Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (PS4) Review

Loss, betrayal, and adventure.

 Final Fantasy XII was an unfortunate entry in the long running Final Fantasy series. It came out in an unfortunate time in late 2006 when the PS2 was at the end of its days with its successor, the PlayStation 3, right around the corner. Most players either disliked the game's MMO-styled game and story (which are valid criticisms) or skipped the entry altogether. Lastly, it's often regarded as one of the black sheep of the series that is barely talked about. Still, that didn't stop the game from receiving multiple "Game of The Year" awards and selling 2 million copies in its native Japan. It also got a revised edition a year later called "The International Zodiac Job System", which included many gameplay refinements. Fast forward to today and FFXII isn't as remembered compared to old classics such as FFVI and VII or the newer ones such as XIV: A Realm Reborn and even the FFXIII series. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is an attempt to give the original game a chance that it missed to shine on current generations allowing both fans and newcomers to visit the world of Ivalice again. The tale of an aspiring sky pirate, who gets washed up in a war between the nations of Archadia and Rozzaria is still as interesting and thrilling as before, only this time it's in HD and on current hardware.


STORY- Set in the land of Ivalice, Dalmasca is a small nation that's been swept in the war between the nation of the west Rozarria, and the nation of the east, Archadia. Vaan is an orphan who has dream of becoming a sky pirate and journey across the land. He joins a resistance movement against the empire of Archadia in an effort to restore Dalmasca to its former glory. Vaan is joined with the likes of Balthier, a sky pirate looking for treasure; Fran, Baltheir's partner and navigator; Penelo, Vaan's childhood friend who' joins in order to keep a close watch on him; Basch, a once respected warrior accused of treason; and Ashe, princess of the kingdom of Dalmasca. The story can be a bit overwhelming at first with countless names and lore being thrown at you, but you will understand it a lot better as the plot progresses. I liked some of the characters though they could've seed more exposition, that's including the classy "leading man" Balthier, who's by far my favorite out of the game. That being said, the plot was decent with some twits here and there, though compared to most Final Fantasy entries, it didn't leave that much of an impression. Hell, I'm still hard at work trying to remember the ending. It's not a bad plot by any means, just one that needed some extra time for tweaks. Interestingly, that's what producer Akitoshi Kawazu said during an interview, citing creative differences.

An unlikely gang form an alliance to restore
Dalmasca and save the land of Ivalice.

GAMEPLAY- An aspect where Final Fantasy XII truly exceeds is in its gameplay. Starting off with the basics, FFXII features large open areas (with some occasional and annoying load times) to explore and battle enemies. For the first time in the series, battles are no longer in the form of random encounters, rather enemies appear on filed and can be ignored. As you beat enemies, your level increase, which increases your health and basic attributes. You can also find hidden treasure pots which contain loot and "gil", the game's currency as well. Enemies are fought in real-time similar to early games' "Active Time Battle (ATB)" but this time it's called the "Active Dimension Battle (ADB)". Battles are initiated when you come in contact with an enemy field of view, lines colored blue and/or red will appear, with blue indicating that you will attack while red signaling that the enemy will attack you. The party consists of maximum of three characters and an occasional fourth "guest", all of which can be controlled in battle. Similar features of Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X's Limit Break and summons make an appearance, respectively. Each character can access their special attacks called "Quickenings" via the License Board, which we'll get to soon, and unleash devastating attacks to enemies. Summons now called "Espers" are mystical beings which can be summoned during the course of the story, can change the tide of battle by dealing enemies some serious damage. You obtain three in the main story line, but there many scattered by exploring Ivalice and defeating them will grant you their power, which isn't an easy task.

The real-time action-strategy gameplay

is fun and addictive.

 FFXII packs an odd feature known as the License Board system. As you defeat more and more enemies, you gather license points, which grant you the ability to wield certain armor and weapons. It's a similar in concept like Final Fantasy X's "Sphere Grid" system but different in execution. For example, say you have a sword called "Cutter" or something, the only time you can use it is when you buy its license from the license board. The same also applies for armor, shields, accessories, and magic (oddly called magick). During battle, you can issue a list of commands such as attack, heal, and use items to your AI-controlled allies. A unique addition to FFXII is the "gambit" system. While a bit overwhelming at first, it's easy to grasp and can make most of the game a breeze. Basically, you can issue special orders to your allies such as casting healing spells once an ally's health is below a certain point or attacking enemies with the highest HP first.

Gambits are a huge help once you understand

how they work.

 Each character can be assigned unique abilities and perks, this is where the job system comes into play. The Zodiac Age remaster is based on the 2007 The International Zodiac Job System release, which adds some new classes to choose from. You can also choose two classes for a character, though you'll have to stick with one at first with the second job unlocked after a certain point in the story. Vaan looks like he would make a good "Knight" class since he's good with a sword, right? Well, you can make him entirely magick-based "White Mage" if you want and never let him touch a sword. Better yet, why not both? I loved the flexibility and freedom of the job system, which leaves you with a lot of room for experimentation and unique builds. Whenever you're explore villages and towns, you'll likely come across hunts for powerful beasts in your local bar for money and loot in return. Some of the hunts are pretty simple and straightforward but as you complete hunt after hunt, the enemies get tougher and the loot gets better. I recommend you partake in hunts early on so you can sell your loot for additional money, which helps you buy better gear.

Unleash some sick moves.

 A feature the International Zodiac Job System introduced was Trial Mode. Similar to Devil May Cry's Bloody Palace mode, Trial Mode has you fighting random waves of enemies and proceeding to various stages, there are 100 overall. It's starts fast and easy at first but once you advance further in, you'll occasionally fight modified bosses from the main story which can be difficult. Nevertheless, Trial Mode is a huge help if you're looking for some extra License points and loot, which carries over to the main story. One thing that I didn't, which is minor, is that it tends to spoil some areas and bosses from the main story, so just be aware of that.  

The side content is rewarding and at times

can be very challenging.

 Some of the features The Zodiac Age packs are pretty basic yet very helpful during the course of the game. These include the fast-forward option, which speeds up the action of the everyone by either 2x or 4x. It's godsend once you realize how slow the characters are moving in the game's big areas and a big help when you're stuck in an area and want to do some fast grinding. Also, there's an auto-saving system including the game. I didn't care for it much at first but after accidentally turning off my PS4 and nearly losing my hour-long progress, auto-saving helped me out.

PRESENTATION- After 11 long years, Final Fantasy XII still looks stunning as it did back in 2006. The art-style is remarkable and is among the best in the series. The cinematic cut-scenes are gorgeous and a highlight of the game's visual prowess. Character models and backgrounds are well-detailed and hold up surprisingly well today by PS2 standards. Areas such as Rabanstare and later ones are dense and have a sense of life. The Zodiac Age brings resolution enhancements such as 1080p support and some revised texture work, it's looks better than before and that's all there is. A downside is that the game still runs at 30 frames-per second, even on the more capable PS4 Pro, which is a shame since the game could've easily handled a  frame-rate boost on both systems. The Zodiac Age has the option of you selecting between the Japanese or the English voices. I chose the English VA, which was good and I liked Balthier and Cid's performances which were filled with charm and energy that the rest of the cast lacked. The soundtrack is good with some pleasant tracks, there were one or two that stood out but the rest were all right. The Zodiac Age gives you the option of choosing either original score of the remastered as well.

FFXII boasts some seriously sweet cinematics.

OVERALL- Final Fantasy XII is still a great game that's sadly been overshadowed. While the story could've been better and the remaster included more refinements, the gameplay is still the main attraction and has a sense of depth and addiction. The Zodiac Age introduces some features such as auto-saving and fast-forward which helps modernize it and alleviates the tedium of certain parts of the game. Filled with lots of content that will keep you hooked for hours to come, give Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age a look if you're interested in lengthy JRPG with solid gameplay mechanics.