Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 665 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 533 out of 665
  2. Mixed: 65 out of 665
  3. Negative: 67 out of 665
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  1. vgmkyle
    Jul 11, 2017
    10
    When I bought this game on PS2 I could barely get through it because it was such a line infested jag party, but now that they have finally put a fresh coat of paint on it... it's awesome and it feels like the official release of the game. I am not for remasters, but Square is on fire now and we are seeing some of that old Square magic here in Zodiac Age. Yet another must have title for PS4.
  2. kromo
    Aug 2, 2017
    9
    I bought the game just for nostalgia, but I'm immerse in the story deeply than the first time I played the game. Definitively I'm enjoying the game more and now I can say it worth the price.
  3. vahn
    May 6, 2019
    8
    So, I played the original FF12 on the ps2 centuries ago, and It was easily the worst RPG I ever played back then: the story was boring, uninteresting, hard to care and the characters had the personality of a cardboard with drawings on it: only good character was Balthier because had something called "personality", something that the rest of the cast severely lacked. And don't get meSo, I played the original FF12 on the ps2 centuries ago, and It was easily the worst RPG I ever played back then: the story was boring, uninteresting, hard to care and the characters had the personality of a cardboard with drawings on it: only good character was Balthier because had something called "personality", something that the rest of the cast severely lacked. And don't get me started on the combat: the most boring and uninvolving combat system ever created, you'd literally do nothing for 90% of the game and the only times you would do something is on some bosses - and even only side-missions are somewhat challenging/frustrating.

    So, centuries later, we get the legitimately complete version that never arrived "because" and added the jobs and other tweaks and...I won't lie, it changes a lot of things. In positive too!

    First of all, one of my main complaints of the original game was the License Board: it's probably the worst evolution of the Sphere grid you could think of, where essentially you buy the license to use the items BUT you don't actually use them which means you could unlock Holy and not being able to use it because the LB sucks major balls. Another issue was that each LB was the same so you could easily gear up everyone "the same" as long as you had the armor to equip it.
    However with the new system, the LB still sucks unfortunately but now each character has job-limited requirements that while sounds backward, it actually makes good for tactical variation. In the original, you could just use 3 for the entire game and never change because they were all the same, but now each character can use different jobs and this makes them able to be unique, which is nice! Suddenly using a good combination of character is important because of their unique abilities and not because they're higher levels! I honestly enjoyed to grind in this game for once because I looked forward to unlocking actual unique skills for my white mage or my red battlemage, and since there are 12 jobs you can also mix them up!

    And the combat, while still as boring as before, they fixed it with the simple addition of the turbo, which essentially doubles or quadruples the gameplay speed and literally kills those dead times during grinding! In fact, a lot of the enemies die in one or two hits so being able to speed this procedure REALLY helps a lot! It makes boring combat still boring, but at least it's faster!

    The Gambit system is the same but I'm almost sure that it's much easier to get the gambits? I remember that in the original it was harder but I can't say.

    However, I can't say the rest is improved at all: the game story is just...well, square Enix quality really: a jumbled mess of plotlines that try so hard to look intriguing or interest but behind all of that there's nothing of substance. I hardly cared about any of the characters, mostly because there's nothing to care about and they're just there to "be the group of heroes". Vaan is the most infamous character in this case because he has literally no point in any of the story and just gets involved because "bad timing", same for Penelo who is just Vaan's love interest with zero personality, and Fraan being the fanservice girl with a skimpy clothing and talking in big words to explain that "this place is dangerous, watch out or you're screwed". Ashe is potentially good but the way she talks and acts makes it really had to like her and Basch could've been interesting but his presence is overall lacking and he feels more like a guide, telling us that "we need to go there and there". Balthier is probably the best of the bunch: not only he has a cool and charming personality but he has an interesting story behind and he's likable enough to make me care. I genuinely cared about Balthier because he had legitimate struggles...while the rest was too busy talking nonsense for something that I couldn't care, with Vaan and Penelo on each every scene to remind us the players that "HEY, HEY, YOU SEE THEM? THEY'RE THE MAIN CHARACTERS, DON'T FORGET, DON'T FORGET, SEE HOW THEY ARE THE MAIN PROTAGONISTS?"

    Okay look, it is clear that I don't have time playing Square Enix games and I generally don't care about them either - I'm probably one of the fewest persons who didn't like Nier Automata either - and I'm probably being far too harsh so is the game worth it?

    The answer is yes.

    No really, I do recommend it: it's flawed beyond belief, the story is a bore and overall it's a grind fest but in comparison to the first version this game is just so much better than I can easily recommend this version. I'm currently playing it because I like the remade license board and the turbo, very little yet amazing improvements that made the game extremely more enjoyable to play even though the story is so boring and badly told that I literally cry of laughter.

    I think it's still a solid game - and probably better than any recent SE games in a while    … Expand
  4. Ardalan1
    Jan 26, 2023
    10
    Geate game. Beautiful music, a lot of main and guest characters, and a big world to explore. I have spent 50 hours on this game and I enjoyed every second of it.
  5. Sha2n
    May 9, 2023
    10
    A unique work, one of the best to date. This game will definitely enter the top, created by a diverse, experienced, versatile and not envious gamer. A legend for a real dreamer. From Gabranth with Love.
  6. Reilyn
    Nov 12, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Personally, one of my favorite Final Fantasy games of all time. I first played it on PS2 and found the game completely infatuating. The story line is superb, character development was excellent and it really had a modern feel to it regarding the battle system and movement. The remaster has really put a huge difference into the game-play, from now being able to control guest party members, to the separation of the MP bar and Mist gauge so that MP is not drained from use of Quickenings. The only issue that I would have with this game is the new license board system, it is a bit of a drag but I suppose it also allows for players to give characters a certain individuality that plays into your own hands, so I am more so on the fence than anything else. But above all this game would be one of my favorites, especially with the remaster. I'd thoroughly recommend this game.… Expand
  7. Red_Spectre
    Apr 17, 2020
    10
    There is only 1 bad thing to say about this game.
    1. They never made a DLC
    ...Own this game. Finish this game.
  8. aaronnmp96
    Jan 30, 2023
    9
    The game is wonderful, its Gameplay is very fun and despite its history you entertain yourself very well
  9. Shimorak
    Jan 30, 2023
    10
    Best FF i've played. Ahead of its tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime
  10. ricardolaizo
    Jun 20, 2022
    10
    Tradução para português logo abaixo.

    This is the remaster to one of the amazing games ever made. To me, the best Final Fantasy. The combat mode é the perfect union between the homesick shift style and the "modern" active combat, whose can be still better with the Gambit systems. The 30 marks (quests) extend the gaming time in dozens of hours, which show itself as extremely funs. As    Tradução para português logo abaixo.

    This is the remaster to one of the amazing games ever made. To me, the best Final Fantasy. The combat mode é the perfect union between the homesick shift style and the "modern" active combat, whose can be still better with the Gambit systems.

    The 30 marks (quests) extend the gaming time in dozens of hours, which show itself as extremely funs. As the spers, which one with its own exclusive limitation on battle.

    It has a incredible story, as there's in every Final Fantasy Game.

    This is a game you'll want to get a platinum trophy, or how we used to say in PS2, complete the Sky Pirate's Den.

    Português:

    Esse é o remaster de um dos melhores jogos já feitos. Para mim, o melhor Final Fantasy. O modo de combate é a junção perfeita entre o saudoso estilo de turno e o "moderno" método de combate ativo, que pode ficar ainda melhor pelo sistema de Gambits.

    As marks (quests) aumentam o tempo de jogo deste título em dezenas de horas, que se mostram extremamente divertidas. Assim como os espers, cada um com sua limitação de batalha exclusiva.

    A história é incrível, como em todos os FF, e cada quest secundária é "bem paga" pelo seu desdobrar.

    Este é um jogo que com certeza vai te fazer querer platinar, ou como era no PS2, completar o Sky Pirate's Den.    … Expand
  11. Gamepro3093
    Jul 3, 2022
    8
    Much more enjoyable with a guide. Without a guide, it can be very frustrating but with a guide it’s a 7,8 at the highest. Definitely far better than both 13 and 15 which were absolute garbage.
  12. Shaw2266
    Oct 23, 2020
    9
    This game is one of my all time favourites. I was very excited when it became available on the PS4. I’ve been chasing the platinum trophy off and one and the amount of content after the story is completed is fantastic. I really enjoy the gambit and job system and felt it was the perfect way to be creative with combat. The story is great, but in my opinion it wasn’t as good as a couple ofThis game is one of my all time favourites. I was very excited when it became available on the PS4. I’ve been chasing the platinum trophy off and one and the amount of content after the story is completed is fantastic. I really enjoy the gambit and job system and felt it was the perfect way to be creative with combat. The story is great, but in my opinion it wasn’t as good as a couple of the other final fantasy games I’ve played.… Expand
  13. chrisdan23
    Jun 8, 2022
    9
    Final Fantasy XII ist und bleibt der meines Erachtens beste Ableger des Final Fantasy Franchises bisher. Mit modifiziertem Job-System und aufpolierter Grafik wurde das erste Semi-Open-World Spiel der Final Fantasy Geschichte nun exklusiv für die PS4 neu aufgelegt. Und FFXII ist eines der Spiele, die wirklich in Würde gealtert sind.

    Noch immer fasziniert das großartige Artdesign der an    Final Fantasy XII ist und bleibt der meines Erachtens beste Ableger des Final Fantasy Franchises bisher. Mit modifiziertem Job-System und aufpolierter Grafik wurde das erste Semi-Open-World Spiel der Final Fantasy Geschichte nun exklusiv für die PS4 neu aufgelegt. Und FFXII ist eines der Spiele, die wirklich in Würde gealtert sind.

    Noch immer fasziniert das großartige Artdesign der an Star Wars angelehnten Spielewelt. Noch immer begeistern die famosen Endgegner und Esper Battles, die man letztlich nur mit der richtigen Strategie und Vorbereitung effektiv bestehen kann. Noch immer lädt das taktische, halbautomatisierte Kampfsystem zum experimentieren und optimieren ein. Auch die Geschichte, die in toll präsentierten In Game Cut Scenes erzählt wird, zählt nach wie vor mit zum erwachsensten was das Final Fantasy Franchise hervorgebracht hat.

    Dank des hervorragend gemachten HD Remasters, kann man nun nochmals für mindestens 60 bis 70 Spielstunden in die fantastische Welt von FFXII zurückkehren. Um Monster zu jagen, Dungeons zu erforschen, Esper zu bezwingen oder einfach den spannenden Mainquests zu folgen. FFXII war zu seiner Zeit äußerst innovativ und optisch ein Kunstwerk und auch heute steht das Spiel immer noch für sich und hat über die Jahre kaum an Qualität und Reiz eingebüßt.    … Expand
  14. hector_bcn98
    Nov 16, 2022
    9
    El mismo juego sobresaliente de entonces, con sus fallas argumentales, remasterizado. Yo, más feliz que una perdiz.
  15. Albertomhg
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    No es el mejor juego de la historia ni el mejor final fantasy, pero aún así es mi juego favorito, tiene algo mágico para mi, aparte de todos los recuerdos que tengo de el. Es un juego al que tengo que volver cada cierto tiempo y siempre lo disfruto como cuando era niño, las cacerías me parecen muy satisfactorias, un mundo precioso de explorar a pie, un combate y tablero de licenciasNo es el mejor juego de la historia ni el mejor final fantasy, pero aún así es mi juego favorito, tiene algo mágico para mi, aparte de todos los recuerdos que tengo de el. Es un juego al que tengo que volver cada cierto tiempo y siempre lo disfruto como cuando era niño, las cacerías me parecen muy satisfactorias, un mundo precioso de explorar a pie, un combate y tablero de licencias innovador para la época y muy bien implementado, y personajes que aunque criticados por muchos, muy reales en las situaciones que les toca vivir… Expand
  16. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this eleventh game in the series. this collection is great.
  17. dreamnight
    Jun 1, 2023
    10
    I recommend pick one up lot action and also song beautiful and excellent graphic and good day
  18. Sherry_Operum
    Jun 25, 2023
    10
    I thought i won't like this one, but it turns out that i loved it ! Excellent Open World J-RPG
  19. cyberlboss
    Jul 2, 2023
    10
    If you can, give it a try once its on sale. This is one of the best RPG to get into, even these days XII holds well.

    The battle system is very dynamic with and without the gambits active (i know, SHOCKING how people tend to criticize that "the AI plays for you" instead of just toggle the option OFF and play like a standard turn-based combat if you want to your choices to be precise as    If you can, give it a try once its on sale. This is one of the best RPG to get into, even these days XII holds well.

    The battle system is very dynamic with and without the gambits active (i know, SHOCKING how people tend to criticize that "the AI plays for you" instead of just toggle the option OFF and play like a standard turn-based combat if you want to your choices to be precise as such). Lots of classes, weapons, armors, magicks and builds to make.

    The graphics on the ps2 versions was beautiful and pretty much the best you could get for that time; in the remaster its... fine, the art design in almost everything looks stunning, but what can hold you back if you are more into the modern ultra-realistic type of graphics its the character models, they look too animesque, but since i don't go for that, it doesn't bother me at all.

    The story, not get into spoilers, reads like if you ask for a star wars fan to recite the main conflicts in the original and prequel trilogy's to a fan-fic writer; it will be too serious for some people sometimes, and it won't get your attention unless you open up to endure the politics of the world.

    And its a big BIG world that seems so alive and interconnected in an amazing way that we don't see as much these days. Every enemy, every boss, heck, even non-hostile NPC's seems believable where they spawn live, with the weather conditions of the region, like when you visit an area that its completely dry, the mobs that will spawn there will be more desert type creatures that can live in those environment; if you come back later in the game to these same region when the rain season start, all the human npcs won't be there anymore and the enemies that you'll encounter will be stronger and amphibious-like creatures that can live in that conditions. And also if you spend more time inside those regions, the rain can get heavy, turning into a thunderstorm, and you will encounter something really bad.    … Expand
  20. duopouya811
    Jul 11, 2017
    10
    As a remaster or remix( whatever they call it) it is a great game. It doesn't add much to the game or change it dramatically it just improves the look and a few minor good mechanics changes make this a pure remaster. The game it self is great and entertaining. the best thing about this game is the colorful, diverse world of it, it reminds of some great fantasy worlds like star wars or massAs a remaster or remix( whatever they call it) it is a great game. It doesn't add much to the game or change it dramatically it just improves the look and a few minor good mechanics changes make this a pure remaster. The game it self is great and entertaining. the best thing about this game is the colorful, diverse world of it, it reminds of some great fantasy worlds like star wars or mass effect but surely the jrpg version of them. The graphics feels old, even though it is way better than the original one and everything is not blur anymore. The story is good and keeps you amused and eager till the end, so if you are a long time final fantasy fan you will enjoy this update of an underrated final fantasy installment and you will have second thoughts on it and if you are new to final fantasy series it is a great game to start your journey.… Expand
  21. MoistBread
    Jul 12, 2017
    9
    A great remaster of an often overlooked game. Graphics don't hold up too well by today's standard, but the game play, music and story are fun and interesting. The added speed up option makes grinding for items or levels easy and much more enjoyable.
  22. MrRPG
    Jul 11, 2017
    10
    FF12 remaster is a great trip down nostalgia lane, although it's age definitely show's it does not take anything away from what is a fantastic jrpg.
    For people who haven't played it before it has a steeper learning curve than most if not all other FF games, but once mastered the combat is extremely satisfying and the inclusion of a secondary job allows for more refined character    FF12 remaster is a great trip down nostalgia lane, although it's age definitely show's it does not take anything away from what is a fantastic jrpg.
    For people who haven't played it before it has a steeper learning curve than most if not all other FF games, but once mastered the combat is extremely satisfying and the inclusion of a secondary job allows for more refined character development and is a very welcome change to the formula.
    The soundtrack remains as memorable as ever with slight changes to the music and overall far better sound quality, the characters no longer sound as if they are speaking through a paper tube.
    I'm overjoyed that my favorite FF in the series got the HD treatment and improved what was already a great game.    … Expand
  23. DarkVanilla
    Jul 12, 2017
    10
    My fave of the series hands down(yes, I know I'll catch flak for it).
    The hunts are the **** and the story is compelling enough to hang with most present day fare.
    You wont be disappointed.
  24. Kenmei
    Aug 1, 2017
    8
    I was hesitant at first to buy this when it came out. I did not have good memories of the first time the game came out for a few different reasons and did not think they did enough to justify the purchase. Well I'm glad I did buy this as, while not everything has been improved upon where it was sorely needed, there's a ton here to justify a purchase for those that didn't like it the firstI was hesitant at first to buy this when it came out. I did not have good memories of the first time the game came out for a few different reasons and did not think they did enough to justify the purchase. Well I'm glad I did buy this as, while not everything has been improved upon where it was sorely needed, there's a ton here to justify a purchase for those that didn't like it the first time around.
    In terms of what is different, the game changer here is the fast forward button that was added to the game. It's just a fact that this game has alot of things that make you wait for it to complete. From the battle system to the use of ultimate attacks to myriad of cutscenes, you'll be waiting alot. It's especially bad for the grinding that the game wants you to do at points. It was one of the reasons I didn't like the first game. With the fast forward button now, grinding is a piece of cake. It can make a normal battle literally seconds long and speeds up travel immensely through the, at times, very large maps that it makes you traverse. It speeds up the game so much and it was something that was desperately needed here.
    The grid system got an overhaul too with each character having the ability to be very different in nature, instead of them all usually being the same like the last game to be the best. It's very nice to see done. The game was also given a new coat of paint with the graphics and it's always fun to revisit probably the most used single world in final fantasy history in Ivalice. It's a different and unique world from the Tactics games from the PS1 days. It's similar to the world of FF IX in terms of how it looks and I personally love that.
    The biggest issue with the first game is still present here however and that's the main character Vaan. He's about as much as a waste of space in the party as you can get but he's billed as the main character. It feels like that Ashe was supposed to be the main character but, about 75% the way through writing the story, they were told they needed to have a male lead character and he was forced into a plot that doesn't really involve him much. It also feels like the parts that he does play a role in were slapped together at the last second. And it's a shame too since the game features one of the best characters in FF history in Balthier and not even he can make up for how bad Vaan is throughout the story. It might have been ok if the story was great but it's fairly standard fare for a medieval setting like this. It doesn't do that much to move the needle for me and with how much Vaan is a horrible character, things just work against this game. I can say I very much enjoyed the side quests and hunts much more then the main story myself. They area good distraction from the mediocre story.
    This is a good remaster of what I consider the forgotten Final Fantasy game. It certainly does alot of things differently then a "regular" FF game would do but that was how the Tactics games were as well. It almost feels like this game would have been better suited to be the last Tactics game instead of a numbered series entry. That way it prob would have been a bit better received then it was at first. I'm glad though that this game changed alot of things that held the first one back. It felt like a brand new experience for me and one I'm glad they revisited eventually. Vaan is still extremely bad though and that will never change apparently.    … Expand
  25. TheOnlyCamcan98
    Dec 11, 2017
    10
    If you ever played the original version of this game, you either loved it or you hated it. I can assure you that if you loved the game originally, you are absolutely going to love it even more this time around.
    I believe with the implementation of the Job system and the ability to speed through the game at a quicker pace, even the haters could be satisfied with this game.
  26. Zidane_Mina
    Jul 12, 2017
    10
    Excelent remaster of an excelent game.

    I'll go straight into the changes introduced to this version: For those experienced with the original release, a few things to know: this version introduces the Zodiac Job System, which greatly encourages the use of all of your party members: the first time using the license board, players are tasked to give the party member 1 out of 12 zodiac    Excelent remaster of an excelent game.

    I'll go straight into the changes introduced to this version:

    For those experienced with the original release, a few things to know: this version introduces the Zodiac Job System, which greatly encourages the use of all of your party members: the first time using the license board, players are tasked to give the party member 1 out of 12 zodiac signs, each one assigned to one job (or class, if you prefer). Por example: Aries are White Mages, and the licence board is balanced for that kind of class, therefore, no zodiac has all of the habilities in the game, unlike the original release, where the licence board was the same for every character, thus rendering all of the party embers the same. It might sound intimidating at first, but with propper thought and strategy, it gives each character an specific role, so it's a welcome adition. Do not fret, for you can chose in the early game a second zodiac (job[class]) for your characters, so you might aswell counter-balance the effects, for example making a character "Tauro-Capricorn" (lancer-black mage) or Leo-Aries (knight-white mage), the choice is yours: counter-balance their class, or enhance it even further.

    The game seems to be balanced for this change, though, as i felt the enemies and bosses where easier this time arround (but not a walk in the park, mind you, just balanced for the adjustments on the class system). Also, no longer is the Zodiak spear unattainable should you open one of those "forbidden" treasure chests of the original release, for there is one more way to get it (besides the Henne mines method), altough is also hard, but 100% safe.

    It helps a lot Square decided to make of the "L1" button a fast-forward button, speeding the game up to 4x, with this, farming and traveling is much (much!) less frustrating and repetitive, and should be a welcome change for "completisionists" out there.

    In the end, i felt this remaster to be the best i've played in years, and makes an awesome game even better. Final Fantasy XII deserves a second chance, for is it one of the best in the series, content and gameplay wise. Even then, on a second playthrough (1st one being back in 2006), this time the story felt way more interesting, either be that i already knew what to expect, or because our expectations betrayed us back in the day, regardless, i so much more enjoyed the characters and story this time arround.    … Expand
  27. tstrul
    Jul 16, 2017
    9
    Since Final Fantasy X, Square Enix started to experiment with the classic FF formula, with changing degrees of success.

    FF 11 and FF 14 dived into the MMO world, these are good games but are not single player FF games. FF 13 escaped to a more linear cinematic filled adventure, and is IMO a failed experiment at that. FF 15 went completely open world with vast locations and many quests    Since Final Fantasy X, Square Enix started to experiment with the classic FF formula, with changing degrees of success.

    FF 11 and FF 14 dived into the MMO world, these are good games but are not single player FF games.
    FF 13 escaped to a more linear cinematic filled adventure, and is IMO a failed experiment at that.
    FF 15 went completely open world with vast locations and many quests and towns to visit. It has its ups and down but overall I think is a bit underwhelming

    FF 12 is a triumph

    This is the one experiment that completely succeeded in almost every way. Telling a classic FF story with interesting setting, characters and plot, while altering the battle mechanics completely, creating something new that frankly was not duplicated to this day.

    + Beautiful and interesting world
    + Great characters (mostly). Balthier and Fran are classic FF characters
    + Great Plot, interesting story, told with dramatic acting and with very good voice acting.
    + The gambit battle system is WONDERFUL. you can endlessly optimize your character move set to become a killing machine and then just watch them tear monsters to shreds.
    + A lot to do, hunts, side quests...
    + The remaster is good. The soundtrack sounds crisp, controls feel smooth and loading times have been shortened. They also added the ability to fast forward your gameplay, potentially hastening repetitive or long passages of the game.

    - FF 12 main shortcoming is its protagonist. Vaan is not that interesting and has no depth like Cloud, Squal or Cecil. He is a bit whiny.
    - Graphics are ok but do look rough by today's standards. This however never hurt my enjoyment of the game.

    Overall, this is a FANTASTIC game, made even better by a GOOD remaster.
    This is one of the best FF games and that says a lot.
    RPG at its best    … Expand
  28. JohnnyCanuck
    Jul 11, 2017
    8
    Happy to see it reissued - but $60 plus tax does seem a bit rich given Ive purchased this twice now. My favourite of the modern FF games. I think the characters are exactly what you're looking for in a fantasy epic and the scope is great. Perhaps the biggest plus is that there are no moody teenage leads.
  29. omegamarx
    Jul 16, 2017
    10
    El clasico FF12 para ps2 me parecio fantastico en su epoca pese a las criticas recibidas por su sistema de combate, y esta nueva entrega para ps4 es aun mejor. El juego tiene tanto fanaticos que lo aman o gente que lo odia por tener un cambio tan grande con respecto a las anteriores entregas de la saga. El nuevo sistema de licencias es es genial y te da la posiblilidad de elegir dosEl clasico FF12 para ps2 me parecio fantastico en su epoca pese a las criticas recibidas por su sistema de combate, y esta nueva entrega para ps4 es aun mejor. El juego tiene tanto fanaticos que lo aman o gente que lo odia por tener un cambio tan grande con respecto a las anteriores entregas de la saga. El nuevo sistema de licencias es es genial y te da la posiblilidad de elegir dos trabajos por personaje lo que da mas diversidad al equipo sin llegar a ser repetitivo como en la version original. Graficamente es una de las mejores remastered que he visto, y un detalle que no es menos para los que disfrutan la banda sonora de los juegos es que podemos elegir entre la musica original o la orquesta que suena simplemente fantastica. Si amaste el juego en la ps2 vas a adorarlo en esta nueva version, si nunca lo jugaste ahora es tu momento de disfrutar de esta joya que recibio criticas por su sistema de combate en mundo abierto y los gambits que es unico ya que ningun otro juego imito este sistema aunque a otros les puede llegar a encantar.… Expand
  30. MAFIAxMaverick
    Jul 13, 2017
    9
    Excellent remaster of one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. It feels good to be back in Ivalice! I've been able to put about 20 hours in in 3 days thanks to having summers off as I work in the schools. The "new" Zodiac job system is amazing. I really have enjoyed being "forced" to spec a certain way and build a party around that. Graphically, it's not the best looking PS4 game, but itExcellent remaster of one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. It feels good to be back in Ivalice! I've been able to put about 20 hours in in 3 days thanks to having summers off as I work in the schools. The "new" Zodiac job system is amazing. I really have enjoyed being "forced" to spec a certain way and build a party around that. Graphically, it's not the best looking PS4 game, but it looks remarkable compared to it's PS2 counterpart. Cinematic scenes look really good. The remastered music is awesome. The optional speed up options 2x and 4x speed are a godsend as well. The negatives come in the same place they came back when this game first released. Vaan and Penelo suck and add very little value to the story. The camera is still crappy sometimes when you're fighting up against a wall. Looking forward to playing FF12 until I get the platinum.… Expand
  31. OwtDaft
    May 10, 2018
    6
    + Final Fantasy XII is a great game but the story and music were not as good as previous games.
    + The hands off approach to combat is actually quite relaxing.
    + The graphics are mostly the same but hold up really well in HD. + Because of the speed up function the game is less of a grind but it makes the game easier. - There isn't enough story between the characters. - The story is    + Final Fantasy XII is a great game but the story and music were not as good as previous games.
    + The hands off approach to combat is actually quite relaxing.
    + The graphics are mostly the same but hold up really well in HD.
    + Because of the speed up function the game is less of a grind but it makes the game easier.
    - There isn't enough story between the characters.
    - The story is largely uninteresting politics which feels distant from you.
    - Your role in the story is largely about been sent form place to place with little in between.
    - This remaster has a new job system which basically just limits you.
    - Before you have chance to grasp the job system you need to make unchangeable job choices.
    - Despite the new job system limitations. I found the game overall easier.
    - Your not given the option of the original job system.
    - I prefer the PS2 version...    … Expand
  32. MGrahamWriter
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    This game ended up dethroning Final Fantasy IX, becoming my all time favorite in the series! (IX held the crown for six years!). When FFXII released for the PS2, I didn't know what to expect. Having fallen in love with X, I had hoped it would play like that but what we got was EVEN better! It quickly became my favorite: the story, the battle system, the license board, the gambitThis game ended up dethroning Final Fantasy IX, becoming my all time favorite in the series! (IX held the crown for six years!). When FFXII released for the PS2, I didn't know what to expect. Having fallen in love with X, I had hoped it would play like that but what we got was EVEN better! It quickly became my favorite: the story, the battle system, the license board, the gambit system...the characters...it was beautiful! And now, 11 years later, we got something EVEN BETTER than the original!

    Zodiac Age brings the Job System front and center; I was scared of it at first, because I knew once you made a decision, you couldn't turn back. However, it proved to be a blessing and a new and exciting challenge! It really makes you think about how those roles will affect battles. EVERY battle is fought differently, which was how the original played out and that is refreshing. No two roles are the same either so that's also something I've come to appreciate.

    I will just say this one thing; it's not really a negative thing but just something to think about. This game would have been even greater as a remake rather than just an HD release.    … Expand
  33. chad_pattan
    Jul 15, 2017
    7
    Nope...not a 10. Not close to a 10.

    I actually first played this game way back in 2006. Mind you, this is fresh off of thoroughly enjoying the masterpiece (at the time) that was Final Fantasy X. I remember quite clearly being disappointed, as was my friend, at this game. Running into battle felt strange and clunky. I quit at the first quest outside of Rabanastre. Fast forward    Nope...not a 10. Not close to a 10.

    I actually first played this game way back in 2006. Mind you, this is fresh off of thoroughly enjoying the masterpiece (at the time) that was Final Fantasy X. I remember quite clearly being disappointed, as was my friend, at this game. Running into battle felt strange and clunky. I quit at the first quest outside of Rabanastre.

    Fast forward and I'm MUCH older, much more mentally refined, and yearning for RPG goodness on the PS4. So I figured I'd give it a chance, thinking I'd be more patient with it, after watching videos of it online.

    Reality is this: The game plays much smoother than before. It's nowhere near as clunky, nowhere near as boring, and I can't tell you why. There are frustrating parts, but generally it's improved.

    The real problem is with pacing. I got absolutely slaughtered at a part where just a moment prior I felt overpowered. Regular peons were killing my crew. It wasn't levels; my folks were dishing good damage. It's the fact that they were taking way too much damage compared to what my armor said they should be. The limitations of the license system forcing weak armor early on didn't help matters.

    There are also strange Gambit-related issues where you'll have your Gambits set to do a specific set of tasks, and the character will just do the opposite for no reason, forcing you to issue commands directly.

    Lastly is the town event system, where you'll have to foot it LONG distances across town to meet people or run errands. Fortunately there's a button to speed things up, but then your character will walk like they're drunk, running into things.

    This is NOT a bad game, don't take a 7 as indicating such. That's a great score. But put it this way: I got this game for $27 at Best Buy thanks to a rewards certificate. I couldn't justify paying any more than $30 for the same game they sold over a decade ago with some prettier graphics.    … Expand
  34. izam
    Jul 13, 2017
    10
    excelente remaster para una excelente entrega
    voces seleccionables, penelo es PAnelo en japones jaja, la musica increible y una historia para no olvidar, no os fijeis en los negativos son solo trolls sin fundamentos.

    Larga vida a FFXII !!
  35. SaviorGaming
    Dec 6, 2017
    5
    Look I won't lie, I hated this game for PS2. I didn't like the story, I didn't like the battle system and I didn't like the characters except Balthier. I picked it up for the PS4 because honestly with age comes wisdom. All these years later I have to admit. I hate the story, the battle system is boring and I still only like Balthier. That being said the battle system while boring worksLook I won't lie, I hated this game for PS2. I didn't like the story, I didn't like the battle system and I didn't like the characters except Balthier. I picked it up for the PS4 because honestly with age comes wisdom. All these years later I have to admit. I hate the story, the battle system is boring and I still only like Balthier. That being said the battle system while boring works great. The game also looks great and the music is nice.… Expand
  36. Klaww25
    Aug 3, 2017
    9
    There is no handholding that is something I wish more modern JRPGs would do ( I am looking at you KH2), the story is fantastic. It is like Star Wars directed by Stanley Kubrick there is so much freedom and replay value in this game, it treats you like an adult!
  37. lyekay1
    Jul 17, 2017
    10
    Excellent game, just wow the remaster is a must have. 10/10 for me, the game is much smoother, graphics cleaned up & crisp, huge game which will take you hours just to get through the beginning. One of the best Final fantasy's out there, so underrated. Nostalgia overload, my game of the year :) thank you Square
  38. Dingytheman
    Feb 6, 2020
    4
    Impressions after 15hrs of playing the IZJS edition, the original Zodiac.

    -Story and characters are bland -Environments are too big and look repetitive, not much stands out other than the repetition, there's a reason they implemented a fast forward button I guess. -Battle system is too automated. I want to play a game not watch one play itself, that's what the gambit system comes    Impressions after 15hrs of playing the IZJS edition, the original Zodiac.

    -Story and characters are bland

    -Environments are too big and look repetitive, not much stands out other than the repetition, there's a reason they implemented a fast forward button I guess.

    -Battle system is too automated. I want to play a game not watch one play itself, that's what the gambit system comes to. You can still issue individual commands but it feels cumbersome due to how the action plays.

    -Game encourages a lot of grinding as without it you barely earn enough Gil for potions!

    -Soundtrack is solid but didn't stand out for me.

    Played FF7 and 8, and compared to those titles, this is a huge downgrade in almost every single department.    … Expand
  39. Reed618
    Jul 15, 2017
    6
    I'm a long time fan and I've played every main entry and several of the spinoffs. This is the game i'm most bitter about though. It was the first (non-online) main entry after sakaguchi left and that really shows in the story.
    This time there's no real main character and with the exception of Basch and Balthier the cast doesn't have much personality. Instead the main focus is on the    I'm a long time fan and I've played every main entry and several of the spinoffs. This is the game i'm most bitter about though. It was the first (non-online) main entry after sakaguchi left and that really shows in the story.
    This time there's no real main character and with the exception of Basch and Balthier the cast doesn't have much personality. Instead the main focus is on the events of the kingdom of Ivalice. The story is much more political and scenes which advance the story are few and far between. You can go quite a few hours without any further motivation to continue your quest.
    The combat system is probably one of the best parts of the game, I preferred the traditional turn based approach but final fantasy has always taken risks in introducing new gameplay elements and I appreciate that.
    One of the biggest issues is how dull the environments are. Several areas are just copy and paste. You'll find the same features being reused frequently and so most places lack any real character. This can make the game drag quite a bit.
    Finally, the main villain is very forgettable. He certainly won't top any lists of fan favorite enemies in the series. The ending is quite enjoyable but it didn't really make my 60 hours feel worthwhile.
    I'm sure many missed out on this game during it's original release. It came out towards the end of the ps2's lifecycle after all. So i'm sure that many (myself included) were tempted by a second chance to play it but I couldn't recommend it. It's very long and it hasn't aged well. If you're already a fan then i'm sure you'll enjoy the re release but for most new players it'll likely disappoint them. I'd recommend checking out one of the older releases in the series or picking up 15. Final fantasy 2 and 12 are pretty much the only ones I'd say are a waste of time.    … Expand
  40. visiblelight7
    Jan 1, 2018
    6
    This is probably the last entry to the series that looks and feels like a final fantasy game. It earned 6/10 for respecting all the basic elements that make it feel and sound like a final fantasy game without selling out(including all the visuals, great music and lore). To be honest, this game is also the turning point after which the series no longer respected it's core fans and reallyThis is probably the last entry to the series that looks and feels like a final fantasy game. It earned 6/10 for respecting all the basic elements that make it feel and sound like a final fantasy game without selling out(including all the visuals, great music and lore). To be honest, this game is also the turning point after which the series no longer respected it's core fans and really started to emphasize making good looking games at the expense of great fleshed out stories with interesting arcs and plots. After playing this game for 20 hours and appreciating it for it's gameplay, I can honestly say that the story is exceptionally weak and a disappointment. What SquareEnix failed to respect and acknowledge is that unless you emphasize story-telling above all other aspects of making a game, then you completely miss the mark at making a captivating RPG game that fans will love(fact: FF12 was glanced over by fans and is rarely even mentioned. It is very convenient of SquareEnix to say that the end of PS2's lifecycle was the cause but gamers will recognize an epic game. This game was definitely bland). Great graphics and great gameplay seems to be all developers are interested in these days and this game shows that they think they can omit a great story. Unfortunately, the game had so much potential from the cosmetic side but eventually after repeatedly grinding through monsters and dungeons back to back I was always let down with very meaningless and uninteresting cut-scenes FOR A VERY VERY BASIC UNINTERESTING STORY. If the story was as good as FF7 or FF8, then I would've given this game an 9/10. But story is the most important aspect of an RPG so it scores a 6/10 for me.

    Overall:
    --------------------------------------------
    -Very basic game. Don't buy this if you play RPGs for a great story. FF15 was bad and this game is better than that....but really not by too much.

    -You'll enjoy the first few hours due to the success at recapturing the atmosphere and artistic environments of Final Fantasy series.

    -The combat system strikes the perfect balance of new-gen and old-gen without turning into an twitch-action-button masher like FF15 has.

    Conclusion
    ------------------------------
    R.I.P Final Fantasy. It's a shame. Everything after FF12 is absolute crap.

    SquareEnix. The key to your success is finding a genius who can write an epic story with fleshed-out characters and intertwined story plots. But obviously you think that video games in 2017 don't even need a story because you decided it was a great idea to remove 95% of the story form Final Fantasy 15 and include them in a separate movie instead. Whoever is making these design decisions is an incredibly terrible manager with no knack at managing a video game's success.    … Expand
  41. Mashepotato
    Apr 29, 2020
    2
    A 2 solely for fun gameplay but the story is just awful. It's the most boring game and the main character is useless.
  42. TheRavS
    Aug 9, 2020
    2
    Do you enjoy watching a good movie or playing a deep and immersive RPG? Yes? Don't play this game then.

    I never played the original 2006 FFXII game, but I have played around other 4 FF games (no MMOs) and many others RPGs and JRPGs and I can confidently say this is the worst thing I have laid my hands on from SE. Whereas the artwork and music (this one specially in the remaster, from    Do you enjoy watching a good movie or playing a deep and immersive RPG? Yes? Don't play this game then.

    I never played the original 2006 FFXII game, but I have played around other 4 FF games (no MMOs) and many others RPGs and JRPGs and I can confidently say this is the worst thing I have laid my hands on from SE.

    Whereas the artwork and music (this one specially in the remaster, from what I have heard) is fantastic and distinct from previous FF titles, the positives ends there. Playing this game you can already feel the snowball effect that would make FFXIII the disaster that it was, mainly because of the boring story and completely forgettable, arbitrarily chosen and devoid of meaning names (places and characters) that make the boring political story hard to follow, specially when at various points the cutscenes consist of characters exposing plot points or other characters' actions rather than the game actually showing it to us. There's nothing attractive from the story-telling side, not even the protagonist, Vaan, or his interactions with the rest of the cast. The game has different prototypical characters that could interact with each other in many interesting ways, but the game is too afraid to make them talk to each other except when it comes to the soporific plot. Despite this, FFXV surprisingly ripped off half of its core plot concepts from this game, making a weird frankenstein from this game and the original concept of FFXIII Versus.

    As for the game itself, it can be described as a pointless grind. Yes, the game offers a fast-forward feature for you to skip any dragging moments you want, but that already points out the inherent flaw of the game: you don't play the game, the game plays itself. Except when you need something, then the grinding is on you. You have to spend too much time programming all of your characters' AI (no exceptions) for them to do simple things and then, when an enemy has a slight change in its attacks, like casting different de-buffs or absorbing an element, you have to pause the game mid-fight, change the Gambit system of your characters, and then resume watching. Adding to this, another big problem I have with the characters "independence" is that they move on their own once they're engaged in battle, even your leader, which makes them move around and sometimes go into a corner where the camera looks down and impedes you to see anything.
    This is the usual except, of course, when it comes to bosses: you may feel like you're grinding too much as you kill different basic enemies and they don't even damage you, but suddenly you'll face a boss that kills your entire party no matter the healing counter measures you apply to their AI, after which you'll be staring at the "Select the new leader of the group" or "Your party has been wiped out, select the back up members to fight" messages as you're left mouth opened and thinking you should just eject the disc and throw it out the window.
    What's more, when you eventually defeat a boss you are rewarded basically nothing whereas when you defeat a hunt objective (side missions' mini bosses) you are rewarded something, just not anything worth the time you put into going to the locations and defeating the special enemy.

    I have played a couple of the Souls series games and felt they were not difficult at all, and dying in them felt like a mild inconvenience and not like a time wasting scam. This game's unfair development of battles evokes in me a pure and unadulterated anger, as not only I am removed of any sense of agency one should be entitled to when playing a videogame, but the game also wants you to spend too much time grinding so that you can spend more time inside the menus unlocking things like what objects your characters can equip. If you haven't figured out why, the game actually wants you to do this as to avoid you realising you're not really doing anything except micro managing and grinding. This is, without a doubt, an unrewarding game.

    Usually JRPGs need you to invest a lot of time but the fun factor never disappears. Dragon Quest XI hooked me for 110 hours, and so did Persona 5 for other 100+ hours. And yes, they are newer games, but I also completed FF X-2 back in the day, a slightly older game than this one, and got the same fun out of it. I am sorry to all its lovers, but with FF XII, I have been unable to spend more than 2 or 3 hours playing it until I got mad or bored and had to stop playing it for a day or two.

    I usually play games to experience a good story, have a sense of accomplishment, complete challenges that force me to think or be skillful at the game, or for overall escapism. This game has given me none of that in the 20+ hours I dedicated to it. Instead, all I got was an uninteresting story, bland characters, a boring game loop and an unfair battle simulator. If you appreciate your time and like having fun, play any other FF game or any other game at all except this one.    … Expand
  43. sumbodyshero
    Jul 31, 2017
    0
    Unpardonable sins:

    -They changed the awesome fonts to plain ones like Courier New.
    -They removed the Prelude music at startup (the main theme of Final Fantasy!).
    -They removed the opening cutscene that played behind the title screen and changed it to just a black background.
  44. karmic_devil
    Jul 18, 2019
    4
    Did you like Final Fantasy 13? If so, don't bother reading the est of this. You are likely to like this and should give it a shot.

    If you did not like FF13, or you haven't played it, read on and discover why it isn't any fun to play a game where the majority of the game is spent in the menu setting up conditional programming for the AI to play the game for you. The problem is: THE AI    Did you like Final Fantasy 13? If so, don't bother reading the est of this. You are likely to like this and should give it a shot.

    If you did not like FF13, or you haven't played it, read on and discover why it isn't any fun to play a game where the majority of the game is spent in the menu setting up conditional programming for the AI to play the game for you.

    The problem is: THE AI PLAYS THE GAME FOR YOU!

    FF12 has an very cool skill tree, a very cool system for giving people techniks and spells and allowing the to equip certain armor and all sorts of stuff. It's like FFX sphere grid on steroids. Sounds awesome, right? That's what I thought.

    The problem here is that that's the whole game.

    What made the FFX sphere frid system satisfying was that I could spend time customizing my characters and then I got to go out and use them. I got to be an active participant in the execution of those new abilities.

    In Zodiac Age, that simply isn't true. Gone is the turn based commbat of FFX. We've even gone past FFX-2s ATB to a system that looks like ATB but in fact is more like an MMO where I control my character and the rest of the party does whatever they are going to do - as though they were friends joining me on a raid in an MMO. BUT IT'S NOT AN AN MMO. It's just me. And three robots.

    The game encourages you to buy, and set up a series of "gambits" to program what you want the AI to do in various situations. Even for your main character. So it isn't long before you've programmed what you want your party to do and they just do it.

    So here's the rub, I buy the skills. I buy the spells. I buy the techniks. I walk around town. I walk around maps. And the computer does all the fighting!

    Holy **** They found a way to automate all the interesting stuff and leave me, the human player, with the tedious job of just walking around. Oh, and doing the shopping.

    Don't get me wrong - I like walking around. I like shopping. I like navigating the menus. As part of a larger whole. But this game has reduced the player to bookkeeper - a lonely bureaucrat setting the terms during which others will participate in the world. And then simply watching the action unfold.

    If that wasn't bad enough, you are forced to watch the action unfold through the worlds worst camera angles (also under your constant manual control).

    Pass.    … Expand
  45. GrumpyReviewer
    Aug 4, 2017
    9
    I played this beauty 10 years ago, when many people thought it was "unfinished" and a weird entry in the series.

    Playing FF12 the Zodiac Age, now, makes it clear to me why this game caused controversy. It simply was way ahead of its time. The more I play, the more baffled I am to how modern and fresh 12 actually is. The story is dark and mature, the cast of characters all have their    I played this beauty 10 years ago, when many people thought it was "unfinished" and a weird entry in the series.

    Playing FF12 the Zodiac Age, now, makes it clear to me why this game caused controversy. It simply was way ahead of its time. The more I play, the more baffled I am to how modern and fresh 12 actually is. The story is dark and mature, the cast of characters all have their charm, the gameplay is tight, the gambit system is deep and filled with strategy; the game is just impossible to put down.

    I can't remember, in years, of a game that got me itching to come back home from work and play. I remember spending dozens - if not hundreds - of hours with this game, years ago. And I can't wait do it all over again.

    Of course this is not a perfect game and it will show its age here and there. But keep in mind this is a remaster of a Playstation 2 (!) game, and it amazes me of how it stands as a current RPG, so much better than many new releases.

    Final Fantasy 12 The Zodiac Age is a must, plain and simple.    … Expand
  46. huiboy
    Oct 9, 2018
    6
    The game obviously has a lot of depth, a vast world and long story but it is obviously catered towards hardcore FF or JRPG fans with its infamous grind and subpar story-telling.

    Even at 2X speed, the game is too slow and over many days, it eventually broke down patience. IMO games shouldn't feel like a chore. Don't get me wrong, i appreciate the slow grind that gives you time to feel    The game obviously has a lot of depth, a vast world and long story but it is obviously catered towards hardcore FF or JRPG fans with its infamous grind and subpar story-telling.

    Even at 2X speed, the game is too slow and over many days, it eventually broke down patience. IMO games shouldn't feel like a chore. Don't get me wrong, i appreciate the slow grind that gives you time to feel invested into a game with all its characters, soundtrack and story, but then you also gotta take a step back and realize if the end product is worth the work. For me even if the endgame is mind-blowing, it would not be worth the hours i spend doing tedious grinds at the beginning.

    The cut-scenes are plentiful and eventually becomes mental with how often you're just sitting there watching a mediocre movie. The animation is outdated and story is just not that good compared to anime and other games like Uncharted 4 which has incredible acting and a thrilling story. The main problem with the story is that it felt disconnected with the world you played in. Whereas Uncharted feels like you are taking part in the heist, escape or missions, in FF Zodiac Age, you are running around with a pixel character and repeating tedious fights to level up and move to the next stage to watch MORE okay cut-scenes. The game-play doesn't add to the story, nor do the cinematic add to the game-play, so you might as well be playing another game or just watching a great anime.

    I have more to say, but its been far too long. Just don't waste money on this game unless you're already a FF fan and look forward to a boring grind to possibly get some feeling of achievement after you beaten the game and grasped the full story.    … Expand
  47. smahlt
    Feb 4, 2020
    5
    Preface by saying I never played the PS2 version

    Once you get over the interesting license, gear, and combat system, this game **** drags. The story is not interesting, the characters are not interesting, and the voice acting sucks. I'm near the end but it's becoming a struggle to continue. Without the built-in speedhack, this game would be 100% unplayable.
  48. dashantaozi
    Aug 25, 2018
    8
    Second job is not a good addition to this game. 4x speed is unnecessary. Updated textures and soundtracks are also disappointing.
    Current SE don't know what made previous FF games so great and they just keep ruining it.
  49. somedude14
    Oct 18, 2017
    5
    Very obvious that majority of development time went into tuning the game world to be the easiest to date, while also providing players the ability to have two classes per character (instead of International Zodiac Job System's one) which makes it even easier by increasing the power ceiling. They essentially took the IZJS version which was made easier than the Vanilla version due to theVery obvious that majority of development time went into tuning the game world to be the easiest to date, while also providing players the ability to have two classes per character (instead of International Zodiac Job System's one) which makes it even easier by increasing the power ceiling. They essentially took the IZJS version which was made easier than the Vanilla version due to the limitations they imposed on players to make it easier to "pick up and play" (Vanilla had one license board so every character could be every class by the end if you wished, but required careful planning early on to not hamstring yourself, or a lot of grinding for LP afterwards if you did), made it easier, and then made it easier.

    Very important to stress how diluted the difficulty in this game is compared to both previous versions. Definitely not "closer to the feel of a classic Final Fantasy title."

    Visuals did get an upgrade. Aside from the resolution bump (which has already been seen), there is bump mapping on the PS2 textures (yes, these are the exact same textures from the previous versions), improved draw distance, proper shadowing (no longer blobs!) and the lighting engine clearly got updated as well. There is now HD character portraits and fonts, the latter of which is the sole reason I bought this game. The font in the PS2 versions on modern displays is simply an eyesore that cannot be ignored.

    The soundtrack got reorchestrated, however the original soundtrack is preferrable to my ears, it was high definition audio and already available in surround, the money and time would have been better spent further improving the visuals.

    Square-Enix has also included the option for a 2x turbo in addition to 4x (4x was already seen in IZJS), this is where I had it sitting most of the game. Unfortunately Zodiac Age is still locked to a 30fps cap, and in some areas it doesn't even maintain 30, it is clearly still running on an unaltered version of the PS2 engine in that regard. Very disappointing that they didn't recode it to hit 60fps, but also bewildering that it can't even maintain 30fps (not even on my Pro). I have seen it argued that since it does to 2x or 4x it does in fact support 60fps and 120fps, but that's not how it works. It's simply 30fps display being fastforwarded 2x or 4x.

    The other additions that may be new to most players are not new to those that played IZJS. Mainly the ability to control Espers, change gambits of guest characters, the removal of the damage limit, the inclusion of a Trial mode, and new game plus modes (a strong mode and a weak mode).

    What's missing, from my perspective, are the options to play Final Fantasy XII with the improved visuals and sound, but with the older rulesets. If Zelda 1, a 1986 NES title, can have two world states programmed onto its cartridge (after you beat it once, you get a Second Quest mode which was entirely different), Zodiac Age could have at least had the IZJS ruleset as an option, though due to storage capacity these days and how little it would have took to include these other rulesets (it's just copy-pasting information that already existed to work with the updated [not overhauled] assets and code), they could have included an option for the Vanilla ruleset as well. This would have made this an all-in-one package for those who truly became hooked, you would have three wildly different ways to play the exact same game.

    In my eyes, the Vanilla ruleset will always be the best. It's what the game was built for the ground-up to be, everything since has been figuring out how to recycle the same idea, and losing something in the process.

    Despite the significant dilution of the formula here, the game still holds up today. It clearly starts falling apart once you get to Old Archades, but the original game director, Yasumi Matsuno, walked out at some point during the games development. It seems like this is where it would have occurred, as there is such a shift in pacing and tone, it's like the staff lost direction or the new head took it in a new direction to hurry it out the door. It would have been nice if SE had put some efforts into more finely tuning this final section of the game.

    At the current price point of $65CDN, this is clearly a gouge. It's a $30-$40CDN digital-esque title at best. I did buy because I needed to scratch the itch, and I needed that improved font (my aging eyes), but this is most definitely a gouge.

    5/10 where it sits. 7/10 if it were $30CDN because that's a better content:price ratio, though the difficulty definitely still keeps this from realizing the same potential as the Vanilla release. If $30CDN as it is but with the other rulesets (Vanilla and IZJS) worked in, would've been an easy 10/10.

    Still enjoyable, but more in spite of SE's efforts to dilute the property, not because of something they did here. If only the Vanilla release had HD font, I could have ignored this.    … Expand
  50. mrend55
    Jun 12, 2019
    5
    Final fantasy xii is a good game that I had lots of fun playing, the big issue now is that there is literally no point buying the ps4 version as the switch and xbox one versions have extra features that square enix did not even bother to release for ps4, pretty sure they can patch it or release it as dlc or something but nope, instead we get ripped off.
  51. 17_jrpg
    Jul 30, 2017
    9
    This game returns memories. I liked this game on PS2 because it has a very good story and a gameplay. Remastered version of this game is even better. I will not talk about the graphics and the sound because also graphics and sound was very good on PS2 and now remastered version only makes it better. I will actually talk about of improving the battle system.

    In PS2 version, all the    This game returns memories. I liked this game on PS2 because it has a very good story and a gameplay. Remastered version of this game is even better. I will not talk about the graphics and the sound because also graphics and sound was very good on PS2 and now remastered version only makes it better. I will actually talk about of improving the battle system.

    In PS2 version, all the characters had the same abilities which does not make a difference between them. Because they have the same abilities it was not the purpose of using all the characters, but only those you liked the most, the others was just a backup team. Also, there is no tactics in the battle if all characters have the same abilities and this makes the battle system boring. This was the same problem for me in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XIII. I like the Job system which they used in previous games and I'm glad they return it back. The Zodiac Job System in remastered version make battle system much better because now all characters have different abilities (different jobs) which gives a tactical aspect in battle. Together, Zodiac Job System and Gambits System allows the player to create his own strategy in the battle by balancing strengths and weaknesses of the characters. This is the biggest improvement in remastered version of Final Fantasy XII.

    This is the best remastered version of old Final Fantasy game and I wish they did the same thing with remastered version of Final Fantasy X. They could improve the battle system of Final Fantasy X by adding the Job system as they did with Final Fantasy XII.

    I hope they will use the Job system and the ATB system in new Final Fantasy game because with combination of those two system they can make the best battle system in JRPGs.    … Expand
  52. Puffypez
    Aug 19, 2021
    3
    When does this game get good? Seriously? It boggles the mind that it has a huge following. Do people love the combat so much that they just forget the pathetically boring storyline? I've streamed over 60 hours of this game and people who love it keep going oh this bits boring, oh this bit sucks, oh yeah this bits annoying, and its like what do you enjoy about the game? Seriously? IWhen does this game get good? Seriously? It boggles the mind that it has a huge following. Do people love the combat so much that they just forget the pathetically boring storyline? I've streamed over 60 hours of this game and people who love it keep going oh this bits boring, oh this bit sucks, oh yeah this bits annoying, and its like what do you enjoy about the game? Seriously? I think I'm ready to give up despite probably not being anywhere near the end. Nice music now and again but do not recommend anyone to play, please play Final Fantasy 7 8 9 or 10 if you want to get into the series, and avoid this one at all cost.… Expand
  53. Ed16
    May 7, 2020
    5
    Though I understand how massive and qualitative the game is, it turned out to be not an interesting one for me. Key factors of every RPG: battle system, the progression system, and the storyline of this game didn't hook me at all for reasons I've listed below. If I have to define this game in terms of one adjective, I will say: "boring". But, first, let's start with the things that I doThough I understand how massive and qualitative the game is, it turned out to be not an interesting one for me. Key factors of every RPG: battle system, the progression system, and the storyline of this game didn't hook me at all for reasons I've listed below. If I have to define this game in terms of one adjective, I will say: "boring". But, first, let's start with the things that I do like:

    Pros:

    - The world of this game feels diverse, rich, natural, and busy. Nicely delivered atmosphere. Feels somehow similar to world and atmosphere of star wars films, which is a good thing. Nice picture to look at.
    - Graphics is ok, though the fact that all main character faces look quite similar to each other, like they are all brothers and sisters. :) But, that's ok for the game which was developed 15 years ago.
    - The Gambit system for coding behavior of non-controllable characters seems very interesting, cool, and new. I like it, why I never met other games that offer such a wonderful opportunity? It's brilliant!
    - The soundtrack is great, though I haven't played so much time, about 10 hours or so.
    - You can speed up a game any time u want.

    Cons:

    - My main concern is the battle system. Most fights are boring. During them, u feeling like an observer rather than an active participant. The game plays itself :) This comes with a close connection with the progression system of melee characters, which has not any melee specific abilities, like "Bravery" from FF7 or smth. U cannot induce non-magic "fighting" abilities, u cannot jump, u cannot dodge... all you can do as a melee fighter is select a target and auto-attack, rarely use ultimates. Boring.
    - Character progression abilities lack fantasy. At first, they gave me an ability which allows me to wear a level 1 hat, then an ability which allows me to wear a level 2 hat, then an ability to wear level 3 hat...guess what happens next...Yea, you guessed that right.
    Most of the progression abilities seem like they are sucked out of the finger. Though mages and healers get their spells and things are not so bad with them, what about fighters? You give them an ability to arm a level N kitchen knife? Boring.
    - If you haven't got rich English (or Japanese) vocabulary in most cases it will be hard to understand for you, what characters are talking about during a cut-scenes. And it will be hard to dive deep into the nuances of the storyline. Only in general terms. It's like a reading of an English novel.
    I hadn't got such a problem in FF7 Remake or FF10. Boring...
    - To load the game, u have to go to the title screen, though u can get there from the pause menu.
    - The camera behaves sometimes weird when the character is near the walls.
    - Characters do not change suits, it's kinda weird to look at mage character which is dressed as a knight.    … Expand
  54. mynameiscalled
    Nov 13, 2021
    6
    I played this game originally on a PS2 years ago. Didn't quite finish it, so I picked the Zodiac Age version up to tick the game off of my unfinished games list. This review is more of an overall review of FF XII, not the "Zodiac Age" part.

    Am a huge FF fan. The FF XII left me wanting more though... The story - a classic Final Fantasy, but the characters weren't really that    I played this game originally on a PS2 years ago. Didn't quite finish it, so I picked the Zodiac Age version up to tick the game off of my unfinished games list. This review is more of an overall review of FF XII, not the "Zodiac Age" part.

    Am a huge FF fan. The FF XII left me wanting more though...

    The story - a classic Final Fantasy, but the characters weren't really that interesting sadly - the main bloke, Vaan - I didnt really feel a connection to the character. You can obviously focus on playing anybody else as your go-to guy (or a girl) but for me, nobody really held much interest.

    I was also not a big Gambit & License system fan. It just seems like overcomplicating the mechanics - not making them harder, but making it a chore system that really doesn't need that much tinkering (Had to buy a bazillion gambits, just the vendor click-and-buy everything was such a chore on it's own)

    I did enjoy my time in the game once it got going though. I put roughly 45hours into the game - doing some random side questing and just exploring around. By the time I got to the end I was a bit too overpowered. I basically did all the end battles on a gambits ON auto battle. My team was Vaan 65; Basch 50 & Penelo 50. Felt really underwhelming, but can't blame the game for this - I think my gambits and team just ended up working perfectly.

    It's a solid game, but since the FF bar is pretty high, I felt it didn't deliver the great Final Fantasy experience I was after. Probably not gonna tackle the New Game+ in the future.    … Expand
  55. nightocelot
    Jul 25, 2023
    0
    For me FF12 feels like the game of the empty corridors and characters who don't care for each other, like really all interior levels are a set of soulless empty squares with enemies in it.

    The towns look great at the first glance, but then you realise that you cannot do anything there: no sidequests, no minigames, no puzzles to solve, no optional characters to obtain, thus loose all    For me FF12 feels like the game of the empty corridors and characters who don't care for each other, like really all interior levels are a set of soulless empty squares with enemies in it.

    The towns look great at the first glance, but then you realise that you cannot do anything there: no sidequests, no minigames, no puzzles to solve, no optional characters to obtain, thus loose all interest quickly. Same goes for open areas, they look promising first but really don't hold any secrets to uncover so exploration soon feels unrewarding.

    I really liked design of characters (except Penelo) but their stories are never to be discovered on a deep personal level (like in prior FFs with cleverly placed sidequests, intermission dialogues and personal interaction cutscenes that don't touch big main storyline), and so you cannot fully connect to them.

    Apart from that the whole plot is a political sci fi drama observed by your "don't know what I'm doing here" main protagonist Vaan. Idea that your hero is a random chap who got accidentally caught up in big political game is OK, but at some point he needed to get special purpose or attachment to more significant characters. I can easily see all royalty related characters waving goodbyes to Vaan and Penelo and the end of the game: "Thank you for your service guys, it's highly unlikely We'll ever see each other again, bye!"
    And yes, often story reminds you a Star Wars fan fiction.

    There will not be any love stories, challenging friendships, characters origins to be discovered, double agents, characters development and plot twists - yes, all these are cliches that will nevertheless thrill us for as long as storytelling exists.
    People and their destinies evoke emotions, not solely kingdoms fighting each other for power.

    Balthier and Fran's introduction (basically Han Solo and sexy Chewbaka) was pretty cool and I expected these two charming rogues-lovers to amuse me with their moraly ambiguos behavior and witty arguments for the rest of the game but that was it, couple of good scenes and basta.

    No random accounters was a big step forward in the genre, gets high five here.

    Fighting system is ok, gambits though not nessesary to use until you get deeper into the game are themselves no fun and really rob you of combat diversity, disencouraging you from using different abilities, support magic etc. That's the biggest dealbreaker - because of battle speed you're forced to build these boring gambits and then just watch how they are being executed in battle without your active participation. And of course as enemies change on your way you have to constantly optimize gambits - wich is so tiresome. I prefere to do my decisions on the spot, not thoroughly thinking in advance "Ok what else would I do if...?"

    Licence Board is confusing, it's easy to spend all your points for nothing good till you learn what it's for.
    Idea that in order to equip some advanced gear you need to get a permission in Licence Board first is irritating.
    Job System again does detaches you from characters, depriving them of unique characteristics that match theit backstory and personas.
    Job Synergy is unnessesary headache.
    And it's easy to constantly forget that chain attacks work only on killing enemies of one type.

    When FF12 first came out on PS2 I beat it and exhaled Oh Gosh finally it has ended, felt like a lot of work has been put in it and that deservse a big respect, but eventually I got unamusing and forgetable experience. But ever since I was bewildered cause everyone loves it so much and it got highest rankings from Metacritic and Famitsu.
    Massive respect to all FF12 fans though, maybe be one day I give it another shot and will discover the same joy you guys did, Cheers!    … Expand
  56. SuperClaudio64
    Feb 28, 2021
    4
    L'ultimo Final Fantasy che ho giocato e anche il primo che non ho finito (Non per la difficoltà).
    Che dire, trama confusa e poco interessante, personaggi molto piatti e meccanica action bizzarra. Probabilmente troppi cambiamenti in un solo titolo che ha il peso del nome Final Fantasy. Un gioco così noioso che a metà della storia l'ho abbandonato. Forse sarà un buon action rpg, ma allo    L'ultimo Final Fantasy che ho giocato e anche il primo che non ho finito (Non per la difficoltà).
    Che dire, trama confusa e poco interessante, personaggi molto piatti e meccanica action bizzarra. Probabilmente troppi cambiamenti in un solo titolo che ha il peso del nome Final Fantasy. Un gioco così noioso che a metà della storia l'ho abbandonato. Forse sarà un buon action rpg, ma allo stesso tempo è un pessimo Final Fantasy.    … Expand
  57. legitreview
    Mar 4, 2021
    6
    As always, came here to restore the truth about the game. The score it got on metacritic from professional reviewers and users is way too high, ppl are clearly not obbjectiv about the quality of this game.

    Graphics : 10/10 For the game age, they are pretty solid. Nothing to complain about. The remaster is also great, i didn't encounter any bug or glitch. Framerates are smooth.    As always, came here to restore the truth about the game. The score it got on metacritic from professional reviewers and users is way too high, ppl are clearly not obbjectiv about the quality of this game.

    Graphics : 10/10

    For the game age, they are pretty solid. Nothing to complain about. The remaster is also great, i didn't encounter any bug or glitch. Framerates are smooth.

    Musics : 7/10

    Good enough but you won't remember any of them.

    Fight System : 4/10

    Totally bad, it's auto mode 95% of the time. If you don't run away any fights and if you set your gambits properly (the option to make your character behaving depending of what is happening), you won't need to touch your gamepad during fights, even against bosses... You don't need magics, you don't need eons (invocations), you don't need to use objects (most of the time). Well the game doesn't need you at all. There is no strategy involved... well, the worst fight system i saw in a J-RPG...

    Story : 5/10

    Nothing impressive, it is a standard story that we have seen multiple times in video games, movies and books. It's just good enough to make you continue to play the game till the end.

    Characters : 4/10

    Their design is good but there is almost no development for them. Psychologically, there is nothing. Also there is no connexion between them despite they are having an adventure together but still, they rarely talk together and it seems like there is no bond between them. Like a bunch of ppl forced to be together to save the world. Really really bad when you compare them to the previous Final Fantasy games.

    World : 7/10

    Great world BUT places to visit are way too big without any reasons, just to increase the game lengh... Most of the time you will be wandering in the world being a spectator of automated fights. It's a chance that the game has an option to move x2 or x4 faster... I don't know how the players who had played it on PS2 did to accept to loose so much time doing nothing...

    Well, overall it's an average (+) game and a really bad Final Fantasy... Good enough to go through it but not good enough to come back or to consider it as a classic. If you have other games to play, play them, FFXII is not worth your time.    … Expand
  58. Dibalin
    Oct 24, 2021
    0
    Отсутствует полная русская локализация. Нет озвучки!
  59. Haannss
    Apr 30, 2023
    3
    Graphics are awesome, even better than the original, that were already amazing. That's probably the best part of the game. As for the rest, thos might be one of the most forgattable Final Fantasy games ever. Gambit system is completely flawed, altered status mechanics are unbalanced, specially virus effect, traps just don't work propperly, espers are not charismatic, the story startsGraphics are awesome, even better than the original, that were already amazing. That's probably the best part of the game. As for the rest, thos might be one of the most forgattable Final Fantasy games ever. Gambit system is completely flawed, altered status mechanics are unbalanced, specially virus effect, traps just don't work propperly, espers are not charismatic, the story starts promising to be one of the bests stories of all the franchise and then goes worse and worse... It's sad, I really wanted to remember how it was to play a classic Final Fantasy before the XVI releases... I should have tried the 10th.… Expand
  60. ASSASSIN_TRISTA
    Apr 4, 2022
    4
    Where to start...... main character Who the **** is the main character? is it vahn or that ewan mcgregor sounding guy. Who knows? the story is boring with politics and war which FFXIV did amazingly. I don't even know what the story is about because I fell asleep after the first hour. revenge plot? maybe? the combat is like an MMO that has been developed by the laziest gamer ever becauseWhere to start...... main character Who the **** is the main character? is it vahn or that ewan mcgregor sounding guy. Who knows? the story is boring with politics and war which FFXIV did amazingly. I don't even know what the story is about because I fell asleep after the first hour. revenge plot? maybe? the combat is like an MMO that has been developed by the laziest gamer ever because you just push the action button once and everyone fights for you. SOOOOOOOOO BORING. didn't finish penelope is annoying. nuf said.… Expand
  61. Commotion
    Nov 12, 2017
    10
    With all of the additions of the Zodiac Age edition and some new stuff exclusive to this PS4 version, I would say this is the definitive version of a game I just couldn't get into back when it was released for the PS2.

    Back in the day, I thought the battle style was awful, the characters were stupid, everything sucked and I wanted something like Final Fantasy X, but years after I've    With all of the additions of the Zodiac Age edition and some new stuff exclusive to this PS4 version, I would say this is the definitive version of a game I just couldn't get into back when it was released for the PS2.

    Back in the day, I thought the battle style was awful, the characters were stupid, everything sucked and I wanted something like Final Fantasy X, but years after I've finally seen the light. The battle style is actually really intelligent and elegant, in a way. I never got into the story back then, but nowadays I can say I love it, and I would like to see more Ivalice-related things. And, even though I never got something like Final Fantasy X and that game is still one of my favourites, XII is definitely the best main Final Fantasy game since X's release.    … Expand
  62. Rockboss
    May 21, 2020
    10
    One of the best FFs imo. Grown up story. Nice fighting and character development system. I really enjoyed playing again on PS4. Especially with the double speed option. Great game.
  63. Dreizehn
    Oct 17, 2017
    10
    The ultimate FF12 experience! I haven't played the game for years since PS2 version and this remaster looks awesome. The speed mode (x2, because x4 is too much) is wonderful for running and leveling up quickly, and the quick save system everytime you enter in a new area is amazing for a remaster like this. Excellent work.
  64. 22446688Bb
    Aug 6, 2019
    10
    Final Fantasy 12 is one of the most beautiful things you can see anyone who likes rpg and this thing is really surprising if you wish to be deeper than you are.
  65. SOLIDSNAKEN64
    May 28, 2020
    7
    I never got a chance to play FF12 on PS2, so this is my first playthough on PS4. The remastered graphics look great for a PS2 game and it definitely has that look from that generations, which is not a bad thing. I enjoyed the story even though it could be hard to follow at times, only because the kings English everyone uses. The story made more since as i finished it and started a newI never got a chance to play FF12 on PS2, so this is my first playthough on PS4. The remastered graphics look great for a PS2 game and it definitely has that look from that generations, which is not a bad thing. I enjoyed the story even though it could be hard to follow at times, only because the kings English everyone uses. The story made more since as i finished it and started a new game+ and watched the intro again, I think i was lost on who people were when i first watched the intro. I really enjoyed the characters and felt they grew close together through their adventure. I like the skill tree/licenses mechanic of unlocking new skills and having to unlock new licenses in order to equip better gear. The Gambit system made this game much faster to play as you can set what you want everyone in your party to focus on when attacking and not really have to do much since its all automated, which adds a different kind of strategy then im used to. I would really like to see square do a full on remake like they did with FF7 and integrate the battle mechanics they implemented in FF7R. The option to be able to set the game speed really made things better because with out that feature it would of been a slog, you move around like you have cement boots. I like the side hunts you can do, i dont like that i have to get the hunt from the board go find the patron who will give me the details, then go find the monster to hunt, then return to patron to receive my reward. way to much back n forth. All in all was worth playing at the 50 hours i put into the game i had a fun time.… Expand
  66. here_and_there
    Aug 31, 2017
    10
    One of the best Jrpgs you can play today. It was probably ahead of its time 10 years ago but now it feels almost perfect, especially with the few additions which make it much smoother and more interesting. Considering it is a PS2 game the graphics are still very good, especially the character's face designs, which are still better than a lot of modern AAA games. The OST is one of the bestOne of the best Jrpgs you can play today. It was probably ahead of its time 10 years ago but now it feels almost perfect, especially with the few additions which make it much smoother and more interesting. Considering it is a PS2 game the graphics are still very good, especially the character's face designs, which are still better than a lot of modern AAA games. The OST is one of the best of the genre and the world is vast, interesting, diverse, beautiful and is inhabited by tons of NPCs with interesting dialogues (something that the last two single-player Final Fantasy, XIII and XV, definitely lack). At the time it was a big departure from previous Final Fantasy games, but considering how the following ones turned out I'd say this is the game to play today if you want to get the feeling of the old Final Fantasys and Jrpgs in general.… Expand
  67. raccoondaddy
    Aug 14, 2019
    9
    FFXII: The Zodiac Age is a love letter to PS1 Square RPG fans. The composer, setting and art style are all from the same team that made Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics. Both of which were strong in story and gameplay, and FFXII is no exception.

    Everything here is a shining example of what made the FInal Fantasy series great. The creatures, lore, lands, story, characters,    FFXII: The Zodiac Age is a love letter to PS1 Square RPG fans. The composer, setting and art style are all from the same team that made Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics. Both of which were strong in story and gameplay, and FFXII is no exception.

    Everything here is a shining example of what made the FInal Fantasy series great. The creatures, lore, lands, story, characters, music, combat and magic were what made the series so captivating. The Zodiac Age does this ALMOST to perfection.

    The only drawbacks I noticed were:
    A) The Gambit system, once mastered made combat dull and uninteresting. Save for when the real fights came along and it was time to adapt my strategy, did it feel exciting again.

    B) The new job system really doesn't change all that much and could have been so much more. By the time you are 60 percent through the game, EVERYTHING WILL BE MAXED OUT except levels. The jobs do not feel unique and mostly change depending on if your a magic user or a attacker.
    Hell , just having some costumes changes would've made things interesting. Which is nothing in comparison to FFV.

    C) Late game leveling can be a big grind.

    Otherwise, I believe FFXII is my top ten Final Fantasy games after completing it.    … Expand
  68. Grownia
    Aug 6, 2017
    8
    Definitely a good game but doesn't impress as a Final Fantasy game. One should know that this game is the same game from PS2, just some minor class system which doesn't add much to the game.
    What's in it ?
    * Good battle system to grind ; although boring and slow : you can write your own AI to the characters and watch the combat happen. But it is so repetitive and fails to impress late    Definitely a good game but doesn't impress as a Final Fantasy game. One should know that this game is the same game from PS2, just some minor class system which doesn't add much to the game.
    What's in it ?
    * Good battle system to grind ; although boring and slow : you can write your own AI to the characters and watch the combat happen. But it is so repetitive and fails to impress late game. Techniks are not needed at all. Magic is good for buffs and debuffs , unnecessary for damage. Most of time you let the team combat themselves by direct attacks.
    * Impressive world theme, unoriginal scenario : The world consist of so many good places and stories. The Judge system is a really good fiction. But the scenario gets stuck after a point. Very traditional scenario. Get relics, defeat villains and save the kingdom, etc.
    * Characters are likable but dull : You can't get used to most characters even after hours. My personal favorite character is a villian. Most of the cast are dull and doesn't talk much. Balthier and Fran is nice others look dumb.
    * Soundtrack is awesome as all other FF games.
    * Lots of bosses and side quests which are better than the scenario itself. Plenty of time to spend in Ivalice.
    * Loading times are so-so.
    * Dungeons are well designed, monsters are variable and cool, boss fights are very good.
    * Summons (espers) are useless , takes too much grinding to get useful, overall sucks.

    Last word : If you like to play JRPGs this is a must buy. If you played this on PS2 or PC (with emulators) pass this one.    … Expand
  69. Janker
    Jul 24, 2017
    8
    A great game which just about any Final Fantasy fan should experience.
    It might be no FF7, but FFXII stands proudly on its own two feet! The new additions really help make a great experience even better.
  70. lewis1992
    Aug 17, 2017
    10
    Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is an amazing remaster of an outstanding JRPG. Despite long-time Final Fantasy fans criticising the game for the lack of "turn-based" battle encounters (like previous entries), FFXII offers a unique gameplay experience in a massive open world, filled to the brim with loveable characters, side-quests, hunts, and mysteries. This remaster includes manyFinal Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is an amazing remaster of an outstanding JRPG. Despite long-time Final Fantasy fans criticising the game for the lack of "turn-based" battle encounters (like previous entries), FFXII offers a unique gameplay experience in a massive open world, filled to the brim with loveable characters, side-quests, hunts, and mysteries. This remaster includes many graphical improvements, a glorious re-recorded soundtrack, along with various helpful and interesting features not present in the original version that really "flesh out" the game even further.

    The storyline is great, despite being criticised by many due to the main character Vaan not being the main 'focus' of the story, acting as more of an observer. The political elements of the story are fantastic, however, which certainly goes well beyond what any other Final Fantasy title has been able to offer.

    Definitely a must-buy for any PS4 owner - perhaps even a reason to buy a PS4 in the first place!

    [ Game played for approx. 100 hours, platinum trophy achieved. ]    … Expand
  71. marshallu2018
    Sep 10, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was ten years old when Final Fantasy XII came out back in 2006 - as such, I was at an impressionable age. Up until that point, I had never gotten interested in Final Fantasy games, but this one stood out to me for some reason. Unfortunately, I never got to beat the original game because my PlayStation 2 broke not long after I got FFXII and I never got a new one. Ever since then, I had been hoping they'd remaster FFXII so I could play it again in all its glory and finally beat the game. And now that dream has come true.

    I've heard a lot of people compare FFXII's story to Star Wars, although I've never watched any of the Star Wars movies so I can't attest to that, but I will say that the story of this game is intriguing and keeps you coming back for more with plot twists and interesting characters galore.

    If you thought the story was the best thing about Final Fantasy XII, you'd be wrong. The gameplay, in my opinion, is where this gem really shines. Ditching the old (and, in my opinion, dated) turn based combat system from Final Fantasy games of yesteryear, Final Fantasy XII utilizes a combat system that is often compared to combat systems of MMOs.

    Another unique twist on the combat is the Gambit System - a system of "if - then" scenarios you can program for your characters so they do things automatically. The Gambit System is great because it allows you to set up actions that would normally be tedious, such as having to use eye drops every time one of the characters becomes blind or having to use a phoenix down every time a character faints. You can even set up gambits so the characters basically fight on their own, while you sit back and reap the rewards of the battle. The Gambit System makes grinding a chore, and there's a lot of grinding involved in this game if you want to go after all the side quests and post game content to complete it wholly. Rest assured, if you're old-school and prefer the non-automatic gameplay, you can completely forgo the Gambit System in favor of manual commands for your characters if you so please.

    Now that I've talked about how great the base game is, I'll move on to what the remaster brings to the table. The best part about the remastered version of Final Fantasy XII is the addition of the Zodiac Job System from the "International" Zodiac Job System of the game that was only released in Japan in 2007. The original version of the game that was released in the west gave each character the same license board and they could ultimately become completely overpowered and able to use every single item in the game after you played it enough. The Zodiac Job System lets you pick a job for each character (you can actually pick two jobs per character in this remastered version, which is a first) and that job has certain weapons and equipment the character can equip, but they can't equip everything. This element to the game makes it a little more interesting and now you have to strategize for the late game rather than depend on being able to equip everything in the game.

    Along with the addition of the Zodiac Job System, the remaster brings a host of quality of life improvements, such as an autosave feature so you don't have to constantly look for a blue crystal to manually save your progress. This remastered version of the game also looks better than any previous version and it better voice acting as well as a reorchestrated soundtrack featuring new instruments in the beloved classic songs that were from the original. Another great improvement from this game is the addition of the ability to speed the game up, which makes the grinding even less tedious. There are many other small improvements in the remaster, but I won't waste your time listing them all because that would just take too long.

    Long story short, this game was already great and the remaster just took it up a notch and made it even better. If you're on the fence with this one, don't be. Just buy the game and try it out. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how great it is.    … Expand
  72. tweedledee318
    Dec 30, 2017
    10
    This is an incredibly well made remaster of a great PS2 game.

    But if you did not enjoy the original PS2 version of FF12 or the International version, I'm not sure if this will change your mind. - The art direction and the HD textures make this game one of the best looking PS2 remastered games available. - The new orchestrated scores and dual audio option was worth waiting for. -    This is an incredibly well made remaster of a great PS2 game.

    But if you did not enjoy the original PS2 version of FF12 or the International version, I'm not sure if this will change your mind.

    - The art direction and the HD textures make this game one of the best looking PS2 remastered games available.
    - The new orchestrated scores and dual audio option was worth waiting for.
    - The License Grid is more limiting compared to the original release, but the ability to quickly swap party members in/out depending on your battles places importance on good party management. The overall difficulty was tuned with these License restrictions in mind.

    It's also refreshing to play an "old-school" JRPG. There is no GPS/magical arrow leading you to the next destination. But there are enough hints and breadcrumbs given for you to get back on track after wandering about.

    I haven't tried NG+, NG- (weak mode), or the Trials yet but they will definitely provide additional challenging content.

    My advice to anyone deciding to buy this game is to be careful when you decide on a License Grid for a character. Your decision is permanent and it unfortunately occurs early on in the game. Make a backup save file before committing a character into a Zodiac Job. You can also preview grids to help you get an idea of what the jobs will do.

    Regarding the story, it's always subjective but I am enjoying the story because of its connections to FF Tactics.    … Expand
  73. prorider2themax
    Jan 5, 2018
    10
    This is my all time favorite final fantasy made even better in the Zodiac age by the addition of a real job system. The gambit combat system is my favorite battle system ever implemented in a FF series. It allows one to essentially control every single action a character takes while not pressing a single button at times. The difficulty and flexibility of the game are perfect. I really justThis is my all time favorite final fantasy made even better in the Zodiac age by the addition of a real job system. The gambit combat system is my favorite battle system ever implemented in a FF series. It allows one to essentially control every single action a character takes while not pressing a single button at times. The difficulty and flexibility of the game are perfect. I really just wish it went on forever. My only complaint would be that many of the magic spells, summons, and techniques are insignificant and more of a novelty than a realistic strategy. Would love to see everything have a role in the gameplay. But overall it's great and I would highly recommend.… Expand
  74. eruciform
    Mar 16, 2018
    8
    ** OVERALL 8.0/10 ** Gameplay 9/10 - Creativity 7/10 - Music 8/10 - Visuals 8/10 - Characters 8/10 - Plotline 7/10 - Emotional Engagement 7/10 - Replayability 8/10 - Difficulty 7/10

    The gameplay is really well done, especially for a FF game. It might be the best fight mechanic for an RPG that I’ve ever seen. The gambit system for giving very fine-tuned control over the rules your party    ** OVERALL 8.0/10 ** Gameplay 9/10 - Creativity 7/10 - Music 8/10 - Visuals 8/10 - Characters 8/10 - Plotline 7/10 - Emotional Engagement 7/10 - Replayability 8/10 - Difficulty 7/10

    The gameplay is really well done, especially for a FF game. It might be the best fight mechanic for an RPG that I’ve ever seen. The gambit system for giving very fine-tuned control over the rules your party follows in battle is really exemplary. I wish other games had that level of control. I’d say that the only bad side of that is that it also left me feeling out of the loop. After you set up your rules, you almost don’t need to touch your controller any more. That being said, you don’t have to turn it on, so it’s entirely up to you how hands-on you want to be with the battles.

    The world setting and visuals were good. They didn’t stand out to me as particularly special, but they were still well crafted and engaging.

    The music was pretty well done. A little above standard fare for quality triple-A games these days, but not quite the top tier like the mind-blowing Nier:Automata soundtrack.

    The plotline was good. Also HUGE. Main plot line took me 70+ hours. I’ve heard people complain about the plot, but it made way more sense than FFIX and FFX to me. In fact, it’s the most realistic and believable FF plot out of all of them, other than FFT. It’s a war chronicle, not so much a monomyth arc. Maybe that throws people for a loop.

    Also, I’ll address this at the same time as characters, because it’s related: Vaan is not the main character. Sure, he’s the one you control, but the main focus is elsewhere. However, no ONE other character is really the “main” either. A whole bunch of people are intertwined in a global set of events. Thus the “war chronicle” mention above. On one hand, this means there’s no great Hero’s Journey and singular focus character. On the other, since when did every story need to be that? Vaan is a stand-in for the narrator. He’s a witness. He isn’t world-changing in himself, he’s just a naive but kind kid that’s tagging along and witnessing history in the making.

    All of the other characters I liked quite a bit. There’s not as much heavy interaction between them as, say, Tales of Berseria. But they’re well done and everyone has their own important arc and place in the patchwork quilt of the plot. No cloyingly grating characters like Quina and Zidane in FFIX.

    Call out for some stupid sexualization fan-service crap. Fran and every Viera are all sexed up all the time. Ashe’s miniskirt can’t possibly be shorter and get a non-Mature rating. Penelo’s bodysuit is fine but we desperately need to see her inner thighs, apparently. And there are a handful of ridiculous barely-clothed characters in the background - geez that lingerie-wearing pirate was over the top.

    There’s a ton of side quests and post-game, though almost all of it is more hunts for monsters. I think FFX had more, but I didn’t platinum either of them, as I got bored of just doing fights over and over. A few of them (like Yiazmat) are literally 4-10 HOUR long battles that are more about babysitting your automated characters than really fighting.

    Another major issue is that most of the skills and magic in the game are not purchased. They’re in random buckets strewn across the countryside. Really. Forgot to open that one chest tucked into the tree in that level 3 plot points ago? Guess you don’t need that spell after all. Good luck going back to find it later, you’ll never purchase it. It hits the later spells harder - Cure isn’t one of them, but many of the basic RPG staples are literally hidden in buckets.

    Also, espers are completely useless. You need to use one for a plot point. I never used one again. You collect all 13 if you want to play Pokemon.

    Also the job system is crap. Just turn it off and play the original license (ability) board instead, where everyone can be everything. Otherwise, you must immediately pick a class for each character when you get them, and you can NEVER change class.

    Replayability is decent, there’s two New Game+ modes - strong and weak. One is you starting at level 90 (no other carry overs) and the other is you stuck at level 1 forever and forced to do a low-level game.

    The Trial mode (100 consecutive battles, completely separate from the game - literally a different selection on the Title Screen) is also interesting - you can get some good XP and goodies there. Don’t forget it to look up how to transfer your goods back to the normal game.

    The difficulty was medium. You can easily run off to a hard area and get creamed, so be careful, though. Also, don’t feel like you need to do every available hunt as soon as it pops up. Wait a few levels or it can get really frustrating.

    Overall good. IMHO the best FF up to this point since FFVII. Good and bad points, but overall a quality game and worth a play.    … Expand
  75. Lulcy
    Jun 27, 2019
    10
    It's an overall more satisfying experience to play thanks to quality of life features, the class system makes a more balanced gameplay, if a bit less flexible than in the original game.
  76. bersi84
    Apr 30, 2020
    8
    I bought this game years ago and never got myself into it. Now I wanted to give the remaster on PS4 a try and I have to say I m pleasantly surprised and glad that I bought it. To be fairly honest this game is a 8.5 for me. As usual I follow my gut feeling to whether to go up or down and decided to give it a final 8.

    The world is really well designed. I love the characters and the voice    I bought this game years ago and never got myself into it. Now I wanted to give the remaster on PS4 a try and I have to say I m pleasantly surprised and glad that I bought it. To be fairly honest this game is a 8.5 for me. As usual I follow my gut feeling to whether to go up or down and decided to give it a final 8.

    The world is really well designed. I love the characters and the voice acting is really good too. The story unfolds pretty well and I found it a good bit interesting. The location are nice with a little bit of variety that could be better maybe but is still very enjoyable as a whole.

    For the engine I can say that the remaster went quite well. It plays very good on a PS4 Pro with SSD. Loading times are very good, only due to the old save behaviour the saving itself takes a bit. I had no bluescreens, frame drops or bugs in my 35hr playthrough (pretty straight, I skipped quite a bit side and endgame content for now). The sound design is pretty advanced and uses surround well.

    Characters differ a lot and have their individual spirit. You develop by leveling up, getting new items and picking skills on a board according to the job you have chosen. 1st job when you get the character, 2nd job later in the game. You can basically create every possible combination with that. Red/Dark Mage, White Mage-Monk, Mage-Archer, Hard Tank, everything goes and nearly everything seems to be viable. I didnt use any specials or summons (lol me saving for the next game) and still was able to finish the game nicely.

    Some areas can be a bit though and the game tends to be a bit of grindy but I still think it is okay. If you do some sidequests and farm a bit, it feels not too hefty. Also with x2 and x4 speed mode, its very bearable. What you have to know is that the game uses an ATB styled auto battle mode. You can give manual orders to each of your controlled characters and they will do it when their action bar is ready, while the fight itself is realtime. Also you can use "gambits" which basically means you can treat your party as they were AIs, e.g. "if party member below 50% health use Cura" or "if ally died use phoenix down". You can unlock a multitude of slots and actions which the party will then use. You can deactivate or overrule this at any time. You can also live swap members from your roster of up to 6 people.

    If you get into this system it feels really nice. The job system can be overwhelming and I hated it the first time. I would just say: pick what you want. You ll get into goal with each build you take. So the straight route will take around 25 to 50hrs according to playstyle. Completionist might be busy quite a bit longer.

    The game is worth the money and often on sale. Give it a try, I think you might enjoy it.

    I finally downrated the game a bit because of the long saving times and the somewhat grindy and lengthy areas. Also some puzzles might be enraging without a walkthrough. Some areas are also not very well balanced and (not very often but still) sometimes the save points vary a lot in length. The last two chapter have huge runs to go, so for casuals that might be a small let down but there are at least some auto-saves too.    … Expand
  77. WildStrike
    Dec 26, 2018
    9
    It doesn't have that same Japanese FF feel to it (like other games), but it's still an excellent game nevertheless.
  78. BarelyLewd
    Mar 14, 2019
    9
    THIS GAME WAS MY ENTIRE SUMMER BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL! What an amazing game, I never did understand the backlash for this game, the Zodiac system in this game is a welcome breath of fresh air, to an already great game, this is one of my top 3 fave FF's,

    1. FF6
    2. FF7
    3. FF12
  79. LucasC
    May 17, 2020
    10
    It is just beautiful, everything is just perfect, buy it. Also im playing it again for the 9th time.
  80. JoseofCatarina
    Feb 6, 2020
    10
    They polished off the game, while maintaining the original art style, they fixed the bugs, added trophies, and added a few extra features like the sped up mode, that allows someone who has already played this game to replay it with less monotony.

    Overall, I believe this is how a remaster should be. FF12 is one of my favorite games of all time, and this remaster is definitely worth the money.
  81. WellMetStranger
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    An incredible gem of a game and by far and away the best Final Fantasy I have ever played with Final Fantasy Tactics. The game delivers through and through with an entrancing story, believable characters and one of the deepest gameplay systems I've had the pleasure to play in the series. Here's hoping Final Fantasy XVI is also set in Ivalice.
  82. unnamedcritic
    Dec 19, 2019
    10
    This is one of the best FF in the series. The English voice acting is superb. World building is excellent. Game play is also excellent, but you might not discover it's charms until you've gotten a couple characters in your party. Story is surprisingly mature and not the cheese fest that younger audiences might prefer. This game is far superior to the newer installments and on parThis is one of the best FF in the series. The English voice acting is superb. World building is excellent. Game play is also excellent, but you might not discover it's charms until you've gotten a couple characters in your party. Story is surprisingly mature and not the cheese fest that younger audiences might prefer. This game is far superior to the newer installments and on par with/better than some of the older games.… Expand
  83. Sonyyy26
    May 18, 2020
    10
    if you ignore Vaan and penelo this is one of best rpg s that came out ever. it has best job system in gaming, huge world to explore ,immersive story ... try you will not regret.
  84. Omnislasher420
    Apr 27, 2020
    10
    The best FF got better, new graphics, new job system, new areas, and new trial modes! This is amazing! A must play!
  85. Tiberius95
    Jun 19, 2020
    10
    Great remaster of PS2 game. I have always wanted to play Final Fantasy XII. After I played it on PS4, I fell in love with Princess Ashe. She was such a great character.
  86. ttgging
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    The curtain call for the Golden Age of Final Fantasy.Matsuno Yasumi's magical fantasy
  87. AshenUndead
    Jul 9, 2020
    10
    A Masterful piece in the FF Universe, gripping history and fun mechanics!.
    The job sistem is my favorite part!
  88. Ghiraldelo
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    Jogo incrivel !
    Vale muito a pena se aventurar nessa história maravilhosa, com o melhor sistema de batalha de todos os Final Fantasys da franquia (minha opinião).

    Vale a pena joga-lo seja pela nostalgia ou para conhecer ! Não vai se arrepender
  89. Uncl3s4mbr
    Jul 19, 2023
    9
    One of the best Final Fantasy. I love turn based FF. Good history, graphics, combat system. A true Final Fantasy game. If you liked to play the old ones, will love this game as well.
  90. Dom007
    Mar 14, 2021
    8
    Whilst no where near as good as the previous Final fantasy games from 4-10, there's still a really interesting world to explore and an interesting setting to go with it. The graphics are top quality and the gameplay also feels very smooth at times.

    However when it comes to story it's just average. It doesn't have the engagement or emotion of the previous titles, instead it's just a    Whilst no where near as good as the previous Final fantasy games from 4-10, there's still a really interesting world to explore and an interesting setting to go with it. The graphics are top quality and the gameplay also feels very smooth at times.

    However when it comes to story it's just average. It doesn't have the engagement or emotion of the previous titles, instead it's just a little too hard to understand and get into. The cast is also relatively weak compared to previous titles.

    I'm also not a huge fan of the combat. It gets tiring real fast and it doesn't feel right mechanically to me. It also doesn't require very much strategy, unlike the previous games. But the combat does flow well and I will give it that.

    So overall it's a somewhat decent game that is somewhat enjoyable. It's just not good enough by final fantasy standards.    … Expand
  91. Jeff_gamer000
    Apr 1, 2022
    5
    The game is okay for switch players. :) if you getting lost or something just walking around the map.
  92. Killerpummkin
    Aug 10, 2023
    6
    I didn't like the combat system and the leveling system. The Ost is beautiful, but that is all.

Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PS4 Game of 2017
48
#48 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
31
#31 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 75
  3. Negative: 0 out of 75
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Feb 8, 2018
    80
    For new players, this isn’t the best the series has to offer but it holds its own. If FFXV’s modern magical setting didn’t appeal, this might be the antidote. [October 2017, p72]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 29, 2017
    100
    An excellent remaster of one of the most underestimated episodes of the series released at the dawn of old-gen consoles. Veterans will appreciate the number of new features and newcomers can taste this great Japanese RPG with beautiful visuals. [Issue#277]
  3. CD-Action
    Sep 25, 2017
    85
    FFXII never became the masterpiece it was supposed to be, but it has enough marks of a masterpiece to be worth your time, especially that the remaster was done expertly. [09/2017, p.62]
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