Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

 Switch
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 153 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 114 out of 153
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 153
  3. Negative: 14 out of 153
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  1. RadicalMemers
    Apr 30, 2019
    10
    Final Fantasy XII was a hugely overlooked game back in the day as the PS360 was already present, but it speaks to its strengths that it still feels like a modern game even today. His approach to open world by giving large but varied areas while still feeling like you are making progress is the kind of great feeling that follows you throughout the game.

    The new gameplay changes allows    Final Fantasy XII was a hugely overlooked game back in the day as the PS360 was already present, but it speaks to its strengths that it still feels like a modern game even today. His approach to open world by giving large but varied areas while still feeling like you are making progress is the kind of great feeling that follows you throughout the game.

    The new gameplay changes allows you to have characters who can fill roles that pushes you to level all of them, and the exclusive features such as the ability to reset jobs instead of being locked to one through the whole game makes experimentation easy and enjoyable. For people with not enough time on their hands, the fast-forward feature allows you to make great amounts of progress even on limited time. It was also highly revolutionary with its gambit system, which still is even today one of the few games that made basic programming enjoyable and intuitive as a visual programming language. I have teached kids how to understand programming concepts with this game. This system allows you to program your party members to do actions for you. in short, you are designing their AI by yourself and it works very well, in a very pedagogic manner.

    The story is also a greatly overlooked one, as it follows Matsuno's flavour of political stories that manages to bring out the humanness in people. It's not so much about good or bad people than it is about the environment they live in and the set of beliefs they have. It's the closest you have to a palatable, Game of Thrones-esque storyline in Final Fantasy alongside Tactics. Not to mention the excellent Sakimoto soundtrack re-orchestrated into rousing arrangements, and the stellar VA cast including class A voice actors such as Gideon Emery, Simon Templeman (Kain!) and Nolan North among many others.

    For people who wants an engrossing experience while witnessing an adult storyline that has few of the anime, shonen-bound trappings but a lot of the western literary references (Shakespeare, Dickens among others) in mind, there is no doubt that it is the best Final Fantasy experience you can have on your switch right now.    … Expand
  2. PIEridot
    May 1, 2019
    10
    Absolutely one of the best RPGs I've had the pleasure to play. Final Fantasy XII has always been a personal favorite of mine, ever since I played it back on the PS2, and this port certainly holds up. The added job system and numerous quality of life changes like autosave and a fast-forward button make this the definitive way to play this fantastic game. The story may not be the greatest,Absolutely one of the best RPGs I've had the pleasure to play. Final Fantasy XII has always been a personal favorite of mine, ever since I played it back on the PS2, and this port certainly holds up. The added job system and numerous quality of life changes like autosave and a fast-forward button make this the definitive way to play this fantastic game. The story may not be the greatest, and the lip-syncing is yuck at best, but those are the only complaints I can really come up with. The re-orchestrated soundtrack is an absolute treat to listen to and the open-world style gameplay remains as my favorite even after all of these years.

    Put simply, I can't recommend this game enough. If you even mildly enjoy RPGs, this game is a must-play.    … Expand
  3. 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.
  4. ProfPlum
    Jun 26, 2019
    8
    If you don't consider yourself a gamer be cautious with this one. It will be more of a homework assignment than you might expect while trying to familiarize yourself with gambits, buffs, tanks, licenses and so on. Plus add in all the side quests these ff games provide and you'll be busy researching what to do next. With that said, the game is outstanding once you get the gameplay in your bones.
  5. BrownKnight
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    I would have loved full rehashed graphics, but still it's nice to look at. The addition it got since PS2 are only a big bonus, it gave the game some fresh air and a reason more to replay it from scratch.
  6. Ramzas
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    I loved playing this game so much. It has so much content that it took me 200 hours to finish everything! Definitely well worth a playthrough in my opinion! The music is also the awesomest thing
  7. Balrock1230
    May 29, 2019
    7
    It was the first time I played this game and I think it is good. It is a HD remaster, so smoother visuals which are sufficient. The story and the characters remembering me a lot of Star Wars what is also good.
    I also enjoyed the Gambit system to create your own AI behavior for each of your party members. You can do it directly in a fight, if you need to change your tactics for an end    It was the first time I played this game and I think it is good. It is a HD remaster, so smoother visuals which are sufficient. The story and the characters remembering me a lot of Star Wars what is also good.
    I also enjoyed the Gambit system to create your own AI behavior for each of your party members. You can do it directly in a fight, if you need to change your tactics for an end boss.
    What bugged me the most was the old gameplay and mission mechanics. There is no mission markers and you need to dig deep into the menu to know where you can find your next bounty.
    I caught myself rewatching cutscenes to understand where is my next story mission as the map you have shows only the current dungeon you are into and you can't really zoom out.
    If this old mechanics don't bother you, you will get an enjoyable approx. 70 hour Star Wars like story.    … Expand
  8. Foxazoxi
    Sep 6, 2019
    8
    This is one of the best FF games in my opinion though I didn't play all of them but this one has so many good things except its story.
  9. IlovetheSwitchT
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    I loooooove this RPG so much! So much customization and the story was awesome. Loved Balthier especially! Dope game
  10. Gamepro3093
    Jul 5, 2022
    2
    What do people see in this game? I’ve never been so bored by a Final Fantasy game before. Uninteresting characters, poorly developed story that’s banal and cribs too much from Star Wars, most levels are drab and unappealing looking, monster design is lame, combat is trash. 12 marked the beginning of a decade long decline for the series into mediocrity that didn’t really start to turnWhat do people see in this game? I’ve never been so bored by a Final Fantasy game before. Uninteresting characters, poorly developed story that’s banal and cribs too much from Star Wars, most levels are drab and unappealing looking, monster design is lame, combat is trash. 12 marked the beginning of a decade long decline for the series into mediocrity that didn’t really start to turn around until 15 as we saw how low the series could sink with the 13 trilogy.… Expand
  11. PsxMeUP
    May 23, 2022
    5
    Not the worst FF game, but far from being the best.

    Pros: - Great music. - Great CGI sequences. - Good character designs, especially Fran. - Somewhat open world, though still on rails, like you would expect from a JRPG. - Grinding can be fun. Cons: - Loot and gear: The license system is needlessly convoluted. For example, you have to buy a license in order to wear a specific    Not the worst FF game, but far from being the best.

    Pros:
    - Great music.
    - Great CGI sequences.
    - Good character designs, especially Fran.
    - Somewhat open world, though still on rails, like you would expect from a JRPG.
    - Grinding can be fun.

    Cons:
    - Loot and gear: The license system is needlessly convoluted. For example, you have to buy a license in order to wear a specific ring... Wouldn't it be easier to assign a level to each item, and once you reach that level (characters have levels) you gain access to said item? For those who like grinding, you will have all the licenses before even reaching the game's halfway point, making the whole license board point system pointless. You will simply wait to find the items you're entitled to wear. Additionally, there's a way to "craft" items by selling specific items/ingredients and getting new one-time items available in a bazaar. Again, convoluted. Just create a normal crafting system.

    - Fighting: Regular enemies are merely pests. There's loads of them, and most are dealt with without you even knowing it, since your characters can be programmed to act automatically. Summons are useless. They're basically characters you call on that come help one member of your team for a while, while the rest of the team sits and waits. I rarely used them.

    - Graphics: It's a JRPG, so no organic level designs, just corridors with fancy wallpapers - sometimes mountains, sometimes forests.

    - Story: It's basically Star Wars, but what's worse, they slapped on the Ivalice / FF Tactics franchise to its name to this game, in essence cheapening the Ivalice/FFT franchise since this game has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with FFT or Ivalice. It's a clear attempt to give the game more substance, which proves that the game's creators felt FF12 was lacking in substance. FFT was never hightech, so this new "spin" into the Ivalice ethos only adds confusion and messes with future games.

    Overall, it's ok if you like to grind and have a lot of time to waste, but it has a lot of missed potential. Not sure why Square created this game.    … Expand
  12. ADrunkenRabbit
    Jul 11, 2020
    5
    Story: Pretty good but starts off very meandering but once you have a full party and the plot gets moving it's better.

    Characters: Alright, but Vaan is a bad MC and Penelo is kinda just there. Really it's just Basch, Balthier, Fran, and Ashe that are interesting and none are incredibly so. Combat: Simultaneously one of it's stronger and weaker points. When slightly underleveled    Story: Pretty good but starts off very meandering but once you have a full party and the plot gets moving it's better.

    Characters: Alright, but Vaan is a bad MC and Penelo is kinda just there. Really it's just Basch, Balthier, Fran, and Ashe that are interesting and none are incredibly so.

    Combat: Simultaneously one of it's stronger and weaker points. When slightly underleveled against a boss the combat system really shines and it feels great. The gambit system lets the fights move fluidly but there's enough challenge that you still are engaged and thinking about tactics. But for 95% of the game you will not be fighting bosses you will be steam rolling everything at 4x speed. Also I HATE summons in this game, mechanically they are a pain to use and there's very little spectacle to them anymore or the fights in general, they're very dull to look at. Physical characters are super boring (not exactly unexpected in FF games to be fair) and most techniques are kinda bad.

    Graphics: The art direction took a while to get used to (and I prefer the animu styling of FFX over this) but it's very good looking for a ps2 game. And I like that it looks like a Star Wars prequel. Bosses look pretty great though the average monsters look pretty dated by modern standards. Most of the areas look pretty great like the Sandsea and Mosphorron Highlands and the Salikawood but some are very dull like the Golmore Jungles

    Map: This map is so annoying and I wish this game came out a generation later because I hate it but not because of the scenery (which is often great) but because of the layout. It's got enough dull sprawl to match the emptiest open world game but without a shred of organic feeling to it. The outside areas are filled with visible and invisible walls and are very restrictive feeling.For so much of this game you are looking at walls or cliffs. Maps that could be great like the Sandsea are instead just you walking in semicircles 800 trillion times. Very few are actually both intriguing visually and fun to explore and almost all of them are north of Rabanastre (so about 2/3rds of the way through the game). Dungeon's are mostly good tho.

    Camera: Terrible, it is about 3 feet behind you and you take up a full fifth of the screen at any given moment (thank god the characters are slender or it'd be even worse).    … Expand
  13. HeyitsMauri
    May 25, 2019
    7
    it runs like complete trash on the switch, buy it anywhere else but here. would not recommend.
  14. kiwijinxter
    Sep 4, 2019
    1
    I read some reviews and thought I might like this game, but unfortunately, it's like Xenoblade Chronicles gameplay with worse graphics. It's not the kind of RPG I like. What I absolutely hated about this game is the difficulty in grinding to level up - it's just too onerous. Also the way you upgrade your weapons / armour is just nonsensically complicated for no reason. Not recommended atI read some reviews and thought I might like this game, but unfortunately, it's like Xenoblade Chronicles gameplay with worse graphics. It's not the kind of RPG I like. What I absolutely hated about this game is the difficulty in grinding to level up - it's just too onerous. Also the way you upgrade your weapons / armour is just nonsensically complicated for no reason. Not recommended at all. There are many other better RPGs out there e.g. Octopath Traveler.… Expand
  15. 777Faron
    Sep 4, 2022
    6
    It's a bit like Xenoblade except more boring in every aspect. Rather buy Xenoblade 3, which is one of the best rpgs of all time.
  16. shado474
    Sep 18, 2019
    5
    I normally like that kind of RPG but the battle style is an awkward hybrid between turn-based and action, which ends up being worse than each separately. There is a lot of grinding necessary to beat the bosses in the game and progress, which adds lengthy stretches into the game. Luckily the fast-forward option accelerates exploration and backtracking a bit. Oh, and the debuffs... I don'tI normally like that kind of RPG but the battle style is an awkward hybrid between turn-based and action, which ends up being worse than each separately. There is a lot of grinding necessary to beat the bosses in the game and progress, which adds lengthy stretches into the game. Luckily the fast-forward option accelerates exploration and backtracking a bit. Oh, and the debuffs... I don't mind some of them but this game is literally a debuff party whenever you get into a fight at some point in the game, it is really irritating, especially when regular enemies just send your entire party to sleep! Despite everything, I really tried to like the game. The story is complex and the music is generally good. It is just the gameplay that ruined it for me.… Expand
  17. Pasifull
    Jul 29, 2021
    6
    Serviceable and occasioanally addictive RPG. All aspects just too shallow. Combat, characters, licence board, plot, gambit system, side activities; all needed more depth to be really engaging. Final product is like eating a whole pack of rice cakes. Not terrible, and enough calories to make it (just about) worth your while, but nothing to remember.
  18. Nintendist
    Jun 30, 2022
    0
    one of the worst games that i played. the gameplay is so boring and empty. i dont like it
  19. lucinhagamer
    Aug 26, 2022
    0
    this gameplay is very bad, you have to do nothing all the time. very boring
  20. MrTusks
    Jan 12, 2021
    10
    My number one FF, even before the massive improvements included in Zodiac Age. Looks great on Switch.
  21. Reed618
    May 9, 2020
    8
    i played this on ps2 years ago and honestly hated it. The game felt repetitive and padded out. Thankfully the zodiac age fixes most of my issues with it.

    Pros First of all the fast forward function is a godsend. This 40 hour game shrinks down to a much more enjoyable 24 hour experience. Grinding is actually kind of fun and exploring the large dungeons is something I looked forward to    i played this on ps2 years ago and honestly hated it. The game felt repetitive and padded out. Thankfully the zodiac age fixes most of my issues with it.

    Pros

    First of all the fast forward function is a godsend. This 40 hour game shrinks down to a much more enjoyable 24 hour experience. Grinding is actually kind of fun and exploring the large dungeons is something I looked forward to this time around. The story sections come faster this way and that's certainly a better experience.

    Second the story is quite enjoyable. It's not on the same level as some of the earlier games in the series, particularly 7,8 and 9, but it's quite well told with some nice story beats particularly in the second part of the game.

    Third the characters are mostly pretty good. Basch and Ashe are kind of cliches but they work well. Fran and Balthier are much more interesting. It's a shame the cast is so small though. Now for the cons.

    Cons

    Vaan is a weak protagonist and penelo is very uninteresting. Overall though this isn't such a big deal. I actually quite liked the cast as a whole.

    The villain is very forgettable. Quite possibly the least memorable villain in a final fantasy game.

    The opening hours can be quite slow and there are some annoying parts for example running around a city yelling about basch von ronsenburg was a pain.

    The gambit system isn't the most interesting. I spent large parts of the game using only the left analogue stick. Even in the final boss fight I was just occasionally using cure magic. It was all pretty much done for me. Still it's quite relaxing to just run around and watch your characters beat up enemies for you and gain levels.

    Overall i'm really glad i revisited this game. I wouldn't mind revisiting 13 in the future as well but only if they add a fast forward function to it as well. Sadly both 12 and 13 come off as feeling quite bloated and repetitive in their original versions.    … Expand
  22. vodkaffee
    May 10, 2022
    9
    This is on my top 3 FF games, the story is serious and complex, the worldbuilding is great, the music is very good (but you have to manually set BSO to have the most tonally apropiate music) and the gameplay is probably the best amalgamation of an active and paused battle system in the series
  23. Akiin
    Jul 2, 2019
    10
    this port of an underrated Ps2 game should be played by anyone who who is curious to discover the Final Fantasy name/brand and one of the most uniqe worlds in gaming with the breathtaking Ivalice where every scenery bursts magic and a mytical story waits to be told on every corner, combined with a soundtrack that is truly enchanting . try it out you won't regret it.
  24. TheLeadingMan
    Jun 6, 2019
    10
    Im Grunde genommen ist es wie das PS2 Original, nur mit einigen Änderungen. Die Gravierendeste ist sicherlich das Job System, dass dem Spieler ermöglicht eine von 12 zur Auswahl stehenden Klassen (Ritter, Jäger, Schwarzmagier, usw.) auszuwählen und später im Spiel mit einer zweiten Klasse zu kombinieren. Seine Entscheidungen bei der Jobauswahl kann man auch rückgängig machen und neuIm Grunde genommen ist es wie das PS2 Original, nur mit einigen Änderungen. Die Gravierendeste ist sicherlich das Job System, dass dem Spieler ermöglicht eine von 12 zur Auswahl stehenden Klassen (Ritter, Jäger, Schwarzmagier, usw.) auszuwählen und später im Spiel mit einer zweiten Klasse zu kombinieren. Seine Entscheidungen bei der Jobauswahl kann man auch rückgängig machen und neu treffen, wodurch der Experimentierfreude nichts im Wege steht.
    Im Großen und Ganzen ist es das selbe Spiel. Wer das Original mochte wird The Zodiac Age lieben.    … Expand
  25. Rene69
    Apr 10, 2020
    10
    Uno de los mejores juegos de mi vida,lo pase mil veces y las qe me qedan,y esta version es perfecta.
  26. GreenMenace
    Sep 4, 2023
    4
    Final Fantasy XII was my introduction into this Final Fantasy series. It had a fun enough tutorial, but then the main protagonist was introduced and I quickly lost interest. Maybe I'll finish it someday, but there was no reason for me to feel an urge to continue.
  27. CalPaulE
    Sep 23, 2019
    9
    I don’t get why ppl give this game so much flak - I loved it and would rank it in my top 3 FFs. The battle system was fantastic - I don’t know why it hasn’t been replicated. My only real complaint about the game was that it was a bit too easy... coulda made it a bit more challenging.
  28. Ajite
    Nov 4, 2019
    7
    It is a very peculiar entry in the Final Fantasy main series. The fighting system is inspired by the MMORPG Final Fantasy 11. It has a gambit system which looks like MACRO in MMORPG. It allows you to make your characters do actions when some criteria are matched. E.g: Use Firaga if monster weak to fire.

    It seemed to be an innovation at first, but it made the game too easy. In the last    It is a very peculiar entry in the Final Fantasy main series. The fighting system is inspired by the MMORPG Final Fantasy 11. It has a gambit system which looks like MACRO in MMORPG. It allows you to make your characters do actions when some criteria are matched. E.g: Use Firaga if monster weak to fire.

    It seemed to be an innovation at first, but it made the game too easy. In the last dungeon, I had nothing to do. I just had to walk with my characters while they were annihilating enemies. Even the last boss did not require any input from my side.

    The job system is great but some combination seemed overpowered.

    Story-wise, it was not bad but it was definitely not as epic as previous entries in the series. The main protagonist has absolutely no charisma, hopefully characters like Balthier and Bash make up for it.

    It runs well on the switch in both handled and dock mode and it’s nice to be able to play with the orchestra soundtrack.

    If you are a fan of the Final Fantasy genre, I would still recommend it. It has a lot of side quests and optional content but it is definitely not a must to have.    … Expand
  29. Bazaar34
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    One of the best RPGs I've played in my life. The amount of customization is great and I especially appreciate the way the gameplay opens up progressively. It deserves a lot more love!
  30. IMR707
    Jan 24, 2021
    8
    Pros

    - Esper and Hunt quest is challenging and fun - Gameplay enhancement from original is amazing and feels more focused - Gambit System planning and seeing your tactics melt the enemy is fun - Exploring is fun (because of the fast option) - The X4 game speed option is a huge godsent for me because i love RPG that has fast options and this helps make the game less grindy. Might be    Pros

    - Esper and Hunt quest is challenging and fun
    - Gameplay enhancement from original is amazing and feels more focused
    - Gambit System planning and seeing your tactics melt the enemy is fun
    - Exploring is fun (because of the fast option)
    - The X4 game speed option is a huge godsent for me because i love RPG that has fast options and this helps make the game less grindy. Might be a bit difficult to control on X4 speed, but i got used to it.
    - Its kinda giving me my Star Wars vibe

    Cons
    - Story and character is meh, except Balthier. I love that guy
    - Whats with the black bar on the bottom for the CG cutscene?
    - The camera may be too close to the main character. I wish the camera is zoomed out just a little bit.
    - UI navigation on some places sometimes feel a bit sluggish although not gamebreaking, mostly at dialogue message selection during conversation.

    Summary
    The gameplay overhaul really attracts me to play it again since its release on PS2 era. I am grateful to able to finish it this time on Switch    … Expand
  31. Cesar77
    Jul 23, 2020
    7
    Good story,unique combat gameplay that makes you strategize using the Gambit system. Good buy
  32. adearriba07
    Aug 21, 2020
    9
    Excelente juego! Es mi primer FF y la verdad que voy a comprarme X X-2 porque este me gustó tanto. Al inicio me costó engancharme, pero luego de un rato, quería hacer las cacerías, quería forjar las armas poderosas y el hecho de poder acelerar partes aburridas x2 y x4 es genial!
  33. Yarun64
    Jun 7, 2021
    10
    One of the best RPG I've ever played in my whole life! I don't have the right words to express how perfect that videogame is...
  34. Narwhale73
    Jan 18, 2022
    6
    The game is alright and the story is somewhat interesting. However, the stroy is also difficult to follow and the controls/gameplay is to weird for me to keep using.

    It's by no means a bad game however. The controls just personally weren't working for me as stated above.
  35. 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.

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best Switch Game of 2019
49
#49 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019
25
#25 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Cubed3
    Aug 26, 2019
    60
    On a scale of best to worst Final Fantasy titles, XII sits somewhere in the middle. It exists in a bland limbo of mediocrity. The best qualities lie in its art direction, music and animation. Being able to play with a high speed mode truly illustrates just how slow and tedious the combat actually is and by circumventing it entirely, a huge portion of the experience is compromised but also the overall product is made more enjoyable.
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  2. Vooks
    Jun 17, 2019
    80
    Final Fantasy XII is a solid entry in the main series that has definitely been improved by updates made with the remaster. Elements of the game that were quite a shake-up at the time stand out much less given where the series has gone over the last decade. If you missed it the first time, this is the best version I could recommend thanks to the portability and all of the most up to date additions and improvements. More importantly, the game is fun. After countless hours of turn-based battles, it was a pleasant change. If you missed it the first time, it’s time to fix that mistake and grab Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.
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  3. Pure Nintendo
    May 29, 2019
    80
    All of this comes together for a mostly engaging strategic experience that is just long enough to not wear out its welcome. You’re not going to sink hundreds of hours into it like you did with Breath of Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but that’s a good thing in this case. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac age chugs along at a decent speed (albeit sometimes slowed by long, repetitive environments and the micromanagement of the gambit system), with story elements dropped in just often enough to keep you intrigued.
    Read full review
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