FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 8,079 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE Game Cover
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"Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age" is a high-definition remaster of the 2006 classic, now with improved gameplay features such as the Zodiac Job System, an updated character leveling system, and a trial mode. The game also boasts stunning visual and sound improvements, including true 7.1 surround sound and characters and movie scenes fully remastered in high definition. Additional features include Speed Mode and newly recorded voice content.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,079 reviews
story1,240 positive mentions
grinding702 negative mentions
  • The revamped job system and gambit mechanics provide a unique and engaging combat experience.
  • The world of Ivalice is beautifully designed, with rich lore and diverse environments that enhance exploration.
  • The remastered graphics and music breathe new life into the game, making it visually and audibly appealing.
  • The story can feel convoluted and lacks emotional depth, with some characters being underdeveloped.
  • The combat can become repetitive and automated, leading to a lack of player engagement during battles.
  • The game features frustrating RNG mechanics for obtaining certain items and completing side quests, which can be tedious.
  • story3,880 mentions

    The story of *Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age* is characterized by its political intrigue and mature themes, often drawing comparisons to *Star Wars* due to its narrative structure. While some players appreciate the depth and complexity of the plot, others find it convoluted and lacking emotional engagement, particularly criticizing the main character, Vaan, for being underdeveloped and irrelevant to the overarching narrative. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with a rich world and interesting side quests that can overshadow the main plot, leading to a varied reception among players.

    • “Final Fantasy XII is a beautifully crafted RPG that offers a rich story and an expansive world to explore.”
    • “The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique motivations, and the intricate political plot adds depth to the narrative.”
    • “It's a grand tale filled with immersive world-building as well as a story centered around geopolitics and war, and your party finds themselves in the center of this massive conflict.”
    • “So, yeah, the story is kinda lame.”
    • “Story wise I just could not feel myself becoming invested in the world, its inhabitants or the protagonists.”
    • “The story is poor and a complete mess, it feels like they started something but not quite finished it.”
  • gameplay1,461 mentions

    The gameplay of "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age" is characterized by its innovative gambit system, allowing players to pre-program character actions, which can lead to a more automated experience. While some players appreciate the depth and strategic elements of the combat, others find it tedious and overly reliant on automation, making battles feel less engaging. The addition of speed-up options enhances the experience by reducing grind, but the overall gameplay can be polarizing, appealing to those who enjoy a blend of real-time and strategic mechanics, while potentially alienating fans of traditional turn-based systems.

    • “The gameplay features an innovative combat system that blends real-time action with strategic elements, making battles dynamic and engaging.”
    • “The gameplay is supplemented by the gambit system, where you can pre-program your characters prior to battle so you don't have to smash your knuckles a hundred times using the same moves on high-hp fantasy monsters.”
    • “Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age stands as a masterclass in game design, bringing together a world of political intrigue, vast landscapes, and innovative gameplay mechanics.”
    • “Having to buy them all individually (and god, there are a lot of them) is dumb and brings nothing of value to the overall gameplay; on the contrary.”
    • “The gameplay, with the innovative gambit system, also means that combat can become automated to an unbearable and boring degree.”
    • “A lot of my gameplay experience is just holding down the left stick and watching as my units kill things effortlessly, and I'd be fine with that if it was just the basic enemies, but this extends to nearly every single boss as well, with most dying in less than half a minute.”
  • graphics1,135 mentions

    The graphics of "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age" have received significant praise for their stunning art style and immersive environments, showcasing a substantial overhaul from the original PS2 version. While many players appreciate the enhanced visuals and smooth 60 fps performance, some note that certain aspects still feel dated, with occasional graphical glitches and limited model variance among enemies. Overall, the remaster successfully revitalizes the game's aesthetic, making it a visually appealing experience, especially for fans of the series.

    • “The graphics and music are stunning, creating an immersive atmosphere that draws you in.”
    • “The enhanced visuals breathe new life into the diverse environments of Ivalice, from the bustling streets of Rabanastre to the serene plains of Giza.”
    • “For a game from 2006, the graphics were exceptional.”
    • “But when the environments are more subdued, the visuals tend to suffer, as there's very, very little model variance among enemies, and it's really hard not to notice you're just fighting recolors of something you've already seen every time you enter a new zone.”
    • “Honestly, the graphics could have been done better.”
    • “However, unlike some other games, FF12's graphics don't hold up too well in the modern era.”
  • music1,010 mentions

    The music in "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age" has received widespread acclaim for its orchestral remastering, with many praising the compositions by Hitoshi Sakimoto as both beautiful and immersive. Players appreciate the option to switch between the original and reorchestrated soundtracks, enhancing the overall experience. While some find the music less memorable compared to other entries in the series, it is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its atmosphere and emotional depth.

    • “The music is composed by the god-tier composer, Hitoshi Sakimoto, of Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, Odin Sphere, GrimGrimoire, Dragon's Crown, Valkyria Chronicles, and more.”
    • “The remastered soundtrack is another high point.”
    • “The music is superb, it feels appropriately cinematic and the boss themes in particular were something I loved.”
    • “The first 80% is a boring story, forgettable music, and an obnoxiously bad protagonist.”
    • “A pain to complete, very little story or character development, forgettable music.”
    • “The weakest part of the game is, uncharacteristically for ff, the music.”
  • grinding706 mentions

    The grinding aspect of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age has received mixed feedback from players. While many appreciate the introduction of 2x and 4x speed options that significantly reduce the tedium associated with grinding and backtracking, others find the overall reliance on grinding for levels and gear to be excessive and frustrating. The gambit system is noted for making combat more engaging during these grind sessions, but some players still feel that the game leans too heavily on MMO-style mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “No grinding, no random encounters, no Hippaul racing/jumprope, no Chocobo hot-and-cold/racing/breeding, no cards, etc. (The few exceptions to this are high-end bazaar goods and stealing/poaching in some cases.)”
    • “It started out slow and grindy, and I was fine with that, even a little excited when I saw how the leveling system worked, but... it didn't really stop being grindy?”
    • “The expansive open world filled with nothing but enemies, the obscene backtracking, obnoxious dungeon design, and insane grinding required to hunt for certain mobs or chests all serve to make playing FF12 an often painful experience, to the point that I would consider it unplayable if the quadruple speed was not available.”
    • “End game = grinding *for days* a 2% drop from a chest that itself has an extremely small chance of appearing, so you can get a necessary item that is necessary for beating the game.”
  • optimization198 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end PCs, leading to stuttering and lag even at low settings. However, some players have experienced smooth performance at 60fps on higher-end systems, praising the overall stability and graphical enhancements of the port. Overall, while there are notable optimization challenges, particularly for less powerful hardware, many players find the game runs well under optimal conditions.

    • “The game did not have any crashes; it was optimized very well.”
    • “A very well optimized version of the HD remaster of FFXII.”
    • “This port is amazingly optimized; I'm five hours in and I can run every second of it at 60 frames a second on high with a 1050 Ti 4GB.”
    • “The game is badly optimized, so expect to use high TDP to hit consistent FPS even on low settings.”
    • “Game suffers from insane lag/stuttering, even at lowest settings.”
    • “Whether due to Denuvo (doubtful) or just poor optimization (likely), the state the game is in for me at the time of this review is something that I cannot in good conscience recommend to anyone.”
  • character development126 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant lack of depth and progression for most characters, particularly the main cast. While some appreciate the character designs and the new job system, they feel that the overall narrative and character arcs are underwhelming, leaving players feeling detached from the story. A few characters, like Balthier and Fran, are highlighted for their development, but overall, the game is criticized for not delivering the rich character experiences expected from the Final Fantasy series.

    • “I would recommend this game to anyone and everyone, especially if you are a fan of a fantasy game with a great story, character development, and engaging plot twists.”
    • “It has a layered story, amazing character development, complex but forgiving RPG mechanics, and deep character customization.”
    • “Excellent character development for most characters in the game, which leaves you feeling extremely fulfilled at the end.”
    • “There's really never any character development as a group.”
    • “I think the 6 main characters really lack character development; they should have had more story time so people could know them more and become more attached, but sadly no, even until the end I don't really care much for what will happen to them, except for Balthier and Fran.”
    • “Lack of character development and story progression are very predictable.”
  • stability123 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent crashes and freezes, particularly on certain hardware configurations. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay without significant issues, others have encountered game-breaking bugs and glitches that hinder their experience. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary widely among players, with a notable divide between those who enjoy a seamless experience and those struggling with technical problems.

    • “It runs great on my PC and looks fantastic.”
    • “FF12 TZA is a fantastic port to PC that runs great and honestly has aged very well since its original release.”
    • “So far, the game runs great at max settings and 60 fps on an old Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB coupled with an i5 3950K and 16GB of DDR3 RAM.”
    • “I can maybe play for five minutes before my screen freezes and crashes.”
    • “Constant game crashes and graphics freezes make it virtually unplayable on a high-end rig.”
    • “I got maybe an hour into the game, struggling through crashes, freezes, and bugs the whole time, and none of the purported fixes by anyone worked.”
  • replayability84 mentions

    The replayability of "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age" is highly praised, with players appreciating the freedom to mix and match job classes, which allows for diverse character builds and strategies in multiple playthroughs. The introduction of quality-of-life improvements, such as speed options and a new job system, enhances the overall experience and encourages revisiting the game. Many reviewers highlight the game's engaging story and memorable characters, contributing to its status as one of the most replayable entries in the Final Fantasy series.

    • “But it seems to have quite a bit of replayability, both in terms of different job combinations and team builds, as well as new game+.”
    • “One of the best JRPGs of all time, now has almost infinite replayability because of the fantastic modding community.”
    • “The skill tree mechanics are so unique and give a nice replayability aspect to the game as there is no one correct way to play.”
    • “There is a lot of replay value in this game, but if you have close to 100% cleared it in the past (on the PS2), then the zodiac job system really won't add enough to the experience to justify paying $50 for it.”
    • “After finishing this game, I must say there is a considerable amount of replay value and the 2x and 4x speed options make any of the tedious, level grinding elements of the game a pleasure to actually play through.”
    • “With the zodiac job system limiting job class picks to only two per character, it gives the game a replayability that isn't there for other Final Fantasy games.”
  • emotional74 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the remastered score by Hitoshi Sakimoto for enhancing the game's atmosphere and emotional depth. However, many players find the story and characters lacking in emotional engagement, describing them as bland and unlikable, which diminishes the overall impact. While there are moments of emotional resonance, particularly towards the end, the game fails to achieve the depth and connection seen in earlier Final Fantasy titles.

    • “The remastered score by Hitoshi Sakimoto breathes new life into the game, its orchestral arrangements perfectly complementing the game’s epic scale and emotional depth.”
    • “The interwoven relationships and personal journeys create a deeply emotional connection, making every triumph and setback feel personal.”
    • “Every character in the party has an arc that is closely connected with the main plot, which serves to make their arcs satisfying to observe and the payoffs are emotionally gratifying.”
    • “The first 80% is a boring story, forgettable music, and an obnoxiously bad protagonist.”
    • “Boring story, mostly unlikable characters, annoying battle system.”
    • “Ffxii has a boring story, where there is almost no character development.”
  • atmosphere62 mentions

    The atmosphere of Final Fantasy XII is widely praised for its stunning graphics, immersive sound design, and a re-recorded orchestral score that enhances the emotional depth of the story. Reviewers highlight the game's unique and captivating world, with each area offering its own distinct ambiance, reminiscent of classic titles like Vagrant Story. While some critiques mention a lack of engagement with the story or gameplay, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere is a major draw, making it a memorable experience for players.

    • “The re-recorded orchestral score enhances the emotional impact of the story and complements the game's atmosphere beautifully.”
    • “It's an extremely immersive and atmospheric title, with visuals that were truly mind-blowing on the PS2, and still hold up today in their elegant, efficient construction.”
    • “Final Fantasy XII is an odd entry in the mainline franchise that represents the height of Square Enix's robust writing, fabulous character personalities, incredible world building, unique monster design, and with an immersive atmosphere to pull it all together, to create one of the richest experiences you can find in the JRPG genre.”
    • “World/atmosphere: the world is kind of bland.”
    • “Atmosphere - 1/5”
    • “The story is sub-par to other games in the franchise but I get lost in the atmosphere.”
  • humor56 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with sharp dialogue and character interactions often providing genuine laughs, particularly through characters like Balthier, who humorously acknowledges his role as the "leading man." However, some attempts at humor fall flat, especially in side missions that lack depth, and while certain gameplay mechanics can be amusing, they may also lead to frustration. Overall, the humor is present but inconsistent, with moments of cleverness overshadowed by more serious themes and gameplay quirks.

    • “The dialogue in FF12 is surprisingly sharp; character conversations seamlessly flow between serious, subtle, evasive, and humorous moods thanks to strong performances and scripts.”
    • “It is clear that Balthier was meant to be the main character and even jokingly refers to himself as 'the leading man' constantly, which I think is kind of funny in retrospect, as if Matsuno is just telling you that yeah, Balthier is the actual main character.”
    • “Many of the characters' personalities were pretty funny and well written (Balthier, I'm looking at you lol).”
  • monetization8 mentions

    Reviews indicate a strong sentiment that the game's monetization strategy feels like a cash grab, detracting from the overall experience. Players express frustration with repetitive animations and a perceived lack of depth compared to earlier titles, suggesting that modern iterations prioritize profit over quality. While some appreciate the added features, the easier difficulty and grind-heavy mechanics contribute to a sense of disappointment.

    • “If only modern games had the same depth and quality instead of being generic cash grabs.”
    • “I'm now starting to wonder if FF15 was dumbed down in reaction to the original hatred of this game... I'm not sure, but it makes a hell of a lot of sense having grinded through this stupid Square Enix cash grab.”
    • “Limit breaks exist as well... which means watching the same animations (long animations, mind you) over and over again... it just adds to the sleep-inducing nature of the rest of the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

100hMedian play time
170hAverage play time
60-200hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 66 analyzed playthroughs

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