I'll be the first one to create this thread =] Kthnx.
Well, for starters, I completely agree with the justification of the "Perfect 40/40" score by ... Famitsu, right?
I'm going to divide my comments up into several area's of the game.
Plot
Holy triple-grated cheesepuffs! You're thrown into the midst of a war, where death is very common and necessary, then die yourself. The war ends with the death of a king, a prince and a princess. Archadia takes over Dalmasca. Later, the once thought dead Princess returns, alive and begins the journey to reclaim her throne. Outstanding! With characters such as Vayne committing what he does moving the plot along the the end, there's no dispute over the incredible story.
Characters
Vaan ::
A bit disappointed with Vaan, frankly. It may have just been me, but I don't clearly see why Vaan is the man you control, suggesting that Vaan is the main character. If we took Vaan from the story, could we have seen a noticeable difference? He's only there to add a little ambition and character interaction, as I see it.
Penelo ::
Pretty much the same as Vaan, although Penelo had a different kind of aura; one that you could be attracted to a little more easily. Again, though, taking her from the story has little to no impact on it.
Fran ::
I love Fran. From reading the manual beforehand, I had myself excited for obtaining this character, because her bio gave me an immediate sense of mystery and admitation for her. When we come to the Eruyt Village, I feel very sympathetic towards her; an outcast. Fran, to me, seems to be the character who explains everything that it not entirely obvious, or would not be known otherwise. For example, "The mist grows stronger here ..." suggests that something will happen so, naturally, you prepare for a boss. Voila!
Balthier ::
"The leading man." I didn't feel much about him until the Phon Coast, where he told Vaan a little bit about his past. I was immediately mystified by him and now I'm considering replaying the game, purely to have him in my party at all times. Oh, and idiocy +1 for me, as I didn't realise the connection between Doctor Cid and Balthier until, practically, the end of the game.
Basch ::
The typical Knight-In-Shinning-Armour for me. He has a connection to Judge Gabranth, so naturally, I love Basch, too <3. His devotion to Ashe and his determination to prove his innocence astounds me, it really does.
Ashe ::
Good grief. There's so much I want to say about her; I'm still trying to find the words. Can I come back and edit my post, later, when I've had time to digest everything?
Vayne ::
Best villian in Final Fantasy history, period.
Music
I listen to the opening theme three times everytime I turn on the game. XII is much more orchestrated now, but I prefer it that way - much more dramatic. Oh, and the ending with Penelo talking and Angela singing almost brought a tear to my eye xD.
Battle
I thought that, after playing Kingdom Hearts, I would be more prepared for the new battle system. I was wrong xD. I never want to go back to the ATB anymore. Square Enix has successfully achieved their aim to make Final Fantasy XII "more realistic."
Anything else I could comment on?
Well, for starters, I completely agree with the justification of the "Perfect 40/40" score by ... Famitsu, right?
I'm going to divide my comments up into several area's of the game.
Plot
Holy triple-grated cheesepuffs! You're thrown into the midst of a war, where death is very common and necessary, then die yourself. The war ends with the death of a king, a prince and a princess. Archadia takes over Dalmasca. Later, the once thought dead Princess returns, alive and begins the journey to reclaim her throne. Outstanding! With characters such as Vayne committing what he does moving the plot along the the end, there's no dispute over the incredible story.
Characters
Vaan ::
A bit disappointed with Vaan, frankly. It may have just been me, but I don't clearly see why Vaan is the man you control, suggesting that Vaan is the main character. If we took Vaan from the story, could we have seen a noticeable difference? He's only there to add a little ambition and character interaction, as I see it.
Penelo ::
Pretty much the same as Vaan, although Penelo had a different kind of aura; one that you could be attracted to a little more easily. Again, though, taking her from the story has little to no impact on it.
Fran ::
I love Fran. From reading the manual beforehand, I had myself excited for obtaining this character, because her bio gave me an immediate sense of mystery and admitation for her. When we come to the Eruyt Village, I feel very sympathetic towards her; an outcast. Fran, to me, seems to be the character who explains everything that it not entirely obvious, or would not be known otherwise. For example, "The mist grows stronger here ..." suggests that something will happen so, naturally, you prepare for a boss. Voila!
Balthier ::
"The leading man." I didn't feel much about him until the Phon Coast, where he told Vaan a little bit about his past. I was immediately mystified by him and now I'm considering replaying the game, purely to have him in my party at all times. Oh, and idiocy +1 for me, as I didn't realise the connection between Doctor Cid and Balthier until, practically, the end of the game.
Basch ::
The typical Knight-In-Shinning-Armour for me. He has a connection to Judge Gabranth, so naturally, I love Basch, too <3. His devotion to Ashe and his determination to prove his innocence astounds me, it really does.
Ashe ::
Good grief. There's so much I want to say about her; I'm still trying to find the words. Can I come back and edit my post, later, when I've had time to digest everything?
Vayne ::
Best villian in Final Fantasy history, period.
Music
I listen to the opening theme three times everytime I turn on the game. XII is much more orchestrated now, but I prefer it that way - much more dramatic. Oh, and the ending with Penelo talking and Angela singing almost brought a tear to my eye xD.
Battle
I thought that, after playing Kingdom Hearts, I would be more prepared for the new battle system. I was wrong xD. I never want to go back to the ATB anymore. Square Enix has successfully achieved their aim to make Final Fantasy XII "more realistic."
Anything else I could comment on?
