365 replies to this topic

[Pastbyer]

FFXII is great fun in terms of gameplay, although to get the best equipment, espers, and complete all the missions etc you need to be very, very patient, much like a MMORPG, in fact. The storyline was a bit lacklusture, I admit, but I find that in my second playthrough I enjoyed it a lot more - because I'm beginning to pick up all the subtle hints in the dialogue (damn those translators and their use of slightly archaic English!) and character interaction, and even some of the character development. e.g. Ashe's anger and desire for revenge slowly softening and becoming a desire to live on in peace, for the sake of people everywhere; Balthier being forced to deal with the past that he ran away from, and eventually caring enough to save Rabanastre rather than flee, etc. It might not be as emotionally tear-jerking as FFX or FF7, but it's not as bad as some people make it out to be.P.S. Did anyone else notice that the final boss (I think it's "The Undying") looked suspiciously like a mechanical version of Safer Sephiroth from the end of FF7? The multiple wings, the general shape... Not to mention that the five swords in the penultimate battle were called the "Sephira". I nearly fell off my couch when I saw that (and in fact I would have gotten completely KO'd if the gambit system didn't exist, because I was gaping so much at the TV).

[j_akd]

To anyone who believes that they changed the battle system, you don't have to worry. The battle system is pretty much the exact same thing you've seen in previous Final Fantasies; the layout is just different. The only other difference is that you can completely automatize battles by setting the artificial AI.The graphics are very good, and the story had a great start; it's really complex, so it'll suck you in. I'm not a CRPG fan, though, and I didn't really like it.