This game just didn't click with me... and most of that can attributed to the game's battle system. I did not enjoy how it played similarly to an offline MMORPG. Then with the addition of the Gambits, it felt like the game was playing itself.
I love Final Fantasy Tactics and the setting of Ivalice, so the game's world and setting knock it out of the park. This might be the only thing I really loved from FFXII. This is easily one of the best looking PS2 game graphically - the towns, cities, and many open areas/dungeons are both diverse and impressive in scale and scope.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the game's characters. It felt like it went the FFVI approach without a true lead protagonist, but was done even worse here. There were only a couple of characters I even liked, and even then, none of them were on the same level as FF game's before... Vaan and Penelo are especially poor, that I questioned why they were even there to begin with...
Music was mostly a miss for me, outside of the Empire theme which is an all timer. Didn't like the espers/summons not being FF mainstays (although I understand the Tactics/Ivalice Zodiac connection), wasn't a huge fan of the license board, or the game's Quickenings either...
Now saying all this, I last played this game close to 16 years ago... I'd be willing to give the remastered version on the PS4 another chance, as I've heard it made many improvements to the gameplay/battle/job system, which is where many of my issues with it come from... we'll see, maybe I'll understand and like the storyline better the next go around, because as it stands now, I didn't like this particular Final Fantasy.
I love Final Fantasy Tactics and the setting of Ivalice, so the game's world and setting knock it out of the park. This might be the only thing I really loved from FFXII. This is easily one of the best looking PS2 game graphically - the towns, cities, and many open areas/dungeons are both diverse and impressive in scale and scope.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the game's characters. It felt like it went the FFVI approach without a true lead protagonist, but was done even worse here. There were only a couple of characters I even liked, and even then, none of them were on the same level as FF game's before... Vaan and Penelo are especially poor, that I questioned why they were even there to begin with...
Music was mostly a miss for me, outside of the Empire theme which is an all timer. Didn't like the espers/summons not being FF mainstays (although I understand the Tactics/Ivalice Zodiac connection), wasn't a huge fan of the license board, or the game's Quickenings either...
Now saying all this, I last played this game close to 16 years ago... I'd be willing to give the remastered version on the PS4 another chance, as I've heard it made many improvements to the gameplay/battle/job system, which is where many of my issues with it come from... we'll see, maybe I'll understand and like the storyline better the next go around, because as it stands now, I didn't like this particular Final Fantasy.