Footage from the US version
Having completed every mainline Final Fantasy in the series (if you count leveling to the cap in Final Fantasy XI and XIV), I have a good idea of where XII sits. Most of you know I put it somewhere near the middle of the pack, discounting its generic story (which doesn’t even measure up to the rest of the Ivalice universe) and the weakness of some of its cast.
But on the flip side, its gambit system and MMO style of combat were refreshing at the time, and based on my experience with The Zodiac Age remaster on PS4 — still hold up.
While I’m extremely limited in what I can say before the final review sometime in July, you can see the game in action for yourself in the video below. You’ll find spoiler free footage of killing random trash mobs on the Phon Coast, while I showcase some various late game spells and tactics. So what comprises the Zodiac touch that you’ll inevitable be spending $60 on? A remastered soundtrack, enhanced visuals, more stability, and a fast-forward feature. Square Enix has been packing the latter in a lot of their remasters or re-releases, and I have to say I love it.
While XV feels like less of a grind due to its action-based combat system, older entries for many have the tendency to drag, especially if you’re beefing up for endgame content. Now you can flip a switch and supercharge the game’s speed, denoted by the fast-forward symbol in the top right hand corner of the screen. It’s a good balance, as it’s not so fast where it’s impossible to actually play a battle with any sort of tactics in mind, it’s just a way to cut down some of the formalities and pageantry.
It’s going to be useful to have, since XII has one of the biggest worlds to date, and notoriously contains a lot of backtracking and traveling through remedial areas. Some of said world will be a little more densely packed than you might remember though, as the Zodiac Age is the international version (read: a Game of the Year of sorts).
While Final Fantasy XII might not be one of the more memorable journeys for me, my time with the remaster has more than convinced me to give it a second chance.
