I am so so dissapointed in this FF, i got to Phon coast and i just cannot be bothered to play it, ive lost all my will to play it and have just realised how different and annoying it is.

Ive played FF V alot recently, and i think the old schools are alot better than the recents, maybe its just me being picky... But FFXII is a failure in my eyes, Maybe not completely, but why did they leave the system that the FF Cult following loved?

I thought the characters were boring, The Bosses were retarded, and Overall the game just lacked the FF magic that made the others shine.

Yup, I totally agree with you. I haven't played this game in months and am not even half as far as SG is xD

As a normal game, I guess it's alright. Your average action RPG. But this game sucks as an FF. Where is that little part that made me love the other FFs? I felt it had already leaked away a bit with FFX, but at least that gamewas still enjoyable. This game...it doesn't even interest me anymore.

I was reading an interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi a few weeks back, and he made a very valid point. His complaint about Square is that they are putting all of their stock into just Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. New games are coming out all the time by them and they are all of one of those two titles.

Yeah, it's great and all that FF is still a thriving title.... or is it? I'm glad that the powers that be in Square-Enix are wanting to branch out and try a lot of new concepts, but doing it inside the FF series may not be the place to do it anymore.

I suppose a good test would be to make a "Final Fantasy" game with a different title. If it still sells good, then maybe they have been on the right track all this time. If it doesn't... then it is obvious that the company is definitely going in the wrong direction.

EDIT: Sorry, I did not actually reply to my feelings on FFXII. I am only around 12-14 hours into the game, so I cannot judge it yet. I can say, however, that it is not that enjoyable as of yet, which is why I have not played it since november.

Im not very far either. I know where I am but I dont want to spoil anything for anyone. 12-14 hours in also.

I was very excited for this game. 4 year wait will do that to you. When I popped in the game, I was still excited. But as I got farther and farther into the game, the excitement dropped and it had become something that I feared it would become. It felt too much like an MMO to me. And I really dont like MMO's.

ANd I think that's where the differences lie between everyone's opinions. If you love MMO's, you will probably love FFXII. If you dont and liked the older FF's better, you probably won't like XII.

In no way is FFXII a bad game. Everything about is very high production. The voice-acting is the best yet in any game imo. Maybe MGS puts up a fight, but the voice acting is superb imo.

The GFX, arguably the best on PS2. There's so much detail in everything. And the art direction is amazing.

The story was more mature, but I still didnt like it as much. I think it was because it was more...empire driven instead of the typical character driven stories as of late. And really, it didn't have a main character so there was no one that you were suppose to instantly attach to.

The license board was kind of meh. It reminded me of the sphere grid, but I didnt like the license board as much. Everything was too segregated imo. And I've never liked having to actually earn weapons through a weird means other than quests and buying.

The battle system is good, but it's really not my style. The easiest battles are wrecking me and all the boss battles leave me barely standing. I dont think it's the game difficulty, but the way I manage it probably. Others probably feel the same way.

So it's a good game, and it probably revived the series for some people, but it probably killed it for others too.

I got pretty hooked on FFXII I must say. I've talked to many people who didn't get into it because of the characters' plot, setting, whatever...

However, though I agree that the Characters were not as "explained" as I would have liked them to be, FFXII made up for it in other areas. The plot was great if you take a very deep look into it. However, that's where I think the problem lies for most people; it's the most mature FF game Squenix has ever released. The language, the setting, the people, the conspiracy of government, gods, and artifacts. Sure other games had this, but FFXII took it to a whole new level.

I simply look at a Phon Coast cut scene. When arriving you find out maybe a small detail about one of the main characters that shocks the rest, but none-the-less, it's a major part of the story. I won't go into specifics since it's a spoiler and many have not played it, but finding out this character's past, his relationship to one of the villains, and why he is where he is today, starts to unravel where the game's plot is going, and what took place in the past.

The Sun-Cryst. You may look at it like just a huge rock that gives off power, but it's the most coveted artifact in all of Ivalice, and to even those who are "Undead" living life as gods. What about the Espers? Sure everyone may miss the old Ifrit/Shiva/Bahamut combination, but these Espers have a backstory to them if you find read their bestiary's connect them to the Occuria, and take a look into the life of King Raithwall.

Overall, a great game. Not as appealing to me as FFX or FFIX was, but this is a game that I'm defintiley glad I completed!

I kinda like the plot to this game and stuff but I have to agree with a lot of people that the battle system is kicking my butt T_T I kinda wish Larsa could stay your guest forever because having medical insurance sure is nice lol

But yeah with the battle system, the only reason I survive boss battles is because I use Quickenings and that's getting pretty hard in and of itself. Plus for running around areas, my weapons are pretty weak so I usually have them cast black magic spells and what not, but my healing gambits are being activated ever other blow a character takes and when MP goes down the drain, I'm pretty much sunk and flee like crazy.

It's kinda ironic because I know like 2 or 3 other people that stopped at the Phon Coast too SG lolz

14-15hrs into a Final Fantasy..Tut tut you should know better:P

Anyway, like Busta I was and still am hooked, I've probably got a good 150hrs+ over two save files, not including reseting for certain equipment. Theres only 2 reasons you get your ass kicked in this game:
- Your gambits suck
- Underpowered (Equopment, levels)

I would be interested to know your levels and where your are equipment etc. For advice on enjoying the game etc.

As for the story I also agree with Busta, there is alot of subtle hints about chracters past etc (Bar Vann and Penelo.but Meh). The only problem with I have with the story is the ending..It just ends. But i'm sure that will be solved in RW.

Actually, I don't have any problems with the battle system, like most of the people here seem to have xD. It works great, that's all I can say about it.

I think I'll continue where I left off the last time I played, in a few days, cause I have some more spare time now.

I rather enjoyed this game, It just didn't feel like an FF game to me.
The Characters Needed more backstory, the only 2 I recognized with this was Balthier and Fran which I won't go into because of spoilers.

The Setting was amazing though, if you read the bestiary you would get tons of information and facts about the various areas of the game but, I would rather they fit it into the actual game somehow.

I'm on my Second play through and still somewhat hooked, The game can get boring after a while since Gambits fight for you and you walk alot, and I mean ALOT.

Anyways, it's a good RPG and worthwhile to play.

I really liked this game, it was so much better then the last couple of Final Fantasy games in my oppinion. I agree that it did have faults but it also showed that Square-Enix were finally making a game which I could say is almost (I do say almost, it is not close by far but it is almost) as good at VIII. Of cause it isn't as good at VII but that's because that game is just the amazing.

I felt that the battle system worked, it got me into the game more which was better then what I estimated when I heard about the gambits. In my way of play I do have it so that my main character doesn't use gambits but I really did get involved into it and found how they did it very well done.

The plot I thought was great as well, better then X in my oppinion. I thought that how they show the 'main character' was amazingly well done (Those who got up to the points of learning about the main character will know what I'm on about) and they moved the battle system to bond with this feeling in the plot which I thought was really good. It also has alot of gameplay in it and takes several days to complete.

Also the musical score was fantastic. It was a mix of the Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Advanced and Vagrant Story soundtracks and really sounded good when put together. Overall those parts were all fantastic.

I did find that the bosses were a bit annoying at times in how they placed them and worked with them and how some of the things were done annoyed me but overall I thought it was a great game.

HOLY SHIZ!!!

I just made a topic asking where you were!!!!!!! HAHAHAHa

Iv'e been playing this game recintly, and well, It's kinda good. I mean, so far no good minigames, but I guess its not the mini games that make the game. I really like how the story is placed out. And I like how the main chracter girl, isn't attracted to the main chracter...well for all I know lol.

I like it but it's just so much effort to play... Every time I decide to pick it up and have a go I end up getting a lot further only to get stuck on a boss battle or get killed by one of the many roaming high level monsters, which in turn means I just can't be bothered to level up etc... So then I leave it along for ages.

I think that's my main problem in this game... I never seem to have enough money to level up equipment despite acquiring and selling loads of loot, and I can never be bothered to go around fighting and getting high chains to get the loot to sell for the money. It's a vicious cycle, which is making me lazy when it comes to playing it. It feels more like a chore sometimes.

I do like the storyline so far and Fran is tres tres tres cool. I just wish I had more time and will to play it... Bloody Tiamat (the latest boss that whooped my ass) >_<;;

Yeah...my biggest problem with this game (and games in general) is just...I dont have the time to play them anymore. With a full time job, college, homework, chores, girlfriend, and keeping my social life in tact...I just dont have time for games anymore. I barely have time to get online now as it is...

I've been finding exactly the same thing, I'm so upset that i've only played about 14hours worth, but even through I try and level up I just can't be bothered coz it isnt very fun, and then I just get a beat down as soon as I come across a boss, this must definatly be the FF game with the most KO's for me.. I die all the time... I'm not used to dying in a FF game... and I do not like it!!!!!!!!!

The character's and story all seem fine so far but I'm not really feeling it yet because I can't seem to progress past those 14 hours, Ive turned it on a few times over the past few months, but after a while I just turn it off and do something else (usually coz Ive died!!)

..... I'm gonna have to devote a day off to it or something I s'pose.. maybe if i get a bit futher in i'll get hooked and start enjoying it more... at least, here's hoping!!

Well i have never played this game, but i love MMO's so is should be ok.

It really only felt like an MMO for the first hour or two to me. After that, it settled into a more typical RPG.

Overall, I really liked the game. While the playable characters weren't quite as well developed as we're used to in a FF game, they were probably more realistic than ever in their behavior. The atmosphere nearly made up for the characters as far as development went, and the plot was beyond the scope of any FF I've played. The complexity of the situations, the incorporation of historic events, the timeless struggle between religion and science, the most realistic family feuds I've seen in a video game, an epic quest for an ancient artifact... It seemed almost like something Homer would have written if he were alive today rather than in ancient Greece. In fact, many aspects of the plot were taken straight from ancient Greek mythology, though the ending smacked of a Star Wars ripoff :-P

To me this seemed a more mature RPG than other FF's. It dealt with nations and empires, economics and class, internal and external power plays, justifying choices versus learning from them, rebellion and betrayal, stringent rules versus the consequences of compassion... In other words, it dealt with the far-reaching effects of the choices people make rather than just the personal consequences. Rather than a coming of age story, the characters had all already come into their own. Vaan and Penelo, being the "kids" of the group, both already had plenty of life experience and seemed to be there mostly to represent the "collateral damage" of war and to provide a point of view from which the story could be told that more people could relate to.

It may have deviated somewhat from the previous, stereotypical "angsty teens save the world from a big, bad evil" formula, but I felt it was a welcome growth in the series.

i think it totally sucked...i mean the gambits are fun and all but...i just dont like it...

I got this game at X-mas, I completed two days ago.
I did not really like this game when I first started playing it, but as you go through the game it kinda grows on you, and has become one of my favorite FF's, though I still think the storyline was still a bit weaker than previous FF's.
I have even started a new game, as my first play through I just concentrated on the main storyline, and missed all of the extra bits really.