I just finished the PS2 original version of this game on an emulator, so I didn't benefit from any of the QoL improvements and other things that changed with Zodiac, I'm sure it's a better version of this game. I did, fortunately, at least get save states and fast-forward features from the emulator. This game took me about 2 years to complete, my previous update went into some more details when it was feeling more fresh and less sloggish.

My only complaints about this game are:

1. The story is really difficult to follow
2. The difficulty. Save states and slowing down time with the emulator were the only things that got me through harder boss battles. I did a fair number of Hunts, this game is just HARD.
3. It was difficult to have a strategy/plan with the licensing system, even though I think people that really research it or have played enough times can probably do some awesome things. It would be nice to be able to "preview" what's on the tiles you haven't gotten to yet, so you can plan a path.
4. It's a little too much on the "long" side, as it took me over 75 hours to complete and I did less than half of the Hunts.

Otherwise, this is a really, really good Final Fantasy game!

Things I loved:

• The fighting system was great. I loved the gambits. It's a really nice real-time-ish upgrade from the older style of turn-based fighting from other FF games. I didn't find myself giving people "jobs," so I probably did myself a disservice, but it was nice to be able to "program" what the characters do. It would be nice to program a job and switch people between them, and after having played FF13 I see how the paradigm system was the next logic step (though that had its flaws as well) as it's basically just pre-designed gambits.
• The game locations, dungeons, etc... were all incredible
• Music, characters, etc... all top notch
• Graphics were really incredible for a PS2 game, almost PS3 quality
• The Hunts were a great way for to incentivize you to get out and grind while feeling less grindy. A pre-cursor to the side-quests that every game has now. I only wish they made it easier to track where Hunts are on the map (like see them all at once), so when you visit a city you know where all the people you need to report to are and when you're out-and-about you know where the beasts themselves are. Having to consult the slowly-loading menu every time was a pain.

A must-play for FF fans!

“The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.”
-Winston Churchill

It’s about time we talked of Final Fantasy XII. Previously, I thought to myself: “Self, ought you to hold out on reviewing Final Fantasy XII seeing as how the forthcoming Zodiac Age re-release is nigh?” Then I realized talking to oneself is a sign of inanity, so there you are.

inal Fantasy XII is the twelfth entry in the definitive and wildly popular RPG series by Square Enix. It is the lovechild of Hiroyuki Ito, director of Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX and the creator of the Active Time Battle (ATB) system introduced in Final Fantasy IV, and Hiroshi Minagawa, the art director of Final Fantasy Tacticsand Vagrant Story and the director of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. The cooperation between Ito’s directorial experience and Minagawa’s artistic distinction make Final Fantasy XII an FF entry which stands alone

Even though Final Fantasy XIII marks a departure from the traditional involvement of series creator Sakaguchi and less work by series composer Uematsu, FFXII boasts several new elements stepping into the future. It’s set in the massive, non-linear world of Ivalice, features a complex plot of monstrous sociopolitical structures, a “license” system for planning character abilities and equipment, and a seamless battle system that may just be the best in any Final Fantasy, ever.

Seriously, its “gambit” setting system for controlling a party of one playable character and other customizable A.I. characters is genius, and there is no intermediate transition screen between exploring the vast lands of Ivalice and entering into a scuffle with bad guys. This was a battle system so enjoyable and so intricate that it became the defining feature of FFXII. I never stopped enjoying it. I beat the game twice and still wanted to run the gambits. I grinded (grounded?) for over 200 hours and still wanted to fight moar monsters. Actually… why did I ever stop playing? Probably because I forgot what I had to do.

It’s not a small world after all. You get the sense of that right from the first cinematic. No one could ever blame a Final Fantasy game for smallness and modesty. Final Fantasy XII opens with some heavy stuff that feels a lot like a fictional history lesson. Don’t be too put off by the long-winded fantasy names.

Click here for the full review... https://thewellredmage.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/fi...

Well, it was nearly a decade in the making, but I've finally played all
the way through Final Fantasy XII. I really enjoyed this game, but a
couple of grating flaws and shortcomings kept it from taking a place
among my all-time favorite RPGs (or Final Fantasies for that matter).

In general I think Final Fantasy XII succeeds in updating the formula of
the series to a more modern style of gameplay. As much as I love the
classic games, the traditional Final Fantasy system of random encounters
with invisible enemies needed a refresh and thus I found the MMO-style
enemy encounters and battles to be a welcome change. I also appreciated
that the rigid transitions between dungeons, overworld, towns, and
battle screens of previous Final Fantasies, were scrapped in favor of a
continuous presentation that does much to streamline the experience and
create a more cohesive world.

These much-appreciated updates to the Final Fantasy format are
unfortunately coupled with my two biggest gripes with this game:
repetitive level design and a severe lack of difficulty balancing.
Several of the areas to explore in Ivalice felt barren and/or repetitive
in their designs. Areas such as the Yensa Sandsea, Giruvegan, and
Pharos Tower are all guilty of recycling the same few landscape features
over and over in a pattern that repeated entirely too many times,
making each of these areas feel like a real slog to play through. This
problem is further compounded by this game's lack of difficulty balance.
I generally found myself having a good time traveling along the primary
story path, taking on enemies and upgrading characters at what I
believed to be a respectable clip, only to hit very abrupt spikes in
difficulty. I imagine the game's designers intended for these spikes to
serve as incentives for the player to depart from the critical path and
spend time on side quests and hunts. However, I found that the rewards
and XP for completing these challenges were rarely significant enough to
make investing time in them worthwhile. Since grinding appeared to be
the most effective means to advance, I ultimately took the cheap way out
and set up my party's gambits such that my characters would grind all
by themselves and left them to auto-level overnight. While this method
was successful in allowing me to continue my play-through without any
further frustration, the fact that I felt the need to exploit the game's
systems in this way really speaks to the severity of this difficulty
curve problem.

Setting these mechanics issues aside, from a creative standpoint this
game is a much more well-balanced package. Playing Final Fantasy XII
gives the player a distinct impression that the world of Ivalice existed
far before the game takes place and will persist long after the credits
roll. The game's story of warring nations is far more grand than the
exploits of the playable characters themselves, which I found further
enhanced the sense of the place. While the plot is fairly one-note in
terms of its tone, I have to give it credit for touching on some
ambitious subject matter including coping with loss, redemption,
religion, and nuclear nonproliferation. It would have been nice if the
coverage of all these weighty topics had been broken up with some
moments of levity, but for the most part the story stayed bleak and
serious the whole way through. The six members of the party each have
pretty distinct personalities and have a few amusing interactions with
each other over the course of the adventure. However, while each
character was generally likable and unique, they were also all
incredibly one-dimensional. I would have appreciated some character
moments in which we would see Balthier momentarily lose his cool and
show some real concern, or perhaps have Ashe briefly take a break from
being crushed by the weight of her responsibilities to crack a smile,
but unfortunately that kind of character development isn't something
that takes place. I should also note that the musical score was very
pleasant and always fitting to the game scenario, but it didn't stick
with me the way some of the previous Final Fantasy soundtracks have. I
will say that the game's one vocal piece, "Kiss Me Goodbye" is one of
the better songs with English lyrics that I've heard in the Final
Fantasy series.

It's hard to neatly wrap-up my feelings on Final Fantasy XII, as I
absolutely loved the game for the first 60-75% of its playtime, only for
some jarring flaws to come to the surface in the third act. I found the
game's conclusion pretty satisfying and ultimately walked away feeling
positive, but with the distinct impression that there were some tweaks
that would need to be made for this to be a 5-star experience. I hope
that the upcoming Zodiac Age remaster of Final Fantasy XII corrects
enough of its issues to transform it into the fantastic RPG that it has
the potential to be.

Released for the PlayStation 2, it marked a bold shift for the FF series, introducing a real-time combat system with the Gambit mechanic, encouraging action automation (similar to MMORPG mechanics) and create strategic AI setups. Set in the richly detailed world of Ivalice, the game features political intrigue and war-driven storytelling that feels more grounded than previous entries, though some fans found the plot less emotionally engaging.

And for fans of Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy Tactics, this is a must-play since it is set in the same universe, and this makes the whole story and characters much more interesting. The visual presentation was outstanding for its time, with expansive environments and cinematic flair. The cast is diverse, though protagonist Vaan is often considered one of the weaker leads, with supporting characters like Balthier and Ashe receiving more praise, they are truly the ones that carries the plot forward.

Its departure from traditional turn-based battles divided opinion, but many appreciated the fresh approach. Particularly I'm a big fan of this new system, I could spend hours playing around with the combat automation system, while at the same time, this is a great title to play while "idle" (e.g: listening to something like a band album, a podcast, etc). One of my favorite mechanics is the hunting system, on a surface level if adds a little bit of extra layer of complexity, side-quests and gives you much more playtime, but when you go deep into this system and try to perform all the hunts, you find out a whole metagame, this is one of the most challenging mechanics through all FF titles I've played so far.