Final Fantasy XII

[Back]

Bought this a couple of days after its release in America. Already logged close to 40 hours and I’ve only just acquired the first Esper.

I am enjoying this game immensely. The skillsets are simpler, the artwork is amazing (not to mention the game fits a widescreen ratio), and the story and chars have been deep.

I like the teleport system, both the stones and the moogles. The whole quest thing between story lines is awesome.

Lets talk about tactics... I’m bringing up Vaan as a sword swinging, heavy armor wearing (for attack strength) magic user. Balthier is a gun using light armor technique guy. Fran is ranged, light armor all magic. Basche is flexible hardest weapon, hard armor, technique user. Ashe uses staves, magic of course. Penelo uses daggers, hard armor, shield and techniques.

Gambits are like scripting. I find myself adjusting gambits often. An improvement on the old system.

[Apathy]

Story better than 7, 3? Game better than 8?

[Back]

Story better than 7, 3? Game better than 8?

Sorry, never played those.

[fallenSaint]

I wouldn't say the story is better than Seven's but I also wouldn't compare them. The game is good fun and was a great story and voice acting. I personally dumped about 110 hours into it and could probably put in another 40+ if I wanted to go through and finish getting al the final items. Main complaint are the story fights are way too easy and you can beat the game at level 40 without breaking a sweat. Gambits were totally fun with it and I find myself thinking how great they would be for any RPG I play now. If you like FF its much worth the play time.

[Kefka]

Have everyone set to use their lightning spells if they encounter flying creatures. Automatic cure spells if I fall to 70% hp. Auto attack the nearest enemy. Real nice to just run around the areas and not go through all that button mashing. Great story. Only annoyance so far was the beginning. After gaining some levels, decided to see how tough those werewolves were. Got smashed with 1 hit. Reminded me of Everquest when they have this high leveled, high aggro'd npc roaming around in newbie zones.

[Tolwynn]

As soon as you're able to purchase Golden Amulets in a shop, get the Accessories 8 License and a Golden Amulet for all 6 of your characters. Double license points for every battle gets your party buffed pretty quick.

[Bobmuhthol]

Only for PS2 :(

Bullshit.

[Sean of the Thread]

Buy one for 20 bucks. That's like 4 lawns man.

[Apathy]

Sorry, never played those.

WTF??? What's wrong with you?

For the sake of your life you should at least download an SNES emulator and pick up FF2 and FF3.

FF3 is the best story and the best ending of any video game, ever. Opinion yes, but its still true.

[fallenSaint]

Only for PS2 :(

Bullshit.

PCSX2 - Not sure if they have it fully compatible with 12 yet but check it out.

[StrayRogue]

Its too easy. Just like 9.

[Apathy]

9 pissed me off. So did ten for that matter

[fallenSaint]

Its too easy. Just like 9.

Not sure how nine got singled out for being too easy, most of the newer ones don't offer up any real challenge to complete the main story line.

[StrayRogue]

Most Western ports are made easier. X could be difficult, like 7, if you chose to do all the extra stuff. But yeah, All of them since 6 have been easy. From what I remember, it was impossible to die in the final battle in X.

[The Ponzzz]

There was a large article a few years ago that Americans needed easier games. SNES and Genesis titles were too tough for the crowds and the PS1 introduced toned down difficulties and stories for gamers. The main hit was to puzzle games, but RPGs were next.

But anyways, FFVIIs story had lots of holes, but the game was still enjoyable as well as hard. Everything after has been quite boring and easy. Haven't played XII yet and I plan to give it a shot. But I just picked up KH2 and playing it on Proud Mode which seems to be fun.

[StrayRogue]

Since 7, all the FF games have been made easier for Western gamers. 7 significantly so.

[Tisket]

I enjoyed XII more when I left the main storyline and started chasing Marks and doing nonessential quests.

And yeah...most of the game was simply handed to the player. Little to no real skills or puzzle solving abilities required.

Good, mindless fun has it's place as well though.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Buy one for 20 bucks. That's like 4 lawns man.>>

I'd love to see a $20 PS2.

<<PCSX2 - Not sure if they have it fully compatible with 12 yet but check it out.>>

The compability rate with that program is absolutely terrible, so I doubt it.

[The Ponzzz]

Well not 20, but there are some refurbished thin PS2s at GameStop, EB Games and the pawnshop for 40-50 bucks. There's also a VAL-PAK of 2 controllers, a memory card and a game for 100.

[Bobmuhthol]

Refurbished PS2s at GameStop do not go under $99.99.

I'm actually going out and buying one in a few minutes because I'm sick of not having Guitar Hero 2.

[Back]

I wouldn't say the story is better than Seven's but I also wouldn't compare them. The game is good fun and was a great story and voice acting. I personally dumped about 110 hours into it and could probably put in another 40+ if I wanted to go through and finish getting al the final items. Main complaint are the story fights are way too easy and you can beat the game at level 40 without breaking a sweat. Gambits were totally fun with it and I find myself thinking how great they would be for any RPG I play now. If you like FF its much worth the play time.

Jesus, 110 hours already? Lets see, it came out Oct. 31st. If you bought it that day you have spent 6 hours a day on it since then including today. And I thought I was bad. lol.


Have everyone set to use their lightning spells if they encounter flying creatures. Automatic cure spells if I fall to 70% hp. Auto attack the nearest enemy. Real nice to just run around the areas and not go through all that button mashing. Great story. Only annoyance so far was the beginning. After gaining some levels, decided to see how tough those werewolves were. Got smashed with 1 hit. Reminded me of Everquest when they have this high leveled, high aggro'd npc roaming around in newbie zones.

I usually have one combatant in the party with Libra and if Foe 100% use Horology. Everyone with auto cast cure 80%. Two people in the party casting Protect and Shell on themselves and split on the third person. As for casting I only really do that manually. Unless I find some Foe weakness element.

And yeah, those werewolves... I wanted to try them but now its the rainly season and they are gone. :( Same thing happened to me on the first step into the Estersand... that green dinosaur thing smacked me down hard. Then there are those elementals that float around... haven’t figured out the trick to killing those things yet. They have like 14,000 hp and nothing hurts them.


I enjoyed XII more when I left the main storyline and started chasing Marks and doing nonessential quests.

And yeah...most of the game was simply handed to the player. Little to no real skills or puzzle solving abilities required.

Good, mindless fun has it's place as well though.

Yeah, thats whats nice about the game. There are those times between story line where you can fuck off however long you want. I’m only just going south of Giza and already the world is huge so there are plenty of good places to grind.

It has been pretty easy and not too mentally challenging. For me the most challenging thing has been setting up effective Gambits and Armor. lol. Also getting the hang of the Mist thing. I liked FFX system better. Also not being able to control a guest or Esper’s Gambits can be frustrating.

Camera control could use a bit of work. I mean, I can angle it for a good shot of Fran’s ass, but its not easy.

No one has mentioned FFXI yet. Never played it myself but I suspect there are quite a few inside jokes that only the real fanboys would get in this one.

[Stunseed]

Was Final Fantasy Tactics made easier for the U.S.? If so, WTF, I'm playing it in hard ( granted this is maybe once every six months ), but it kicks my ass on a regular basis.

[Numbers]

I'll probably get crucified for this, but FF is probably one of the most overrated series of games ever, at least since 7.

Nonsensical, cliched, corny stories. One dimensional characters. Relatively boring gameplay. Time sinks.

Good cinematics, though.

[Tisket]

Since 7, all the FF games have been made easier for Western gamers. 7 significantly so.

It's not just a western phenomenon. And it's not just the Final Fantasy series. Games have become easier for everyone. Games targetted at casual gamers, not just hardcore, are simply more profitable.

The development budget to even get a new game noticed by the public is huge. Makes sense then that the companies involved would want to have an end product that appeals to the most consumers.

Onimusha was pretty easy. It was also the first game to sell over a million copies. Coincidence? Sure...if you're delusional.

[Back]

I don’t play games to get frustrated. Sure, I like a challenge, but not so much that it makes me want to Zidane the TV.

[Liberi Fatali]

Was Final Fantasy Tactics made easier for the U.S.? If so, WTF, I'm playing it in hard ( granted this is maybe once every six months ), but it kicks my ass on a regular basis.

Hah, still my favourite game ever. It just depends on how many random battles you do. The very first time I played it I got my ass handed to me on a lot of battles. If you level up a lot, the battles are cake. I prefer the former over the latter, though. There's one particular battle where you one on one a certain bad guy that is certainly one of the hardest battles I've ever fought in any game. I won't spoil it in case you haven't got that far yet.

[TheEschaton]

It's a tricky debate. I hate impossible games. But I don't like being treated like an R Tard, which Onimusha made me feel like.

-TheE-

[Sean of the Thread]

I'll probably get crucified for this, but FF is probably one of the most overrated series of games ever, at least since 7.

Nonsensical, cliched, corny stories. One dimensional characters. Relatively boring gameplay. Time sinks.

Good cinematics, though.


/agree

[Latrinsorm]

FF6 was great though. Looking back, it's pretty incredible how much humanity could be communicated with pixelly SNES sprites.

[Stunseed]

< There's one particular battle where you one on one a certain bad guy that is certainly one of the hardest battles I've ever fought in any game. >

Heh. In Chapter Four or Five, it's like a 6 on 6 battle, where you fight a Knight/Lancer with Jump 8. I can't even touch that son of a bitch.

[fallenSaint]

Jesus, 110 hours already? Lets see, it came out Oct. 31st. If you bought it that day you have spent 6 hours a day on it since then including today. And I thought I was bad. lol.

Heh and I didn't get it on release day because I was still tied up at EG. But thats nothing compared to what some people have put into it time wise.


I'll probably get crucified for this, but FF is probably one of the most overrated series of games ever, at least since 7.

Nonsensical, cliched, corny stories. One dimensional characters. Relatively boring gameplay. Time sinks.

Good cinematics, though.

FF isnt everyones cup of tea, but your right most people will disagree with you on most everything you said. Except time sink... but then again what is GS?


It's a tricky debate. I hate impossible games. But I don't like being treated like an R Tard, which Onimusha made me feel like.

-TheE-

I just wish they'd take story line boss fights and put them on a scaling level system so they arent butter if you spend any time at all leveling up. But square usually does good at implementing alternate boss fights that can prove challenging.

[Back]

It's a tricky debate. I hate impossible games. But I don't like being treated like an R Tard, which Onimusha made me feel like.

-TheE-

I thought Onimusha had much more interactivity and challenge. There were at least puzzle boxes which were a game in themselves. FF doesn't really do that.

[TheEschaton]

If you thought Onimusha was hard or "challenging" in any way, you're an R Tard.

-TheE-

[Back]

If you thought Onimusha was hard or "challenging" in any way, you're an R Tard.

-TheE-

If you thought I meant Onimusha was hard then you are the tard. All that education and no reading comprehension. There goes 150K down the drain.

[Apathy]

FF6 was great though. Looking back, it's pretty incredible how much humanity could be communicated with pixelly SNES sprites.

Word.

FF6 (FF3 Am.) and FF5? (2 Am.) were way ahead of their time. Waaaay ahead of their time. They redid them for PS I think? They should remake both those fucking games for the new systems, they'd still be awesome.

[Kefka]

Word.

FF6 (FF3 Am.) and FF5? (2 Am.) were way ahead of their time. Waaaay ahead of their time. They redid them for PS I think? They should remake both those fucking games for the new systems, they'd still be awesome.

If you're referring to Cecil and crew, that would be Final Fantasy 2 - Part 4 in Japan. Part 3 was the best. I'll take story over graphics everytime. Chrono Trigger and Xenogears had great stories too. Not sure what happened after that.... 12 is looking promising though. Been awhile since I really enjoyed a good console rpg.

What made games like Tactics hard was that your gaining levels meant your opponents gained levels too. Made it extremely difficult to get your guys to a certain level only to realize your opponents are the same level. If the hero was level 12 and the rest of your crew was level 8, you'd enter the stage needing to defeat level 12 enemies. :( Enjoyed Vandal Hearts 1 more. Gain levels and decimate the enemy.

[Apathy]

Chrono Trigger was really really good, I forgot about that. But it did have 1 thing that drove me nuts; during the last quests in the end of time he always says someone close to you needs help - what the hell is he talking about?

that and I could never get the mop.

[Soulpieced]

OMG Xenogears. I put a ton of hours in that and it was an amazing game. However, random battles were way too often, and I ended up getting to the last stage of the game, getting lost for 2.5 hours, and never turning the game on again.

[Kefka]

OMG Xenogears. I put a ton of hours in that and it was an amazing game. However, random battles were way too often, and I ended up getting to the last stage of the game, getting lost for 2.5 hours, and never turning the game on again.

Definitely a great game. The whole psycho side personality kept the story interesting. Not to mention the who karate/chi fighting styles. Too bad they didn't keep those in the Xenosaga series.

[Stanley Burrell]

FF3 is also known as FFVI.

But you have to be at least two shades whiter and obsessed with the -__- face to use such advanced nomenclature.

No love for CT either, it seems :( Gato > Kefka?

[Stanley Burrell]

Chrono Trigger was really really good, I forgot about that. But it did have 1 thing that drove me nuts; during the last quests in the end of time he always says someone close to you needs help - what the hell is he talking about?

that and I could never get the mop.

I think he just meant people of each time zone needed help. That, and the messaging needed to change to seem more unique.

I think Ayla had to steal the mop from a boss/big boss monster.

[Kefka]

FF3 is also known as FFVI.

But you have to be at least two shades whiter and obsessed with the -__- face to use such advanced nomenclature.

No love for CT either, it seems :( Gato > Kefka?

That, sir, is blasphemy. None is greater than Kefka.

[Kia]

Level 34!

Kia