FFXII is out!! woot

[lordtodd75]

I just picked mine up and I can't wait to play, any other final fantasy fans on the board.

[hypernova]

Here, but I haven't gotten it yet.  How do you like it compared to previous FFs (not including XI?)

[AlanS17]

The strategy guide arrived in the mail today, but the game didn't show up. Maybe tomorrow...

[lordtodd75]

I haven't played it much yet, maybe about an hour. From what I can tell it is going to be great. So far the story seems very intriguing, very political. Graphics, sound, gameplay is everything you would expect from FF series. I heard some gripes about the battle system, load times, the license board(leveling system), the sound, etc. Honestly I have found nothing wrong with any of these. The battle system is a bit different from the traditional FF games. You can see the monsters and the transition from the field to battle is absolutely seemless. Basically you can hit the x button at any time, monsters or not, and your battle menu comes up. Gone are the days of taking your time to try to figure out what to do next. Monsters will keep attacking whether you do or not. To run away you actually have to "run away". Probably my favorite aspect of the new system is the difficulty is amped up. You walk up to the wrong creature and engage it, your dead, in one shot. I was about 10 minutes into the first "agressive" area of the game and I was slapped down by a giant dinosaur. Ofcourse I did run up and attack it, so I didn't HAVE to engage it. I very rarely had a "game over" in FFX. Even the measley wolfs that were easy to defeat presented a small problem. After a couple of minutes I had to use two potions as they kept pecking away at my hp. So far I love it!!! I will let you know more as I progress through the game as my views may change.

FF (NES) - Loved it when I first played it, Kind of hard to get through now as it is so linear.
FF 2(SNES) - Loved it, much longer then FF, introduction of summons, great game.
FF 3(SNES) - Not much different from 2, except ofcourse the BATTLE ARENA!!!! Liked it a lot.
FF 7(PS) - We all know about this game, changed the genre forever!!! Although I don't think it held up with                   
                 time (heresy?). Loved it when I first played it!!!!
FF 8(PS) - Now I seem to be in the minority here but this is one of my favorites!!!! Yes I like it better then
                 FF7! Much more side quests, liked the drawing system better then materia, and ofcourse the card
                 game!!! Possibly the best side quest in any video game ever!
FF 9(PS) - Hated it, story line did not grab me. I only played it for about 3 hrs. Didn't like the accessory
                 system, cheap knock off of FF 8 card game. After trying to jump rope for about 45 minutes I put
                 this game down and never picked it up again.
FFX(PS2) - Absolutely loved it. Top 2 with FF 8. Game was very rich, a lot to do. Good story line(although I
                  have a feeling FF XII will be better). Only complaint is I hated blitzball and the encounters were
                  easy. I only had to level once for a couple of hours and I walked through the rest of the game
                  with ease. I think the characters did it for me though(introduction of voice acting) I grew very
                  attached to them. First hour of the game was phenominal as well!!!!
FFX-2(PS2) - Uh I hated it, worst FF game to date! To much wrong to type and I only played for a couple of
                     hours. 
FFXII(PS2) -  I think it will be in my top 3 if not my favorite.

[bleemus]

Battle system is very different than most other FF games, it isn't turn based.  Seems to be more like an MMORPG (even though I don't play one, that is what I've heard).  So, if you are a WoW player, I'm sure you'll be right at home.  If you are a die hard fan of the normal FF formula, you might not like it as much.  I'm going to play it, but I'm not sure how much I'll end up liking it, probably tolerable at best (like the demo was).

I bought it and will be playing it, but I was more excited about Children of Mana coming out for the DS.  There aren't that many multi-player RPGs out there, so having another one it nice.

[hypernova]

FF (NES) - Loved it when I first played it, Kind of hard to get through now as it is so linear.
FF 2(SNES) - Loved it, much longer then FF, introduction of summons, great game.
FF 3(SNES) - Not much different from 2, except ofcourse the BATTLE ARENA!!!! Liked it a lot.
FF 7(PS) - We all know about this game, changed the genre forever!!! Although I don't think it held up with time (heresy?). Loved it when I first played it!!!!
FF 8(PS) - Now I seem to be in the minority here but this is one of my favorites!!!! Yes I like it better then FF7! Much more side quests, liked the drawing system better then materia, and ofcourse the card game!!! Possibly the best side quest in any video game ever!
FF 9(PS) - Hated it, story line did not grab me. I only played it for about 3 hrs. Didn't like the accessory system, cheap knock off of FF 8 card game. After trying to jump rope for about 45 minutes I put  this game down and never picked it up again.
FFX(PS2) - Absolutely loved it. Top 2 with FF 8. Game was very rich, a lot to do. Good story line(although I have a feeling FF XII will be better). Only complaint is I hated blitzball and the encounters were easy. I only had to level once for a couple of hours and I walked through the rest of the game with ease. I think the characters did it for me though(introduction of voice acting) I grew very attached to them. First hour of the game was phenominal as well!!!!
FFX-2(PS2) - Uh I hated it, worst FF game to date! To much wrong to type and I only played for a couple of hours. 

Never played 1-3 or 5.  4 and 6 on the SNES were spectacular for their time.  7's storyline was unforgettable.
I'm beginning to think that most people don't hate 8.  I'm thinking those that do just make their voices heard much louder than those who like it.  I'm among those who like it as well.  Contrary to others, I liked the characters, including Squall.  The final boss wasn't much to croon over, but the rest of the story and game was good.  And I agree.  Triple Triad is the greatest minigame ever in an FF so far.  Even better than the ones from 7.  The fact that you could trade the cards in for items made that game.
I loved 9 as well.  The characters were well conceived, and while Kuja was a bit more girly looking than I'd like, it still worked.  I also loved the fact that magic was used a bit more in the game.  In almost any other FF, if you know the game, you rarely ever need to use magic, which cuts down on the fun factor somewhat when playing again.  Gameshark is fun too with that, using Flare Star.  What a cool spell.  Made a cool multi-death spell too.  Fun stuff.  And that card game does stink.  Too random.
Loved X (I have a modded PS2 and the international version with dark Aeons and Penance.) Blitzball is VERY fun.  However, it outgrows its usefulness late in the game.  (I've never bothered to get Jecht Shot 2, and thus, have never seen it.)  Winning the storyline game against the Goers is a VERY welcome challenge.  And while X-2 was a bit girly (opening sequence) the rest of the game was very likable, and I relished in the fact that an FF story was continued.  Seeing those "aeons" kinda sent chills down my spine.  The ending made it all worthwhile too.  The extra challenging dungeon under Bevelle was nice too.

I will probably pick 12 up tomorrow after work.  I have $45 in Best Buy certificates, and another $7 in BB bucks from McDonalds.

[bleemus]

My takes (using Japanese FF numbers)

FF1: Great game, I played through it again when it came out for PS1.  I like to go through it once every couple years with a different party.
FF2: Never could get much into this one.  The way abilities and level were done in this one was very interesting, but I didn't care for it a ton.  I might pick it up again if I ever have time.
FF3: Haven't played it yet, it'll be out for the DS in a few weeks though, looking forward to playing it.
FF4: Great game with a great storyline.  One of my favs.
FF5: Another great game, the Job classes thing has always been one of my fav things about the FF games they are in.  Playing this one now, doubt I'll finish it now that 12 is out.
FF6: Stellar story, great game, great characters.
FF7: Groundbreaking full motion videos, story was a bit weak and very anime-like which I didn't care for, but there was plenty to do aside from the game.
FF8: Worse FF IMO.  One of the few I have no want or need to play again.
FF9: Not great, but not terrible.  Was worth it to play through it once.
FFX: Meh, way too linear for my tastes.  Story was really weak.  Graphics were good though.
FFX2: Didn't bother to play it, since FF10 was weak.

my top 3 would be 4, 7, and 1.  We'll see how good 3 ends up being.

EDIT:

Forgot to say, I like the FF Tactics series more than the generic FFs.

Crystal Chronicles was very fun too, too bad I don't have more friends that wanted to play it.  But my girlfriend and I played through it and it was really fun and different.  Really looking forward to both the DS and Wii incarnations of this game.

[Daniel270]

I've bought my copy (Collector's Edition) and gave it a run this morning.  Definitely looks promising!  Still find it odd that the old Summon names are now Airships and the Summons have new names....

[hypernova]

So far, my impressions on the game are fairly positive.

My only gripe is the camera stick.  Unlike playing Metroid Prime on the Cube and taking only a small amount of time to adjust to the controls (15 minutes,) and playing Mega Man Legends on the PS and adjusting to those, adjusting to that camera stick takes a LONG time in XII.  HOURS.  I've been playing most of the day today (about 6 hours, with short breaks here and there,) and that stick still gives me fits here and there.

The control is opposite what I want, and there's no way to change it apparently.  Pressing the stick right moves the CAMERA right (thus moving your field of view to the left,) instead of moving your field of view to the right.
What's even more confusing is pressing up on the stick makes the camera zoom out higher up in the air.  While this sounds correct, this is completely backwards from any game I've generally come across.  Usually, pressing up means you zoom in, while down zooms out.

If either of these opposing directions were the way that felt right to me, this wouldn't be taking near as long to get accustomed to.  However, since both opposing directions are opposite what I'm familiar with, it's taking alot longer to get the feel.

I'm slowly getting used to it, but I'm still getting mixed up on a regular basis.

Onto the game now.  So far, I've gotten to the Giza Plains.  (Spent alot of time fighting.)  I've died about 4 times.  (Usually I wait until I've less than 20 HP, and end up getting comboed, or multiple enemies get me.  i.e. I'm being careless.)  Oh, and the dinosaur and werewolves.  Avoid them.  You cannot beat them.  You die in one hit.  And don't try stealing and running from them, even when you do it while the dino is attacking a wolf.  That doesn't work either, unfortunately.  He'll run for you and get you.  Hmm...maybe if I have two people in the party and try that...

I'm VERY impressed by the graphics so far.  Even more impressive is the size of the city you start out in.  If you're exploring, it takes a long time to travel the entire thing.

And finally, my concerns with the lead character have vanished.  While he sports the Peter Pan look somewhat, his voice is nowhere near the girly boy of children's cartoons.  It actually sounds very close to Tidus's.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same guy.

Gil is very hard to come by.  Even with the loot you sell.

[lordtodd75]

Alright, I am about 8 hrs into my game, I tend to play all the FF's slowly as I don't like missing things. I just had my first taste of the gambit system and it seems like it may be very helpful. The only problem I have with the game so far, surprisingly, is the graphics. Some of the shading seems to be off and the cut scenes are definitely inferior to FFX. Not that big a deal though.

I have had no issues with the camera stick as I played a couple of other games with the same setup, although I have heard quite a few people say they don't like it. I don't see it taking to long to get used to for those people.

The mark system is great so far. I love the whole hunting aspect and it seems like it is only going to get better. So far the marks have not given me that much trouble, The cactus was a bit of a pain but I killed it first time I encountered it.

I have not run into any gil issues either, I have about 6000 gil right now and didn't really have any problems buying anything I wanted/needed. Perhaps I will in the future??? 

Also once you get libra and can view opponents stats before you attack them, the difficulty level drops a bit. You find out very quickly that it is very important to scan(libra) your enemies prior to engaging them, ie. encountering a dinosaur while at level 3 equals you die as opposed to using libra on werewolves, seeing they have 2400+ HP compared to your 200, tucking your tale and running away while waving your arms over your head. I rather enjoy this new dynamic!

Well tonight my son is going to the babysitter and my fiance is going to shoot pool. Looks like I will be getting comfortable on the couch and enjoying a small marathon of FFXII. A winner is me!!!

[shmokes]

The strategy guide arrived in the mail today, but the game didn't show up. Maybe tomorrow...

I'll never understand why people are willing to actually pay money to have a game ruined for them.  Seriously, play through a game like this without cheating and you'll be amazed at how much more rewarding it is -- at how much more you enjoy it.

Worst case scenario is there's one or two spots in the entire game that you simply cannot figure out.  You can always just jump on www.gamefaqs.com for the answers.

[AtomSmasher]

The strategy guide arrived in the mail today, but the game didn't show up. Maybe tomorrow...

I'll never understand why people are willing to actually pay money to have a game ruined for them.  Seriously, play through a game like this without cheating and you'll be amazed at how much more rewarding it is -- at how much more you enjoy it.

Worst case scenario is there's one or two spots in the entire game that you simply cannot figure out.  You can always just jump on www.gamefaqs.com for the answers.

Agreed, the only game I ever bought a strategy guide to was Riven (sequal to myst, I think it came out around 1997 or so) and everytime I got slightly stuck I would read the guide and see how to solve the puzzle.  It definately took out the rewarding experience of figuring things out on my own, which is why I've never gotten another one since.  I hate it how they always ask if you want the strategy guide when you buy a game at gamestop or eb games.

Anyways, back on topic.  I've never been a fan of FF games, but this is the first one that peaks my interest.  I've heard the gameplay is similar to a MMORPG, except without the MMO part, which seems like a good thing.  I'll probably pick it up once it becomes a "greatest hit" and I can buy it for $20.

[AlanS17]

Well first let me mention that it's my brother that buys the strategy guides.

That being said, it's there's still a place for them. To say they ruin a game is just an opinion. In my opnion, they don't ruin the game at all.

If you want to make sure you don't miss any chests, check the strategy guide. If you want to make sure you have the best weapons and armor, check the strategy guide. If you're having trouble beating a particular boss, check the strategy guide. You don't have to read ahead and spoil the game or anything like that.

Does it make the game easier? Not really. It's not about letting the book play the game for you. It's about getting the most out of the game. Does the game really get easier with the book? Of course not. You still have to accomplish every goal and beat every boss. You still get the satisfaction. You still get the same storyline. At least with the book you know where you're going and what you're missing.

On another note, the game came in yesterday. It's pretty cool so far, but I'm still skeptical. The storyline is interesting, but I don't know if I like the battle system yet.

[AtomSmasher]

If you want to make sure you don't miss any chests, check the strategy guide. If you want to make sure you have the best weapons and armor, check the strategy guide. If you're having trouble beating a particular boss, check the strategy guide. You don't have to read ahead and spoil the game or anything like that.

Does it make the game easier? Not really. It's not about letting the book play the game for you. It's about getting the most out of the game. Does the game really get easier with the book? Of course not. You still have to accomplish every goal and beat every boss. You still get the satisfaction. You still get the same storyline. At least with the book you know where you're going and what you're missing.

Theres nothing really wrong with playing games using a strategy guide, it just gives a completely different gameplay experience.  Those who don't like the guide play games to be surprised and feeling of accomplishment for figuring out how to beat a boss or solve a puzzle.  Those who like playing with the guide like to do everything you can possibly do in a game and make sure they always do the right thing and end the game knowing theres nothing in the game that you missed.  Both ways of playing are rewarding in their own way, but they give very different experiences when playing a game.

[leapinlew]

Does it make the game easier? Not really. It's not about letting the book play the game for you. It's about getting the most out of the game. Does the game really get easier with the book? Of course not. You still have to accomplish every goal and beat every boss. You still get the satisfaction. You still get the same storyline. At least with the book you know where you're going and what you're missing.

Does having the best armor, weapons and enough money make the game easier? Usually it does. Using a strategy guide to find all the items along the way totally makes it easier. If your having a problem with a boss.... and you look in the strategy guide and it says, cast - sleep and then magic missle and it will kill the boss instantly - was that easier than slugging it out with him for an hour?

The strategy guides won't help with a platform game like Mario. But anytime there is a mental challenge (however slight) and you read a guide to give you an answer - it's making it easier.

If you still have as much satisfaction from using a strategy guide, thats fine. But your fooling yourself if you don't think it makes a strategy game easier. The fact that your using the guide when your having a HARD time shows that it makes the game more LESS hard.

[Angry_Radish]

One of the things in the strategy guide that I thought is good to know, is that there are 4 chests you SHOULD NOT open until later in the game, one of which is right at the beginning of the game, when you get the sunstone quest. If you open it right then, you will never get the most powerful weapon in the game..

[lordtodd75]

About 15 hrs in and still not that far into the story. Probably because of the hunts and levelling  Even though I love the game it doesn't grab me like X did but from what I hear the story should pick up soon. Great game!

It is tough to equip yourself with the best weapons due to the licensing system. "If I buy this weapon now it will probably be obsolete by the time I get the license for it" or "If i get the license now it may be a while until i am able to buy the weapon, what if I need the lp for something else?" At first this annoyed me but now I look at it as another challenge in the game.

By the way, levelling takes much more time in this game!!! Will let everyone know when the story picks up. Until then I have to hunt the "cluckabo" 

[hypernova]

I've gotten used to the camera.

Gil becomes more available later on.  I've gotten all the available gambit targets from the store.  I initially forgot to report the rogue tomato, and finished the next part of the story (breaking into the castle.--Not really a spoiler.)--Just got back, and I'm ready for some of these hunts.  Tried the cactuar with just Vaan, and it killed me.

I'll get the guide as well.  After I've beaten it once, though.  No way I'm spending hours upon hours trying to figure out every little detail and sidequest.  I like playing other games as well.

One of the things in the strategy guide that I thought is good to know, is that there are 4 chests you SHOULD NOT open until later in the game, one of which is right at the beginning of the game, when you get the sunstone quest. If you open it right then, you will never get the most powerful weapon in the game..

We'd appreciate it if you didn't discuss anything more related to secrets and such, i.e. spoilers.

[AlanS17]

We'd appreciate it if you didn't discuss anything more related to secrets and such, i.e. spoilers.

Ignorance is bliss.

[Angry_Radish]

Sorry about that, I should have thought about that before posting

The only reason I mentioned it was to point out that there is some value in the guidebooks 

[Banacek]

We'd appreciate it if you didn't discuss anything more related to secrets and such, i.e. spoilers.

Why? His post has no actual details in it, but it does warn you that there's a weapon in the game that you would NEVER get without looking at a strategy guide first. I wish I was warned about that cheapness before it was too late.

That being said, this is one of my favorite FFs ever, and I've been playing since the NES. Once I beat it on my own, I'll go back with the strategy guide to see what I missed.

[hypernova]

It was more along the lines of a preemptive caution.  (Without reading the guide or FAQs, one could only skip all the chests to attain the item from that tidbit of info, as there'd be no way to figure out which to skip exactly.  So I realize this wasn't a spoiler in any true sense.  Just thought I'd head off any more potential spoilers before it was too late.)