Final Fantasy 12 thoughts

I finished Final Fantasy 12 sometime back. What a journey! I loved the story. It’s subtle and rich in details, but the details are easy to miss if you do not pay attention to both the in-game hunter’s log and to the NPCs’ speeches.

The use of psychological principles here was surprisingly believable. Each of the characters had several reasons for his or her actions. Basch, for example, is a military man who has developed a strong dislike of war. Even Vaan, who was not initially planned in, had

However, the one character that fell flat in this respect was one who really needed exposition to be effective: Vayne. On one level he is as detailed as the others are. There was clearly a Machiavelli or two to his Medici (Cid, maybe Bergan and Ghis too?) but there are a few crucial bits missing from his role. Since his actions directly impacted all of the main characters, his involvement in the story was personal. However, his involvement did not feel as personal as his role should have made it. Consequently, this leaves a few questions that were generally addressed (however simply) in most of the previous Final Fantasy games. For example, Zemus (FF4) was possessed and wanted to take the planet his people found by force, Kefka(FF6) was bitter over being removed from his post as general, Kuja(FF9) wanted to validate his existence and make himself irreplaceable, Sephiroth(FF7) blamed Shinra and Cloud for his troubles, and Seymour(FF10) thought that destroying Spira would save its inhabitants. Sure, they are all insane to varying degrees, but in every case, their reasons and goals are clear, their impact made harsh and devastating by how personally involved with the heroes they were. Kuja openly resented Zidane (who was meant to replace Kuja), Sephiroth made it his life’s mission to torment Cloud, Kefka was motivated by bitterness and a desire to control, and Seymour both desired and hated Yuna. Only Emperor Palamecia(FF2) and Garland (FF1) had fewer apparent reasons for their villainy than Vayne did. Vayne’s reasons for his goal are unclear and he did not do his own dirty work (only turning up to gloat early on). Why was he fixated on Dalmasca and Raithwall’s descendants? Did he fall in love with the land and its legends? He clearly saw in them a path to greater power and glory; he saw himself as the next Raithwall. Did he identify with Raithwall? Why exactly did he hate his father so much? There were hints but very few confirmed facts. There are so many maybes!

Unfortunately, the pacing of leveling up interrupts the flow of the storyline. This rpg requires the player to spend a long time leveling up. However, it’s possible to beat that problem. Try developing your characters by visiting more advanced areas as early as possible. Save often to minimize frustration. You gain two benefits this way; not only does leveling up go a lot more quickly, you can find better equipment, for free, early.