Current Events > Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age playthrough thread (expect SPOILERS)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Played through the game many a year ago, back when it came out.

Time for some f u n.

Basch Lives!

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Oh gosh, this version of the traditional Final Fantasy theme is lovely (unless you consider that to be the crystals music). You won me over upon loading the game, Squeenix . . .

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Underrated game, made weaker by the story planner leaving before completion and the introduction of useless party members.

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What team setup are you going to use? The spell "Scathe" is my favorite FF spell, looks sick and is extremely powerful.
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Really good update to an already good game. Magic got a much needed buff with the removal of the spell queue, plus the 2x and 4x speed modifiers are a great way to speed up plowing through areas. This topic kind of makes me want to revisit it now lol.
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I need to get back into that game. I got about 80% of there way through 2 years ago before I got sidetracked. Thinking I should start over completely.
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From what you ppl are saying, sounds like they updated this game more than I thought. I liked the original a lot. We'll see what I think of this one.

Also ow. Arrow right in the neck.


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This is on my wishlist. I really like the original, even if it's definitely not my favorite FF.

This seems like a significant improvement (not so much over the IZJS, but I never played that). I think they made the random loot a bit more tolerable, but the character customization and battle system improvements are mostly what I'm after. Graphically, the game was already one of the best on the PS2, so imagine it'll look great.

did they fix the audio quality? audio quality was trash on ps2

My favourite JRPG of all time.

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Just took out the tomato. Closed out for now, but I'll probably get back to it later today.

I always liked grinding in this game.

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I thought I let this thread expire, but as it turns out, here it is. Raditude.

Gonna continue my playthrough in a bit. <3 the combat system

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Man who is absolutely not Captain Basch but is claiming to be Captain Basch beyond all sane explanation claims Marquis Ondore is lying.

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DaveTheUseless posted...

Just took out the tomato. Closed out for now, but I'll probably get back to it later today.

I always liked grinding in this game.

4x speed makes the grinding all the more lovelier
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I hate SE for removing this when you start that game up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsNglHrgdJQ" data-time="
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Does it still have that stupid mechanic where you have to not open four random chests to get the most powerful weapon in the game later?

ProfessorKukui posted...

Fran is <3

Yes.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

Man who is absolutely not Captain Basch but is claiming to be Captain Basch beyond all sane explanation claims Marquis Ondore is lying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSyfGm6wXgs" data-time="
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Ricemills posted...

Tyranthraxus posted...

Man who is absolutely not Captain Basch but is claiming to be Captain Basch beyond all sane explanation claims Marquis Ondore is lying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSyfGm6wXgs" data-time="

We need more Barrys
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I enjoy the music and gameplay and most of the characters, but that political plot is BORING.
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hi i'm Vaan u stepped on my flowers I'ma so mad

Vayne's speech was nice but it's kinda funny how he won over that many people that easily. kind of like how Shakespeare viewed the common person, just rub their belly and the masses go 'yayyy hail the guy we hated one moment ago'

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TC, what is your opinion on Ashe's butt?

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Gotta love those random overpowered monsters hangin' out in Gaza Plains.

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DaveTheUseless posted...

Gotta love those random overpowered monsters hangin' out in Gaza Plains.

ah, you've met one of the entites i see.
or was it the elite sleipnir?
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Balthier, my fav Han Solo personality FF character

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The speed up feature was the best thing they added

well that and the job system

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DaveTheUseless posted...

Balthier, my fav Han Solo personality FF character

Chewie may be a more iconic character, but I'd take Balthier's furry copilot over Han's in a heartbeat.

Incidentally, I definitely need to get this for the Switch. XII was one of the most beautifully-detailed games of its era, but hi-def was not kind to it the last time I gave it a spin.
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I forgot about how heavily the judges factor into the game's story. Makes sense, given the artwork. I have a habit of ignoring game artwork altogether, so hey.

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DaveTheUseless posted...

I forgot about how heavily the judges factor into the game's story. Makes sense, given the artwork. I have a habit of ignoring game artwork altogether, so hey.

I was actually pretty bummed that, , since three of the five judges are already iced by the third act of the game, there was never to be a climatic showdown that featured all five judges strutting in slo-mo like they do in the title screen cinematic.
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Gosh, I know this won't win me any points in Final Fantasy diehard circles, but I really like FF12 a whole lot.

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I feel like the game would have been better without Vaan and Penelo.
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if Vaan was a real kid he'd wear Vans

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You know, I wanna go back to playing more, but I'm too busy feeling like life is patently meaningless for me to get myself to play video games

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Looking forward to playing again. Spent my night holding a philosophy convo about simulacra.

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ScazarMeltex posted...

I feel like the game would have been better without Vaan and Penelo.

I'm the type of guy who's very forgiving with characters everyone else seems to find annoying, running the gamut from Tidus to the Adoring Fan. But I draw the line with Vaan: he is a special kind of malignancy that actively drags the game down by being in it.

It genuinely bothers me that people lump Penelo in with him, though. At her very worst she's merely benign.
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PrideOfLion posted...

masterpug53 posted...

I was actually pretty bummed that, , since three of the five judges are already iced by the third act of the game, there was never to be a climatic showdown that featured all five judges strutting in slo-mo like they do in the title screen cinematic.

In the trial mode, you do get to fight all 5 of them. It's a pretty tough fight too

Cool, I'm gonna have to remember that.
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DaveTheUseless posted...

Gosh, I know this won't win me any points in Final Fantasy diehard circles, but I really like FF12 a whole lot.

FF12 is probably one of the worst games in the series.
The Zodiac Age is arguably one of the best.
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Freakin' grad school, cutting into my video game time...

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PrideOfLion posted...

masterpug53 posted...

I was actually pretty bummed that, , since three of the five judges are already iced by the third act of the game, there was never to be a climatic showdown that featured all five judges strutting in slo-mo like they do in the title screen cinematic.

In the trial mode, you do get to fight all 5 of them. It's a pretty tough fight too

It's a absolute pain in the ass. Fun though. XII is such an underappreciated game.

I appreciate the way Balthier handles Vaan's freaking out at Basch. Obviously Vaan's reaction is reasonable, and his emotional outbursting makes sense given his age.

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I appreciate Balthier in all ways. Except his sandals.

He's the real main character of the game.
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ProfessorKukui posted...

Fran is <3

Indeed.

Only somewhat related to the topic, but I finally got to play the War of the Lions version (Android) of Final Fantasy Tactics.

Gods, the revised script alone is amazing, I'm falling in love with FFT all over again and I'm not even done with Chapter 1.
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I always thought it kind of weird that Vaan didn't recognize Ashe immediately.
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masterpug53 posted...

I appreciate Balthier in all ways. Except his sandals.

He's the real main character of the game.

He's a very handsome man.

hollow_shrine posted...

I always thought it kind of weird that Vaan didn't recognize Ashe immediately.

He'd probably never seen her up close, maybe?

It's interesting when Vaan asks the 'cursed magicite' if he can trust Basch, but given that he's stopped barking back at him that kind of suggests that he already knows in his 'heart' that he is innocent, but it's hard for him to get over what he's harbored against him.

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I keep thinking about how sensitive and touchy-feely the FF games I 'grew up with' were in comparison to this game, which is so political and even with its tension doesn't feel anywhere near as dramatic. Not a complaint or anything, I <3 this game

Vaan's parents dying from a plague instead of 'oh I was from a long line of valiant warriors who all died triumphantly in combat by mystical means' is also a bit different than your usual classic JRPG backstories about these kinds of things.

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DaveTheUseless posted...

I keep thinking about how sensitive and touchy-feely the FF games I 'grew up with' were in comparison to this game, which is so political and even with its tension doesn't feel anywhere near as dramatic. Not a complaint or anything, I <3 this game

Vaan's parents dying from a plague instead of 'oh I was from a long line of valiant warriors who all died triumphantly in combat by mystical means' is also a bit different than your usual classic JRPG backstories about these kinds of things.

I like it. Even when they aren't "The chosen one" the circumstances of a lot of jrpg protagonists sometimes make it hard to believe they were just in the right place at the right time. Vaan and Penelo are common street urchins whose tragic backstories only tie in to the game's larger plot indirectly. I think it further sets up the Vaan/Ashe foil that the game actively starts developing in the Tomb of Raithwall and carries through the events at Pharos.
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