As is always the case (I must admit to being a bit of a FF fanboy), I said "wow" after playing this most recent installment of Final Fantasy. In almost all other cases wow was all I could muster after playing a spectacular game. Now, I'm stunned by how unimpressive Final Fantasy XII turned out. It has left me utterly disappointed and questioning my faith in the future of this series.
My disappointment stems from the "carry-overs". There are many themes that appear in most of the games in the series. These carry-over themes have included airships, powerful creatures the party can summon, specific character jobs, chocobos, certain weapons and typically a character named Cid. The two themes that have the greatest impact on how the game plays are the jobs (e.g. Warrior, Red Mage, Summoner, Dragoon, etc.) and the summoned monsters.
Jobs in this installment are non-existent. Each character is virtually as adept at being a mage as they are at being a fighter. This sounds deceptively inviting, leaving it up to the player to determine how you will develop your characters. Unfortunately, not far into the game, all your characters will have all the same skills since they're aren't that many. The only thing that differentiates character from character is the gear they have equipped. Take off their heavy armor, shield and sword, and strap on a staff, robe and pointy hat. You have just converted your best fighter into your best mage. This neuter approach to character development caused me to care less about "buying" skills.
Summoned monsters were, equally, poorly implemented. Summons have been handled quite differently over the years. In Final Fantasy XII, the summons have been relegated to near uselessness. They have hit points and attacks that are surprisingly low. Summoning during a boss battle was an exercise in futility. The summon was typically dead before it could cause any major damage. Alas, the worst of it all is the introduction of an almost entirely new cast of summons. The old stand-bys, Leviathan, Shiva, Ifrit, Bahamut, and Ramuh, have been replaced by a freakishly overstylized group.
It is with a heavy heart that I pass judgement on Final Fantasy XII. This game forced me to turn in my Final Fantasy Fanboy Badge. I can only hope that FFXIII will redeem the franchise..... I'm not hopeful.
Create an Account
Member Login
