Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

The original Final Fantasy XII was a great game that came out at the wrong time. Launching on the PlayStation 2 distressingly close to the release of the PlayStation 3 and Wii meant that it was overlooked and underplayed by many. Those who did stick with it, however, were rewarded with a superb RPG adventure, filled with beautiful visuals, an engrossing world, and a unique free-roaming approach to exploration and combat. Now Final Fantasy XII is back as The Zodiac Age on PlayStation 4, polished with a high-definition coat of paint and a host of minor – but mostly positive – changes, giving players both old and new a second chance to experience the world of Ivalice.

Final Fantasy XII’s refreshingly down-to-earth story focuses on the struggles of characters caught up in a web of politics and war, rather than a stereotypical cataclysmic “saving the universe” sort of JRPG adventure. The focus on the characters and their small but important roles in a larger struggle makes the various twists, betrayals, and triumphs of the story feel more impactful. It’s helped along by one of the best localizations ever, which makes reading reams of dialogue learning more about the world feel rewarding on its own. This is a game where I thoroughly enjoy talking to each and every NPC, which is especially impressive when you consider that a playthrough can range from 60 hours to over 100, depending on your pace.

While the story is linear, the world is semi-open and allows you to explore large portions of the map from the beginning with only a few restrictions. Wandering off the beaten path can yield rewards like treasure and high-grade loot, but it also offers the risk of wandering into the territory of high-level monsters who can easily eat your party for lunch. The rewards for exploration are manyfold: areas that look like dead ends can contain noteworthy treasures, high-level enemies might drop loot that opens up new items for sale in the bazaar, and secret bosses lurk in totally optional areas that you would otherwise completely pass by.

Combat takes place directly on the map and is an interesting variation on the real-time, menu-driven battles of previous Final Fantasy games. You only control one party member at a time – the other characters are all directed by the CPU. Thankfully, Final Fantasy XII cleverly alleviates the problem other RPGs have of CPU-controlled party members behaving badly through pre-programmable commands called “gambits” which let you direct characters on how to act when certain situations arise. For example, you can tell an ally to use healing items and spells when your characters are hurt or suffering status ailments, target high- or low-hp enemies, or use elemental skills when an enemy vulnerability is known. Set up your gambits well frees you up to spend your time focusing on more interesting things like positioning in order to maximize area-of-effect attacks, while still issuing extra commands to your comrades when necessary.