Final Fantasy XII

[2600Lives]

Well, I've had this game for a while, and decided a few nights ago to start in on it. Everything started off ok, but a few things irked me right off the bat. First, I HATE the main character. He's a metrosexual little jackass, and I can't stand his voice. Even Migelo, voiced by the awesome John DiMaggio, his vocal patterns and the fact that he overstates EVERYTHING just graaaated on me. Now, I wanna say that I'm a HUGE FF fan, and love Square games in general, with FF7 being my all time favorite game. But, this one...this one...

 

The combat is HORRID beyond belief. They tried to make it like an MMO, you see enemies on the screen, and some are aggressive, some are not. You attack each one like you would in an MMO, with a timer counting down to when you can act again, but other monsters can (and WILL), join the fray. Worse, they fucking RESPAWN, so if you think you've cleared an area of enemies, think again. Now, I gave it a chance. I leveled up properly, spent my License Points (something I totally loathe. You have to get...licenses...to...use...your...equipemnt. It's retarded!) wisely, upgraded my equipment, all that good stuff, but a SINGLE monster whips me like a BDSM freak. It takes WAAAAAAAAAAY too long to level, as in holy SHIT, how many monsters did I have to kill to get my next level? So, I took on this Mark, see? It's a special monster you hunt down for a reward. It's called the Flowering Cactoid. It looks like a little Cactaur with a pink flower growing outta it's head. I'm several levels above it, from what my Libra ability tells me, so I engage it, thinking "no sweat"!

 

Oh hell no. This little bastard not only made me completely stop playing the game, but I snapped the disc in two (I paid 3.99 for it at GameStop, and now I know just WHY it was so cheap. Anyway, no big loss, believe me.). I've NEVER done that to a game! Never! Why was it so frustrating? Well, for one, it dodges 99 percent of all your attacks, does counter damage every time you DO hit it, is immune to all magic, it seemed, hits you multiple times INCREDIBLY fast, does huge damage when it hits, and, here's the most wonderful part, RUNS AWAY. And it doesn't just run away, oh no, it leads you into all the other monsters in the zone. I started the battle with over 50 potions, and not only did I use every single one of them, I never once beat this little bastard. He kept running from me, making me fight all the other monsters in the area, and, oh man, this is getting good, HEALS itself. I never got it past half of it's life! It managed to kill me and completely bugger over 3 hours of gameplay and leveling up (Yeah, I should have saved, but EVERY other monster in the area I was fighting was easy to kill, so I didn't think I had to.) Fuck you, SquareSoft! Did you collaborate with Capcom for this game!? Man, the difficulty levels in games is really making me mad as hell lately. I believe that games should be accessible to everyone, but here lately, it's like which little loser design team has the biggest set of balls as they try to one-up each other in the difficulty department. I never liked FFX, but at least it was playable. This is just a huge joke, and I pity those that paid fifty bones for it when it first came out. Here's hoping that FFXIII will be much, MUCH different. At least I can use the case the game came in for something.

[Tempest]

I HATE the main character. He's a metrosexual little jackass

Isn't that EVERY modern Final Fantasy?

 

Seriously though, it does get better as it goes along and you do get much cooler characters like Fran and Balthier. Still if you don't like the combat engine then you're not going to like the game. It's basically like a modified FF XI engine which obviously came from a MMORPG. Personally I liked it once I got used to it.

 

Oh and you really shouldn't be doing hunts until you're a much higher level. They're tough for a reason!

 

Tempest

[cimerians]

If you have played other Final Fantasies then you should really have known what your getting into.

 

Most characters are bi-whatever these days and yes the combat system is something you have to get used to with XII.

 

I hated the game in the begining but I too got used to it. Its not bad but its not my favorite FF. I liked VIII the best out of the"modern" era FF's but I will always prefer the more older "fantasy" themed ones. With guys that looked like guys.

 

The new ones are always populated by good looking people with feminin clothes in a sci-fi "fantasy" world. Gets tiresome.

[2600Lives]

The thing that got me, though, is that nowhere in the game does it say that the monster hunts are going to be that tough. I've legitimately beaten both the Weapons in FF7, and done most of the really hard optional bosses in 8 and 9, but this was just ridiculous.

 

Meh, doesn't matter anyway. Lol. Disc gone...mental status...restored.

[Tempest]

The thing that got me, though, is that nowhere in the game does it say that the monster hunts are going to be that tough. I've legitimately beaten both the Weapons in FF7, and done most of the really hard optional bosses in 8 and 9, but this was just ridiculous.

 

Meh, doesn't matter anyway. Lol. Disc gone...mental status...restored.

Not all the hunts are hard, but some of them have special tricks you need to do. You should have consulted an FAQ first.

 

Tempest

[cybercylon]

The thing that got me, though, is that nowhere in the game does it say that the monster hunts are going to be that tough. I've legitimately beaten both the Weapons in FF7, and done most of the really hard optional bosses in 8 and 9, but this was just ridiculous.

 

Meh, doesn't matter anyway. Lol. Disc gone...mental status...restored.

Not all the hunts are hard, but some of them have special tricks you need to do. You should have consulted an FAQ first.

 

Tempest

 

I agree. Check a faq next time should you pick up another disc. XII can be had for dirt cheap. I remember that little Cactus, and there is a trick. I simply don't remember since it's been over two years.

[2600Lives]

I'm trying VERY hard to wean myself off of faqs and cheats, and play the games the way I used to back in the day, with no help whatsoever.

[cybercylon]

I'm trying VERY hard to wean myself off of faqs and cheats, and play the games the way I used to back in the day, with no help whatsoever.

 

Yes, I generally try to do that too. Heck, I don't generally even bother glancing at the instructions. I generally just toss the game in and learn as I go along.

 

Even now and then though... I look it up. It's either that or break another controller....

 

wait, that was my solution back in the day

[2600Lives]

Wow. I was doing a little research, and now I find out that the monsters "scale" in relation to your level. So, if you're the maximum level, monsters will reach a level concurrent to yours, and still be able to kick the shit out of you, rendering leveling up completely useless. Wonderful. Just wonderful. They take the whole idea of leveling up to take care of powerful creatures, bend it over a table, and rape it with sandpaper. Seriously, what the hell is up with this game? Was it just designed to piss off all of the loyal FF fans, and take a big steaming dump on years of built up good will and fan service? This experience has almost made me swear off Square games completely! Some of the worst character design I've seen in years (the bunny chicks are just stupid beyond belief), a bland, unremarkable world, characters who I actually wish bad things upon, and the worst battle system quite possibly ever invented. Ugh! I'm definately not sad about losing this one. Hopefully it's at the bottom of a landfill somewhere, covered in dog crap where it belongs!

[Tempest]

Wow. I was doing a little research, and now I find out that the monsters "scale" in relation to your level. So, if you're the maximum level, monsters will reach a level concurrent to yours, and still be able to kick the shit out of you, rendering leveling up completely useless. Wonderful. Just wonderful. They take the whole idea of leveling up to take care of powerful creatures, bend it over a table, and rape it with sandpaper. Seriously, what the hell is up with this game? Was it just designed to piss off all of the loyal FF fans, and take a big steaming dump on years of built up good will and fan service? This experience has almost made me swear off Square games completely! Some of the worst character design I've seen in years (the bunny chicks are just stupid beyond belief), a bland, unremarkable world, characters who I actually wish bad things upon, and the worst battle system quite possibly ever invented. Ugh! I'm definately not sad about losing this one. Hopefully it's at the bottom of a landfill somewhere, covered in dog crap where it belongs!

I vaguely remember this from the game, but IIRC it only goes so far. I don't recall ever having problems with earlier areas, maybe it's because I had advanced armor and weapons at that point.

 

Don't go dissing Fran now... Every Japanese game must have a bunny girl in it somewhere. It's the law!

 

Tempest

[Lord Thag]

I tried to play XII. I really did. I thought "hey, maybe this one will be the old FF I used to love again".

 

It was downhill from there. I couldn't tell if the main character was a guy or a chick. Then you get a princess who dresses like a hooker, and don't even get me started on the half naked bunny-girl with chainmail lingerie. It was just ... stupid. How the hell are you supposed to take this pretentious plot about politics, judges and other crap seriously when your party looks like a collection of circus freaks?

 

Sorry Square, in order for an RPG to be any good, you have to identify with the characters, just like a movie or book. FF XII is for horny 14 year olds.

 

This is why I no longer play jrpgs. They've all gotten dumb like this.

[2600Lives]

FF 1-6 all brilliant. 4 and 6 rank as two of my all time favorite games ever.

FF7 IS my all time favorite game, no question. Nothing even comes close.

FF8 sucks, period. It's not a really BAD game, per se, it's just that nothing ever really came together right. It would have been better if it hadn't had the Final Fantasy name attached to it.

FF9 was solid. Lots of fun, but nothing groundbreaking. Took everything back to it's big-headed roots.

FF10 sucked. Hated the voice acting, hated the characters, hated that the main bad guy was a huge ass blobby thing. Blitzball sucked, too.

FF10-2 The most unnecessary game EVER. It's a glorified dress-up game, nothing more. Will never be in my collection, under any circumstance.

FF11 doesn't count. It's an MMO, and those are in a league of their own.

FF12 is the worst of the bunch.

 

So, we have the first 7 games, all of which are great, classic games, and after that, only ONE game manages to be halfway decent. Maybe they had the team that worked on the SaGa games do the bad FF ones or something, I dunno. Instead of a real, true sequel to FF7, we get a mish mash of crap games that really aren't even standard FF type games, and a movie. Ugh! Dump FF13, Squaresoft, and give us a real, true, next-gen sequel (or even a friggin' remake!) of FF7. We deserve it!

[Tempest]

FF7 IS my all time favorite game, no question. Nothing even comes close.

Not to get into one of those classic internet fights, but FF VII is the most OVERATED game of all time. Crap incoherent story that only makes vague sense if you play the twenty billion spin offs that came out over 10 years after the original game, followed up by an angsty metrosexual pretty boy with a big sword fighting against an even agnstier and flamboyant pretty boy with mommy issues.

 

Seriously, I'll never understand why fan boys cling to FF VII so. It was such an average game.

 

Tempest

[ninjarabbit]

I tried to get into FF XII a couple of times but it just wasn't any fun.

 

The characters are badly designed for the most part, the combat system stinks, and the license system sucks especially if you aren't using a FAQ. It's the worst Final Fantasy game out there.

[shadow460]

2600 lives, it seems as though you have not played Crisis Core yet. That game is tough as nails. You gotta have points for everything at first, and your enemies make it a habit to drain those special points away every time you breathe.

 

One of the first bosses is Ifrit. You wanna know what it took me to kill him? Over 100 Blizzard spells. That meant making Zack have the highest MP possible at the expense of HP, Strength, Defense, and to an extent Magic power, plus having at least three Elixirs in stock. I was hitting X as fast as possible and ice crystals were braining the dude about three times a second. The battle lasted at least five full minutes. Every time he hit me, I was left with about 90 HP out of 600. I had to heal several times after that. On top of all that, he has the Hellfire attack, which always hits and it also stops whatever Zack is doing. It is capable of a one hit kill with Zack at such a low level.

 

That was an easy battle. Many of the regular monsters are even tougher.

 

FF8 had the monsters leveling up with you also, however, you also had the ability to add bonus points to each stat. The monsters' levels matched yours, but the game didn't take the bonuses into account. It also didn't take many of the advanced Junction combos into account, like 100 Drain to status attack, and 100 Ultima 100 Full Life, 100 Protect, and 100 Life to Elemental defense. The first combo heals you by the same amount of damage your character causes, and the second absorbs 90% of all elemental attacks. Those two combos alone could heal the entire party in any area of the map. Then there's the Degenerator attack, and my personal favorite:

Junction defensive and restorative spells to Rinoa. Junction 100 Meteor spells to her Magic stat as well, then let her enemies beat her into yellow HP. The more damage she takes, the merrier. When her turn comes up, use the Angel Wing special. Yup, you heard me--Angel Wing. She will cast meteor every couple of seconds, causing 3,000 to 6,000 points of damage with every single hit. Yep, that's around 60,000 points of damage per turn, and she gets about twice as many turns as normal when she's in Angel Wing status.

Oh, and one other attack that works, but you'll need a PocketStation for it: ChocoBocle. When Boko's level on the PocketStation is at 100, it easily does 15,000 points of damage to every enemy on the screen. When you're almost out of Gysahl Greens, refine Boko's card then go win it back from the CC group. So in essence, you've got Squall summoning Eden repeatedly, Rinoa hitting hard with Angel Wing + Meteor, and any other character (probably Irvine or Quistis) summoning Boko.

[potatohead]

My Wife and I play each FF game when it is released. 9, 10 and 11 were ok, but lacking.

 

12, in my opinion, had a lot in common with 7, in terms of puzzle design, mini-games, etc...

 

One good thing about 12 is that it is a big game! Really big. There is a freaking ton to do and it has as much, or more playtime as 7 did. And we liked 7 because of all the little things to do throughout the game.

 

The art in 12 is really good at scale, yet the interactive element works. That's tough to do, and Square really nailed it in 12. 12 also is a free wheeling kind of game where you really are not on rails. It's possible to be on several paths, chipping away at this and that, advancing the story from time to time. 7 was this way, and I really like that.

 

Here's the deal with 12.

 

Pretend the main character is a lesbian! It just works, and I'm serious!! LOL!!

 

Then, invest a fairly serious amount of time in the early areas around the main city. Just do it, do it, until you just nail everything cold, and you've got some gold. Then, it's time to advance out, do hunts and explore. We have found this is the way to enjoy a FF game. From time to time, it gets frustrating. That's when you just kick back, find an area with good enemies that pay well in terms of level up points, and just grind for a bit. Take turns with a friend, whatever. Only takes a day, and the reward is often a coupla weeks of fun exploratory game play and side quests.

 

We've always done that. She will knock out some level ups while I'm at work, then when things settle down, we can blow a few hours just having a good time.

 

Like 7, there are some creatures sprinkled around that are just bad ass. And once you've actually completed the game, you can go back and really tune your battle skills and items. Defeating them happens with very specific skills. That's fun too because it gets somewhat technical, and of course use a FAQ. The game is big enough that an ordinary person shouldn't feel bad about consulting one of those. I like to just download a solid one, and peek at it when something has gone on long enough. Otherwise, explore and make stuff happen!

 

(I think a lot of people are struck by the death of Aeris, and then there is the cross dressing bit! Aeris pissed us OFF! Perfectly done too. Get invested in the character, experience some dependence and then BAM. Cooked, gone. Bastards! Worth every penny, IMHO! It's rare that a game actually evokes that kind of emotion. Good stuff!)

 

Anyway, just grind it for a day or so, get the upper hand and the game plays fine.

[potatohead]

My Wife and I play each FF game when it is released. 9, 10 and 11 were ok, but lacking.

 

12, in my opinion, had a lot in common with 7, in terms of puzzle design, mini-games, etc...

 

One good thing about 12 is that it is a big game! Really big. There is a freaking ton to do and it has as much, or more playtime as 7 did. And we liked 7 because of all the little things to do throughout the game.

 

The art in 12 is really good at scale, yet the interactive element works. That's tough to do, and Square really nailed it in 12. 12 also is a free wheeling kind of game where you really are not on rails. It's possible to be on several paths, chipping away at this and that, advancing the story from time to time. 7 was this way, and I really like that.

 

Here's the deal with 12.

 

Pretend the main character is a lesbian! It just works, and I'm serious!! LOL!!

 

Then, invest a fairly serious amount of time in the early areas around the main city. Just do it, do it, until you just nail everything cold, and you've got some gold. Then, it's time to advance out, do hunts and explore. We have found this is the way to enjoy a FF game. From time to time, it gets frustrating. That's when you just kick back, find an area with good enemies that pay well in terms of level up points, and just grind for a bit. Take turns with a friend, whatever. Only takes a day, and the reward is often a coupla weeks of fun exploratory game play and side quests.

 

We've always done that. She will knock out some level ups while I'm at work, then when things settle down, we can blow a few hours just having a good time.

 

Like 7, there are some creatures sprinkled around that are just bad ass. And once you've actually completed the game, you can go back and really tune your battle skills and items. Defeating them happens with very specific skills. That's fun too because it gets somewhat technical, and of course use a FAQ. The game is big enough that an ordinary person shouldn't feel bad about consulting one of those. I like to just download a solid one, and peek at it when something has gone on long enough. Otherwise, explore and make stuff happen!

 

(I think a lot of people are struck by the death of Aeris, and then there is the cross dressing bit! Aeris pissed us OFF! Perfectly done too. Get invested in the character, experience some dependence and then BAM. Cooked, gone. Bastards! Worth every penny, IMHO! It's rare that a game actually evokes that kind of emotion. Good stuff!)

 

Anyway, just grind it for a day or so, get the upper hand and the game plays fine.

[2600Lives]

I have Crisis Core, but not played it yet. Looks like I'll be taking it back. Sorry, but I have no tolerance for super difficult games like that. You'll NEVER catch me playing those idiotic modern Ninja Gaiden games. Ever. I hate the designers for their outlook on things. "Let's make this so tough, nobody will want to play it! We're cool! Seriously! Some of us have even gotten to second base before! I have a nice car, but it doesn't help me get chicks because I'm an arrogant asshole who thinks he superior to everyone else!". Bleh. Difficulty does not make a good game! It makes a hard game! When will the designers learn this!? I like a challenge, sure, but some of this stuff is just ridiculous. I was talking with a buddy today, and he said he had FF12, but traded it in. Why? Well, he's a sharker, uses a gameshark for everything. He'd rather just experience the story (and I agree to an extent). So, he levels his characters up to 99, max everything, max equipment, so he can blow through things. Gets to a hunt where you gotta kill something called the Marlith I think? At max level, everything possibly maxed out, it killed his entire party of six characters plus a guest character. That. Is. BULLSHIT. He traded it in the next day for Metal Gear Solid 3, a DAMN fine game.

[BydoEmpire]

I've really enjoyed FF12. I'm about 25 hours in, and I'm on my 3rd attempt to get through the game (10 hours here, 10 hours there...). I just don't have time for long RPGs these days, but I think it's a lot of fun and I'd really like to complete it. I think it's amazing visually, the game is huge, and the combat really grew on me.

[potatohead]

The combat system is kind of great in 12.

 

You totally have to sort out your strategy for the stronger enemies. That's why the guy running the game hack still lost! Power isn't everything in that system. What you do, when and how is as important as the overall level of strength and ability the party has.

 

There is a battle on one of the side quests that can last 5 hours! There are several that can go one or two hours.

 

IMHO, the game can be completed in about 30 - 40 hours. It's possible to see the good elements of the game doing that too.

 

There are a few minor league things you will not be able to do, if you just go and complete the game. But all the really fun stuff remains possible. The replay value is very high.

 

What we did was take about 80 hours and really enjoy the game through to the finish. Then when the mood strikes, go and pull down a FAQ, check out some of the side quests, or items and go do a couple of those. Sometimes additional power, skills, items, etc... happen that play perfectly into the baddest of the baddies you can find either through opening up some area, or via a hunt.

 

There is a real art to making a game where there is a story, but how it progresses remains fairly open. When it's done well, you move along, advance the story, go and do stuff, and become aware that the story can advance again, etc... 12 does this well, as did 7. That is the part I really like, along with the art. FF art is always a treat. And this game has big art and makes very good use of the PS2. Play it 16:9 on component output for the best overall experience.

[Tempest]

I'm going to replay it again just because I didn't do some of the later optional side quests (like kill all the avatars or Tiamat). There were some areas I didn't even get into like the Henne Mines(sp?).

 

Tempest

[BydoEmpire]

IMHO, the game can be completed in about 30 - 40 hours. It's possible to see the good elements of the game doing that too.

That's good to know - it took me about 65 for FF X, and I just don't have that much time anymore. I haven't really done many of the hunts yet.

[shadow460]

Well, you might try Crisis Core on Normal Mode. But if you're like me and play all your games at max difficulty, yeah, you're best off just leaving it alone. The FAQ I read said that "hard mode is just that--really HARD." I didn't believe it, but I stuck with it through every retarded byte until I beat the game. I never did get all the DMW stuff, and I never took time to level Zack to the max, either. Some day I will.

 

Now on the plus side, if you finish the game you get to keep your equipment and start a new game. The equipment you get can make that hard mode much more manageable, as it'll increase your MaxHP and eliminate the need for MP, AP and all that other junk. You also get to keep your Materia, which can boost your stats considerably.

 

BTW, I've always seen FFXII for $40 in the collector's package around here. Can it use the hard disk?

Edited April 19, 2009 by shadow460

[2600Lives]

Five hours on a single battle? To hell with that! Man, totally, fuck that! I guess the developers didn't think that anybody needed to do things like, oh, I don't know, go to the bathroom...or eat...or have a damned life. I don't want to sit for hours micromanaging and strategizing every battle, I want to kill stuff, level up, kill more powerful stuff, level up some more, kill the bosses and finish the stupid thing before my hair turns completely white!

 

Take a GOOD game like Fallout 3. I really wanted to do all the side quests and stuff because the game was so absorbing, the characters compelling, and the combat rewarding. Not so with the shitfest that is FF12. If I ever do get it again, I'm just gonna shark it for infinite hp and run through it non-stop to see the story, then trade it off asap.

[potatohead]

I KNEW you were going to go off about that!

 

That is part of the reason why I posted it. FF 12 is not your game man. You did the right thing!

 

 

Don't know if it can use the hard disk. I don't have one! The load times are OK, but could be better. They are however well managed. As you advance, fast travel becomes possible, cutting down on "just get there dammit" time. I like when that is managed well. If it does use a hard disk, it would probably cut a few hours off the get it done time.

 

If it were me, I would advance the characters until the story just opens up, then save there. You can use that one to initiate some quests that could be missed. On your main save set, just get it done. Then you are completely free to go back and do lots of stuff. I'm pretty sure the good stuff anyway. One bizzare bit is a few weapons that can only be had if you don't do some very specific things and those things will not occur to you, even if you are good at this kind of thing. Having played this more or less all the way out, it's safe to say you don't need that crap. Ignore it. Lots to do and accomplish.

 

And we did get the characters maxxed out the old fashioned way. Seat time baby! It's not all that bad. My wife will level up at times, and we just chip away at it a few hours at a time, when TV sucks. Hell of a deal for $60, which is what we paid. The game was active for about 6 months. Nice. I gave it away after that, as I rarely keep many modern games.

Edited April 20, 2009 by potatohead