Gaming Final Fantasy Saga (FF7 Rebirth Spoilers TAGGED)

Thanks. Had thought I'd grabbed all the games for 2017, the next big purchase was going to HZD DLC, but clearly it'll have to be these two as well.

 

Have started on FF12: Zodiac Age.

Damn, they have put a lot of work into this - taking a game not at all designed for HDTVs and rendering it perfectly on one. Nor did they stop there - heat haze in the Eastern Dalmascan desert and sunlight effects on Giza Plains all really add to the game nicely.

So far, I've barely scratched the surface and have been reacquainting myself with the quite complex system of licences, techniks, magics, weapons, equipment and accessories, while flogging the loot to get the gil to buy stuff. Gambits are not yet active but will be, which was one aspect of the original I never cracked.

I've set Vaan up as a Red Battlemage and Penelo as a White Mage, it's gone OK so far.

The abiding impression so far? Rabanastre remains a masterpiece of design. Compared to the cities in games now it's tiny, but when you're playing the game it feels large, far larger than it is.

The story is also notable for throwing you in at the deep end of a stew of history and politics, which really makes it stand out - then and now.

If anything, playing the game now emphasises how far ahead of its time it was then.

 

A fact I'm sure most people are aware of that play these games is that 12 was set in the same world as FF Tactics.

 

Bought FFXII: Zodiac Age for some reason. Hated XII when it first came out, but I'm willing to give it another chance. Maybe history's been kind to it. Worked for X.

 

It's very different with the Zodiac system, so it won't be the same game you remember.

 

That's something. Are the characters still all utterly terrible and forgetful, apart from Balthier?

 

That's the first time I've heard that the characters from XII were terrible/forgetful. Fran was a great character for starters, and her chemistry with Balthier alone certainly made the game.

 

Oh yeah, Fran was alright as a double act with Balthier, but beyond that? Barrel scrapingly bad.

 

Why would you need anyone in addition to Balthier?

 

If he'd been the main character as intended then I'd have a much fonder opinion of the game, I think.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

Uh, excuse me, but I'll think you'll find that the market demands* generic 15 year old boy main characters that Japanese high schoolers can project on to.

*Just because the market hasn't been exclusively Japan for 30+ years is no reason to assume demographics have shifted.

 

Irvine and Balthier need their own game. Fran can come to.

 

So I just had a pain in the arse go on FF12.

It started off well - for the hell of it I racked up a chain of 125 Hyenas.

No, it went off the rails with the entry into the Palace. The waterways were OK, but the Palace section inflicts this bull**** puzzle game on you. It gives no clues, no directions - it is irredeemably *****.
Once past that, it got a bit better with the Nalbina breakout, followed by going to Bhujerba. Once there I was able to get better equipment too, so armed everyone up and went into the mines. The gang did fairly well, racked up a load of kills including a 30-chain on the skeletons, so how did it all go wrong? By the game being a cheatin’ pile o’ crap.

Generally, the placement of a save point will also act as warning of a boss fight after it. This is not always so, but it tends to happen. It didn’t here. No, instead it did a cut-scene and then dropped a quartet of boss-level enemies on me. Enemies I have no chance against because this is a covert ‘fight you can’t win’ set-up, so you’re supposed to leg it back the way you came, past respawned enemies while the bigger enemies chase you.

Oh and just for the hell of it, it throws in cut-scenes between each section just to break your stride. It was utter arse.

For sections like this there are two far superior options - cutscene all the way and then I don’t have to waste resources on a fight I can’t win or, option two, I am allowed to go for great fury and terrible vengeance on these mother****ers and tear them a new ********, not this crappy, bastard hybrid.

Next? It’s Vaan running around town to raise a notoriety meter. Great, excellent, just what I wanted…

 

I wouldn't have liked FFXII as much as I had if it wasn't for Fran. I've said my peace about that.

 

One thing that did become more noticeable as I played it was the greater detail on enemies - the skeleton adversaries being a particularly good example. You can see faces, mouths, limbs, actions - it's quite impressive.

 

I played the start of XII three times before I got into it properly back in 2007, but I was so glad when I finally did. The character progression, combat and world design are so good.

However, Vaan is a dull main character and the overall narrative fails to assert itself enough. They should have focused on Basch and Gabranth, with Balthier in the same Han Solo role.

I'd love to play Zodiac Age, but I haven't finished XV and IX just came out for PS4 - I haven't played that since 2001. I loved it then, all three PSOne FFs are epic.

 

There looks to have been some very good work done on the PC/PS4 version of 9.

 

Had a far better go on FF12 today despite the SOBs that were Cockatrice and Rocktoise, with the latter being on the list for being curb-stomped with extreme prejudice later.

Cockatrice I first killed its chicks, then disabled it, beat the crap out of it and then Darked it to death when it recovered.

I'm also enjoying the Gambit system, which I've barely scratched the surface of. For instance, it's quite neat that one character will lose their Protect status and another is already restoring it.

The one problem I have with the Zodiac system is you'll make character X a certain type and the game then removes them from your party! So, I suspect once I get to the point where I have everyone it'll be far better, but right now having very limited healing options is a pain in the backside!

 

IX is my favourite of the entire series. Even though I have it on the PC (it's pretty much the same version, is it not?), I'm still tempted to get if for no other reason than the PS4 theme.

 

The PS4 version is indeed a straight port of the PC version.

 

So it's still gonna be PS1 graphics for the most part then? I'm keeping my PS2/3 till it breaks or I die so I can still play those oldies if the mood ever hits.

 

Take a look at some the videos online - they'll show it better.

It really isn't, but neither is it a complete rehaul either.

 

Well, no one should ever get rid of their old consoles if they haven't broken down. Mainly for that reason. Just because someone can go five years without touching their Wii, PS2 or Xbox, doesn't mean that they won't ever sometime down the line. I have three copies of FFIV and two of FFVI, across three different Nintendo systems. I haven't played the SNES versions in thirteen years, but that doesn't mean that I won't some day. Hell, a few months ago I played the DS version of IV, a year after playing the GBA version so that I would have a file open for the Lunar Ruins and that I could play them as part of my DS play through. Sure, you can use online services to play those games on your current system, but to me, I look at what is practical. Twelve years ago, I kept my SNES version of IV, because I still liked using the Game Genie to access the rare items and spells that take forever to get the normal way. I got the GBA for the translation and the bonus dungeons. The DS for the extra content, the upgraded difficulty and the Augments, which I really love using.

 

Indeed, other than our Sega Genesis video output not working and our PS2 needing a new power button circuit board, we still have all of our consoles.

 

I never did finish XII, only "modern" (post-VII) FF I never finished. Well, XV as well, but I've been busy and still plan to finish it. I remember picking up a steelbook copy from Gamestop years ago well after launch, the combat drove me crazy (having played a lot of Kingdom Hearts that year didn't help, though I know they're different systems, but it just looks the same so the slower pace drove me crazy). Bland cast didn't help (a third of the cast feels like just tagalongs... and those two even got a DS sequel/spin-off). I'm also not a Tactics fan so that didn't draw me in either.

Zodiac Age is on sale on PSN for 30% off. I'm tempted, but I'll probably wait until the Christmas sales. I probably didn't get far enough to really see the original combat system at its best, but annoying bosses and few save points (not to mention useless chests) drove me away. I've heard the new game systems are an improvement, I hope to find out later on.

If I didn't already have FFIX on my phone, I'd get it on PS4 again. Actually, I might pick it up at Christmas if its on sale, IX is just that good, probably my favorite Final Fantasy. I might just get it again if PSN has another of those "spend $100 get $10 back" sales too.