Final Fantasy 12 - Reviews

[Rolf N]

The game discs are manufactured locally AFAIK. Shipping around the world is not as big of a problem as it is for the hardware.

And btw, the voices in the European Final Fantasy games (so far) are English only, it's really only the 50Hz thing and the mangling of text.

It's not a terribly long delay and there is some extra work involved after all, so it might be okay.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I wouldn't go that far, I don't mind hardware delays, but massive software delays over the US take the piss.

This is probably more a fault of the Internet than anything. Back in the day we could be getting products months behind the rest of the world, but we didn't know, so didn't care. It's only envy that's upsetting, and that only exists if you compare your life to other peoples and think 'they've got this and I haven't.' If instead you look at what you have got, you've got the PS2's software library. You've got loads of games to play and the same interval between games as elsewhere (mostly ). Eg. If FFVIII launches in the US in Jan 2001, and in the EU in Aug 2001, and then FFIX launches in US in Sep 2003 and in the EU in Apr 2004, both US and EU players have had to wait the same amount of time to play the games.

I have no problem with the delays on the whole. Whatever new games the US are playing now, I'm playing the the new EU games, which may be 6 months old for the US, but they're new for me and just as good/bad as they were 6 months ago. If it weren't for being told they came out in the US earlier, I wouldn't even know I was missing out.

 

[czekon]

a question here can you pick up quests in FF 12?? or is it typical straight forward FF game??

 

[Mordecaii]

I'll give one bit away... You can pick up "jobs" to go hunt down and kill a certain monster that is more powerful and looks different than others of its kind (at least for the level you get the job). Think of it as bounty-hunting certain monsters. This is one example of a quest that can be picked up, I haven't gotten too far into the game yet so I don't know of others at this point.

 

[czekon]

Thanks.

 

[NERO]

It's good to have too many choices sometimes, but time does not always permit. I have to make the descision to either play Okami, FF12 or Zelda. Which would you folks choose if you only had time for one?

 

[Mordecaii]

Buy them all and play them as time permits. Seriously, they're all masterpieces (at least FFXII and Okami are for sure, and I'm basically 100% sure Zelda will be as well). Easily some of the best games to come out for this generation.

 

[DigitalSoul]

I've only played a little bit of the game so far. I really like the art direction of the game( I was getting Vagrant Story vibes) and I was impressed by the voice acting. The opening scene was really cool too.

 

[NERO]

Buy them all and play them as time permits. Seriously, they're all masterpieces (at least FFXII and Okami are for sure, and I'm basically 100% sure Zelda will be as well). Easily some of the best games to come out for this generation.

I'll play them all if it takes until the next console cycle!

 

[Rolf N]

I think if you're really that pressed for time, you should go for Okami first because it's such a beautiful, gratifying experience. The other two will probably feel more like work in some places if their predecessors are any indication. If you just play for an hour before you have to put the game away again, in FF12 it might happen that you saw nothing but dialogue or maybe went grinding a couple of levels, and in Zelda, well, maybe you did whatever the equivalent of sailing is now, got stuck in a dungeon because you don't know where to use which gadget or something.

I'm sure these are all great, significant games you should try to find the time to play at some point, but I think Okami has the least risk of hitting entirely on a segment of filler in a short play session.

 

[London Geezer]

I agree. Okami first. It's also the shortest game, at about 40 hours. Still a long game but shorter than the other two! Heck i'm at 42 hours and i still haven't finished it!

 

[22psi]

hmmm, I am thinking about picking up a PS2 slim for this game.

 

[ban25]

I picked up the CE game and guide. What's struck me about this game even for the little (1-2 hours) amount of time I've played it, is that it has this wonderfully classic Final Fantasy feel to it. It's extremely reminiscent of FFVI based on the story, characters, music, and atmosphere. I'll have to play further to be sure, but my initial impression is that this is one of the best Final Fantasies in 10 years.

 

[NERO]

I think if you're really that pressed for time, you should go for Okami first because it's such a beautiful, gratifying experience. The other two will probably feel more like work in some places if their predecessors are any indication. If you just play for an hour before you have to put the game away again, in FF12 it might happen that you saw nothing but dialogue or maybe went grinding a couple of levels, and in Zelda, well, maybe you did whatever the equivalent of sailing is now, got stuck in a dungeon because you don't know where to use which gadget or something.

I'm sure these are all great, significant games you should try to find the time to play at some point, but I think Okami has the least risk of hitting entirely on a segment of filler in a short play session.

Thanks for the opinion. I have played and beaten half of the ff series and all of the zelda series. I may likely try Okami next, simply for the fact that I haven't tasted it before.

Cheers

 

[Mordecaii]

FFXII is so radically different than the other FF games that playing it will feel like a brand new experience. It seems to me like they took out most of the tedious stuff (besides quests that have you run all over the place) and made battle truly fun to partake in. So basically, don't assume that FFXII is ANYTHING like previous FF games, because in many ways it's not. You can see where it came from, but it's oh so much better (IMO of course).

 

[cthellis42]

Not to worry, though, folks. You can still step-by-step the commands if you really want. (Interrupting them to perform another if you wish, too!)

Me, I'm randy over the Gambits. Indeed, it just flows now, and removes all of the tedium that just gets under my skin from previous iterations' pointless battles. But you may want to turn them off during boss battles.

I'm also digging the License Board XP method. I was a big fan of the Sphere Grid, and this is a different play on much the same thing.

Now if only you could Gambit the tedious parts of MMORPGs, too! :smile:

 

[rounin]

Now if only you could Gambit the tedious parts of MMORPGs, too! :smile:

A world without Leeroy Jenkins is no fun.

 

[cthellis42]

Whatever. Gambits would create MORE Leeroys, as anyone who forgot to turn off their Gambits would go charging in blindly and get you all killed!

It would, however, relieve some of the tedium of the grind.

 

[London Geezer]

Ok i started FF12 last night, straight after finishing Okami (more on that on the OKAMI thread)...


And well, what can i say, the production is amazing from the first 2 seconds. But it's different. I think i kinda prefer the set-camera kind of exploration in FFX, but i think it will just take some time getting used to...

I have to admit, the realtime models are out of this world, for a PS2 game. Absolutely amazing, especially the hair - which is stiff and totally not dynamic but it just looks so good!

Only spent about an hour or two on the game.

 

[London Geezer]

One funny thing that happened last night...

I finished Okami, started playing FF12 for a bit... And i was just so overwhelmed at the quality of both games that i actually started staring at my PS2, all dusty and in pieces (thanks to the SwapMagic thing to play imports - you need to take the tray's faceplate off, the one with the PS symbol, totally safe but it looks messy) and i thought... "you little old minx, after 6 whole years you're still working kinda fine, and still surprising the hell out of me!"...
And i actually started wondering in all honesty whether i would have had so much fun and so many surprises in the last 6 years of gaming life with other consoles, with games like the ZOE's, the Jak's, Ico and SOTC, FFX and the beautiful KH games, GOW and so many others... I actually felt, and still feel, like i really do not need or want a PS3!

6 years! It's the longest relationship i have ever had in my life!!