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rsmithca's Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
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| [January 19, 2007 03:35:10 PM]
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Played some more FF XII today. I'm beginning to like my party members. The main protagonist, Vaan, is still somewhat annoying, but the rest of the characters each have an interesting story attached to them. Balthier, for instance, is a very complex character. It is not clear yet what his true motivations are for joining the party. He is a rogue pirate, a charmer, and a clever man. Other characters' motives are kept secret as well. This has always been the case for RPG games, especially so of one of Final Fantasy's caliber. The story is wrapped in intrigue, with twists and turns, people seeming to switch sides, and so forth. I have played about a dozen hours overall, and I still have not learned that much. This is not a fault of the game, however. The mystery is one of the major factors that drives me to play more, to discover how the pieces come together. This franchise is known for its good storytelling, so I am looking forward to surprising revelations, backstabbings, and an epic conclusion. Of course, even a good story is not enough to keep someone playing if the game play is not fun. Fortunately, FF XII is fun to play - the removal of random battles is wonderful in my opinion, as I never liked walking ten paces only to suddenly be drawn into battle. The ability to avoid enemies when I want to is great, and the when I want to fight, I don't even have to push any buttons. I suppose the gambit system does not immerse you in the fight the same way as pushing buttons, but it is nice for the weaker enemies not to have to keep hitting 'attack', 'defend', etc. And if I really want to, I can manually control their actions. This is a wonderful move for the FF series I think, giving people a choice between letting the characters just go at it, or allowing you to control all their actions. The only thing that would improve the battles would be the inclusion of more diverse magic attacks. Perhaps it is because I need to open up more magic possibilities with the license board, but I do not have much besides being able to cure ailments and one summon spell. Using the same strike over and over on a monster gets tedious and boring to watch, and it seems strange that an RPG such as this one does not have more in the way of magical attacks, or at least makes it a chore to obtain them. This is a small problem though, and it does not affect the game as a whole.
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| [January 19, 2007 02:50:28 PM]
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My first entry for Final Fantasy XII is centered around city exploration. In huge RPG games such as this, talking to people and doing side quests are usually just as important as progressing in the story. Wandering around the city Rabanastre can sometimes get overwhelming. It's huge, with many parts to explore and lots of people to talk to. Unlike the main quest, where you are given a direction or perhaps a task to fulfill, there is generally no help when it comes to exploration. Like any good RPG, FF XII includes fun little diversions from the story. Before advancing in the story too far, I did several 'monster hunts' to level up and get rewards. The rewards are not always worth the trouble, but at least the experience of tracking down a specific monster is usually fun. On another note, I really like the art and architecture in this game. Rabanastre is a sprawling city, and its towers and buildings stretch up impressively, giving it a grand scope. The deserts and other areas around the city are not quite as impressive, but the design of the monsters is very inventive, ranging from modifications of real-world animals (Fire Horse, for example) to the extremely fanciful (Death Wall). Another reason for spending a good amount of time in the city is upgrading equipment. Buying a really good sword or shield is very expensive! Selling loot from monsters and treasures picked up along the way are the most common ways to make money. I wish things were not nearly as expensive, as it can take an hour or so just to make enough money to buy one sword. This makes the game experience lag a bit, but not enough to make me stop playing. The music in the city is pleasant but also forgettable. It is a good thing that it is not annoying, because I spent hours in the city - not all at once, but overall, I have spent a good portion of the game simply talking to people in the city, getting quests, upgrading and selling things. One caveat I have with this game are the saving crystals. In order to save my progress, I must find one of these crystals that are spread about. They are usually very easy to locate, but even so, I wish it were not a requirement. I suppose I am spoiled by games like The Legend of Zelda, where you can save at any time. I do plenty of running around in FF XII, and I just wish I did not have to run to a crystal every time I am finished playing. All said and done though, FF XII is an enjoyable game, and my next entry will be more about the story and main characters.
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rsmithca's Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
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Current Status: Stopped playing - Something better came along
GameLog started on: Friday 19 January, 2007
GameLog closed on: Monday 29 January, 2007 |
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