Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age review – Judgment time has arrived

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age arrives on the PS4 for judgment. Just how many nobles will this game impress after so many years?

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PS2, PS4 (Zodiac Age – Version Reviewed)
Release Date: July 11, 2017

When Final Fantasy XII released for PlayStation 2 in early 2006, the game sought to introduce a new style of play and to revolutionize the long-running franchise. To achieve this extraordinary task, Square Enix had to break the conventions of Final Fantasy – like by introducing a real-time combat system and bet on an original and risky concept. In the end, the gamble paid off, and Final Fantasy XII was a success; however, the title quickly became a divisive topic of conversation amidst the gaming community.

With a decade having passed since the original release, many of the Final Fantasy XII’s revolutionary ideas are now commonplace in the RPG genre. What was new and strange to us in 2006 is now a gaming standard, and that makes 2017 the perfect time for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age to release for PlayStation 4.

Back in 2006, the gaming world was being stormed by MMO like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars – each of these two titles offering the player a vast world to explore, a simple real-time combat system, and resourceful job systems that allowed the player to customize their character to suit a specific role. To some, the future of the RPG genre seemed to rest on the MMO foundation. Nevertheless, others were resistant to such a change and remained steadfastly loyal to the traditional turn-based RPG that had become familiar over the years.

What made Final Fantasy XII a pioneering RPG for its time was the means in which it employed its real-time combat system and approached an MMO-style world. It was a radical change from Final Fantasy X, and that frightened some longtime fans. As an alternative to following a tight narrative and, to some extent, linear world design, Final Fantasy XII broke free of those shackles and presented players with a vast world ripe for exploration.

Luckily for Final Fantasy XII and the release of the Zodiac Age for PS4, the choices made in 2006 have aged well and become even better over the years.

If you loved Final Fantasy XII in 2006, then your love will continue to remain strong for it today. If you held a love/hate relationship with the game, you might now find an appreciation for the game when playing Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.

The core of Final Fantasy XII remains the same, but refinements make The Zodiac Age a more enjoyable journey when compared to the original release. The first thing people will notice is the improved visuals. Character models have been improved, as well as towns and outdoor environments. Though some of the texture work looks flat, the visual upgrade is quite impressive.

More from Reviews

• Sonic Dream Team review: A welcome surprise to Apple Arcade
• Nacon’s Revolution 5 Pro for Playstation: Is it worth it?
• Jusant review: An uplifting tale about lifting yourself up
• WarioWare: Move It review: A waggle in the right direction for the series
• Alan Wake 2 review: Am I high right now?

The second thing people will notice is the revamped soundtrack. Final Fantasy has a longstanding tradition of producing masterful soundtracks, and the music for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is among the best the series has to offer.

Arguably, the most substantial improvement is found in the newly refined and streamlined approach given the game’s job system. The License Board of Final Fantasy XII was clumsy and a source of frustration, but it has been improved in The Zodiac Age. Final Fantasy XII provided all six characters with identical License Board, but that has been changed for the better. The License Board now differs for each job; thus allowing the player to select skills and other upgrades with ease. This may sound like a minor alteration, but simplifying the job system permits the player to make changes more quickly and not become bogged down by a convoluted system.

A welcome addition presented in the game is the option to increase the game’s speed. If you are familiar with the game and want to get through an area quickly, you’ll want to use this helpful feature. Character and combat speed can be increased to a high speed, which in turn shortens battles and the length of a journey.

Combat remains the same as it did on the PlayStation 2. The real-time combat battle system will task players to use strategic planning to overcome challenging enemies, as you find ways to exploit weaknesses. Seeing enemies populate a region you are exploring gives you the freedom to decide whether you want to participate in a battle.

Related Story: The 50 Best RPGs Of All Time

The world of Final Fantasy XII is massive and retains both the feel and look of an MMO. This is a blessing and a curse, however. It’s a blessing because the world settings are interesting to explore and the creatures that populate regions are unique to the environment. All the same, the world has stretches of sterile surroundings and trekking through these regions becomes boring. The size of the world can also become tedious when trying to find an exact spot to find an item to complete a side-quest.

Even so, exploring the world by accepting side-quests and doing story-related missions is pleasant. Accepting side-quests and sightseeing the vast world of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age can be a soothing activity. Navigation has been made simpler courtesy of the DualShock 4’s touchpad. An on-screen map will now appear whenever you tap the touch-pad; whereas on the PS2 you had to pause the game to check the map.

A copy of this game was provided to App Trigger for the purpose of this review. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click here to learn more about our Review Policy.