FF12 demo impressions

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daschrier

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http://1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3145629&did=1

Well, after reading all that...my interest in the game as dropped....a lot. Seems a lot like a .hack/dungeon siege type mix, or an offline MMORPG if you choose.
Also, I hope the missions are only for the purpose of the demo....I REALLY don't want another mission based FF game...X-2 was more than enough.

Will this FF alienate fans? Most "hardcore" FF fans are already appauled by the last few offerings from square, will this game by the final nail in the FF coffin??
 
Whoaa.. no random battles? Party members visible at all times? Yeah, those two things right there made me lose interest.
 
[quote name='Scorch']Whoaa.. no random battles? Party members visible at all times? Yeah, those two things right there made me lose interest.[/QUOTE]

:rofl:

I, personally, am glad they're getting rid of turn based battles.
 
I lost interest in FF12 a long time ago. Square Enix has done nothing but milk FF7 to death and made halfass rpgs this generation.
 
No random battles is awesome.

It would be even better if they used the time-bars from FF7 instead of taking turns and stuff.

I might actually get this, even though I only like one FF game.
 
FF X wasn't halfassed, nor was KH. both of those were excellent. and although i haven't played it, i've heard FF XI is a good MMORPG, but i'm still of the opinion it should have been named FF Online, not as one of the central series, like FF Tactics. but i agree, in recent times i haven't seen anything good coming from the company. i think FF XII will be great though, especially because it's set in Ivalice, so it'll hopefully have the awesome political/wartime story like Tactics. and personally i think an action battle system is a pretty good change for the series, as it can adopt new fans, and will probably be just as fulfilling for old fans.
 
They said in the article though that it plays like KOTOR. If you put it like that, I don't think it'll be too bad. Should be interesting.
 
1up = EGM online prett much. They aren't exactly the most objective group of people.

It's an Ivalice FF, and that simple fact makes me buy it even if it comes with leaking aids blood.
 
Bleh. I am sick and bloody tired of action RPGs. Almost every single RPG nowadays is realtime combat with you only controlling one character. Bring on the old-school games like DQ8! (Gonna have to pick that up as soon as I have 50 bucks). Bring back DIFFICULT RPGs!
 
[quote name='Logain8955']Bleh. I am sick and bloody tired of action RPGs. Almost every single RPG nowadays is realtime combat with you only controlling one character. Bring on the old-school games like DQ8! (Gonna have to pick that up as soon as I have 50 bucks). Bring back DIFFICULT RPGs![/QUOTE]

...and by difficult you mean so long and tedious that almost no one completes them.

Action RPGs are great, now if only squarenix would bother to write nice generic happy stories.
 
Wow, looks like I won't be in any rush to get this. My personal favorite FF is X, as I loved the more strategic-based battle system and the sphere grid. Luckily, I have X to play over again and SMT-DDS 1/2 which are very much like FFX imo.

I personally find myself looking more towards Atlus games than SquareEnix games these days (aside from maybe the GBA titles). I enjoy innovation, but not solely for the sake of innovation.
 
To be honest Square has never made a bad Final Fantasy... I don't know where anyone gets off saying 10 was bad, it was easily one of the best in the series.(FF IV is my personal favorite) But the fact that some loser from the SaGa games is in on the development worries me- alot. Those games suck... really hard. That being said I still think this game will rule because there has never been a FF that hasn't... though, I admittedly didn't play 11.
 
[quote name='hohez']1up = EGM online prett much. They aren't exactly the most objective group of people.

It's an Ivalice FF, and that simple fact makes me buy it even if it comes with leaking aids blood.[/QUOTE]
1up isn't EGM online, they're a seperate entity from OPM, EGM, CGW, and the other magazines that ZD owns.

Anyways, I can't wait for this game, the new MMO-like turn in the gameplay will be fun.
 
[quote name='pimp tyranny']FF X wasn't halfassed, nor was KH. both of those were excellent. and although i haven't played it, i've heard FF XI is a good MMORPG, but i'm still of the opinion it should have been named FF Online, not as one of the central series, like FF Tactics. but i agree, in recent times i haven't seen anything good coming from the company. i think FF XII will be great though, especially because it's set in Ivalice, so it'll hopefully have the awesome political/wartime story like Tactics. and personally i think an action battle system is a pretty good change for the series, as it can adopt new fans, and will probably be just as fulfilling for old fans.[/QUOTE]

Sir, we must agree to disagree. I think both games you mention were half-assed... Well, maybe not half-assed as overly disappointing and very flawed.

While FFX had some neat ideas as far as party mechanics and leveling up, overall I thought the game was a letdown. I wasn't impressed with most of the characters, the stories, the mini-games, and the more-linear than ever gameplay was... disappointing. (While this game was disappointing, it's sequel FFX-2 was even worse... the ONLY FF game I played and did not finish, with the exception of FFV, where the load times and english translation were odious.)

KH, while it had a cool story, nice visuals, and interesting combination of new characters mixed with disney and square favorites, fell surprisingly short in the battle system. I cannot think of a combat system I hated more when it comes to 3D action type stuff. I know I was constantly cursing the lack of a lock-on mechanism ala zelda:OOT... not sure if that would totally fix the battle system for me though... (Turn based, Legend of Dragoon takes the horrible battle system honors).

Edit: Fixed some typos, added some more text.
 
Game sounds fine to me, I'm more then happy to see random battles gone. They should have done away with them a long time ago. I don't think the changes will have any effect on the fan base. Final Fantasy will continue on forever.

1Up is not a good site to get reviews from, they really wouldn't know a good game if it bit them in the ass. They most likley got some guy on their staff who plays nothing but Halo2 to review the demo.

And any person who has been "appauled" by the last few games from square, Is NOT a "hardcore" FF fans and shouldn't even be called a FF Fan. Hell they shouldn't even be called a gamer, fucken losers. I bet these people also think FFVII is the best game ever and get off on pictures of Sephiroth.
 
is there any place you can get the FF12 demo Besides DQ 8


i probally end up buying DQ8 either way BUT I have no use for the FF12 demo

love to be able to dump the demo off for 10 or 20 bucks on ebay. (knock the price of DQ down to 30 or 40 )
 
Are all those FF games good?

I played FF1, FF2, and FFX and they were meh, but FF7 is awesome. Are the other games closer to FF7 or FFX?
 
[quote name='stf3']MMO gameplay is fun ... in an MMO.[/QUOTE]


I learned this lesson this week. I started Guild Wars and while it's not an MMO, it has the elements of one.

After playing it, I realized what KOTOR, Jade Empire, Fable, .hack and all those games were trying to simulate to a certain extent and why I disliked them-- it works better with real people :lol:


I bet these people also think FFVII is the best game ever and get off on pictures of Sephiroth.
Click to expand...

I wasn't that appauled, just kinda turned off, and I think FF3 is one of the best games ever and get off on pictures of Ultros.

That said-- many things turn me off from 12. The gameplay style, the character design, mainly.
 
[quote name='Quackzilla']Are all those FF games good?

I played FF1, FF2, and FFX and they were meh, but FF7 is awesome. Are the other games closer to FF7 or FFX?[/QUOTE]


GO -- get a SNES and FF3, NOW.
 
[quote name='CapAmerica']
And any person who has been "appauled" by the last few games from square, Is NOT a "hardcore" FF fans and shouldn't even be called a FF Fan. Hell they shouldn't even be called a gamer, fucken losers. I bet these people also think FFVII is the best game ever and get off on pictures of Sephiroth.[/QUOTE]


Yeah, except Square has sucked for the last couple of games. KH I hated (ZOMGBASHXTOWIN), FFX was merely ok, FF9 was a horrible disappointment, FF8 is the definition of suck, Chrono Cross shat on my childhood, FFTA kicked me in the testicles with its worthlessness and FF7 is the most overrated game of all time.

I liked FFX-2, FFT was awesome and I love the Front Mission games. However, Square is no longer the powerhouse they were during the SNES era. FF6 and Chrono Trigger are still some of the best games ever made.
 
[quote name='Apossum']GO -- get a SNES and FF3, NOW.[/QUOTE]


While you're at it, get a copy of Chrono Trigger....and Secret of Mana. Now that was a good action-RPG.
 
As far as the review goes, that game looks like it could be enjoyable. Although I'm not thrilled about the mission approach. It worked well enough for the tactics based games but I thought it absolutely destroyed FFX2...

Overall, I'm not opposed to this, it could be a very nice twist on the FF franchise.
 
I think any new Final Fantasy game will alienate the "hardcore" fans just by existing- no matter how good or bad it turns out to be. Ever since Final Fantasy VI and VII most of the "fans" seem to complain about every single game.
 
[quote name='daschrier']I found ff6 to be meh....ff4 is far superior I feel...:D[/QUOTE]

I agree with you, completely, well, almost...

FF6 is kinda eh to me now, but I loved it when it was new...

The first 4 times I played through FFVI I loved it. Except for the difficulty (way too easy, I felt) and some of the bugs... I managed to get stuck in one area with no way to get to the area I needed to go... restart. Then I broke my cart... I believe I had the bright idea of having Relm control Gau? I did something screwy and it broke my inventory and started wreaking havoc on the game itself... (kept resetting while I was making my way across the floating continent).

While FFVI offered a lot of innovative and cool stuff, I found the difficuly, story, and characters of FFIV to be more to my liking (Edge and Kain are still two of my favorite characters in an FF game to date).
 
KH and FFX was GREAT, but how many years ago was that?
look at square's latest offerings:

SO3, drag-on dragon, ffx-2, romancing saga, radiata story....

all mediocore CRAP.
 
[quote name='s1eepinglionhart']I agree with you, completely, well, almost...

FF6 is kinda eh to me now, but I loved it when it was new...

The first 4 times I played through FFVI I loved it. Except for the difficulty (way too easy, I felt) and some of the bugs... I managed to get stuck in one area with no way to get to the area I needed to go... restart. Then I broke my cart... I believe I had the bright idea of having Relm control Gau? I did something screwy and it broke my inventory and started wreaking havoc on the game itself... (kept resetting while I was making my way across the floating continent).

While FFVI offered a lot of innovative and cool stuff, I found the difficuly, story, and characters of FFIV to be more to my liking (Edge and Kain are still two of my favorite characters in an FF game to date).[/QUOTE]

Wait....which is IV? is that our 2? cause I plan on playing that next.
 
[quote name='Apossum']Wait....which is IV? is that our 2? cause I plan on playing that next.[/QUOTE]

Yes. I can't remember if the FF Chronicles version is the original japanese version or not... but if it is, most fans (including myself) seem to prefer this version to the US SNES FF2 version. (I think the difficulty is jacked up, there's additional abilities, and some other differences which just make the original version better.) The only problem with playing this version is the fucking load times. The cart is much better here, but you might be better off looking for the japanese ROM which has been translated and playing it on an emulator.

[Square later released an easy version of FF2 in japan which was just the version they created for the states...]
 
[quote name='Logain8955']Yeah, except Square has sucked for the last couple of games. KH I hated (ZOMGBASHXTOWIN), FFX was merely ok, FF9 was a horrible disappointment, FF8 is the definition of suck, Chrono Cross shat on my childhood, FFTA kicked me in the testicles with its worthlessness and FF7 is the most overrated game of all time.

I liked FFX-2, FFT was awesome and I love the Front Mission games. However, Square is no longer the powerhouse they were during the SNES era. FF6 and Chrono Trigger are still some of the best games ever made.[/QUOTE]

wow, sounds like you just hate square. how can FF 9 be a disappointment if 8 utterly sucked and FF 7 is the most overrated of all time??? doesn't make sense. maybe it's because i really got into gaming on the PS1, but Chrono Cross completely stomps the fuck out of CT in characters, story, mood (Miguel battle is the best scene in any game ever, and a hard battle to boot), and of course graphics. KH was great, even if the battle system was a simple button masher (so by this logic you hate the Dynasty Warriors games, i assume, as i do, because of the absurd repetition). i do agree that FFT is the shit, and FFTA utterly failed, but the fact that you enjoyed FF X-2 more than the central series really appauls me. sure it's a nice diversion but it's no true Final Fantasy.

end rant
 
Wow...am I the only person who liked FFIX? While most of the characters weren't memorable (except for the knight and that sexually ambiguous swedish-chef lookin' weirdo), I recall the gameplay being a great deal of fun.
 
[quote name='stf3']MMO gameplay is fun ... in an MMO.[/QUOTE]
Sure, because no game should ever incorporate gameplay elements of other game types.

I'm with you myke, I enjoyed FFIX a lot.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']Wow...am I the only person who liked FFIX? While most of the characters weren't memorable (except for the knight and that sexually ambiguous swedish-chef lookin' weirdo), I recall the gameplay being a great deal of fun.[/QUOTE]

It certainly fit with my packrat-esque style of picking up multiple copies of weapons and armors just in case they would be handy in the future. Made a world of difference in FF2 so many years ago (so much Throw fodder for Edge...) so...hey, having multiple copies of Ability-giving equipment at any given time made me happy! I just wish there were more unique abilities between some of the characters, though, but what can you do?


As for FF12...I don't know. I had high hopes when it was first announced and preliminary artwork was tossed online. Seemed interesting, would be using the Tactics world...it made me happy, so long as they would expand in some way of the existing world in FFT. So many references to foreign continents, lands, and more in FFT that never get covered in the game...so much potential. Then FFTA hit the GBA and...geez, I have a term for this sort of event and it goes something like, "shitting the bed". Nothing beats a game where you can break the system in a whopping 30 minutes if you go for the right abilities. And mission-based with little plot...poor, poor move. Ever since that tragedy I took the development of 12 with a grain of salt. And now, with these developments, I'm not quite sure I'll be picking up FF12.


Shame. Oh well, I guess it's time saved. I really wish I could be wowed by 12, though, but after what's come out so far I just don't know.
 
Bah this thread sucks, i was thinking it was impressions of other people who have played the demo that came with DQ8, turns out to be a lot of mouthing off from people who havent even played it.

I personally think the graphics are great, and active mode is really fun. Im about to play on wait mode, but from what ive played so far, its really hard waiting on this game to be released!

EDIT: Just beat the demo(different mission) on wait mode. I must admit it feels awfully strange that way at first after playing active mode, but when it got to fighting the boss it felt more natural. If you played ffxi, seeing mandragoras in the game is cool. 2 Short missions, but the game is looking to be another great one IMO.

Also, the same bad comments on this from people have been made about every final fantasy. Some claim the series suck since it went 3d, others claimed it sucked that characters talk when it was announced for final fantasy x. Alot of other complaints too(like no random battles in 12 or 11 being an MMORPG).

Some people are just afraid of change i guess, but i personally would much rather have change then a rehash every game.
 
I don't know, I am pretty dissapointed with this direction. I like the final fantasy games because they keep to old school combat with amazing presentation, great music, and impressive stories. The character design is also unparalled.

From playing the demo it seems they are taking it in a completely different direction. I agree with what others are saying in that I dont want to play an mmo thats not online. It just seems weird not controlling all the characters in a FF game, and seeing the enemies on screen, and having no battle sequence seperated from the rest of the game. The character design also isn't as great as usual and even if it was, you dont see all three high res characters in a line anymore. I do like the music, and the enemy design however. Ill probably still buy it, like FF-X2, but it probably wont be as fun for me to play through.
 
i thought id hear from people who ACTUALLY PLAYED THE DEMO in this thread, turns out its just a bunch of kids arguing about the same old shit as always, IF YOU DONT LIKE WHAT SQUARE IS DOING DONT BUY THEIR GAMES
 
I tried out this demo, and I must say in my opinion this is the most turderrific game I have ever played, hell I welcome crappy games like mighty morphin power rangers or enter the matrix.
 
well i bought DQ8 today, i tried out the demo (of FF12). the battle system wasnt that bad, but i have to say that i prefer the wait mode more than the active mode, i just cant do things on the fly that fast, plus it makes it much harder to manage the other two party members. with wait mode i can think about what i want to do and actively control both party members. i like the active bar, it kind of makes it so that its not too much real time, and gives you some time to manage party members. anyway, the battle system isnt as bad as i thought it would be, which is good, but ultimately its going to come down to how good the story is. ill say one thing, the CGI intro to the demo is very very very very impressive, i cant wait to see what square can do with the next gen consoles.
 
I don't like games that require me to manage my party members but don't shove that fact in my face. Any game like that ought to let you know.

And the game still felt very ATB-based even if I was running around the enemy in circles and STILL getting hit. One would think, logically, any added movement to a battle system would signifigantly help aid in dodging and evasive maneuvers. But no. =| I think this is more of a visual stigma to get over than anything else.
 
[quote name='Amano']I don't like games that require me to manage my party members but don't shove that fact in my face. Any game like that ought to let you know.

And the game still felt very ATB-based even if I was running around the enemy in circles and STILL getting hit. One would think, logically, any added movement to a battle system would signifigantly help aid in dodging and evasive maneuvers. But no. =| I think this is more of a visual stigma to get over than anything else.[/QUOTE]

it doesnt require you to manage the other team members, if you want you dont have to, i just like to, but i found that the other members will attack just fine and they cast cure and such when you need it. so i didnt think that was bad or anything.

as for the running around, you would think that you wouldnt get hit but ya do, its the same way in final fantasy xi, but hey what can ya do, its a turned based element that is left over in an awkward way
 
[quote name='iheartmetal']it doesnt require you to manage the other team members, if you want you dont have to, i just like to, but i found that the other members will attack just fine and they cast cure and such when you need it. so i didnt think that was bad or anything.

as for the running around, you would think that you wouldnt get hit but ya do, its the same way in final fantasy xi, but hey what can ya do, its a turned based element that is left over in an awkward way[/QUOTE]

I'll agree that the AI was good enough to take care of itself for the most part (with a few exceptions). I just don't personally enjoy battle systems where I need to direct characters without having their own menu pop-up in due time. But thankfully the AI is better than Star Ocean 3's.

And yes, weird indeed. Seems like the same beast in different clothing, really. I'm sure I'll get use to it.
 
I tried it out for about thirty minutes on Saturday night--I have absolutely no gripes with the battle system. I think it will work really well with the finished product...assuming the mission-based garbage is simply for demonstration purposes. I'll be inexplicably pissed if the game itself is set up in that manner.
Oh, and the game is absolutely gorgeous.
 
FFXII is basically selling out the series... I just played the demo (first thing I did at home) and I have to say I'm pretty dissappointed.

The game looks fine, very nice technologically but the art is crap. I can't really judge the music since I've only heard 3 tracks (intro, and the 2 stage tracks) but it seemed fairly ordinary.

The battle system is really weird. It's ATB based, which is nice but the ability to move around seems pointless and making the other two characters AI controlled is no fun even if you can give them commands. But the new menus system is extremely slow, if organized, when you're in active mode battles- in wait mode it wasn't as bad since you got more time, but the menus still need more streamlining.

I dunno... this doesn't seem like Final Fantasy to me. I've been a FF fan since the SNES days and have enjoyed the series a lot until FFX. Then again, I guess I should've known it was coming since FFX.:roll:
 
[quote name='Vinny']The battle system is really weird. It's ATB based, which is nice but the ability to move around seems pointless and making the other two characters AI controlled is no fun even if you can give them commands. But the new menus system is extremely slow, if organized, when you're in active mode battles- in wait mode it wasn't as bad since you got more time, but the menus still need more streamlining.

I dunno... this doesn't seem like Final Fantasy to me. I've been a FF fan since the SNES days and have enjoyed the series a lot until FFX. Then again, I guess I should've known it was coming since FFX.:roll:[/QUOTE]

The battle system is nearly identical to FFXI. I can see how some fans would be freaking out about the "drastic changes," but it still feels very much like Final Fantasy (more so than FFX, in my opinion). I think after a few hours in, you'll really be able to appreciate the new setup. I've been playing FF games for nearly fifteen years now, and I'm actually excited to see something that really is different (FFXI aside).
I'm going to play through it a couple more times tomorrow, I think, and explore a little deeper. I really enjoyed what I saw, though, and playing the disc has me very excited for a final copy. I'd kill for a Japanese language track, though--if the American acting is going to be anything like the narrator on the demo, it's going to be ugly.
 
[quote name='defiance_17']The battle system is nearly identical to FFXI. I can see how some fans would be freaking out about the "drastic changes," but it still feels very much like Final Fantasy (more so than FFX, in my opinion). I think after a few hours in, you'll really be able to appreciate the new setup. I've been playing FF games for nearly fifteen years now, and I'm actually excited to see something that really is different (FFXI aside).
I'm going to play through it a couple more times tomorrow, I think, and explore a little deeper. I really enjoyed what I saw, though, and playing the disc has me very excited for a final copy. I'd kill for a Japanese language track, though--if the American acting is going to be anything like the narrator on the demo, it's going to be ugly.[/QUOTE]

the same thought crossed my mind. i was like, these japanese voices are going to be gone, and it made me very sad. also, my friend and i couldnt stop laughing at the very cheesey american naration.
 
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