REVIEW : FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE (PS4/ PS4 Pro)
Every Final Fantasy which is numbered stands apart from one another, still Final Fantasy 12 stands out from the crowd. It is different in every manner, be it Gameplay, graphics, the Open World or the diverse story. Whichever it may be, it was quite different from all the games released in 2006 and it still feels different.
While it is same old same old considering a Final Fantasy Story but the way it is told is quite different. Vaan is the name of the protagonist, he is the brother of a murdered soldier. He is actually the focal point of a swashbuckling group you will controlling in the game. You can even remove Vaan from the group, he won’t even be part of the cutscenes.
The setting is different from other Final Fantasies too, while others were inspired with Japanese Culture mixed with Steampunk, this one takes heavy inspiration from American and European culture.
Final Fantasy 12 Zodiac Age was harder to remaster than say Final Fantasy 10. Everything was rendered in real time, from character models to Backgrounds when the game originally released on PS2, while lot of effort has been put into the remaster, some instances still look dated. In some ways, Final Fantasy 10 and its sequel have actually aged better. In a way, Final Fantasy 12 has aged very well, be it the armor the Villains wear or the architecture that makes up the environment, the visual though looking dated can amaze you sometimes.
The Battle System is real time and works in cohesion with exploration, you don’t go in and out of battles. You can only control the main protagonist in the battle, while giving party commands to priorities their attacks. This give a unique feel to Final Fantasy 12 combat, more tactical than brute force. Some might feel this makes combat not as engrossing as it was in previous games but actually this makes you focus more on strategy before entering every battle.
Quickening abilities, let you make certain button presses for a massive attack, but you need to check FAQs to know which one does what if you don’t want to waste them. Summoning don’t get much focus till you are half way into the game.
The progress system is pretty standard, with you picking a class for each character and you unlock squares to gain new skills and use new weapon.
Final Fantasy 12 is more likeable than its successor Final Fantasy 13 and has a better story than Final Fantasy 15. Plenty of new ideas are implemented like Monster Hunting Side Quests. By the end of the of you will start loving the characters, cinematic storytelling and the atmosphere the game creates. Final Fantasy 12 is filled with content, every section of the game you have plenty of side quests to attend to.
The remaster is not the best-looking game but it is the best playing and looking version of Final Fantasy 12. Short loading times gives the feel of a more connected world.
This is not best Final Fantasy you can play currently but it is definitely among the top 5 and among the best JRPG of all time.
