Final Fantasy XII > Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy XII is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
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So back in 2010 I was rummaging through my local game shop’s basket of old CDs.
I was picking up one CD after another and the bored clerk there suddenly got super excited when I picked up a CD with ‘final fantasy 12’ written over it with a black marker pen.
Without waiting for me to question, he answered that this game is super awesome.
And he believed that they were out of this disc that’s why it was a shock for him too when I dug up this game.
Needless to say I bought it right then and there.
Ok, so one more thing, for my own personal reasons, if I have to ask myself a question about which year was specifically good for me in my life so far?
I would say it was 2010. Because it was a very comfy year for me, that’s it.
No achievements or success or personal progress of any kind but the whole year was very comfortable.
A few reasons for those comforts were — I was bringing in take-away food nearly 4–5 times a week, my fridge never seemed to go out of soda drinks supply.
And I was playing my PS2 for 10 hours long for the whole nights without any interruptions, in the sanctuary of moon, calm and magic of games.
One of those reasons, because of which I consider 2010 the best year of my life…so far, is playing Final Fantasy XII.
Look, I am not here to make people accept my views about Final Fantasy XII.
Like water is the source of all life no matter how much you love coffee.
Just like that, Final Fantasy XII is always going to be a beautiful game and a great game too.
Even if it is drowned in the sinkhole of time and memory.
The world of Ivalice brings in envy inside me for the people who live there.
It stirs up the writer, the story teller inside me so bad I have no words to describe that desperation.
Final Fantasy XII is not only a very beautiful game but also a very good game.
Now I am not of one those people who have this psychology to be too critical about ‘reviewing’ popular media products with minute scrutiny and nuanced criticism like anybody honestly cares.
I was once like that though, but thanks to some epiphany I realized I was only being a giant douche to myself and the arts.
What I am trying to say that if something is good, it is good, it is not 4.5/5 or 3.9/5 or 4.7/5 — it’s just good.
Why I am saying this?
To tell you that I am not here to simp for Final Fantasy XII but I am simply amazed and flabbergasted about why this game is not mentioned in the video game threads, forums, YT video essays, gaming spheres just as much as FF7?
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Why is FF7 is so beloved?
What happened in that game that rocked so many people’s world?
Original FF7 sold like 13 million copies, which is an impressive number but it says on google that FF7Remake sold like 5 million copies?
How many fans of FF7 died in these 20 years?
I played FF7 and honestly, it’s a good game.
A game that isn’t ground-breaking in its overall gameplay.
The only thing that must have worked for it back in the 90s were the animations.
See, before FF7 all the games in general and especially FF games were pixels.
Playing them was like playing a fancier version of Dungeons & Dragons or any board game.
Because you were basically pointing/clicking and reading through a whole lot of text.
With FF7 people who really loved rpgs or games in general could actually see a world, characters and their movements in 3D, no more of pixels and restricted animations.
Also, Tifa’s boobs, Aeris’ death and that hauntingly beautiful music from Nobua Uematsu seem to be why ‘old school’ gamers feel so defensive about FF7.
Yeah, I get that FF7 was your first time with a band of characters you felt emotions for due to them being in 3D.
And the damn music made me so overwhelmed about something so precious which I would never get even though I had no clue what the hell was I grieving for!
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But, Final Fantasy XII is a better game.
It has the most beautiful world building you will ever see — Rabnastre, Archadia, Dalmasca, Estersands, Westersands, Salikawoods, Neburious Deadlands, Sochen Cave Palace, Stillshrine of Miriam are few of the many places you will be swayed over by the sheer atmosphere of those.
The enemy creatures are mythical. They are also beautiful.
And they give off a feeling along with the level design that you are currently in the middle of something epic.
Something big that happened long ago.
It’s like you are playing a part of magnificent long lost history of a far away culture or world.
Also, no more of those pesky random enemy encounters!
If you ever once hear how people talk in Final Fantasy XII you would be stunned at how peculiar their dialect and colloquialism are.
It’s a treat every time cutscenes happen in this game.
Especially hearing Fran’s raspy voice is so sweet and satisfying to the ears.
The battle system is a wise modification of turn based battle mechanics, the battles happen in real time — it all just feels so smooth and un-irritating.
Of course, if you want to nit-pick then you can, but what Final Fantasy XII offers in gameplay is by no means lesser than any expected goodness.
The music, is magical and speaks of a future where we should probably be heading for.
It isn’t meant for inducing helpless desires when you hear FF7 music.
The Royal City of Rabanastre theme, The Salikawood theme, The Downtown Rabnastre theme, The Barheim Passage theme are some of my personal favorites.
Talking about which FF music is good is stupid because FF games have always been strong in that region.
But talking about which FF game music is better than any other FF game is illness.
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Look, I really enjoyed Final Fantasy XII and genuinely felt the call of the hour as I progressed through the plot to stop evil.
The gameplay, the battle mechanics, Fran’s voice and posterior, the mythical looking levels and creatures, the side-quests, the steal mechanic, the bazaar system, the loot system, the open world of Ivalice, the exclusive weapons, the specific ways to get those specific weapons — they all gave me the gaming orgasm.
I just can’t comprehend why FF7 or FF10 or FF6 are considered better?
I have played those and genuinely wanted them to overtake the experience I got from Final Fantasy XII!
But alas, I could not find that, even Skyrim seems very mechanical.
Although I did feel a little bit of fun of rpg games again while playing FF4 and FF3 (both on PSP) and of course, Radiata Stories.
I personally find that FF 6 is scattered all over the place.
FF10 has too many speed bumps and the god-awful blitzball thing.
And, FF7 is neat but I can’t see the appeal.
If you want to start from somewhere in Final Fantasy series, I would suggest to start from FF4 (PSP/NDS).
Then FF3 (PSP), followed by FF7 and FF9 (PS1).
And finally FFX (PS2).
And then finally go and play Final Fantasy XII!
I’m basically mapping out an awesome gaming summer vacation for you here.
gg.
