Final Fantasy XII Review

By Rob Fahey Published 31 October, 2006

Nothing lasts... But nothing is lost.

Version tested: PlayStation 2

Sometimes videogame publishers are lazy and dull. They find a formula that works and they stick with it rigidly until every drop has been wrung from both the game, and its audience. They build interminable sequels, demanding from their development teams that everything should be by the numbers, within the lines, and comfortably corresponding to the expectations of the audience, and of the management team. They take good ideas and stretch them out into annual updates, robbing them of their impact and leeching their original creators of the fundamental desire to create. Sometimes, even the most dedicated fan of the interactive medium - particularly the most dedicated fan of the interactive medium - can't help but be a little depressed and downhearted.

Sometimes videogame publishers sparkle with unexpected creativity. Sometimes they shatter a mould which had grown so familiar that you had never anticipated change; sometimes they make a giant, shocking leap of faith, place their full trust and confidence in the vision of a development team, and allow a series to be remodelled into a new, exciting form. They hand the keys to their most valuable franchises to creators whose intent is not to build worthy, respectful homages that keep the execs happy and make sales projections easy, but rather to tear the cloth up and find out what new thing can be stitched together from the remnants. Sometimes, even when such experiments fail, you can't help but be excited by being a fan of the interactive medium. When they succeed, they create games which redefine and reinvigorate entire genres with sweeping arcs of their creative brush.

It's easy to roll your eyes at Final Fantasy XII because after 11 sequels and easily as many spin-off titles, Final Fantasy is a comfortable staple of gaming. Although the brand has been branched out into new areas in the past - Final Fantasy Tactics was arguably one of the finest turn-based strategy titles of its day, while Final Fantasy XI was a contender for the massively multiplayer crown before World of Warcraft stomped all over that particular market - the core games, which the Japanese refer to as the "number series", are generally well understood. Players fall into one of two camps - you like Final Fantasy, or you don't, with insufficient variation to be found from sequel to sequel which will change your mind either way.

At least, that's the conventional wisdom. However, we live in exciting times.

Chrysalis

What makes a Final Fantasy game into a Final Fantasy game? Each game in the series is set in a new world, with new characters and a re-imagined battle system, but common themes join them together. Over the course of the NES and SNES titles in the series, things like chocobos, moogles, characters called Cid and orphans emerged as key elements which threaded between the various games, while latterly - and especially in the PlayStation and PS2 titles - massive production values, high quality rendered video and sweeping orchestral scores also became recognisable elements of the series.

'Final Fantasy XII' Screenshot 1

By those standards, Final Fantasy XII is comfortably at home in the series. All of the quirky elements that tied together previous games are present and correct, and many homages to earlier titles litter the game - dedicated fans of the series will be thrilled to see nods to past games in the form of summon monsters named after spells and bosses, airships named after former summon monsters, and even a boss who wields famous swords from earlier games and is battled while the stirring "Clash on the Big Bridge" theme from FFV plays. Such homages will fly over the heads of players unfamiliar with Final Fantasy as a franchise, but they won't miss much; these are knowing nods, rather than key plot elements.

The production values, too, are unmistakably those of a Final Fantasy game. Square Enix' talent for producing rendered movie sequences has diversified over the course of the PlayStation 2 era, with the firm continuing to work on astonishing pre-rendered scenes but also applying their talent for scene composition and direction to real-time graphics. The rendered introduction to FFXII will stick in players' minds for a long time, presenting as it does a wonderfully composed scene-setting piece which is equally comfortable with large crowd scenes and brilliant aerial battles as it is with more intimate character moments - and which, while hugely reminiscent of Star Wars in places (a franchise from which FFXII draws more than a little inspiration), is also good enough to make fans of Lucasfilm's more recent turkeys cry into their Hallowe'en wookie masks for what could have been.

'Final Fantasy XII' Screenshot 5

Equally, however, Square Enix' developers seem more comfortable than ever with non-rendered sequences - and rather than littering them all over the game, they reserve the rendered parts for very special moments, which gives them all the more impact. Both the graphics engine, which pushes the PS2 to its absolute limits, and the studio's own capabilities have evolved to the point where convincing scenes can be accomplished without dragging the player out into a rendered scene, and more often than not FFXII is content to allow the richly detailed in-game environments and superbly animated and textured characters breathe a little, rather than substituting them for video clips when anything of note happens.

The game also doesn't lack for an orchestral score - and from the stirring opening notes of the now-iconic theme of Final Fantasy through the many different regional, cultural and emotional highs and lows of the soundtrack, it's another masterpiece of videogame music, with even the less memorable tracks being ideally suited and pitched to their environment and to the gameplay and scenes which they underscore.

Metamorphosis

'Final Fantasy XII' Screenshot 2

So far, so Final Fantasy. However, it's not those things which remain the same that make Final Fantasy XII worthy of high praise. Although it's probably a fine recommendation for the series that we consider things like superb rendered video, great graphics, stunning music and an interesting storyline to be expected, it's also the case that just doing those things would make for an average FF title, and one of little interest to anyone who has previously been left cold by the series. No, what sets FFXII aside from its peers is not that it has maintained a standard of quality; it is that it has done so while changing the very basis of how the game works.

The most obvious outward expression of this change lies in the battle system of the game. Gone are random encounters; gone, in fact, is the concept of the battle system being in any way removed from the act of walking around the world. Just as Final Fantasy X chose to do away with the world map, instead giving you lush, properly modeled environments to walk through as you moved from place to place, so Final Fantasy XII has removed transitions from the field to battle. Instead, you walk up to monsters in the game, fight them there and then, and move on - giving you the option of walking around them if you're low in health or too low level to have a chance to win, but equally presenting the danger that your battle will end up attracting other monsters who are wandering about. Indeed, monsters aren't averse to running away to try and escape when their health is low, and doing so can disturb nearby enemies into attacking you as well - while if you need to escape, you'll actually have to quite literally run away, avoiding other enemies, until your attacker gets bored of chasing you and leaves you alone.

'Final Fantasy XII' Screenshot 6

Sound familiar? If so, you've probably been playing some massively multiplayer games - and it's very obvious within minutes that FFXII has learned much from its massively multiplayer sibling, FFXI, as well as many other MMO titles. The game has also completely done away with the strict concept of turns which was utilised by previous Final Fantasy titles; instead, both your characters and monsters have a certain wait time for each move, with your characters' being indicated by a bar filling up on screen. The bar fills up to the top, the move is executed, and the bar starts filling up again; meaning that the amount of time a move takes is crucial, rather than your position in the turn order.

The game also borrows the MMOG concept of auto-attack, so when you attack a monster, you won't have to keep on selecting the "attack" command - your character will keep bashing the creature until it's dead. Meanwhile, other characters which are added to your party are actually controlled by the game, and assist you in battle while you directly control and run around with one character; but while this could have resulted in a game which was more than a little bit dull and hands-off, instead the designers have given a fine level of control over the AI which makes every encounter into a tactical and engaging experience. A system called Gambits allows you to set up and tune a number of conditional commands for each character - so for example, you might have your healer set up to heal a given character when they fall below 20 per cent health, and so on. These commands are stacked and rated in order of priority, allowing you almost total control over how the AI behaves, while you focus on controlling one of the characters, or simply turn Gambits on for all characters and flit between them micro-managing the battle.

The changes to the battle system are by far the most dramatic to be introduced in any Final Fantasy title; they change the structure of the gameplay entirely, while still leaving many of the core elements that attracted fans in the first place intact. Each change has been carefully considered, and the team have introduced many elements which we expect to see copied in other games - for example, red, green and blue arcs connecting monsters and player characters to demonstrate who's attacking who, and who's healing who, which allows even large conflicts to be understood at a glance.

Around the World

The changes to the battle system are matched by a major overhaul of how characters develop their skills throughout the game. Each character now measures their progress on a License Board, a special screen looking rather like a deformed chess board where you can unlock new skills and abilities by spending LP (earned through battle) on uncovering squares next to previously revealed ones. However, licenses - as the name suggests - only allow you to use specific items and skills; you still have to acquire the relevant items and skills by yourself.

The most major consequence of this is that character development is, largely speaking, up to the player. Every character starts in almost the same place on the License Board, and it's your choice whether you want to specialise in any given field with any given character. The game certainly nudges you in specific directions on this front, but the final decision is down to you; and while it may be tempting to make every character into a bit of an all-rounder, the most powerful and balanced party will be one where characters specialise to a high degree in certain fields.

This, in a sense, answers the common criticism of Japanese role-playing games - namely that despite the "role-playing" moniker, the games offer little chance to do anything other than steer pre-rolled characters through a semi-interactive story. It's a fair criticism, albeit one which ignores the fact that for many players, that's quite an attractive prospect; however, Final Fantasy XII skilfully finds a middle ground, giving the chance to customise your characters to a vast degree, as well as presenting a huge number of side-quests and distractions in the form of monster hunting bounties and quests for your in-game clan, while simultaneously providing a superb, epic storyline that will more than satisfy any fan of interactive storytelling.

This storyline, in a sense, is one of the most brave departures of FFXII; even by comparison with the changes to the battle system, it still stands out as being in strong contrast to the recent outings of the series, and harks back strongly to Final Fantasy games prior to the PlayStation era. Although after the intro sequence, it takes some time to get off the ground, and players may initially be somewhat dismayed to find themselves largely following around the cheerful prettyboy Vaan - seemingly desperately in need of a clip around the ear - but within a matter of a couple of hours, new characters have been introduced who fill out the cast superbly and make it clear that this is not to be the tale of one troubled boy's journey to save the world. This is very clearly an ensemble cast, with each character being equally deserving of the claim to be a central figure in the plot - and with the full cast introduced early in the game, the writers can avoid the weak plot device of introducing new characters late on, and instead focus on weaving fascinating narrative and revealing superb back stories for the existing cast.

'Final Fantasy XII' Screenshot 3

In this regard, FFXII harks back to games like Final Fantasy V, with a cast of characters who are not mere misfits on a world-renewing quest, but rather are powerful figures in a world which is politically charged and filled with complex forces and influences. More importantly, perhaps, it also speaks of a game which has learned lessons from the best television series of recent years; although the timing of the development of the game doesn't fit with any claims of influence from these series specifically, it's easy to draw parallels with some aspects of the storytelling in series such as Lost and Ron Moore's updated Battlestar Galactica. The dialogue, too, sparkles in many places - assisted ably by a strong voice cast which uses many English and Scottish actors to provide a wide mix of accents, and which helps it to avoid most of the American voice-acting stereotypes (and, indeed, often dreadful American voice acting "talent") which have devalued the storylines of previous voiced RPGs.

If any criticism were to be made of the storytelling and the world it weaves, it would be that the team has perhaps gone overboard in its presentation of the world of Ivalice; there are elements to the tale which cannot hope to be wrapped up in a single game, even a massive game of this scope. That, perhaps, is the point; already a follow-up title has been announced, and of course, the world of Ivalice previously featured in the Final Fantasy Tactics series (from whose GBA incarnation several elements are drawn, including the clan system and even a few characters) and in Vagrant Story. The lore being built up around this universe is fascinating, and it's telling that the announcement of Revenant Wings, the DS continuation of FFXII, is being welcomed rather than viewed with cynicism by those who have completed the original game.

A New Way

'Final Fantasy XII' Screenshot 4

It's difficult to find holes to pick in Final Fantasy XII; the pacing could be better in places, especially at the start, and until you get used to the fact that very tough monsters roam the same plains as very easy monsters in several places, the difficulty curve can seem extremely punishing - but running away with your tail between your legs when it's appropriate solves that problem quickly enough. However, minor problems like that are quickly pushed aside in face of the fact that FFXII is a brave and superbly well-executed rethink of the entire JRPG genre which the Final Fantasy series did so much to define in the first place.

In fact, the most accurate comparison for this game is with Resident Evil 4 - another game which broke the mould not only of a series, but of a genre which it had itself defined in the past, and delivered a stunning experience that attracted many new players to the series in the process. Final Fantasy XII should do exactly that also. People turned off by random encounters, by turn based battles or by the occasionally excessively teen-angst laden storylines of the last few games will find this game fully deserving of a chance; while fans of the series concerned that nothing lasts will find that nothing is lost, either. This is distinctly a Final Fantasy game, and distinctly one of the pinnacles of the series to date; but yet it is distinctly different, experimental, and bold.

It's not hard to see us looking back in five years time and seeing FFXII as a pivotal, changing moment in how RPGs are designed; a game which drew on the experience of Final Fantasy's branches into tactical strategy and massively multiplayer, as well as on the more mature storytelling of other mediums, and folded it back into the number series, to wonderful result. Fans will, of course, debate the merits of Final Fantasy XII for a long time - but our own experience with this game fully justifies giving it the highest accolade we can award.

10 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Rob.

About Rob Fahey

Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.

Read more articles from Rob by visiting the Rob Fahey archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (157) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • morriss #1 5 years ago

    10.

  • Helios #2 5 years ago

    Better than H...

    Oh.

    It's times like these I wish I had a PS2. Wasn't expecting a 10 before the review, something high, but not that high.

  • Foxclose #3 5 years ago

    10! Brilliant! Can't wait!!

    Yet another winner for the PS2

  • vapour #4 5 years ago

    Must be rubbish - didn't get an 11!

  • absolutezero #5 5 years ago

    I did'nt like it.

    Mainly because of the characters and the story, which for a FF game stands as the most important part for me.

    The combat is actually quite fun and stands as a refreshing change from the norm. However the only real way to get money from the game is to either use steal in every single fight or do the bounty quests, which get really really dull after awhile. The Gambits add a quite alot of depth are quite fun to use, the summons are a bit rubbish though.

    It takes about 30 minutes for you to be able to control someone for the first time, 10 minutes after that its wrenched away again and then once you get to control the "main character" (which he's basically not but you'll get that later) you have to fight rats.

    The skill system while being quite novel and interesting, is needlessly complex, you get a new piece of armour or accessory, in order to use that new item you need to have the right license, which needs to be bought.

    It is bloody beuatiful though, especially once you get out of desert land.

  • Tejstar #6 5 years ago

    Never played a FF game before, I've just never been fond of turn-based gameplay.

    However, after reading this review, I'm thinking maybe I should give it another chance.

  • UncleLou #7 5 years ago

    Better than FF XII? ;)

  • Yossarian #8 5 years ago

    there is still a part of me that screams to buy a PS2 for the four or five games I would truly love to play on it -- Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, God of War perhaps, Resident Evil 4 perhaps, PES6 maybe, and now this

    that said, this has been getting the most divisive reviews of any FF in my memory

  • SeesThroughAll #9 5 years ago

    Wow.

    Would you say that FF VII has been surpassed then?

  • Hunamster #10 5 years ago

    zomg....

  • vapour #11 5 years ago

    anyone know when it's out here? Don't want to import as I've got a stack of games to get through already

  • Shinji #12 5 years ago

    I did'nt like it. Mainly because of the characters and the story, which for a FF game stands as the most important part for me.

    I think the storytelling is going to be divisive for FF fans, but largely welcomed by people outside that clique. Personally I feel that it's a much more mature, interesting piece of storytelling than anything Final Fantasy has done in recent years, and one which draws on a much wider range of sources for inspiration, which will make it appealing to a lot more people. It's a strong point of the game for me, but I won't be surprised if a lot of FF fans consider it to be a weak link.

    Would you say that FF VII has been surpassed then?

    Yes. FFVII is the most important game that I've personally ever played - it's the reason I fell in love with this medium and chose this career - but FFXII is unquestionably, to my mind, a better game.
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 18:27

  • Ceatlan #13 5 years ago

    Man I wish I could justify owning a PS2. This, Ico, Shadow of the Colosus, Singstar are all begging to be owned.

    Perhaps if Sony reduce the price of a PS2 to £50 I might get one.

  • Sniffer #14 5 years ago

    Feb innit?

    That's what Amazon are sayin'?

  • JetSetWilly #15 5 years ago

    Shinji - roughly how many hours gameplay are there here? I clocked up 60 hours on FFX, is there a similiar amount here?

  • absolutezero #16 5 years ago

    I guess its the complete feeling of futility in your actions that I did'nt like. It feels like you have no affect on whats happening around you but your still forced to keep plodding on, knowing that nothing will really happen that you can change.

    Certainly its more mature but its just slightly depressing.

    EDIT: What reason is there not to own a PS2 now??
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 18:33

  • JinTypeNoir #17 5 years ago

    On that note in the review that FFXII is something more of a role-playing game because development is up to the player, how is that different from Final Fantasy III and V, with their job systems and characters who have no basic build unless you develop them that way? You can mix and match dozens of abilities and stuff in those games too. As well, in VII, VIII and X (especially the international version of X) you get just about as much freedom to develop characters the way you want.

    The License Board is great, but it doesn't make the game any more of roleplaying game than the past games or other console RPGs.

  • lambtron #18 5 years ago

    Does it support PAL 60?

  • Kami #19 5 years ago

    It's refresing to see that amidst the re-runs of what we accept, that companies like Capcom and Square-Enix are still willing to take a risk and rethink a genre which they have more or less owned for many, many years. Taking a well-known franchise name, and really breaking it down before rebuilding it, taking previous criticisms and complaints on board and balancing it out, developing a title that not only shines but redefines everything we know about it.

    After all these years, the simple fact that we are still from time to time offered such amazing rethinks is cause to get excited. By both being remarkably fresh and creative, with a splash of unexpected originality and yet also being safe and familiar for the fans to feel just as welcome, FFXII is by far and away some of the best work to come from Square-Enix since... well... since Final Fantasy VII.

    A bloody shame we still have to wait until January for the PAL release. But since Square-Enix have this thing for adding content to the game for those of us that have to wait, when it is released, no-one will be complaining.

    Bravo Square-Enix.

  • JediMasterMalik #20 5 years ago

    Ceatlan you cheap git, as if you still find a PS2 expensive. :/

    Anyway excellent review, I have a feeling I am very much going to enjoy this, the comparisons to RE4, Lost, and most especially BSG are very promising. I like the fact that there is no single main character, it sort of shows the ocnvergence of gaming stories with thoe found in excellent TV shows like BSG and Lost. Some of my favoutrite shows work like this, such as Stargate (me am cry), Firefly, and to some extent Prison Break. Of course main characters aren't bad either, but having a main protaganist can displace people from the game if they don;t like that particular character, which is why this is a good idea.

    Will be getting the US version soon, but is there a decent reason to wait for the Europe version?

  • jmctavish #21 5 years ago

    Why does FF always have gender bending main characters?

    Barret is clearly the best character in all the FF games.

  • Shinji #22 5 years ago

    I would have said that III and V were very similar in that regard, although they didn't offer the kind of expansive side-quests and so on that you find here. I disagree about 7, 8 and 10 though - if anything those games discouraged character specialisation, and you ended up with all-rounder characters or characters who followed development paths fairly clearly set out by the designers. XII is far more free-flowing in terms of its character paths than those games were.

    Uninteresting characters and story - that is (IMO) the most important part of any RPG

    Again, I completely disagree. The core characters in the game are far more nuanced and human than characters in other recent Final Fantasies - they don't conform to the overblown stereotypes that other games in the recent iterations of the series have resorted to, which makes them less instantly identifiable and more complex, but also allows the storytellers to tell far more interesting stories about them and to play with their motivations in fascinating ways.

    That's not conventional Final Fantasy storytelling mechanism, and frankly I think a lot of fans of the series have been too caught up in the "lol omg airship let's save the world!" side of the series to appreciate the previous attempts at building nuanced characters - which is why some of them dislike this game, which simply drops the weak fantasy-lite plots of VIII through X and replaces it with something much more adult and interesting, which is essentially a character story.

  • Shinji #23 5 years ago

    Why does FF always have gender bending main characters?

    Out of the male central characters, Vaan is a teenage floppy-haired prettyboy, certainly - but call Basch or Balthier "gender-bending" and they'll kick your effin' neck off, sunshine!

    Albeit in a very posh, refined, English accented sort of way. But you'll still have NO NECK.

  • Kami #24 5 years ago

    @ Jedi;

    I think it will help create a certain level of affection for the characters. Whilst we all love the likes of Yuna, Rinoa, Tifa et al (lead female protagonists), we've also seen the likes of Yuffie, Cait Sith, Selphie etc. - characters that most wouldn't touch with a barge pole of any length. Of course, sometimes even great characters are overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Vivi and Lulu two great examples (Lulu was a stunning design and I want to warmly shake the hand of the people behind her creation!).

    So perhaps getting to use all characters and develop them all is a good step. I do love a lead role, but no doubt we'll find our own favourites. Characters are great because each one has a personality bestowed to them... what I think is great is that we can make our favourites and use them without worrying about unbalancing the entirity of the game...

  • Drakron #25 5 years ago

    Sorry, I read the script and what can I say is you dont watch anime much do you Shinji ...

  • Lorka #26 5 years ago

    Awesome. That review sent shivers down my spine. Being one of those angry and disheartened by almost everything we talk about 'industry', it kinda brings a tear to the eye when a game like this is released.

  • Decoded #27 5 years ago

    You're making this sound awfully enticing, Rob. Just as well, then, that my copy has just shipped. Hurrah.

  • Shinji #28 5 years ago

    Shinji - roughly how many hours gameplay are there here? I clocked up 60 hours on FFX, is there a similiar amount here?

    I'm not even going to hazard a guess at an exact figure. I reckon you could do the story in well under 40 hours, if you ignore all the side stuff - but frankly I don't know anyone who's done that. I've got friends who have clocked over 80 hours on the game and are still going, on the other end of that spectrum. One Japanese friend says he's done 100+ hours but then again he's proper mental.

  • Shinji #29 5 years ago

    Sorry, I read the script and what can I say is you dont watch anime much do you Shinji ...

    Oh god :) I'm not even going to start on that one! I think my anime-watching credentials are pretty well established :)

  • Zuiyo #30 5 years ago

    I bet Shinji watches tons of anime.

  • WoodenSpoon #31 5 years ago

    I really liked the World Maps!

  • lemon #32 5 years ago

    European release date?

  • Goodfella #33 5 years ago

    I've played this for over 25 hours and I can honestly say I've never been so disappointed with a game in all my life. I loved FF6 right throught to 10 (FFX-2 was terrible) but this 'offline mmorpg' leaves me cold.

    Dull characters with no development, combat is 99% automated melee and the story? there's a story? I haven't found it yet.

    Oh God I just really don't like this game.

    Edited by 2 at 31/10/06 @ 18:58

  • ProfessorLesser #34 5 years ago

    Fuck, now I want it.

  • f00b_inc #35 5 years ago

    Excuse my ignorance (crosses fingers) but is there some sort of disk I can buy that allows me to play import US games on my PAL PS2? I just got a PS2 recently off eBay and would quite like to play this without waiting until January. Thanks for any info!

  • Drakron #36 5 years ago

    Oh god :) I'm not even going to start on that one! I think my anime-watching credentials are pretty well established :)

    My impression from reading the script was that I was looking at typical anime characters, they are not interresting at all.

    The fact in FF XII you basic do NOTHING (unlike say FF VII were you save the Garden 2 times but things still go very wrong) so I am not exactly trilled about playing a game were the impact on the game world is exactly at the end and the story is the usual BS of "villian gets artifact of untold power and wants to conquer the world" dows to going after him at his version of the Death Star.
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 19:03

  • JediMasterMalik #37 5 years ago

    To be fair, it really has divided opinions alot, I think some people simply don't get more mature story lines in this game, which may be a far cry to what they are used to. I just hope that everyone gets the chance to at least try the game and see what they think, even if they don't like FF normally.

  • matrim83 #38 5 years ago

    Very well written review. I have already picked this up even though I have yet to see the lure of JRPGs.

    Here's hoping.

    /Fingers crossed.

  • spongebob #39 5 years ago

    I guess I have to buy a PS2. Again.

  • absolutezero #40 5 years ago

    I'd just like to make it clear that just because the story is more mature than it normally is, it does not automatically make it better.

    It feels as if instead of letting you save the World the makers decided that none of your actions would have any sort of effect what so ever. Why is that so much more mature?

    They could have found at least a little balance between the two different versions instead of having nicely rounded characters but them having no effect on the over-all storyline.

    EDIT: Again just pointing out that I do understand the alour and I do get the deeper political threads of the story, I just don't enjoy them. They just that are'nt spectacularly well written (in comparison with previous games yes, in comparison with media at large no).
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 19:14

  • ProfessorLesser #41 5 years ago

    It's more mature because it's more subtle, and it takes maturity to appreciate subtlety.

    Shirley.

  • absolutezero #42 5 years ago

    Subtle?

    Not really most of the machinations are obvious enough, and most of the characterisations are pretty broad. Like I said, in comparison with something like Shin Megami, it still falls short.

  • Steroyd #43 5 years ago

    Holy ****!!

    Now I'm even more jealous of those damn yanks.

    Definitely can't wait to see how the battle system evolves in FFXIII. o_O

    /hugs PS2

  • absolutezero #44 5 years ago

    Yes because THQ did'nt just release Company of Heroes a genre defining RTS.

  • PedroTheLion #45 5 years ago

    Can't believe this only comes out in Feb in these parts, damn Squeenix.

    I think we should rise as one and slay them, who's with me?

  • Rambaldi #46 5 years ago

    Turn based gameplay is for games workshop whores.

    So there.
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 19:44

  • Scimarad #47 5 years ago

    Can't wait! Can't bloody wait!

    It's Final Fantasy time again!! Woo-hoo!!!

  • tenma #48 5 years ago

    Players fall into one of two camps - you like Final Fantasy, or you don't

    I actually think it's okay. I've never bought a FF game, but have beaten a few that I've borrowed from friends and i doubt FF XII will be an exception.

  • HiddenAway #49 5 years ago

    Out of interest, what other games have scored 10??? O.o

  • marine_fran #50 5 years ago

    10/10. Company of Heroes 10/10. Canis Canem Edit por ahí. Venga hombre. Os estías vendiendo mucho, tenéis la mano muy suelta con las notas. Os vais a convertir en una especie de IGN a este paso.

  • HIGHVOLTAGE #51 5 years ago

    Lost and Battlestar Galactica the best 2 TV series of the last few years? PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!

  • djchump #52 5 years ago

    Worth the 10.
    Great game! :-)

  • JediMasterMalik #53 5 years ago

    PRT? You mean PFT right?

    BSG really is an amzing show, but again you need to be able to see the broader message to appreciate it. Lost is great in the way the charcters are explored, though the main story is a bit dodgy, still great though.

  • silke #54 5 years ago

    My god.....and I really thought I would recieve my copy today, no such luck though. But it should arrive tomorrow. I can't wait! Long live Yasumi Matsuno! ;)

  • jonnyreb #55 5 years ago

    Hasn't this been out in the states for ages?

    Last time I looked the estimate for us lowly Euro's was 'end Q1 2007' by which time alot of people will surely be thinking PS3 thoughts?

    Dunno why I even bother writing - Europe always gets shafted.

  • JediMasterMalik #56 5 years ago

    Jonny, it's out today in the US, Japan had it ages ago though.

  • Walshicus #57 5 years ago

    Hah! Bullshit.

  • JediMasterMalik #58 5 years ago

    Walshicus, what's bullshit?

  • Hughes. #59 5 years ago

    Was expecting a 9, saw a 10, is happy. Realises the Euro release is next February, or later.... This Is Waiting.

  • absolutezero #60 5 years ago

    Jedi you really gotta stop patronising people by trying to intone that they simply don't understand the more subtle parts of the story.

    "You don't like the story well then its quite obvious that you did'nt understand it, because your stupid. Otherwise you would have been amazed by the amazing writing. Yes."

    Or you know, they might just not like the story, despite how well its written.

  • JediMasterMalik #61 5 years ago

    I'm not talking about the FF story, I haven't played the game, I'm just saying that certain stories require a bit of thinking to get the whole point. I'm not talking in particular to anyone at all. I'mnot saying that anyone who doesn't like the story is retarded, I fully accept they may simply not like it, but I just think that games are too transparent nowadays, and hope this will be slightly different.

    If I offended anyone I apologise.

  • marilena #62 5 years ago

    I don't want do be patronizing, but the hyperbole in this article is quite ridiculous. So, the game made "a giant, shocking leap of faith" and was "remodelled into a new, exciting form", by "creators whose intent is to tear the cloth up and find out what new thing can be stitched together from the remnants", just because the battle system now (the shock!) doesn't have random battles and (OMG!) has the battles in the world, instead of using a separate screen?

    Gee, I never heard of an RPG that has something like that! They truly revolutionized gaming!
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 20:58

  • JediMasterMalik #63 5 years ago

    @marilena - how else could they have changed the FF series. Making it a 1st person action RPG?
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 21:03

  • Sorb #64 5 years ago

    Damn, as good as Oblivion then?! By the way I didn´t read the review because:

    1. It was way too long.
    2. It only rehashed what we have already learned about the game.
    3. I don´t have a cracked or gray imported PS2.

  • marilena #65 5 years ago

    Jedi, I definitely think they made a good choice in changing the battle system. My problem is with the article's suggestion that this is a huge leap of faith, a revolution etc. It's actually the standard system for PC role-playing games and has also been done on consoles by KOTOR and possibly a few other games.

  • JediMasterMalik #66 5 years ago

    But for SE this is a huge leap, their user base doesn't know of these titles, and if they do may not like them. To do this to such a hugely popular series IS a huge gamble, especially when most don't complain about the series becoming stale, unlike something like RE, which was starting to grate before it's reinvigoration. And the gambit system differentiates this from KOTOR completely, aswell as the character development, world, and story in general. (at least so it seems)

  • marilena #67 5 years ago

    I understand what you're saying and I agree that it took some courage to make this change, but I still think that the introduction to the article is a massive exaggeration. It's just too grandiose, when it should have simply said "well, they finally ditched the random battles, good on them".

    It's maybe a matter of taste.

  • peak_performance #68 5 years ago

    I'm still doubtful. Though I really don't care. It's just that japanese writing, with VERY few exceptions, tend to be just the same shit in different clothing. I don't see this as being any different. In exactly what way is it supposed to be mature? No, I haven't played the game, just inquiring about it.

    @Rambaldi: "Turn based gameplay is for games workshop whores.

    So there."

    Yes, because we all know how much strategy there is in real-time combat ...

  • Lex_Luthor #69 5 years ago

    "Walshicus, what's bullshit?"

    The fact a game in a series he's been trolling pretty much since he signed on here got such a high mark I'm betting. He'll be back with another troll about how Bioware is the best RPG maker in the world any time now I'll bet.

    Great game anyhow. Possibly not a 10 in my book, but very good nonetheless.
    Edited by 2 at 31/10/06 @ 21:47

  • Scimarad #70 5 years ago

    "It's just that japanese writing, with VERY few exceptions, tend to be just the same shit in different clothing."

    As opposed to excellent plots and characterization in western RPGs you mean? :-)

    Don't mention Planescape, that was a fluke!
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 22:02

  • Psi #71 5 years ago

    anime? isn't that the incest tenticle rape stuff? ban this sick filth!

  • Psi #72 5 years ago

    waiting for soe to sue eurogamer for playing a grey import game. after the backlash and eurogamer outta business pretty sure it'll just be foxclose buying sony games after that :p

  • absolutezero #73 5 years ago

    ... no one played Vagrant Story?

  • Steroyd #74 5 years ago

    Jedi, I definitely think they made a good choice in changing the battle system. My problem is with the article's suggestion that this is a huge leap of faith, a revolution etc. It's actually the standard system for PC role-playing games and has also been done on consoles by KOTOR and possibly a few other games.

    Changing the gameplay formula that's been set in stone for a series in over 20 years is HUGE just like how RE4 changed the camera angle it's your run of the mill 3rd person shooter right?

    The article wasn't preaching like the battle system was the second coming of christ for RPG's, just the second coming of christ for Final Fantasy, just like Resident Evil.
    Plus it's setup the delightful looking battle system for FFXIII which i'm just anxiously waiting to hear more info about.

    Need to get my hands on FF12 forst though.

    I'm still a bit anxious about the battle system personally because that plus the story progression just made me not enjoy KOTR in the slightest. :/

  • Steroyd #75 5 years ago

    anime? isn't that the incest tenticle rape stuff? ban this sick filth!

    No you're thinking of Hentai....

    /tumbleweed rolls past.

    /runs.

  • kenty #76 5 years ago

    this review brought a tear to my eye, no joke (ok adimttedly i just got back from pub!) This is the first /game/ to give me that pang of emotion and craving that i haven't felt since FFIX... i can't wait for it to arrive next week and thank god squenix haven't 'done a sony' and made it illegal to import their games from the US ¬¬

  • bunglebonce #77 5 years ago

    I agree with marilena's point of view. It's about time that the FF series ditched some of its more famous but horribly archaic gameplay mechanics. It's a step in the right direction and the review in general I think will convince me to make my first RPG purchase in a while (not including Kingdom Hearts), but it I don't think it should be celebrated the way is has been. It had to be done and not before time.

    I think I may be making the same point when we see a proper next-gen Pro Evolution Soccer. Hopefully it will get rid of some of the mechanics it has over-used by at least 4 iterations. But I think when it does it will be heralded as the greatest sports game ever, which I hope will be merited on the other more dynamic aspects of the game.

  • JediMasterMalik #78 5 years ago

    Stop talking about random turned based battles as if they NEEDED to be changed, they didn't. The game would have done fine without the change, which is why it's gettiong praise for the change. You know there are millions of gamers who actually like the random turn based battles, it's not something which everyone hates or thinks needs to be gotten rid of.

  • vane101 #79 5 years ago

    This will be the last game I buy for the PS2. Nothing else much interests me except Okami.

  • Dizzy #80 5 years ago

    10 for autoplay?

  • beep #81 5 years ago

    Enough with the pretty boys. I wanna see some fuglies as the main characters in FF games.

  • ilmaestro #82 5 years ago

    EG win, for only the second time this year.

    edit: I actually can't believe how happy I am this got a 10, the backlash against the game in some parts was pretty fierce, so I'm just chuffed that Shinji has seen this game for what it is.
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 23:12

  • Derblington #83 5 years ago

    I wasn't expecting it to get a 10! I don't get on with FF games but I tried this and love it. The GF better import it for my birthday next week...

  • kenty #84 5 years ago

    "Stop talking about random turned based battles as if they NEEDED to be changed, they didn't. The game would have done fine without the change, which is why it's getting praise for the change. You know there are millions of gamers who actually like the random turn based battles, it's not something which everyone hates or thinks needs to be gotten rid of."

    THis is why I'm also very much looking forward to Lost Odyssey, which could be perhaps seen as the next 'true' Final Fantasy game... . But i'd still love to play FFXII, why not enjoy both sides of the coin?
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/06 @ 23:49

  • Drakron #85 5 years ago

    PE was real time too .... how people seem to be stuck "Square only made Final Fantasy" mode.

    And with tbe exception of FF X all FF were real time, they simply changed the presentation with just show how people take style over subtance.

    And for FF XIII ... from what I read that team hated FF XII system and will go back to the classic system, sorry but the gambit system just turns the game into "watch mode" and the next step beyond would be just seeing the game playing by itself.

  • bunglebonce #86 5 years ago

    Stop talking about random turned based battles as if they NEEDED to be changed, they didn't. The game would have done fine without the change, which is why it's gettiong praise for the change. You know there are millions of gamers who actually like the random turn based battles, it's not something which everyone hates or thinks needs to be gotten rid of.

    Stop talking as if you ARE the sovereign authority on this. I can count at least four times in my post where I put forward that it is my opinion. We'll just have to see if millions of gamers don't like turn based battles.

  • Azazel #87 5 years ago

    Same world as Vagrant Story you say? Sign me up.

  • Garibaldi #88 5 years ago

    An encouraging score, but then I see you chaps also gave FFX a 9 way back when, and I absolutely despised that game.

  • Shinji #89 5 years ago

    I can't really make a recommendation unless you can say what it was you hated about FFX, since I don't know if it's something that has changed - I have to say, I was a huge fan of FFX personally, although I don't consider it to be in quite the same league as this game. A lot has changed, though, and I do believe that a lot of people who didn't like FF before now will warm to this instalment in the series.

  • Tomo #90 5 years ago

    Nice stuff. Good review too. I really, really want this now.

    A 10 from the Shin is something worth taking note of, fo' sho. Roll on next year!

  • darkphoenix #91 5 years ago

    Great game, but the lack of a 480p option makes it unplayable in a big plasma or lcd display.
    A shame that SE stills lives in the 90s...

    Never a 10/10.

  • Garibaldi #92 5 years ago

    What I hated about FFX? Hmm, the whole 'feel' of it just irritated me; the cardboard characters, cheesy plot, forgettable locations and complete lack of a world map, it just felt so utterly bland.

    If those things have changed then count me in! But from the praise heaped on FFX I fear they are greatly subjective.

  • ilmaestro #93 5 years ago

    The people complaining about gambits (or just the concept of them) do know that you can play the game without using them, right?

  • some1 #94 5 years ago

    a bunch of articles on the FF series then an explosively unjustified 10/10? looks like eg was asked a favour for that ps3..

  • Talha #95 5 years ago

    Wow. I am glad I got this one. Say what you will, there is nothing quite like an EG 10/10 to recommend a game to me.

  • Canadian_Mike #96 5 years ago

    " darkphoenix
    01-Nov-06 01:42:06

    Great game, but the lack of a 480p option makes it unplayable in a big plasma or lcd display."

    Naw, the game is pretty good as far as aliasing goes. It holds up good on a big screen.

    Although theres no 480p support (i know i was pissed too) there is widescreen support (yay!!) and an option called "Flicker Filter" that helps smooth things out quite a bit, don't ask me why theres an option to turn it on or off, it makes quite a difference on and you'll want toleave it.


    ...like i said the game is looking beautiful on my 42 inch plasma. Don't be scared.



  • peak_performance #97 5 years ago

    @Scimarad: "As opposed to excellent plots and characterization in western RPGs you mean? :-)

    Don't mention Planescape, that was a fluke!"

    Nah, western RPGs tend to be pretty standard as well. Doesn't make the jap counterparts any better, though. They tend to be even more on the cliche side of things :p

  • Zero_ #98 5 years ago

    "Nah, western RPGs tend to be pretty standard as well. Doesn't make the jap counterparts any better, though. They tend to be even more on the cliche side of things :p"

    And that's why Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest sells a lot more than The Elder Scroll and Heroes of Magic and Might. :p Cliches or not, they're fun...

  • Laserbream #99 5 years ago

    I wish the reviewer hadn't mentioned the new Battlestar Galactica - I gave the DVDs back to my friend after watching 5 or 6 episodes because I found it intensely dull. And I don't want to watch Lost because all the hype reminds me of 24, another series that sent me to sleep.

  • Blerk #100 5 years ago

    Blimey!

  • Eighthours #101 5 years ago

    I wish the reviewer hadn't mentioned the new Battlestar Galactica - I gave the DVDs back to my friend after watching 5 or 6 episodes because I found it intensely dull.

    Dead inside. Galactica's one of the best shows ever.

    10 for FFXII? Bloody hell!

  • Daikon #102 5 years ago

    And I don't want to watch Lost because all the hype reminds me of 24, another series that sent me to sleep.

    If 24 sent you to sleep then you definitely should steer clear of *any* RPG.

    I have to agree with other posters that the new Battlestar Galactica is one of the best things on TV right now.

  • HyperShadow #103 5 years ago

    Reviewing a Sony Import game? Better check your mailbox for a lawsuit for promoting 'grey imports'. We are Europeans and must wait because it would make Ken cry otherwise.

    Still, 10, wow. I'm even more interested in the game now.

  • Laserbream #104 5 years ago

    @eighthours - is it? I watched Firely before ever watching an episode of the new BG. All the characters in Firefly are fully fleshed out with complex backstories. With BG it just seemed like they were all pink blobs attached to uniforms, backed up with shallow stories and cliches.

    One man's bread and all that...

  • Wash #105 5 years ago

    @Laserbream

    Firefly ftw!

  • Nobuo #106 5 years ago

    Excellent review. It really comes across that you are a true fan (pardon the expression) of Final Fantasy, and to see this review from such a fan really gives me high hopes for the game. It helps that your 'History of Final Fantasy' article hit so close to the mark as well.

    Fantastic.

    /Imports.

  • tnomad #107 5 years ago

    I went to the shops today to purchase milk, which is a lot like FFXII, 6/10!

  • vane101 #108 5 years ago

    One thing I'm happy about it that you'll be able to walk along a road for a couple of steps without facing a random battle. The one thing that annoys me about JRPGs. I don't mind a few but hundreds is too many.

  • mingster #109 5 years ago

    I can't quite work out the similarity between the storytelling on this and BSG, Lost etc..
    the seem in no way related to me.

    Although I've watched the first 2 seasons of BSG trying to enjoy it i too found it dull.
    Just doesn't seem to be much happening most of the time.

    24 is also 'old' now.

    Lost i don't understand at all and hate the hype..

    but FFXII is great, i love the CGI parts they look amazing, (skips a bit though) the mix of old style with future tech is cool. Theres no shaky cam like BSG, i just don't see what the comparison is.

    Just wish i had more time to play it.

  • mkreku #110 5 years ago

    Ok, so I am interested in this game too. But I also hated FFX, mainly because the maps were like corridors, with scripted events along the way. There was no exploration, no chance of ever getting lost, no meaning to the world other than to act as corridors leading you from one cut-scene to another. Also, it was 100% linear.

    I've read that FFXII has a world map. Also, that there's lots more sidequests to find and take part in. But is it more open-ended than other Final Fantasy's? Will I be able to explore and actually find interesting stuff? Are there more to the story than longwinded cut-scenes and anime characters talking about emo problems?

    Actually, I'd settle for non-linearity.

  • Lea #111 5 years ago

    I..must..buy...it!!!!

    Thanks Rob for the great article :)

  • Garibaldi #112 5 years ago

    I think you hit the nail on the head there mkreku, one of the best things about having a world map was happening upon interesting locations, for me that was a big part about what made FF7 special because the Devs seemed tuned into such an idea.

    FFX's complete lack of such an element instantly killed the majority of the appeal for me, then other shortcomings just drove the nails deeper into the coffin.

  • Mr_Brown #113 5 years ago

    Great review. 10/10 sounds about right and I shall be importing this imediatly.

    I've heard that this is plenty of opotunity to explore in this game and that the world map is huge. I think it was in GamesTMs review they mentioned that there was forests and caves etc that didn't need to be explored or even visited as part of the main story, which suggests this game isn't as linear as FFX. Personally though I don't care, I hope there is chance to do loads of things other than the main story, if not I'll buy it anyway. The series has always been must buy and glad to see it still is.

  • homerramone #114 5 years ago

    10/10 Yeah right.
    So its got
    Perfect Gameplay
    Perfect Audio
    Perfect Graphics
    And Mega originality. Somewhat dubious of something thats in its 13th incarnation !

    (If its not 100% original then surely it should be no more than 9 ?)

  • JediMasterMalik #115 5 years ago

    Surely you don't understand that the Final Fantasy series is not a series of sequels and that every game is it's own game completely?

  • Mr_Brown #116 5 years ago

    @homerramone: 10/10 doesn't mean perfect, it means the highest award the reviewer can give it. Meaning the reviewer cannout recomend this enough. Nothing can be perfect in everyway, especially games. So going by your logic nothing warrants a full 10/10 score...which begs the question, why rate things out of ten?

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #117 5 years ago

    lol 10/10 rofl

    I didn't read the review

  • homerramone #118 5 years ago

    >Mr_Brown
    I disagree. Surely 10/10 is perfect in the eye of the beholder ?

    As for bieng perfect in every way, why not ? Best GFX/Gameplay/Audio youve ever seen as well as bieng original.

    As for the FF series bieng different.. Then they should give em new names (and not sell em on the back of the others - If they are that good then it wont matter)




  • Les #119 5 years ago

    "Extremely linear gameplay"

    What's wrong with linear gameplay?! Guess you mean linear storyline. But even then, I'm getting sick and tired of the "linear" bashing. If you want a game with a good story, it's bound to be 'extremely' linear because that simply is the best way to tell a story. Games that allow you to traverse different paths (KOTOR, etc.) are still ‘extremely’ linear, they just have multiple predefined storylines.

    So, to summarize, there's nothing wrong with linear! ;)

  • Steroyd #120 5 years ago

    As for the FF series bieng different.. Then they should give em new names (and not sell em on the back of the others - If they are that good then it wont matter)

    Blasphemy!!

    What makes a Final Fantasy game into a Final Fantasy game? Each game in the series is set in a new world, with new characters and a re-imagined battle system, but common themes join them together. Over the course of the NES and SNES titles in the series, things like chocobos, moogles, characters called Cid and orphans emerged as key elements which threaded between the various games while latterly - and especially in the PlayStation and PS2 titles - massive production values, high quality rendered video and sweeping orchestral scores also became recognisable elements of the series.

  • vane101 #121 5 years ago

    We shouldn't forget that the Japanese reportedly love linear gameplay that leads them through a fixed story. That's why games like GTA and Elder Scrolls don't sell well there.

    Having said that, I like a bit of off track exploration. The only issue with FFXII seems to be that you can quickly run into more than your match - MMORPG style.

  • Mr_Brown #122 5 years ago

    True, I suppose perfect is subjective to each reviewer. But I still think even though this game isn't the most original game out there and it doesn't do everything better than everything, it has undoubtly re-defined the RPG genre (especially JRPG genre) I'm guessing that the majority of JRPG's following this will look remarkably similar (battle system etc wise) and rightfully so. So on those merits as RPG's go, this is pretty much the best it gets at the moment.

  • Scimarad #123 5 years ago

    "So, to summarize, there's nothing wrong with linear! ;)"

    Couldn't agree more - I'd take a linear game with a great story and characters over the freeform bore-fest that was Oblivion...

  • Galvanizer #124 5 years ago

    Twilight Princess better get a 10! ;-)

  • Galvanizer #125 5 years ago

    ^ And I mean the GameCube version!

  • JediMasterMalik #126 5 years ago

    Use the Edit button. Don't double post.

  • Lionheart #127 5 years ago

    Being a big fan of the FF series (excludes X-2) I felt the need to sign up and leave something nice after all this time of just reading what you lot think. I'm glad to see a nice 10/10!!
    EG is always a reliable and accurate source although every FF I've played (excludes X-2 ¬_¬) has been 10/10 so i didn't really expect anything less :)

  • bavelb #128 5 years ago

    Can't begin to express how glad I am with the critical and commercial succes of this game. With all jrpg's following the FF bandwagon, this could mean the end of random encounters and menu driven batllesystems (altho some of those were good, most sucked). Especially the random encounters were a terrible and unneccesary Videogame cliche.

    Going the way of MMORPG battlesystems seems cool.
    Edited by 1 at 02/11/06 @ 13:57

  • InsoFox #129 5 years ago

    Yes, finally. A couple of years ago I impulsively bought a US PS2 because it was quite cheap and lots of games I wanted were about to come out for it. (and no doubt 6 months later in the UK)

    But they all either got delayed, like FFXII or I lost interest. Finally, a use for the brick that's been sitting in my room for 2 years! Ordered!

  • Nobuo #130 5 years ago

    I've just completed this and I completely disagree with this score. The plot is so thin it's quite astounding, the dungeons last about 4 hours each and have so little variety you'll swear you're just revisiting the same one over and over. And who the hell is this Penelo bird and why is she even in the story? To display a gasping animation every 2 minutes?

    No way is this a 10/10 game, it's not even this side of 5.

    Worst FF game ever. It's made me an official ex-Final Fantasy fanboy, which has been a long time coming since the Enix merger.

    /Glances at his dusty copy of FFVII and weeps.

  • smoothn00dle #131 5 years ago

    Just clocked. One word: WOW!

  • parablax #132 5 years ago

    'Gone are random encounters'

    blimey - I might actually have to give this a go!

  • tonynibbles #133 5 years ago

    Better than Gears. Holy shitebags!

  • CitizenGeek #134 5 years ago

    This game is perfection. You were right, Rob Fahey.

  • CitizenGeek #135 5 years ago

    FFXII is perfection - Rob Fahey is right!

  • thefilthandthefury #136 5 years ago

    Totally agree with this score. Been playing it loads over the last three weeks and it's possibly the best FF to date and easily one of the greatest games of all time.

  • dadrester #137 5 years ago

    cocking cocking cock! if i had to review this game it would recieve a big fat 0, simply because after all of the polish and presentation, they fucking forgot to put in an option to allow you to invert X and Y! cuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnts!!!

    /weeps because he can't get the camera to do what he wants, and rather being filled with joy and wonder, is filled with anguish!

  • Lov3 #138 5 years ago

    Useless review for the objective gamer. I'd say if you're the kind of gamer who knew they were going to buy this the moment they read the words 'final fantasy', this review is dedicated to you, written to please your eyes. Anyone who needed to read further had better disregard what they've read and try and play before you buy.

    I read very little in the FFX review to prepare me for the horror of that game, and this review appears to be in a similar vein.

  • CitizenGeek #139 5 years ago

    Final Fantasy X was a great game - all the critics agree. Eurogamer don't just hand out 10/10s to any game and when they do, they are usuaully right. In this case, they most certainly are. Whatever way you want to put it, Final Fantasy XII is a truly fantastic game.

  • gnarl #140 5 years ago

    I'm enjoying it so far, although I'm finding the Licence board a bit too mystery meat for me.

    @lov3

    How does objective gaming work then? If you start enjoying or disliking a game you put the controller away and walk away until you've calmed down?

  • zendragon #141 5 years ago

    hmmm originality? zero!

    i'm playing now ffvii. first thing I did was random encounters=0
    how can anyone play it with ran encs every 2 seconds??!! how impossibly annoying!

    after XII or more editions, doesn't it get you know, BORING?

    was this a review or a hype fest / press release from the developer?

  • CitizenGeek #142 5 years ago

    There aren't any random encounters in FFXII, d'uuuuuh.

  • SomaticSense #143 5 years ago

    "We shouldn't forget that the Japanese reportedly love linear gameplay that leads them through a fixed story. That's why games like GTA and Elder Scrolls don't sell well there. "

    GTA always sell over there, it's just that they don't get released until long after the Western release. San Andreas was released not long ago and was way up there in the charts. Besides, GTA has as linear as story as you can get.

    Anyway, just ordered this. I'm going to save it until I've finished Zelda:TP and Okami (too many mega-hour RPG plots is just going to be confusing to keep track of!!), and am only about 20 hours into each of them, so it might not be a while.
    Not played an FF game since VII, and it has a lot to live up to, as that game holds a special part in my gaming memories which RPG since has come anywhere near to replicating. Hoping this is just as special.

  • Xerx3s #144 5 years ago

    Oblivion's 10 is a better 10 than this 10. Just so you know. ;p

  • jonnyreb #145 5 years ago

    "i'm playing now ffvii. first thing I did was random encounters=0
    how can anyone play it with ran encs every 2 seconds??!! how impossibly annoying!"

    Forgive me if I'm wrong but this review and comments sections is for FF XII and not FF VII.

    FFVII = Random Encounters and turn based combat
    FFXII = No Random Encounters and 'real time' combat

    "after XII or more editions, doesn't it get you know, BORING? "

    Does what get boring? The story?? The 'lack of' random encounters?

    Edited by 1 at 27/02/07 @ 11:06

  • jonnyreb #146 5 years ago

    "Oblivion's 10 is a better 10 than this 10. Just so you know. ;p"

    Oblivion was a good, even great game but it had it's issues, just as FFXII does.

    In my opinion, the 'level balanced' nature of enemies in Oblivion totally destroyed it for me...in my mind there was basically no point trying to level as you can (and it has be done) complete the whole game while still at level 1.

    FFXII has issues, but I don't believe any of them compare to the above.

  • Xinch #147 5 years ago

    Final Fantasy X was a great game - all the critics agree. Eurogamer don't just hand out 10/10s to any game and when they do, they are usuaully right. In this case, they most certainly are. Whatever way you want to put it, Final Fantasy XII is a truly fantastic game.

    Citizengeek - did you find that the monster area was very difficult? Monsters dealing 99999 damage possibly hinting at a very difficult boss for the end, then find that the end of ffx totally simple? Fighting your own aeons pure simple and yes I had the rare weapons gathered and upgraded. I was dissapointed to find EG gave ffx a 9/10. This makes this 10/10 worthless to me.
    Edited by 1 at 27/02/07 @ 22:30

  • Riskbreaker_Ashley #148 5 years ago

    Does anyone have a final playtime on this game?

    I need to find out if I can fit it in before God of War 2 comes out.

  • Scarletzerker #149 5 years ago

    Another wonderful game to the world. It definetly has that important Final Fantasy feeling! Been to long since the last FF game ( not counting FF X-2 because it wasn't a "real" FF game tbh ). 10/10 and I think its a must buy for the FF fan. :)

  • CitizenGeek #150 5 years ago

    Rdysn,

    A lot of people seem to be complaining about the lack of the story and lack of character development. I'm currently 24 hours in and at the Sandsea and I can say I'm loving the story. Perhaps it gets more boring later on, but I think the story is very good and very well-told and the characters are very interesting and intensely 'cool'. The story might not be as good as FFX or VIII or VII, but certainly just as well-told.

    Xinch,

    I found the Monster Arena incredibly difficult. So difficult that I just didn't bother. It;s really just for people who want to get the most of the game. I did get all of the extra aeons, though, which was great fun. THe final boss on FFX was pretty bad. Jecht was a good fight, but the aeons were merely theatrical and the final boss was just like a bug that I killed with Doom. Still, the ending was fantastic. And I think EG were spot on with 9/10 for FFX, though I'd probably give it nearer to a 10/10.

    Riskbreaker_Ashley,

    It's a very long game, apparently. So, I'd give yourself at least a full month to play through it.

  • The12thMonkey #151 5 years ago

    Finished about an hour and a half ago. Over 87 hours in total - the longest an FF game has ever taken me to complete.

    From start to epic finish, this was the best single player experience Square (either ~soft or ~Enix) have ever made. I can think of no higher praise, and the 10 score is the most justified I've ever seen on Eurogamer, based on the strength of my own experience with the game.

  • deamonized #152 5 years ago

    Just completed the game - 47hours.
    I'm quite disappointed in the story not surrounding character developments, especially the main character, what is he even there for? - side /kick out of the story, thanks. Call the story more subtle/mature, call the older ones "stereo-type games", whatever. the point is VII, VIII and X which I've completed where a hell of alot better, if I wanted a story such as this I'd play a game like NWN2 or Oblivion where its all about the bigger picture.

    The charm about FF games where the unique character developments of each games included with a well written story (especially FFVII). They've left it out completely this time, I hate it and thats that.

    For whoever appriciates "a more subtle story" (again with no touch of character development - there's minor thou, but surely not worth mentioning) this game will surely prevail and make it worthwhile, 10/10 for sure.

    Combine this story (with minor twists) and CDs, for me this would probably be the best RPG to date.
    Or like FFX, make a sequal (X-2) - better one at that ofc - and I'll be satisfied.

    I'll buy that 42" LCD TV and a PS3, and pray that FFXIII will make a comback.



  • darkbhudda #153 5 years ago

    From dadrester
    cocking cocking cock! if i had to review this game it would recieve a big fat 0, simply because after all of the polish and presentation, they fucking forgot to put in an option to allow you to invert X and Y! cuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnts!!!

    /weeps because he can't get the camera to do what he wants, and rather being filled with joy and wonder, is filled with anguish!

    I wish I had read this comment. I wouldn't have wasted my money.

    X and Y are already inverted. The camera is opposite to *every* single game I have ever played.

    What a ripoff.

    Square Enix give me my money back.
    Edited by 1 at 09/03/07 @ 03:24

  • Nikanoru #154 5 years ago

    After finally having bought and completed the game recently, I have to say... this review is complete and utter bollocks. 10/10? ROFL!

    This game is probably the worst Final Fantasy I've ever played. Worse than X and X-2, and that says something because I despised both of them. I thought I'd seen the worst of it, but playing FF12 has given me a newfound appreciation for both of those games. And no, it's not because of the changes in the battlesystem (which I'm fine with).

    I think I'm gonna write my first reader review. Yup.

  • Galvanizer #155 4 years ago

    The game is like FFIV and FFV but just with amazing graphics and no random battles.

    10/10 indeed!

  • waynema #156 3 years ago

    Well so far it seems worth the 4.99 I paid :D

    Although it looks pretty poor on the ps3 on a hdtv - but I expected that!

  • chudders #157 3 years ago

    I've had this sitting in my pile for about a year - it's still in its cellophane. I'm not sure if I can bring myself to play it, just seems like too much effort. Mind you even wanking is these days.

  • Purple #158 3 years ago

    Nearly 100% this game. So far i think its one of the greatest games ever made. At first i hated this game, but it slowly grew on me until the point of a full blown love affair, just wish it didnt have the FF moniker should have been a new title. Its like KOTOR meets Monster Hunter all wraped up in Square -(Enix) brilliance. Things i would mark this game down for is the story and no affinity with the characters. 9/10 :D