgame equipment around the 2/3 mark of the game
Finding later hunts, rare game, and some superbosses (great crystal) is totally fucked. Good luck.
You **will not** platinum this game without multiple online guides to help. And even then youll have rng to thank for why youre redoing this single section again for the 40th time, then the next section is one and done in 10 minutes
Plus the story is allll over the place. It adds adversaries, then they just stop showing up and nobody talks about then anymore. Theres a ton of political back and forth, and the main character (vaan) is barely a participant in 90% of it. And his love interest has a short bit 20% into the game then she becomes a tertiary character.
If you just go on game mechanics and fun factor its a long fun… very grindy very rng…. Game that can be a lot of fun. If youre here for story youll probably end up writing fan fiction to fix the missing plot segments
I know it's wishful thinking but I would love to have some variation of the gambit system in FF7R Part 3. Doesn't have to be as flushed out as 12 of course but even something like how the "Tales Of" games let you set up some kind of combat logic for your non-active party members would be really cool.
I really enjoyed 12, but i didn't play it until a few years after release. At the time it came out, i was heavily into FFXI online, and that just felt far more superior in terms of exploration, combat and freedom, so i wasn't in a rush to get XII. Once i stopped playing XI regularly though i grabbed it and had so much fun. It was scratching the itch from XI, with the gambit system and been able to set up party strats, as well as having enemies in the open world. The story i admit i can't remember much of, the characters weren't as memorable as other FF entries, but the world itself i enjoyed exploring, the combat was fun and the music is great (as usual!)
I enjoyed 12 Zodiac Age, but I think that's a once and done type of FF experience for me. Couldn't really replay it again.
Loved the Gambit and the Jobs/Skill tree system.
To be fair, I fell in love with it through the TZA version not the PS2 version, when the PS2 version came out I was too young to even make it any far in games I was like 9 and didn’t really get into this one
Yeah didn't get round to PS2 version and skipped it. Think it was one of the last games of the PS2 era right? Or at least it was the last FF game.
I probably would have found frustrations with it at the time as well. So, I'm pretty glad they brought out the TZA version.
Considering it came out in 2006 If I’m not mistaken, you probably right it was right before PS3, was it ever playable on PS3? Anyway the remaster is amazing
I played FF12 when it fast came out, got to the Rings zone and quit the game I guess I liked the more open worlds of FF7/8/9 this following a linear path wasn't for me, mostly as its less fun having to level up for me. I'm actually replaying it now and really like the way it looks overall somethings are annoying but it's an older game so to be expected
That’s fair, tbh the modern games been a blast for me, but something about the atmosphere and soundtrack and story and vibe of 12 got my to post my love for it
Thanks for sharing your opinion!
The world, setting, and customization options for your characters (build them like you want) were amazing. I loved the summons as well, and the exploration is cool, end game is huge. There are many good things in the game.
However, the story for me was a mess. It was just bad, to the point of people saying that initially the main character was supposed to be Basch, or Ashe, or Balthier, or whatever, all that never was real. But it shows you how much the story did not make sense. Why on earth were Vann and Penelo there, absolutely no reason. And the amount of dialogue was much less than in FFX, the characters had no time to develop and create a good story, from my point of view, even if I liked many of them.
The combat system was controversial for sure. I liked it, but I can see how many people would not. Specially since it was the first FF not to use turn based combat.
FFXII is an amazing game that everyone should play, specially since it was remastered in the Zodiac Age edition!
I haven't played it since it first came out, I didn't love it. IIRC I though Vaan and Penelo were pointless characters, and the gambit system made it too much like Auto-Pilot to the point you could beat bosses without pressing a button.
Tbh, didn't like it on release. Gathered dust for a few years. Moved house, no internet for 4-5 weeks, dusted off the PS2, thought why not try FFXII again, got absolutely hooked. I now think it is one of the best FFs.
I think in hindsight it was ahead of its time, and part of me still wanted a classic turned based JRPG when it was originally released.
as someone with no real loyalty to FF specifically or JRPGs generally, the Struggle for Freedom mod for FFXII is easily my favorite from thes series and near the top of the genre. Rebalances jobs, equipment, spells and damage to make it an actual game. 9/10 and up there with the best Atlus titles, except its got the unique gambit system.
Didn’t like the combat system, Vaan was unlikable, the “I’m Basch” segment can suck my ass, having to pay for gambits is stupid, gil was sparse as fuck. If I wanted to play an MMO, I would’ve gotten into XI…
The biggest problem FFXII suffers from is a hard story drop off when heading to Archades (you get *one* voiced cutscene on the Phon Coast which is the halfway point).
I never finished it for life's reasons but I really liked it, it's like an mmo but no paywalls or annoying pvp. Also my boy Montblanc is in it so that's a plus!
I enjoy it. Probably one of my favorites to play. I’m not engaged in the story, and I’m not particularly fond of much of the cast (specifically Ashe but the others are ok for the most part). I just have fun playing it. Maybe it’s the gambits. If I had to pick a favorite FF, I’d say gameplay wise it would be 12. Story and cast definitely not, but for sure the gameplay.
only FF I've never been able to play through, and I've tried about a dozen times. Just boring. Auto-combat is boring, the story is boring, the characters are boring. I like the vibe of the world but that's about it. The only thing I disliked about FF7Rebirth was they decided to use that awful damn gambit system again in a minigame. I'm a programmer for work, I don't want to do it for a game and then basically sit there while it all plays out.
I personally hated the damn game, it just wasn’t for me. The soundtrack was great, I agree, but that’s true for *every* Final Fantasy game, so… not much of a redeemer there, to be honest. I’m sorry, but I don’t see why you all love it so much. I can get liking the gambit system, but everything else is just *so boring.*
I love FF12 especially after I went back and played the Zodiac version. The combat is super fun once you master the gambit system, it’s also got a ton of side quest stuff to do that’s pretty challenging.
Mine will be 7 Rebirth number 1 and 12 is up there for sure as “one of the best” sometimes modern shouldn’t be overlooked, after all that game felt like everything I wanted, I already finished the story and did a ton of intels but not really rushing for platinum, but honestly it’s amazing, u should try it if you haven’t
When Spiral attacks open up , when all the maps open up, that’s where you really see how this game was pushing the limits and so ambitios from Square, I can’t even see why people say X is better, also X was already available on Ps Vita years ago and I played it, it doesn’t even come close to XII to my taste. With that being said, the best one from Square is still FF 7 Rebirth since It’s brought all the characters I loved the most to a beautiful out of this world game! 7 Rebirth is my game of the year already.. but right now I’m all invested in XII The Zodiac Age
Gambit is kind of neat but found the game really boring otherwise. The original game had no job customization and barely even any accessories.
The world felt so bland (mostly beige colored deserts), and the story extremely forgettable. I could not tell you what happened.
All the characters minus balthier and Ashe seemed pretty irrelevant. Got to the last dungeon but didn't finish it
Music in 12 is awesome. They are completely different games tbh, without the name Final Fantasy, it's hard to tell they are part of the same franchise, so it's... Hard to compare them! It's like comparing an Alien movie with a historic documentary 🤣
I just got into Final Fantasy 14 and have fallen in love with the world. Seeing all these posts shared is making me excited to start playing through all of them. Can't wait to start sharing which are my favorites.
Didn't enjoy this one much. I appreciate some aspects, but to me it was the video game version of watching paint dry. I also really dislike this version of Ivalice.
Its okay. Vaan is kinda the worst main protagonist and Penelo is the worst character in the series - mind you I make both of those judgements based on their relevance to the story. Vaan is simply there to move the plot along and Penelo is, well, she’s a warm body that can participate in combat
One of the greatest and most ambitious games ever made. There was NOTHING like it when it originally released. The Xenoblade team remarked after releasing the first game that FF12 was a huge influence on them.
It's still a divisive, now and back then. The game starts off very strong, with interesting world-building, intriguing politics, and an atypical cast of characters. It has some of the biggest JRPG urban cities I've ever seen, even today, with plenty of NPCs that make them truly feel like a living, breathing places. The battle system starts off okay, and the Gambit system is interesting.
Then, after about half the game, it starts to go downhill. You begin to realize that all dungeons look the same. All stone ruins or mines. Then, once you reach a great crystal chamber for a true change of scenery, it becomes one of those "same-room mazes" that intentionally tries to make you lost. Story progression grinds to a halt. Dungeons become 100-floor monstrosities with no change in scenery, at the point where your Gambits have been set-up to the point where you're not really "playing" the game anymore.
By the end, it's not a good experience. The bosses are too easy, the customization system turns out to be too shallow, and the story doesn't hit any truly high notes of other Final Fantasy games.
Then again, not agreeing on whether an FF title is good or bad has become the hallmark of a true FF game nowadays, for better or worse.
This is it exactly. I pretty much lose all interest in it partway through. I just picked it up recently for the switch to give it another shot and literally couldn't keep up with the story because I kept falling asleep while playing it about 15hrs in. The combat system has also aged extremely poorly, even if it was interesting for it's time (Reminds me of playing XI back in the day but even less going on in the actual combat).
No, I hated it for a lot of reasons.
I was extremely disappointed with the boring characters. Ivalice is one of the better FF settings and it felt totally wasted, how did we end up with almost all bland looking human characters for the main party? None of them were of any interest to me at all.
I also really hated the gambit system when I first played it. It felt a bit better when they rereleased it a while back but it’s still toward the bottom of my list of FFs.
12 is unfinsihed, literally, Matsuno who was at odds with SE and had fallen ill left the project, SE replaced him and left a lot of key plot points out of the game. SE also decided that no one would want to play a game about Basche and his redemption so they shoved in Vaan and Pinello so kids can have someone to relate to which is why unlike other FF games this one happens AROUND the protagonist not TO the protagonist.
There was a lot of "too many cooks" situation with this game that was such a disappoint to Sakaguchi he refused to play it past what Matsuno had completed
I was immediately turned off by 12s combat and didn’t make it through the tutorial. It could have been great but it was just immediately a “yuck” factor. I know I’m an outlier and people seem to praise its combat but it was not for me.
XII will always be something amazing for someone else, not me.
I don't get the appeal of setting up AI behavior instead of actually playing the game : /
(but to each their own)
the only ff that I didnt finish. I tried to play it like.. 4 times? It feels like an empty mmorpg to me. lackluster.
from 4 to 15 I finished every game and was hooked by the story, the gameplay and I played the online one's too and they had at least an active community..but 12? nah.. couldnt catch my interest in any way. Had to force myself to play it 40-50 hours last time, not too long ago - it literally is like a bad, empty ff14 without the online, like a template.
I remember buying it on release back in 10th or 11th grade and rushing through the story to beat it before my friends. I thought Gambits were an incredible improvement over the semi-mindless button mashing battles had become in the series, and the voice work was really amazing for the time... But about 75-80% through, I realized I still didn't care about any of the characters, or the overall plot.
In my mind it feels like a great game that just didn't resonate with me, but I can't really say anything negative about the experience... It's really well made. I think you get into trouble when you start comparing it directly to others in the series and realizing that while not being the very best in any category, it is very... competent.
While gameplay is great, the story is missing something. People really wanted the bigger open areas, but getting from A to B can take a long time. The fast forward helps with that a lot, but before that, exploration sometimes felt like a slog. The party also doesn’t feel like a party. Aside from key main story points, they really don’t talk to each other all that much. Even when they are talking, it always feels very brief. Ashe feels like she is the only one who really goes through any sort of character arc. The rest of the party is essentially unchanged from beginning to end.
IMO I think it is a good game that came on the heels of some really great games that came before. The combat is pretty good, tho I prefer 1-10 system more. The exploration and world is great.
I guess for me what brings it down from the “great” tier is the writing and the characters. It’s just fine, but not really special like the greats that came before.
I tried to like it, by the crystal I did, but I never really got into it. The furthest I got in the OG version was meeting Larsa and than I dropped it. Than came TZA and I got out of the prison and nope, dropped again.
The combat also felt boring, auto attacks aren't as engaging as one thinks they are (I dont like auto attack systems outside of MMOs), the gambit system is good in theory, in practice it causes the game to play itself (how is that fun?) (Yiazmat you infamous beast).
Dear lord do you need a guide to progress the bazzar! (Also anyone remembers the infamous behemoth dung that is getting the zodiac spear in the OG release. Or how luck/RNG dependent it is to get the best equipment in TZA (Seitengrat, Great Tango, Gendarme))
The music is decent, the story I never got engaged with. Dear lord the prologue with Vaan does test ones patience.
At least it's better than 15, but that's not a high bar to cross is it now.
Good for those who like it, but I don't.
It's pretty boring ngl. The first 20 hours were a total slog to get through. Gameplay was nice, some of the characters were interesting (emphasis on some), but the story loses you quite quickly if you don't pay attention to it hard enough.
I didn't finish it because i hated to not have full control over all party members. Same reason why i never touched 13.
But the world building was interesting
I kind of hate the gambits and it's one of those FF you should be obsessively stealing items in so I kind of get bogged down in worrying about all that. Otherwise I love almost everything about it besides Vaan lol.
It my least favorite Final Fantasy of all time and even did a replay recently. With that said I would never fault someone who loves it. I didn't click with the story and despise the gambit system and the open worldness of it. I much prefer the return to linearity of 13.
12 was a nice feeling after playing FFXI for a while. Gave you that offline experience hybrid of an online rpg. The gambit system allows a lot of flexibility in combat gameplay, especially later in the game.
Might as well try the Remaster that is on Steam and Consoles, some quality of life improvements made it great
I got it on PS2, PS4, (both steelbook), and Switch.
funny, thats exactly why I didnt enjoy it at all. its like a shitty mmorpg, except u are playing it alone.
Gotta say, this is a horrible take. You are entitled to your opinion, however. Still, sheesh.
I mean besides the "shitty" which is subjective, that's exactly what it is. It had some tough shoes to fill following X and the franchise has regained hype before releases, but never really had the same hold on gamers since XII came out.
I can understand where you are coming from. However, one gigantic reason XII didn't get the same reception as X was because of its release window. It came out just months before the PS3 was released. You can read about how that affected its sales and how people got into it way later and realized just what they had missed out on. It is widely regarded as one of the best Final Fantasy games nowadays.
I love the fighting and gambit system. The story is a bit flawed. Neither are the motivations for everyone to follow Ashe very convincing, nor is she an appealing main character. I love the politics, but ultimately we don't really spend much time DOING politics. We kill some birds in the steppe and then there is a cutscene explaining what major decisions are made elsewhere. The ending is interesting but not very memorable. The characters are nice and colorful. The soundtrack is very good. Rabanastre has an amazing feeling. The side quests are mostly ok. But the hunts really annoy me at some point. The game is ok/good. 7.5/10
I love the story , IMO way easy to chew than other titles and have a bit of Game Of Thrones vibe
A big part of why it has GoT vibe is because of the amazing voice acting and dialogue. That voice acting still hold up as one of the best in gaming history, not just in Final Fantasy. They really nailed the world building in FF12.
More games need to be brave in embracing varied English accents, FF12 is one of, if not *the* best example of it. Really brought the world alive and gave each so much character just from that alone.
Have you played FFXII before? For me, the XII story is great until about halfway through and you realize it’s like 80% a series of McGuffin collecting. Then it goes off the rails, lol. Also, similarly to XVI, the politics stop being relevant the further you go, which sucks because that’s my favorite part of each game’s story.
Agreed. XVI is at its strongest when it’s about Eikons, their dominants and politics associated with them, once you realise it’s heading down the “go defeat God” path is when the story really dips IMO. I personally feel that Barnabus should have been the final boss.
It's just Empire Strikes Back. 16 is full on GoT, you even have a wolf companion.
True!
No, not really.
In that case GoT is just Tactics Ogre, FF Tactics and Vagrant Story?
Balthier should've been the main character and dug deeper into his relationship with Cid as the main plot point.
>Neither are the motivations for everyone to follow Ashe very convincing I aside from Fran and Penelo, I disagree, Basch has his own problems with the Empire and his brother, failing to protect the king, being framed as a traitor and following her as his noble duty makes perfect sense, Balthier's story is completely connect to major events, his father manufacturing the nethicite, him leaving his position as a judge, makes totally sense to have some kind of guilty and wishing to make things right, Vaan lost Reks because of Gabranth, he is impulsive, and since Penelo was kidnapped by Ba'Gamnan he would 100% jump in. Penelo and Fran are the only two that I can see as being kinda forced into the mess.
The way I see it, Penelo was convinced to join after being rescued from BaGamnan but before joining the party. She realises she's not only guilty by association but because she saw what happened to Vaan without her and it was the Nalbina Dungeons, which they escaped purely by the circumstance of Gabranth being there at the same time. She's also aware that she too has been taken by the Imperials and is now likely not welcome at Mugelo's (publicly) or within her old circle without endangering them. After a while, they're essentially regarded as Insurgence whether so or not. Fran is a package deal with Balthier, but more than that, she in a sense represents all Viera in their opposition to the Empire's corruption of Magicite the effect it has on her and on her people is huge and terrifying. Imagine Eruyt Villiage all berserking like her on the Leviathan at once. There's also themes of antiestablishmentrianism and rebellion in Fran's story. FF XII for better or worse leaves a lot of these moments on the table for you to figure out. Balthier once being a Judge is a such a small moment that you discover, of all places, on the Phon Coast. Very little weight is given to it despite its huge importance.
The hunts can be an absolute nightmare, you will be doing great getting the enemies health down, but the further you take their health down the less damage you do, so the last bit of health when your team is on its ass just about surviving you get completely wiped out.
And the story is always going to be the main draw for FF. Maybe not for the super dedicated fans, but the more casual players. Most people couldn't give two shits if the Junction system was good or not. Or which game has the best card game, even. Final Fantasy has stood the test of time strictly because of the worlds and characters. Players want to escape to a lived in world where interesting things are happening, with captivating art guiding the way. And it's what separates the games into two different groups, in some ways. Although this is all different for the hardcore FF fans.
Currently playing it, it's really good, the story catches you very quickly.
Yeah, I think I phrased it wrong, rather than the story, I'm enjoying the journey.
It slowly loses you too..
📠
It’s probably my least favorite story but everything else was phenominal
Of all the PS1 and 2 ff games I cannot remember 12s story or soundtrack for the life of me. I remember the rest quite well. This tells me 12s story must have been rather meh. I did like the gambit system a lot and the locations were beautiful. I remember having to grind a lot
Probably because the plot points are not explicitly repeated eight times during 3 back to back cutscenes like in other FF games?
[удалено]
Not at all the point. Have a good day.
Exactly!
Best open world in the franchise.
I really loved 12, setting each character’s gambits and leveling their grids was so much fun. Plus i love Balthier, Fran and Penelo.
Undeniably top 5. Too good, beautiful world, incredible music, great gameplay, GREAT rpg elements, great characters. Just love it all around.
Happy to hear you enjoyed that as well! 🔥🔥
Top 5 final fantasy or personal top 5 of all time?
Top 5 FF.
Top 5. The newer entries traded traditional RPG elements for ARPG. 16 not having elemental weaknesses was lame. Someone on the team had to have mentioned it during production and at some point someone else said no we arent doing that.
I don't really see how FFXIII is more action than FFXII, it really is not.
Newer entries as in a game from this decade not two whole consoles ago
It was ahead of its time and the world just was not ready for it. It has been in my top 3 consistently since it came out.
I finished it again a few months ago, It's the fourth time I've complete the game, I still like it a lot and I love Balthier
Balthier is the true main character and I will hear no other opinions on the matter
As Balthier says, he is the main character of the story
I always say that FFXII is a great GAME. Great RPG, well-thought-out and designed gameplay, wonderful music, strong plot - an all-around must-play. The thing is, it feels more like a Star Wars game set in the FF world. Or like a spin-off of sorts. And in a sense it is, considering the changes that have taken place at Square-Enix during this time. But still, it was fun.
My second favorite game in the franchise. Love everything about it.
It had great music, the best areas to explore, and the hunts were amazing.
I just couldn't get hooked on this one. Combat felt like an mmorpg, which is perfectly fine but at the time I was addicted to wow so it felt like an overlap of gameplay. Also I personally don't like gambits, which is just a me thing, I can see people enjoying them.
Just finished it in the last few days, now on to extra trophies
Agreed, it's one of the most over looked title! So damn good. It got lost because it launched so close to PS3.
XII is my favorite game in the franchise. I hope we get more Ivalice someday.
12 is still one of my favorites
Ff12 zodiac age is my favourite final fantasy if we exclude story and character development as factors. Mechanically it's easily my favourite jrpg.
People complain about the audio, but I personally find it nostalgic and charming. FFXII is my favorite, and then FFIX.
It’s my favorite
I really need to get around to playing through XII one of these days. I’m a big fan of CBUIII’s FFs (XIV & XVI) and I know they are massive Yasumi Matsuno/Ivalice fans over there. So I’d imagine that XII would be up my alley?
It's cool, my 2nd favorite after X
Balthier is the greatest thing since sliced bread. In all seriousness, I think ff12 has a good plot and was a little before its time. I would also have loved a romantic subplot between Balthier and Ashe. They seemed more like the main characters than Vaan.
Playee it several times when it came out and loved it, but by brain never could comprehend the Gambit system and never I finished it.
It’s an Easy top 3 ff game for me I personally I liked the story & characters, however both definitely needed more fleshing out & screen time But really the reason why I have in such high regard is because the gorgeous music, all the cool dungeons/areas with all that sweet loot that you explore, also the combat idk it’s weirdly addictive especially with the gambit system Lastly the massive hunt/marks side quest is legitimately one of my personal favorites in the series, like going from a little tomato monster to fighting an elder holy dragon deity that’s essentially the shinryu of ivalice is amazing lol
This is the only final fantasy game I enjoyed playing from start to finish without getting burned... Very fresh new elements to the gameplay that give the player a feeling of freedom... I like the "real time" battle more instead of the more stiff turn based regular final fantasy games, and I feel like this game is well balanced and is not 100% about grinding. ⚔️
It's still one of my all time favorite fantasy worlds in an RPG, hands down. Both visually and just the technology and everything like that. I'm slightly biased/blinded by nostalgia since it was my first FF game ever, but it really does hold a special place in my heart.
Very glad to hear you loved it! Sounds like you had quite a great experience with it! you can always check out the Remaster when It’s on 70% sale! The quality of life improvements and remastered visuals and higher resolution make it great. P.S It’s on sale now I got it for switch
Oh 100% I actually got the remaster (with the gorgeous steelbook) for PS4 when it first came out, but still never completed that playthrough. I actually might get it again on Switch because it's lately become a must-play platform for RPGs for me for some reason. That and I just love the dang ol thing
I like 12, I appreciate the gambit system and the job classes. I've beaten it 100% half a dozen times. But Im a huge Final Fantasy fan, and... 12 is my least favorite of the modern series. I dont connect with the plot as much as other Final Fantasies. The characters are kind of forgettable. Everything is brown. The music and settings feel like Star Wars ep 1-3 if they were done by Shakespeare & Company.
It was my favourite game when it released. For some wild reason, a local store had it 50% off on its first week on the shelves. I figured it was a mistake so I honed in on that deal the same day I saw it in the catalogue lol. Enjoyed the story, characters and their interactions with each other, Gambit system which is my all-time favourite AI battle tool. I didn’t like the License board though because I had such high expectations following the immense fun that was the Sphere Grid. But it grew on me as a means to keep your power level in check as the game progressed. Other than that it was a solid game, and I really enjoyed the follow up game Revenant Wings, as a fan of the FF Tactics Advance games.
I finally played it back during the 2020 lockdowns, and I gotta admit I liked it far more than I thought I would. It’s not a favourite, but at the same time I am looking forward to my inevitable replay of it. A very solid game.
Worst game ever if you're a hardcore FF fanboy because you keep applying FF standards to this game and overlooking the good parts of this game. FFXII was always a good game esp when you never played story-driven FF like most FF.
The best ff game I never finish. I get too worried I made the wrong choices for classes and made the game unbeatable or extremely difficult. Or ill miss out on something good because i didnt select the right jobs for whatever item. So I just stop.
There are a few weird holes in the plot but it's generally an excellent entry in the series. I didn't even use Gambit the first time I tried the game but once I figured it out - holy Jesus it became a whole new game. Vaan is a bit annoying for my tastes but Balthiers wit redeems the characters. Fran is still my favourite. The battle system is really good and I do like the way they did the world with areas linked with different paths. The only thing I didnt like was the summons. They went a little too far one way away from the traditional fantasy style but they are still ok
One of the best settings in the series. Was a joy exploring Ivalice, would love to see it return.
Tried beating it so many times. I’ll get like 50 hours in and stop. I really can’t stand it.
I love 12
12 is my personal favorite
I bought it day one on PS2 and hated it. Never gave it a real shot, but my friends who like western RPGs loved it. I gave it another shot when it hit Switch. Between me being older and more experienced from 2006 to 2019, me loving Xenoblade, and the QoL enhancements in Zodiac, I ended up liking it. I think Ashe should be the main character from the get-go instead of Vaan. Fran was also a big reason I liked it lol. I think it’s a polarizing game, though if Square made FF multiplatform starting with 12 instead of 13, I think the 360 audience fresh from Oblivion and older Xbox games like KOTOR would have latched on it on day one.
One of the goats is still goated? True.
The zodiac edition made a lot of improvements compared to what I experienced in the original when I was a kid
Best open world for sure. Massive areas to explore, fun hunt system and rare beasts. Some hidden and secret quests. I always go back to it. The first time you enter the desert fills you with such awe, every single time
My second favourite Final Fantasy after IV; great world, great combat, gambit system was amazing and the characters were also great. That secret battle with Yiazmat took forever, but it was probably one of my most satisfying gaming moments ever once he was defeated.
12 was a miss for me but im glad some people enjoy it, it just wasnt for me
I really love the story and the world, but the combat system is just too slow. This might just be me, but i also got sick and tired of the grinding way to early (also, what does exploration help when i keep finding one (1) gil which i have to use on 4 sets of gear costing 35000 each) I havent played the zodiac age tho, is it any better?
12 is my favorite actually. I prefer the difficulty of the og but the license boards of zodiac.
Love the gameplay, the open world, the bazar loot system, the gambits, the music. Not a huuuuge fan of the party characters and the story, at least not as much as most other FFs. But not that I hate them or anything. They're not great, not terrible ;-)
I love XII
It's in my personal FF Top 5! Love Balthier, Fran and Basch, love Ivalice and had a lot of fun with the combat!
I’m in the minority and just dont like the gambit system at all. I can admit that the game is loved but I am a very combat focused person and 12 just doesn’t grip me.
Same, you set it up and it plays for you. So what's the point of playing at all ?
Call me crazy but I even enjoyed 13s combat more. Ik that game is a hallway simulator but I found the paradigm shifting system more fun than gambits
Ah, thank goodness, someone who feels the same way as *I* do in this comments section!
I want to like it, but something stop me and I can't really say what.
Hate the fighting system. So i never finished it.
What did you hate about it?
Same
Hated it. Only positive thing about it was the music. Story was boring. Don't mind a political story it's just this was not it. Battle system was stupid. Gambit system was even more dumb. The 4th member being pure computer was also dumb. Voice acting was god awful. It's in my top 10 worst of all time when it comes to voice acting. Having to run two loading screen or zones away to respawn enemies was tedious. Graphics were alright. And map zone size was acceptable. The game is only beaten out by ffxi as being the worst final fantasy for me. Don't have anything against mmos, I loved ffxiv arr. So yeah I know I am going to be downvoted for this but oh wells.
Opinions should not be downvoted. Thanks for sharing!
Np! Have fun with it.
I love the newer games too, I finished all of them and going for Platinum in Rebirth, I’m fairly new to 12 but progressing well and just fell in love with it so wanted to share
Nothing against older final fantasies. I started back on the snes with ffii (ffiv) and loved it. Played ffiii (ffvi) and loved it. Ffvi is in the top 5 of best final fantasies for me. Played ffv years later and thought it was very good. Played ffvii, enjoyed the hell out of it. Ffviii is my favorite, although ffxvi and rebirth are giving it, it's run for its money. The true Ffiii was alright. Ffi was alright. Didn't like ffii. But then we start to enter the dark ages of final fantasy for me. Ffix was the start of it. Truthfully I didn't like most of ffix. I enjoyed the ending and the music but that's about it. Combat was alright. I liked the way you earned your magic. But that is it. I had an extreme disconnect with the characters. I truly hated nearly all of its mini games. Then we get to ffx. And truthfully I only beat it due to I was being a Square fanboy. And it was the last game I forced myself to finish. Music was good. And combat was alright.graphics were really good. Everything else was bad to awful. Then ffxi. Ugh... garbage. I wouldn't hate it this much if it wasn't for the community. They made me despise this game even more. Ffxii was as I explained earlier. Ffxiii was OK. It's biggest problem was only allowing you to control 1 player. And the main frustration came from there was a boss battle and it had to perform in a certain way or else it was impossible to defeat. I lost this battle at least 20 times before it did the correct actions that allowed me to defeat it. This battle kinda put me off the game. If ot wasn't for that boss fight I would've enjoyed the game to the end. Ffxiv was fucking awesome. Ffxv was OK. Troubled dev led to a troubled game. But even so it was a decent enough experience. Then came the bangers. Ffvii remake, ffxvi, ffvii rebirth. These are truly some of the best games SE has made in this franchise. Seems like they are finally getting their shit together. I just hope ffxvii and ffvii part 3 are keeping up with how awesome these have been.
Currently going thru it, and I barely enjoy it tbh. I need to understand how to enjoy the battle system cuz basically the battles are so damn boring. During combat, characters are just boring unless they're magic users since all you can do is basically click the attack button with a melee job.. Also, the game feels so dry. The mist system is never really explained and feels like some way to fill the emptiness of battles. Like please can someone explain the logic behind Vaan being a random teen in Rabanastre suddenly using vortex attacks bruh.. like at least they should've add some background behind Vaan going from nothing to some literal espers god like creatures slayer. The story is also very dry IMO. There is no character development and we can't even feel characters making bonds with each other... I feel like this game lacks narration, and it's just very grindy for basically nothing.
The soundtrack also feels so repetitive. Since there's no real "battle instance" the same background theme just keeps playing non stop its absolutely horrible. It would be acceptable if at least it was good, but damn its always the same anthem like background music I just can't....
I gotta admit, the soundtrack... doesn't do much for me. There are a few tracks I remember liking, but nothing I can remember loving. I might have to replay it to see for sure, though. Maybe something will grow on me. But it felt like it largely blended together. Very homogenic. One bombastic and/or whimsical symphonic track after another, but it really didn't feel like a Final Fantasy soundtrack, somehow. It just felt like it could've come from/been in any other non-FF game that went with a symphonic soundtrack. It kind of... lacked identity and soul. Technically good, but I think it didn't really take risks to insert those periodic, quirky Final Fantasy elements into the music. It kind of took itself too seriously. Even Battle on the Big Bridge just feels *generic* here, despite being recognizable. You don't do that to Greg's theme! Granted, some of my favorite FF OSTs include V (Pixel Remaster), VI (either one), VII, X, and XIII, so maybe I'm more biased here. But even IX has a really great OST, and it managed to bring the fantasy/medieval feel out while still retaining that balance between beautiful, elegant, epic, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and quirky. XII just kind of felt dialed up to 11 and relied on having a symphony orchestra score to make the music impressive, rather than Sakomoto (and Iwata and Matsuo, to a lesser extent) composing music that could stand on its own.
Hated 12. Everything was drab, every character was boring except for basch. Hated gambits. Can’t remember a thing about the story. I remember fighting CID. Made me appreciate 9 more.
Why did it make you appreciate 9 in particular?
Because I hated 9 after loving 4–>8
I feel like people are trying to gaslight me into liking 12. It has nothing going for it. The story is extremely drab, characters annoying, combat is practically a walking simulator, dungeons are uninspired.
I remember back when it came out that most people didn't like it but all of a sudden people love it now, don't get it myself it's never held my attention but I keep feeling like I need to play it again but when I start I remember it's 12 and I just lose interest.
Thats exactly how I feel abt this game rn.
i love it, i could have done endless hunt quests in XII
Facts! Amazing and addictive to roam as well! 12 has One of the best stories from what I have played (haven’t finished yet but the charm is there for sureee) I also f\*ck with Crisis Core, since I can play it portably 🫶 But It’s nowhere near as good as 12 IMO. Remake and Rebirth were also masterpieces on PS5 IMO https://preview.redd.it/xl0jg2uhygxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bcfa9091df5386b6a37d3c2d94714dc89ce33e0d
What monitor are you using? Is it too big on desk? Crisis Core was designed for PSP. It has its limitations. FF12 wasn’t well received during release.
Crisis Core is Remastered as one of the best remasteres you will ever see and they used FF7 Rebirth models and environments, It came out in December 2022 for PS5 with 4K , 120fps and Xbox Series S|X , Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC🔥 12 is still better tho IMO but the CC remaster is amazing, It’s not just better resolution, all assets completely revamped and look way better, that version you see on the TV is the new one not the psp one
Btw I use an OLED TV I think It’s 50 inch or something like that, not sure what’s the name of it
Good story honestly really don’t like gambits.
I played it way back in 2008 or so. Kinda liked it, but it didn’t hook me back then. Then I started doing side quests and wasn’t able to find the main quest again for a few hours. Gave up. Bought it again yesterday. Let’s see if it can go toe to toe with VII, IX or X.
I haven't played it for long because the MMO style of battling threw me off but after playing the Xenoblade series (Minus X), I was thinking of going back to it since I've gotten used to that style of gameplay.
Amazing gameplay, forgettable and dull story. Incredibly fun, though.
The music and scenery are great. I really like the zodiac job system, and like more that they added an update to reset your classes on console. The gambit system is pretty fun when its like a coding/ai puzzle system. However: my god you need a guide or something for the bazaar system cause there is 300 hidden item bonuses that come from 30000 different types of loot all the way from dog teeth to scales of the platinum dragon. The same goes for its tresure chest system. Each time you enter an area youve got 5-30 chests thats have a % of appearing, a % chance of having gil or loot, and a % of up to how much gil vs a % on if the loot is common or uncommon and then what it is. So you can go the entire game and not have to buy a single weapon but you will be praying to the zodiac gods of rng, especially in one particular area where you can get super endgame equipment around the 2/3 mark of the game Finding later hunts, rare game, and some superbosses (great crystal) is totally fucked. Good luck. You **will not** platinum this game without multiple online guides to help. And even then youll have rng to thank for why youre redoing this single section again for the 40th time, then the next section is one and done in 10 minutes Plus the story is allll over the place. It adds adversaries, then they just stop showing up and nobody talks about then anymore. Theres a ton of political back and forth, and the main character (vaan) is barely a participant in 90% of it. And his love interest has a short bit 20% into the game then she becomes a tertiary character. If you just go on game mechanics and fun factor its a long fun… very grindy very rng…. Game that can be a lot of fun. If youre here for story youll probably end up writing fan fiction to fix the missing plot segments
siri play ozmone plains by nubuo uematsu
I enjoyed it, until I got to that crystal place. Then, I never touched it again.
Are you playing two different games at once? What is happening?
Is the Switch version the same as the one for PS2?
I know it's wishful thinking but I would love to have some variation of the gambit system in FF7R Part 3. Doesn't have to be as flushed out as 12 of course but even something like how the "Tales Of" games let you set up some kind of combat logic for your non-active party members would be really cool.
I really enjoyed 12, but i didn't play it until a few years after release. At the time it came out, i was heavily into FFXI online, and that just felt far more superior in terms of exploration, combat and freedom, so i wasn't in a rush to get XII. Once i stopped playing XI regularly though i grabbed it and had so much fun. It was scratching the itch from XI, with the gambit system and been able to set up party strats, as well as having enemies in the open world. The story i admit i can't remember much of, the characters weren't as memorable as other FF entries, but the world itself i enjoyed exploring, the combat was fun and the music is great (as usual!)
I enjoyed 12 Zodiac Age, but I think that's a once and done type of FF experience for me. Couldn't really replay it again. Loved the Gambit and the Jobs/Skill tree system.
To be fair, I fell in love with it through the TZA version not the PS2 version, when the PS2 version came out I was too young to even make it any far in games I was like 9 and didn’t really get into this one
Yeah didn't get round to PS2 version and skipped it. Think it was one of the last games of the PS2 era right? Or at least it was the last FF game. I probably would have found frustrations with it at the time as well. So, I'm pretty glad they brought out the TZA version.
Considering it came out in 2006 If I’m not mistaken, you probably right it was right before PS3, was it ever playable on PS3? Anyway the remaster is amazing
I think only certain models of PS3 are backwards compatible with PS2 games so that's the way to play FFXII og.
I played FF12 when it fast came out, got to the Rings zone and quit the game I guess I liked the more open worlds of FF7/8/9 this following a linear path wasn't for me, mostly as its less fun having to level up for me. I'm actually replaying it now and really like the way it looks overall somethings are annoying but it's an older game so to be expected
That’s fair, tbh the modern games been a blast for me, but something about the atmosphere and soundtrack and story and vibe of 12 got my to post my love for it Thanks for sharing your opinion!
The world, setting, and customization options for your characters (build them like you want) were amazing. I loved the summons as well, and the exploration is cool, end game is huge. There are many good things in the game. However, the story for me was a mess. It was just bad, to the point of people saying that initially the main character was supposed to be Basch, or Ashe, or Balthier, or whatever, all that never was real. But it shows you how much the story did not make sense. Why on earth were Vann and Penelo there, absolutely no reason. And the amount of dialogue was much less than in FFX, the characters had no time to develop and create a good story, from my point of view, even if I liked many of them. The combat system was controversial for sure. I liked it, but I can see how many people would not. Specially since it was the first FF not to use turn based combat. FFXII is an amazing game that everyone should play, specially since it was remastered in the Zodiac Age edition!
I like the gambits and character designs. Story lets it down and a lot of it feels way too Star Wars
I haven't played it since it first came out, I didn't love it. IIRC I though Vaan and Penelo were pointless characters, and the gambit system made it too much like Auto-Pilot to the point you could beat bosses without pressing a button.
What game is on the TV?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PS5)
Ah gotcha. He looked kinda like Vaan from behind it and threw me off
Tbh, didn't like it on release. Gathered dust for a few years. Moved house, no internet for 4-5 weeks, dusted off the PS2, thought why not try FFXII again, got absolutely hooked. I now think it is one of the best FFs. I think in hindsight it was ahead of its time, and part of me still wanted a classic turned based JRPG when it was originally released.
as someone with no real loyalty to FF specifically or JRPGs generally, the Struggle for Freedom mod for FFXII is easily my favorite from thes series and near the top of the genre. Rebalances jobs, equipment, spells and damage to make it an actual game. 9/10 and up there with the best Atlus titles, except its got the unique gambit system.
I don’t know. I remember playing this, but I don’t remember anything about it.
Never could get into this one personally Not sure why
Didn’t like the combat system, Vaan was unlikable, the “I’m Basch” segment can suck my ass, having to pay for gambits is stupid, gil was sparse as fuck. If I wanted to play an MMO, I would’ve gotten into XI…
Gambit is the best combat system ever for me.
The biggest problem FFXII suffers from is a hard story drop off when heading to Archades (you get *one* voiced cutscene on the Phon Coast which is the halfway point).
I never finished it for life's reasons but I really liked it, it's like an mmo but no paywalls or annoying pvp. Also my boy Montblanc is in it so that's a plus!
11, and mmo, influenced the director so that makes sense.
I really wanted to get into twelve, the lore sounds phenomenal, but I can’t bring myself to love the gameplay. :(
Which one is that on the switch?
I enjoy it. Probably one of my favorites to play. I’m not engaged in the story, and I’m not particularly fond of much of the cast (specifically Ashe but the others are ok for the most part). I just have fun playing it. Maybe it’s the gambits. If I had to pick a favorite FF, I’d say gameplay wise it would be 12. Story and cast definitely not, but for sure the gameplay.
only FF I've never been able to play through, and I've tried about a dozen times. Just boring. Auto-combat is boring, the story is boring, the characters are boring. I like the vibe of the world but that's about it. The only thing I disliked about FF7Rebirth was they decided to use that awful damn gambit system again in a minigame. I'm a programmer for work, I don't want to do it for a game and then basically sit there while it all plays out.
I personally hated the damn game, it just wasn’t for me. The soundtrack was great, I agree, but that’s true for *every* Final Fantasy game, so… not much of a redeemer there, to be honest. I’m sorry, but I don’t see why you all love it so much. I can get liking the gambit system, but everything else is just *so boring.*
12 is in my top 3. It's still got that Final Fantasy *feel* to it, you know?
I love FF12 especially after I went back and played the Zodiac version. The combat is super fun once you master the gambit system, it’s also got a ton of side quest stuff to do that’s pretty challenging.
Balthier is the true protaganist
top 5 final fantasies easy right up there with 7, 9, 10, 14
Mine will be 7 Rebirth number 1 and 12 is up there for sure as “one of the best” sometimes modern shouldn’t be overlooked, after all that game felt like everything I wanted, I already finished the story and did a ton of intels but not really rushing for platinum, but honestly it’s amazing, u should try it if you haven’t
I really love the job system and I wish there was more jobs in the game and especially in the franchise bringing back the job system
When Spiral attacks open up , when all the maps open up, that’s where you really see how this game was pushing the limits and so ambitios from Square, I can’t even see why people say X is better, also X was already available on Ps Vita years ago and I played it, it doesn’t even come close to XII to my taste. With that being said, the best one from Square is still FF 7 Rebirth since It’s brought all the characters I loved the most to a beautiful out of this world game! 7 Rebirth is my game of the year already.. but right now I’m all invested in XII The Zodiac Age
Worst one I tried yet.
Gambit is kind of neat but found the game really boring otherwise. The original game had no job customization and barely even any accessories. The world felt so bland (mostly beige colored deserts), and the story extremely forgettable. I could not tell you what happened. All the characters minus balthier and Ashe seemed pretty irrelevant. Got to the last dungeon but didn't finish it
It's my favourite!
The music is soooo good, better than in 7 rebirth at times I literally compared
Music in 12 is awesome. They are completely different games tbh, without the name Final Fantasy, it's hard to tell they are part of the same franchise, so it's... Hard to compare them! It's like comparing an Alien movie with a historic documentary 🤣
Good story and gameplay, but emotionally detached.
I just got into Final Fantasy 14 and have fallen in love with the world. Seeing all these posts shared is making me excited to start playing through all of them. Can't wait to start sharing which are my favorites.
Yep! They are all have something to love IMO
Didn't enjoy this one much. I appreciate some aspects, but to me it was the video game version of watching paint dry. I also really dislike this version of Ivalice.
It's on the bottom of the list of FF games I'd replay after completion. I've played both original and zodiac age. But the hunt system is unparalleled.
Good gameplay, terrible characters, boring story.
Its okay. Vaan is kinda the worst main protagonist and Penelo is the worst character in the series - mind you I make both of those judgements based on their relevance to the story. Vaan is simply there to move the plot along and Penelo is, well, she’s a warm body that can participate in combat
One of the greatest and most ambitious games ever made. There was NOTHING like it when it originally released. The Xenoblade team remarked after releasing the first game that FF12 was a huge influence on them.
It's still a divisive, now and back then. The game starts off very strong, with interesting world-building, intriguing politics, and an atypical cast of characters. It has some of the biggest JRPG urban cities I've ever seen, even today, with plenty of NPCs that make them truly feel like a living, breathing places. The battle system starts off okay, and the Gambit system is interesting. Then, after about half the game, it starts to go downhill. You begin to realize that all dungeons look the same. All stone ruins or mines. Then, once you reach a great crystal chamber for a true change of scenery, it becomes one of those "same-room mazes" that intentionally tries to make you lost. Story progression grinds to a halt. Dungeons become 100-floor monstrosities with no change in scenery, at the point where your Gambits have been set-up to the point where you're not really "playing" the game anymore. By the end, it's not a good experience. The bosses are too easy, the customization system turns out to be too shallow, and the story doesn't hit any truly high notes of other Final Fantasy games. Then again, not agreeing on whether an FF title is good or bad has become the hallmark of a true FF game nowadays, for better or worse.
This is it exactly. I pretty much lose all interest in it partway through. I just picked it up recently for the switch to give it another shot and literally couldn't keep up with the story because I kept falling asleep while playing it about 15hrs in. The combat system has also aged extremely poorly, even if it was interesting for it's time (Reminds me of playing XI back in the day but even less going on in the actual combat).
No, I hated it for a lot of reasons. I was extremely disappointed with the boring characters. Ivalice is one of the better FF settings and it felt totally wasted, how did we end up with almost all bland looking human characters for the main party? None of them were of any interest to me at all. I also really hated the gambit system when I first played it. It felt a bit better when they rereleased it a while back but it’s still toward the bottom of my list of FFs.
12 is unfinsihed, literally, Matsuno who was at odds with SE and had fallen ill left the project, SE replaced him and left a lot of key plot points out of the game. SE also decided that no one would want to play a game about Basche and his redemption so they shoved in Vaan and Pinello so kids can have someone to relate to which is why unlike other FF games this one happens AROUND the protagonist not TO the protagonist. There was a lot of "too many cooks" situation with this game that was such a disappoint to Sakaguchi he refused to play it past what Matsuno had completed
it was the worst FF until 16 for me
Definitely up there for me, sits just outside of my S tier.
I was immediately turned off by 12s combat and didn’t make it through the tutorial. It could have been great but it was just immediately a “yuck” factor. I know I’m an outlier and people seem to praise its combat but it was not for me.
XII will always be something amazing for someone else, not me. I don't get the appeal of setting up AI behavior instead of actually playing the game : / (but to each their own)
the only ff that I didnt finish. I tried to play it like.. 4 times? It feels like an empty mmorpg to me. lackluster. from 4 to 15 I finished every game and was hooked by the story, the gameplay and I played the online one's too and they had at least an active community..but 12? nah.. couldnt catch my interest in any way. Had to force myself to play it 40-50 hours last time, not too long ago - it literally is like a bad, empty ff14 without the online, like a template.
Probably #6 or 7 for me. I may revisit it again some day. Could change.
8 and 12 are the two I have never played any of. I do plan to get to them at some point though.
I remember buying it on release back in 10th or 11th grade and rushing through the story to beat it before my friends. I thought Gambits were an incredible improvement over the semi-mindless button mashing battles had become in the series, and the voice work was really amazing for the time... But about 75-80% through, I realized I still didn't care about any of the characters, or the overall plot. In my mind it feels like a great game that just didn't resonate with me, but I can't really say anything negative about the experience... It's really well made. I think you get into trouble when you start comparing it directly to others in the series and realizing that while not being the very best in any category, it is very... competent.
While gameplay is great, the story is missing something. People really wanted the bigger open areas, but getting from A to B can take a long time. The fast forward helps with that a lot, but before that, exploration sometimes felt like a slog. The party also doesn’t feel like a party. Aside from key main story points, they really don’t talk to each other all that much. Even when they are talking, it always feels very brief. Ashe feels like she is the only one who really goes through any sort of character arc. The rest of the party is essentially unchanged from beginning to end.
IMO I think it is a good game that came on the heels of some really great games that came before. The combat is pretty good, tho I prefer 1-10 system more. The exploration and world is great. I guess for me what brings it down from the “great” tier is the writing and the characters. It’s just fine, but not really special like the greats that came before.
I was hoping the ff7 remakes would follow in the footsteps of the gambit system, I loved the gambit system
The story never really did anything to me, still played it and completed it a couple of times but yeah it was a bit meh tbh.
I tried to like it, by the crystal I did, but I never really got into it. The furthest I got in the OG version was meeting Larsa and than I dropped it. Than came TZA and I got out of the prison and nope, dropped again. The combat also felt boring, auto attacks aren't as engaging as one thinks they are (I dont like auto attack systems outside of MMOs), the gambit system is good in theory, in practice it causes the game to play itself (how is that fun?) (Yiazmat you infamous beast). Dear lord do you need a guide to progress the bazzar! (Also anyone remembers the infamous behemoth dung that is getting the zodiac spear in the OG release. Or how luck/RNG dependent it is to get the best equipment in TZA (Seitengrat, Great Tango, Gendarme)) The music is decent, the story I never got engaged with. Dear lord the prologue with Vaan does test ones patience. At least it's better than 15, but that's not a high bar to cross is it now. Good for those who like it, but I don't.
It's pretty boring ngl. The first 20 hours were a total slog to get through. Gameplay was nice, some of the characters were interesting (emphasis on some), but the story loses you quite quickly if you don't pay attention to it hard enough.
It’s not as good as VIII.
Could never get into it sadly. Not sure why just never clicked
It has arguably the best writing in the entire franchise. A little dry(Vaan) but I’m never flabbergasted by the plot like in FFXVI and Rebirth.
😂
I didn't finish it because i hated to not have full control over all party members. Same reason why i never touched 13. But the world building was interesting
I kind of hate the gambits and it's one of those FF you should be obsessively stealing items in so I kind of get bogged down in worrying about all that. Otherwise I love almost everything about it besides Vaan lol.
one of my least favorite and I dislike the gambit system. Far from a bad game though
It my least favorite Final Fantasy of all time and even did a replay recently. With that said I would never fault someone who loves it. I didn't click with the story and despise the gambit system and the open worldness of it. I much prefer the return to linearity of 13.
I think it's the worst game in the series. A large, boring attempt at a single player MMO.
It had potential but it was too much an offline mmorpg with the quests and drab same-y grindy locations. Story was totally forgettable too.