Final Fantasy 12 it took a while to come out because it went through several stages of development. When it finally came out in 2006, it was at the end of the PS2's life cycle. It was launched in North America just a month before the PS3.
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Whenever a game launches at the end of a console's lifecycle, it's a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, by the end of the generation, developers will become more comfortable creating games for a specific console and are thus able to make more use of the system's capabilities. Final Fantasy 12 is a great example of that. However, when the game is launched too close to the new console, it can be overshadowed, which is why Final Fantasy 12 maybe in 2006 I didn't get the dues I deserved. Let's go through it why does it hold so well as a PS2 RPG and as a game that came out in 2000.
A more open game compared to other PS2 RPGs
Not open world, but close
The open world genre has yet to explode on the PS2. Most RPGs tended to explore world maps, with dungeons and towns dotted around the areas for players to jump into. Final Fantasy 12 it wasn't fully open world either, but it did use a world map and the setting was quite large. Each area of the game consisted of large open zones to explore for different purposes. There are monsters running around, treasure chests are hidden off the main path, and in some cases entrances to secret areas can be found.
Compared to Final Fantasy 10, Final Fantasy 12 practically doubled the size of the areas, which no longer felt strictly linear. Also, due to the combat being real-time, it created a more immersive feeling for players as they explored the environment. The biomes were also very varied, from sandy deserts to snowy mountains, plus weather effects could change them slightly and make areas bigger or smaller by adding or subtracting enemies.
Seamless combat transitions
Not quite action, not quite turn-based
The best part Final Fantasy 12 is sometimes a real-time combat system that is like an MMO. As players explored, enemies could target a party of three or, in some cases with a guest character, a party of four. However, players could also aim them back. Who enemies and allies were attacking was indicated by a line drawn high above the battlefield to help players track the progress of the action. All party members attacked automatically, but players could pause at any time to cast a spell, use an item, or use a Limit Break. There was also a system of summoning through zodiac-based creatures called Espers, including Belias, Zeromus, and Chaos to name a few. Summoning an esper replaced the party members for a short period of time, similar to Yuna's summoning of creatures Final Fantasy 10adding another layer to the party system and the struggle.
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True brilliance Final Fantasy 12 was the Gambit system, a series of programmable shortcuts that determined what a character would do in battle. For example, players could program a character to always cast magic or heal an ally after reaching a certain percentage of HP. Gambits started out broad, but players could unlock more complex ones over time. They could also ignore Gambits as micromanaging the party through the menu was doable Final Fantasy fans used to multiple draft systems. Overall, Final Fantasy 12's the combat system was unlike anything else on the PS2, which felt like the perfect mix between real-time action and thought-provoking action that didn't slow things down with separate battle arenas.
The license plate allows for deep customization
A combination between Job System and Sphere Grid
Party in Final Fantasy 12 levels up normally, but there is an added bonus that allows players to evolve characters as they wish. It's called the Licensing Board. Each character starts at a different location on the license plate. For example, Vaan is like a villain who has thieving abilities and smaller weapons, while his best girl Penelo has white magic like the Cure. It is basically a different form of Job system from others Final Fantasy games. This idea would be expanded on in the remaster, but it's not that important now.
Like Sphere Grid v Final Fantasy 10characters can later move into areas originally reserved for other characters. While Vaan's magic stats aren't very good, players could teach him some spells if they wanted, or make Penelo a knight. Players can only work with six party members, and as mentioned, three can participate in battle at once. After death, players can immediately replace another character in the backup, so, like Final Fantasy 10basically the whole group is ready to pounce at any time. That said, it might be wiser to strategically make each character special via the license board to diversify the party. A situation may require all ranged characters, while another may require a magic user. By specializing the party, players can focus on the skills and equipment that best match a given character's stats.
Still visually stunning on PS2
Even better in HD
Visuals in Final Fantasy 12 they were kind of unbelievable on PS2. It's not that the other RPGs were ugly, but before the game's release in late 2006, PlayStation fans had already seen what the PS3 would look like. Final Fantasy 12 it didn't look like a PS3 game, of course, but players could almost be fooled if they didn't compare the screenshots. The black bars in the cutscenes also added a certain level of intensity to the action, making it look even better and real-time instead of relying heavily on CG cutscenes like in the past. Final Fantasy games. That said, the transition between CG and real-time cutscenes didn't seem as dramatically different in some cases.
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The real thing that helped fool PS2 players back then into thinking the game was visually impressive in comparison Final Fantasy 10 or Dark Cloud 2 was Final Fantasy 12's artistic style. It had fantastic races, magic, airships and more to make it a pure fantasy RPG, but the colors were more muted instead of being too bright and vivid, which helped it feel more realistic. This, along with the larger environments, helped create a level of immersion not achieved by many PS2 RPGs. This helped make the game visually stunning, with Square Enix using every bit of the system's power to render the most beautiful game in the world. Final Fantasy series on PS2 without question.
The voice acting is great
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Final Fantasy 10 was a big deal for the series in 2001 as it was the first main series Final Fantasy voice acting game. In general, it had a pretty good delivery, but then some moments became memes, like Tidus teaching Yuna to laugh. Final Fantasy 12 it also has some meme-worthy moments, like Vaan marching around telling everyone not to believe the lies in Ondore, but overall the game has excellent voice acting. It is also a much more serious and dramatic story than Final Fantasy 10and dubbing comparisons go further Final Fantasy games, to titles such as The heart of the kingdom, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, Shadow Hearts: Covenantand so on.
It's not that these games lack good actors or well-written dialogue. Just actors and writing Final Fantasy 12 they were a step above PS2 RPGs and 2000s games in general. The overall story may not be as memorable or as exciting as other RPGs of the era, but it's hard to deny how great the acting really was. From voice acting to cutscenes to environments and everything in between, this specific development team from Square Enix has breathed new life into Final Fantasy and built on the world of Ivalice, which started as a simple side idea Final Fantasy Tactics.
- Released
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October 31, 2006
- ESRB
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T for minors due to alcohol, fantasy violence, mild language, partial nudity, sexual themes
- Engine
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Zodiac Engine 2.0
