Final Fantasy XV

[SilverSyko]

No, it was hard because Sora could only have a maximum of 60 HP on that difficulty and enemies did twice the damage.

From what I've seen and read, the reaction commands aren't affected at all in Final Mix's Critical mode.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

I still think we'd need to see them make a really good FF game before being able to say that . The reason FF games have gotten so many complaints lately might just be because they weren't actually good.

XII was excellent, but nobody will ever admit it because I'M CAPTAIN BASCH VON RONSENBERG OF DALMASCA
I'M CAPTAIN BASCH

[Xagzan]

Originally Posted by SilverSyko

No, it was hard because Sora could only have a maximum of 60 HP on that difficulty and enemies did twice the damage.

From what I've seen and read, the reaction commands aren't affected at all in Final Mix's Critical mode.

As someone who played FM2's critical mode, I don't recall them being so either. It was friggin tough for the reasons you said.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by SilverSyko

From what I've seen and read, the reaction commands aren't affected at all in Final Mix's Critical mode.

...What? The Reaction command to kill Demyx's water clones is flat out not there anymore. Xemnas during the first phase has an entirely new move.

There were a lot more changes than just stat numbers being affected.

[SilverSyko]

That's only in the optional data replica fight against him. That command still exists in the regular fight against him in the story progression. Both also apply to every difficulty in the game, not just Critical.

And I didn't see any new moves for Xemnas that he didn't already have.

[Xagzan]

Xemnas' "new move" is his twirling double blade dance, sped up by about x3. Tricky to avoid.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

XII was excellent, but nobody will ever admit it because I'M CAPTAIN BASCH VON RONSENBERG OF DALMASCA
I'M CAPTAIN BASCH

I'll just have to defer to you on that one . Still remains a unique game on my list for being the one FF game I just stopped playing part way.

[Magin]

In terms of XII, if Vaan hadn't been the main character, I think people would've enjoyed it more. keep in mind though, the other flaw that everyone says about XII: it turned into a game that played itself, courtesy of gambits. That being said, I've enjoyed what I've played of XII (it remains unbeaten after all these years, and I'm almost ashamed to admit this...)

[Vajra]

Geez it seems like a lot of us stopped playing XII part way through...I thought it was just me getting overwhelmed by Super Bosses and bored with tedious side quests.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Sakuranbo

Geez it seems like a lot of us stopped playing XII part way through...I thought it was just me getting overwhelmed by Super Bosses and bored with tedious side quests.

I stopped after fighting Cid. Vaan never once know what he is doing in the game, and in the same way I don't understand why I was playing it. I wasn't invested in the plot because I wasn't INVOLVED. I feel like I wasn't saving the world, that if I just walk off the world would save itself without me.

And once I realised that, I look at the game mechanics and see if THAT was anything I can spend time on. Only to realise that I maxed the grid already of stat bonus and with no way of changing the grid in any way, there is no customisation. (This is the first Western release.)

With FFX, I played for the story. With FFX-2, I play for the game mechanics. XII had neither.

As I say, it's not that there isn't a PLOT in XII. It's that there is just no true way in emotionally pushing me to play on when I don't fee like I made any difference at all. The universe would survive fine without Vaan, when the same can't be said of most other FF protagonists. Made worse by the fact that all the characters are identical in FFXII, so the "characters" are effectively just "extra lives".

[DragoonKain3]

I played the original FF12 mainly due to exploration. I don't care what anyone else says, but the level design in FF12 was absolutely fantastic. From exploring vast plains, to exploring caves scattered around it, to roaming the desert seas, to making your way through the now turned swamps due to rainfall, to slugging through the stinky sewers, to 'climbing' the stairs in that god forsaken tower.... with all the variation both in theme and how you navigated the places, it really felt that this world was alive. I always wanted to explore because I wanted to know what other wonders are waiting around the next corner, or what treasure there is to find.

Then you have the mark/hunt system to give you an excuse to explore said places, and the only reason why I advanced the storyline was because I had nothing to prey on.

Did it 'save' Final Fantasy? I really don't think it needed saving in the first place at that time, as FF10 had great reception and a lot of people were playing FF11. Compare this to FF15, where a lot of people are disappointed in FF13 (me especially as it had so little exploration that I loved in FF12) and FF14 was a disaster.

[Xagzan]

I still say Ashe was the main character. Vaan was the stupidly unnecessary shirtless pretty boy.

[sayde]

FFXII will always hold a special place in my heart for being the only FF so far that I truly wish could've been an action rpg. From the moment I started playing it, it felt like it should've been one. I'd even go as far as to say it was trying to be an action-rpg without making the full transformation. lol

But when it came down to it, the fact that it wasn't an actual arpg made the combat feel so incredibly blan and boring to me. Basically, if the exploration and combat elements are to be combined on the same field, I don't want to wait for a bar to recharge everytime I want my controlled characters to execute basic attacks. I also don't want to take physical hits from enemies if I'm clearly out of their reach and range. And the gambit system didn't help matters. I literally remember falling asleep behind the controller on multiple occasions. I had to limit my reliance on gambits for this very reason. But I couldn't get used to the MMO feel of the combat system (since I don't like MMO's). It was the only main numbered FF I've played where I had to come back to it after a six month break just to finish it. Didn't care for the story, didn't care for the characters, the music, and of course the gameplay. But I figured I spent $50, so I might as well see the conclusion.

With that said, FFXV is kind of turning out to be the game I wish FFXII could've been.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Magin

In terms of XII, if Vaan hadn't been the main character, I think people would've enjoyed it more.

Yeeeeeep.

Originally Posted by Magin

keep in mind though, the other flaw that everyone says about XII: it turned into a game that played itself, courtesy of gambits.

This has been pointed out before, but there's little difference between relying on the gambits and mashing [confirm] over and over again which you do in just about every ordinary battle in every other FF game.
You'll have to order characters to do things manually in many boss fights as well, especially the monster hunts which often throw out unexpected things.
It's not really that different, it just seems that way at first, but a lot of people seem to give up around the time they rescue Ashe.

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

I played the original FF12 mainly due to exploration. I don't care what anyone else says, but the level design in FF12 was absolutely fantastic.

Yes, this. Fucking this. The world was an absolute joy to explore, and combined with Sakimoto's glorious OST... just, damn. So good.

[Mahou]

FF XII was the last title I played due to no access (and money) for a PS3. And while I usually don't really have any form of high expectations, I found part 12 simply boring. I think I played it to the point where it was generally accepted to start becoming "good" (can't remember at what point), yet by now the disc (case) is collecting dust. There was nothing truly memorable: I can't remember any bit about the story, the characters, the OST except of a a few names here and there. Fortunately, I got a cheap copy from ebay so that there was no big loss for not finishing it. Oh yes, I know that my "favorite" party members were Vaan, Ashe and Penelo.

About XV? Honestly, after XII, I lost quite a bit interest in the series at least to such a degree that I wouldn't explicitly check news about it so I simply have lived oblivious of most pre and post release information from about XIII(-2) to XV (ignoring the occational forum threads) If it becomes epic, good for SE and everyone else. If not, it saves me money.

[SilverSyko]

This game is probably worth more comparing to Kingdom Hearts since it shares more similarities with that than any other previous main Final Fantasy title.

I realize there are some differences to make it more a part of the Final Fantasy franchise, but the fundamentals are still much closer to the KH series.

[GrimJack]

Originally Posted by Xagzan

I still say Ashe was the main character. Vaan was the stupidly unnecessary shirtless pretty boy.

There is a case that the main character was Balthier but in a pinch Ashe will do. Vaan and Penelo are like the peasants in the Hidden Fortress and the Droids in Star Wars, characters the story revolves around and is told from their point of view but not by any stretch the main characters

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by GrimJack

There is a case that the main character was Balthier but in a pinch Ashe will do. Vaan and Penelo are like the peasants in the Hidden Fortress and the Droids in Star Wars, characters the story revolves around and is told from their point of view but not by any stretch the main characters

Another issue is that they were identical to each other gameplywise. I never once feel "okay, here is a part of a game where a gun would come in handy, I will swap in Balthier because he is a gun user". It doesn't matter if the character is a pirate, princess, thief or shop clerk, they all end up identical. There is just no personality in the character at all during gameplay. Sure, there are personality portrayals in cut-scenes, but that's where it stays. You would think that a Rabbit-Elf would have different strengths and weaknesses to that of a human, but no.

[GrimJack]

I haven't played it but my son has the International Zodiac Job System allowed you to differenciate more between the characters.

When I played I had two teams and would swap them every now and again basically the teams had the same (or similar) setup

still I liked the game as I really have liked all The FF games to a greater or lesser degree

All in all you got out of the game what you were willing to put into it, it could be as simple or as complex as you wanted it to be.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

Another issue is that they were identical to each other gameplywise. I never once feel "okay, here is a part of a game where a gun would come in handy, I will swap in Balthier because he is a gun user". It doesn't matter if the character is a pirate, princess, thief or shop clerk, they all end up identical. There is just no personality in the character at all during gameplay. Sure, there are personality portrayals in cut-scenes, but that's where it stays. You would think that a Rabbit-Elf would have different strengths and weaknesses to that of a human, but no.

You know. One could make this argument about VII and VIII as well, since the only real differences between the characters were their Limit Breaks. X (eventually) ended up like this as well, although it admittedly took a lot more effort for every character to get every ability than it did in XII.
Really, the last FF where individual character differences mattered was IX, which is also, coincidentally, why it is my favorite.
At least XV looks to be doing something similar, although how useful the other party members are going to be when only Noctis can use that ridiculous teleportation thing (among other abilities) remains to be seen.