Final Fantasy 12 - Reviews

[cthellis42]

The game started off slow but now it's getting better and better. Granted i'm only 10 hours in. As far as dying goes...I died a few times. Tried to fight a T Rex at level 2 in the game....didn't quite work out well

That one doesn't really count.

I tend to die on the bosses at least once, first, as I try to see how my Gambit setup works against them while only specifically controlling the leader. It actually worked just fine for the first few, but the Judge Ghis encounter savaged me, so I controlled them all step by step and got past it just fine.

The Garuda fight I was trying to work out without using the "achilles heel," and has spanked me multiple times. Much fun.

 

[PeterT]

Guys, you're doing it wrong. I don't mean to brag, but I never died in a story battle FF12 so far, and I'm over 40 hours in. The only times I did die was when getting into an extreme endgame (I suppose) optional T-Rex boss battle that you can't run from (no, not the tiny one in the first area ) and once early on when I thought that attacking an elemental was a good idea and it wiped my party with an AoE spell.

If you think this is hard for a JRPG, you probably never played any of the harder games, like SMT:Nocturne, the SMT DDS games or even BoF5. It's somewhat harder than earlier FFs, sure, but that's not saying much really.

Anyway, great game, nearly a return to FFVI-like form! Don't forget to read the monster encyclopedia, it's very well made.

 

[cthellis42]

There is no "doing it wrong," dip-nuts. It's just mentioning an actual distinction between FFXII and the way folks have played other similar RPG's, where you don't really have to care--or try--to get through fights; your main concern is with looking cool while killing things, and perhaps beating things up as efficiently as possible.

No one is putting them on a ranked scale here or making a thorough compare/contrast... we're just mentioning distinctions between this game and others of its' kind (especially other FF's) in recent years.

 

[GB123]

The thing is it really depends how you play this game.

If you powerlevel yourself berfore you get to the bosses its easy, but if you just whip through the game, the chances of being nailed by a boss is very likely.

I have a habit of rotating my charcters so they all have the same level, so i end up being probably lower level than most would by the time they get to the bosses.

When you die do you mean Gameover or do you mean out of HP "i need raise" dead.

Cause i rarely Gameover, but i die all the time

 

[PeterT]

That "doing it wrong" comment was not entirely serious. I just wanted to point out that not all JRPGs are very easy - just most of them. As you say, the challenge is often reduced to minimizing the fighting time. Or, in systems like Xenosaga 2 used, maximize the reward.

When I say "die" I really mean gameover, 1 or 2 "dead" characters never hurt anyone
I also just use 3 of the characters exclusively, so that may have something to do with why it's easy for me. I don't powerlevel at all, if I'd want that I'd play an MMO.

Anyway, does anyone else find the mist attacks mostly useless except for they eyecandy? Even if I do a 9 attack chain with the huge blowup at the end it does just about 20 times as much damage as a single attack, and it takes all my MP. The only time I do it is to finish up bosses.

 

[cthellis42]

That "doing it wrong" comment was not entirely serious. I just wanted to point out that not all JRPGs are very easy - just most of them. As you say, the challenge is often reduced to minimizing the fighting time. Or, in systems like Xenosaga 2 used, maximize the reward.

The majority of them seem to be. But at any rate, I imagine initial comments were mainly concerning FF's and any of the other recent popular ones. (Xenosaga. DQ. .hack, perhaps...)

I haven't gotten much in the way of mist abilities yet, but the general concensus is using them as boss-finishers, or--like--to have fun playing with.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Why? Games at normal difficulty level are usually not challenging at all

Sometimes I play games at less than hardest mode because of time. You'll find one game needs you to take your time and be careful at the hardest modes, and I've other stuff to do! So to enjoy the game, I lower the difficulty to get something that's fun and doesn't take forever. And then sometimes I'll play a game on hardest setting for the challenge, but it'll have to be a very fun game for that to happen.

In something like a normal JRPG which is going to last 1 million hours, I don't want to play the hard mode and take 2 million hours.

 

[London Geezer]

... I don't think you people understood the gravity of the situation...

Not only i died 4 times one after the other, but it was at the hands (or paws) of those coyote things in the desert, when you first set foot in the desert... Also known as the simplest, weakest enemy in the game...

THAT is how bad it is. I think i might have a brain tumour.

 

[Sankari]

... I don't think you people understood the gravity of the situation...

Not only i died 4 times one after the other, but it was at the hands (or paws) of those coyote things in the desert, when you first set foot in the desert... Also known as the simplest, weakest enemy in the game...

THAT is how bad it is. I think i might have a brain tumour.

If you have problems sleeping, I can recommend you to a good shrink. He specializes in people who are addicted to, and get mental problems after dying in Final fantasy games.

 

[PeterT]

l-b, did you ever play any MMORPGs? From other people I talked to, it seems that FF12 is much harder (in the beginning) if you're not familiar with the whole pulling/etc. mechanic that is central to MMO gameplay.

 

[London Geezer]

l-b, did you ever play any MMORPGs? From other people I talked to, it seems that FF12 is much harder (in the beginning) if you're not familiar with the whole pulling/etc. mechanic that is central to MMO gameplay.

Never played MMORPGs, just too much for me. It will probably take me a year to finish FF12... I hardly ever play a lot, latest reason was Okami which i finished in a couple of weeks, but that was an exception simply because it was so damn good.

 

[scooby_dooby]

I'm bprrowing a PS2 on monday, gonna pick this up! Can't wait to get my FF groove back on, everything about this game sounds excellent.

 

[GB123]

Never played MMORPGs, just too much for me. It will probably take me a year to finish FF12... I hardly ever play a lot, latest reason was Okami which i finished in a couple of weeks, but that was an exception simply because it was so damn good.

Ya know as beautiful as that game is i just can't get into it, "Okami" that is.

And yes the mist attacks in this game are rather underwhelming, the summons are eye candy at it's best though

 

[DigitalSoul]

Never played MMORPGs, just too much for me. It will probably take me a year to finish FF12... I hardly ever play a lot, latest reason was Okami which i finished in a couple of weeks, but that was an exception simply because it was so damn good.

I've been playing for a few minutes at a time. I decided to hold off on playing it for a while to focus on my school work....hehe. Okami will be my next purchase once the semester wraps up and before I go away this holiday.

 

[cthellis42]

... I don't think you people understood the gravity of the situation...

Not only i died 4 times one after the other, but it was at the hands (or paws) of those coyote things in the desert, when you first set foot in the desert... Also known as the simplest, weakest enemy in the game...

THAT is how bad it is. I think i might have a brain tumour.

Oh, well in THAT case I have no problems saying you suck.

Ya know as beautiful as that game is i just can't get into it, "Okami" that is.

What is it about the game, might I ask? I mean, my randiness for Okami knows no bounds, but I do know the art style might not be enjoyed by others as much. ^_^ Do you not usually go for games in that vein?

 

[ban25]

I'm about 10 hours into the game now and one of the things I actually like quite a bit is the combat. It was my biggest turn-off at first glance, but now I find I really enjoy being able to get into and out of battles quickly. Not to mention the fact that the Gambit system (or "decision tree" if you are familiar with game AI development) is very flexible and effective. I also like how you will come across enemies of varying level scattered across the environment, including some extremely powerful enemies. This is a nice change of pace from some games where the enemies are always scaled relative to your party's level.

The story's great and the production values are exceptional. Can't wait to play more.

I also recommend picking up the collector's edition strategy guide, it's quite good.

 

[Brad Grenz]

I've been playing for a few minutes at a time. I decided to hold off on playing it for a while to focus on my school work....hehe. Okami will be my next purchase once the semester wraps up and before I go away this holiday.

God help me, I've been doing the exact opposite. I wish I had self control...

 

[Entropy]

No, I don't play any games on higher difficulty level.

Why? Games at normal difficulty level are usually not challenging at all

So to die and restart, die and restart, die and... is challenging?
Of course, it challenges any sense of immersion you have, (as well as your patience), so I guess it is, in it's own way.

If you like challenges in RPGs, IMHO the best way would be hard death.
Diablo2 did this on hardcore, which was great. Suddenly your gameplay mattered, and since you cared, both immersion and identification got a whole lot stronger. It was an terrible mistake of them not to enable this mode until you had finished the game once.

 

[aselto]

So to die and restart, die and restart, die and... is challenging?

No, I actually stopped playing Breakdown (an Xbox first person shooter/fighter made by Namco) because I was dying too many time on easy difficulty level. But higher difficulty levels usually force you to play games the way they were designed to be played. Metal Gear Solid/Splinter Cell/Second Sight can be played as shooters on normal difficulty levels, but you die in two seconds on higher difficulty levels when you try to be Rambo. Or when you play God of War on normal, you can't apreciate combat system, because fights are really easy and you don't have any incentive to learn combat system's nuances.

BTW I didn't play Diablo or Diablo 2 even once (although I saw my friends playing it and I did'nt like what I saw)

 

[Rolf N]

Or when you play God of War on normal, you can't apreciate combat system, because fights are really easy and you don't have any incentive to learn combat system's nuances.

Exactly what I wanted to say! I just kept it for myself because I thought it might be too far off-topic

All games worth playing have some rules you must learn to become really good at them, but if the game can't punish you for not paying attention, you'll never have a reason to look deeper.

BTW I didn't play Diablo or Diablo 2 even once (although I saw my friends playing it and I did'nt like what I saw)

It's a brilliant game. It has great rhythm and progression, tight controls and it always stays challenging. It's also highly pointless in the end, but all games are.