Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age - Differences From the Original Game

[@davidhill8565]

Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age has three BGM options: Original, Reorchestrated, and OST. The first option is the background music as heard in-game on the original PS2, which uses the old PS2 soundchip and therefore synthesized. The second option is a brand new version of the background music made specifically for the Zodiac Age version, arranged with a live orchestra. The third option is the background music as heard on the CDs and on digital storefronts, being the same as the original version but with an enhanced soundfont that couldn’t be used on the PS2.

[@GrimLore13]

Yes, finally someone talking about the spell queuing.

[@goldentrout4811]

No more spell queuing PogChamp, a speedrunners dream...

[@ProtozTer]

Cristopher Macias does that mean no more flare cheese

[@shaddow2022]

FF12 was my game on PS2 maaaan the memories.... I had to have at least 500 to 600 hours on a single save file. although that was because of auto-leveling.. jellies ftw lol. just grinding through all the hunts, side missions, beating all the espers, getting all the Sky Pirate Den badges, and just exploring the map going one side of the map to the other without a chocobo or Balthiers ship.

[@goldentrout4811]

Nice!

[@kazs6529]

Bro... you know your thing! Respect!

[@benkcrozs]

Real Gamer 👍👍

[@EndoXain]

Did you replay the zodiac age remaster?

[@Dymor26]

Thanks for the vid. Loads of info. I learned a lot from it. Thanks again.

[@darkanimecommandersoto9992]

I played Final Fantasy XII on the PS2 when it came out, but I never got too far. Now is my chance to revisit this classic and give it its just due. I own the Switch version, by the way.

[@TowelRanger]

I'm so excited to play after work today. I have really fond memories of when my husband and I (back when we were dating) abused the RNG manipulation to get all of the chest items.

[@killerjoke2945]

Nice! I wish they added a secret character there somewhere, maybe Ramza or Ashley Riot...

[@srobinson124]

at least you can still have balthier in war of the lions

[@X1erra]

It's just that I have a feeling this game, along with FFXI, are the two games that influenced FFXIV as the culmination of such system. Still, FFXII looks to be really good, and has a very deep system. I'd consider the game's system as "What if FFXIV is a singleplayer game"... if that's possible. :)

[@DCConnah]

wasnt the combat in FF14 really similar to to FF12 before all the changes?

[@0909Alz]

No, not even close. It was a much slower and clunkier FFXIII.

[@leonard9624]

Def better than 15

[@Rc3651]

I had no idea about spell queueing, though I could feel it when I played. Maybe that'll make mages more worthwhile. In the original I hardly touched offensive magic -- unless you were exploiting a weakness it made more sense to go physical, especially with the damage cap and Attacks being able to multi hit. Not to mention they drained from your ability to use Quickenings (or Summons, god forbid). I really liked the combat in FFXII though, so I'll be interested to see how having a job system will change that!

[@julianB93]

Your Video is on point, thanks👌 Watched another with more views, but he was starting to explain stuff from other FF that had absolutely nothing to do with XII and the Zodiac age. Left an upvote for you.

[@blackwidow7804]

The spell queue was hardwer limitation of PS2. Now we can finaly chain 3 powerfull spells. Cant wait.

[@sebetheredmage]

I was bz with ffxi on ps2 to play this game so I can't wait to play it now

[@XSinviciousX]

looks like ill have to beat this game for the 11th time now \o/

[@johngalt1027]

Subbed. Great video about a game I've loved for years.

[@ahack13]

so hyped to play this when the download is finished

[@TheFawawa]

cant wait for pc version! Would really love to finally finish this one

[@wanderingbard1]

I loved FFXII, child hood memories of farming mirror mail from the razor birds!

[@artoriastheabysswalker332]

Finally i got the chance to play my old favorite game REMASTERED.

[@rizalajo8942]

I don't like new job system tbh, i like the original one. Miss my ps2.. 😢

[@JEMustang]

Will get it as soon as it comes out on Steam.

[@Lutrian]

Tomorrow!

[@MohaBright98]

Nice! I think I'll start playing zodiac age after I'm done with savage hopefully.

[@JagenXI]

One thing about the machinist is that guns ignore defense this includes enemies with the protect buff.

[@namebn]

Call it the international version, only release it in one country.

[@stevenray9229]

it's a naming convention square has now. I think it was because when the games released in other countries they sometimes added more content, so japan also wanted it. they'd rerelease in japan with the content from overseas along with additional content and call it international.

[@DarkCode]

Lol I was also thinking that it's a stupid name it's backwards.

[@TemLightKiBlade]

Great remake of my favorite Final Fantasy ^_^

[@bibi24]

mad props adwg big ups nice vaperon

[@jonathankamysek4338]

I rather like the same license board for everyone so they all can cast spells all of the spell lists and techniques

[@DarkCode]

Exactly I just wanted a remastered version of the original. And why would you want to make the game easier, that's for losers, no challenge.

[@jonathankamysek4338]

@@DarkCode yeah agreed

[@FrogofWarRS]

I always had an interest in Zodiac Age since I remember hearing about how much better International was from the original version, but nothing could stop my hype boner the moment you said spell queues were gone. Going to get this game right the fuck now.

[@hexerin]

I just want XII on PC, is that really asking so much?

[@KeyToAnime]

We'll probably get it next year on steam. Just like how they released FF X a couple of years later.

[@cenkjoyboy677]

KeyToAnime Huch was machst du hier 😅😀😊

[@KeyToAnime]

Videos schauen? xD

[@cenkjoyboy677]

KeyToAnime Man man man 😅😅😅😂😂😂😂

[@RednetworkblogNetPlus]

Your wish has been granted. ^_^

[@akaaka5798]

I really hate the job system on this game, i enjoyed more the old way, its the only thing i hates aboult this remaster.

[@squalltheonly]

Would this be a good party set up: White mage/black mage Red mage/time mage Samurai/hunter Monk/dragoon Machinist/ranger Knight/last job

[@ziegfeld4131]

squalltheonly black mage/red mage is besttle mage in the game

[@squalltheonly]

zieg feld all right. So then I should pair the white mage with time mage?

[@ziegfeld4131]

squalltheonly i never use a white mage tbh monk and a redmage are good enough but yea that or with hunter or sam

[@ziegfeld4131]

squalltheonly look up some job pairing guides they will go in depth on what goes good with what

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

Don't pair mage jobs with mage jobs. Your white mage will be too busy healing and your black mage will be too busy dealing damage. They should always be on separate characters. Pair jobs based on beneficial licenses they give each other. Look at the boards before assigning a second job and count the swiftness, battle lore and magic lore upgrades. Always try to get 3 swiftness on a character. Some jobs o my have 2 so they need to be paired with a 3 swiftness job. Red mage and two other jobs only have one swiftness and two of the monk's 3 swiftness are locked behind the liscense for the chaos summon, so monk needs to go with a 2 swiftness job. Hopefully one that gives a high damaging weapon type. One simply way to boost damage is making bushi(samurai) the subjob for your mages. Katana damage is based off both strength from battle lores and magic attack from magic lores. You want your katana wielded to have a mage job the gives them more magic lores.

[@soli6026]

Are you going to stream this game?

[@DaVeganZombie]

Can I turn off the damage cap breaking? I don't exactly like breaking games and making them too easy when it comes to JRPGs. Usually it's more fun to be challenging. Second time through it's nice to abuse systems though.

[@scartioantolare5825]

wait why was it called international release if it was japan only? that is terrible naming sense.

[@crowofrevelry]

'Tis the way of Japan to consider itself the only nation outside itself. Weird, innit.

[@stevenray9229]

it's a naming convention square has now. I think it was because when the games released in other countries they sometimes added more content, so japan also wanted it. they'd rerelease in japan with the content from overseas along with additional content and call it international.

[@waynerees9355]

It was meant to be a international re:release back then. However FF12 was poorly received and whilst it did sell well the reviews and fan reaction outside of Japan made them realise that the international version would not sell well at the time because anyone who would usually buy it already had the first release.

[@TotalSpaceCase]

THANK GOD NO SPELL QUEUE!!!

[@sorinnoctis652]

So... I never played 12 (looking forward to it) but the job system sounds like fftactics (one). Not the part where you can't switch but the part where you can assign another license.

[@cbeach512]

Thanks for the review hap! I wasn't even going to give this one a look since I played the original and didn't think there was much of a diff! I'll be picking this up now!

[@BikerRagles]

FF12 back in the year what so ever was a good game: long but good. I will be looking forward to cross those sandseas again. Il make that happen on a Monday.

[@AK325iZoro]

Thanks for all the info sir. I got this for Ps4 a couple of days ago and appreciate this. The buffs and nerfs balancing job systems. I played and completed original on ps2 and the difficulty pissed me off royally. I was new to rpgs tho at the time but that made it worse

[@CJHElectro]

The frame skip makes it worth it alone.

[@acetraker1988]

That job system is shit, I loved breaking the game when I had a build that was epic...I don't get people saying the game was hard my strat owned the game easy..

[@samuraiff31]

Seitengrat is gonna be soooooooo easy to get.........he he 😢

[@mccoy4369]

Well,i got this game 4 days ago and i love grinding for lp, ive filled up all panelos both job classes and im in sochel cave, to know now you can only have 2 job classes, for me, this version of ff12 is awful, stick to the ps2 version id say for the lp grinding

[@superoxidedismutor]

Bought it after work today I hope there's none of that "chests not to open" BS MEH I'll still be careful

[@OverlordGfetGalleon]

There isn't hahaah Unlike the original, in IZJS you can't get Zodiac Lance at Nabudis

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

They simplified chests. Basically open every chest you see. Some chests have one spell or technique 100% of the time and happen to be in two different dungeons. If you open one in one place the matching chest vanishes from the other, but you already have the spell it would have given so it doesn't matter. You can get a diamond armlet at the start of the game if you play trial mode, but it isn't useful outside of trial mode until you get to the Cerobi Steppe. Zodiac Spear is in the back part of the Henne Mines. Its chest only has a 1% spawn rate, but the spear is in the chest 100% of the time if it does spawn. But the spear is no longer the top weapon. It's the 3rd or 4th top weapon. Crossing a zone line and then going right back into the zone will reset the chest spawns in the first zone. No more hiking 3 zones over to reset chests for rare drops.

[@nabeelmk1804]

Really hated this video, the original FFXII was not a "hit or miss" because it was more challenging and because it had a slightly less developed gambit system. The newer and easier versions (other than the job system and queuing, I think they ruined the challenged), were basically minor tweaks, and everything else that made FFXII one of the best JRPGs not only one PS2, but of all time, was still in the original.

[@OskarXCI]

Mrhappy, are you planning on doing a Lv 1 run of the game? (New Game+ Weak Mode)

[@mikemartin8461]

So basically took a game that is very easy to beat and remastered to be even easier to beat basically the same game and charge people alot more money for the same game with a small add on features. No real improvement changes no areas no monzterz no real challenges

[@OverlordGfetGalleon]

"Opening a chest when your ps2 clicks" I feel so cheater atm :'( Just cause i got 6 seitengrate bows....

[@splendoragaming1575]

Greetings from 2019. Now the Nintendo Switch even has a port of this game, though I am quite disappointed by it. In my case, I was excited to get it for the same reason that I was excited to get Skyrim on the switch. While I don't like cheating, I do like taking full advantage of the exploits that exist naturally within a game, so having watched so many videos of the cool rng manipulation in the PS4 version, this was naturally going to be a day of launch purchase for me. My disappointment comes in with the realization that the cool exploits that I was excited to play around with were all patched out from the switch port. I mean, can you imagine how pissed many people who bought Skyrim would have been if Bethesda patched out all the exploits in Skyrim before launching the switch port and they had to find out only after they bought it? The exploits were simple Random Number Generator manipulation and did not damage the hame at all, and it's a one-player game, so there's literally no reason to patch it out. If people want to play the game on hard mode, they can deal with certain item drop rates as low as 0.01 percent, they are not obligated to use the RNG manipulation, and those that do use it are not going to negatively impact the gaming experience of those who don't. I actually complained to square enix because this was not the game I wanted. ------------------- Greetings Redacted, That information has not yet been announced or we are not able to comment at this time. Please stay up to date on our website (na.square-enix.com) for up to date information on our titles (both current and upcoming). We apologize we cannot assist further at this time. Best Regards, Agent Redacted Square Enix Customer Support ___________ For additional assistance with this issue, you can reply to this email directly. For assistance with a new issue, please visit the SQUARE ENIX Support Center at support.na.square-enix.com. ------------------- Obviously I am not satisfied with this answer. They made an unnecessary change that as far as I know no one asked for. As I said, the determining factor for me getting it on launch day was because of those exploits. I loved ff12 and likely would have gotten it regardless, but if I knew those exploits were patched out prior to the purchase I''d have waited for a price drop or for it to go on sale. I also plan to pick up X + X2 once they get a price drop or go on sale, and zodiac age would have fallen into the same category if I knew they were removing the exploits. I might not be in the majority with this particular game, but I imagine that there are still many others who bought the switch port expecting to use those exploits, and I am betting that like me they were excited to screw around with the exploits in it on a handheld device too, Skyrim all over again, but that experience was stolen from us. Note, I spent three and a half bloody days trying to get the seitengrat bow, even just one of the damned things, because the exploits of the PS4 version were patched out of the switch version and the chest appeared only 13 times, in three and a half days, and I have no Seitengrat.

[@JoelBurger]

I'm so glad to hear they didn't chicken out and make it so that you can freely change classes, like some people were suggesting. Forces people to actually live with the choices they make and strategize accordingly.

[@HALPCat]

I haven't played the game, but it seems to be that your initial (uninformed and inexperienced) choice at the beginning of the game could make the game excruciatingly difficult later. Doesn't sound very fair.

[@JoelBurger]

Which would be on the player for not putting at least a little bit of thought into it, not the game for expecting you to figure out how to make a balanced team for yourself. It's not unfair, just like FF1 isn't unfair for locking you into the classes you choose. And like FF1, I can imagine you can play through the game with a team of White Mages if you put your mind to it.

[@olddrunkninja]

Not to mention that new ability to take a second class can help make up for any deficiencies you may have now, without just making it outright ez mode

[@darklinkx8]

You can pick two jobs? lol rip.

[@Aqualightnin]

cause sub-jobbing or pulling from multiple jobs totally wasn't a thing in ffxi, tactics, ffxiv, etc... its a natural move.

[@adriianaaventura4848]

i bought ffxii at my local gamecrazy when gamecrazy was relevant. i traded it in the same week. i love the FF series, but i hated 12. Still debating on giving it another shot.

[@adriianaaventura4848]

it is the international version... hmm....

[@DrStabkill]

I felt the same at the time. Playing it now in loving it

[@cyphi474]

And you cant run for Zodiac Spear. :)

[@Mrhappy1227]

Yeah, good ol flat 1% spawn rate in Henne

[@CWRage]

I'm loving this ff12 was in my opinion one of the best if you totally ignore the reason why Vaan is in the game.

[@BrianLloyd1991]

why was Vaan put in 12?

[@JoelBurger]

People like to say it's because he was put in (along with Penelo) to appeal to the target audience, pushing Basch (or Balthier) out of the role of main character. However, these claims are largely unsubstantiated; what we do know is that Vaan has existed since fairly early in development, as a character named Aqua, and went through massive changes in his personality as development went on.

[@WineRedEchos]

so... one thing about FF12, I liked it fine, didn't follow the story AT ALL. but I had more people tell me they hated 13 for "not being final fantasy" than I ever did 12. and 12 is further removed from the traditional FF than 13 is by far. not saying either "isn't final fantasy" they're both final fantasy game, and they're both good games as far as I'm concerned. but that's just me. something I've always thought was odd.

[@finaluser10]

Comment if you got all 3 badges and sold them for the weapon meaning you were able to kill the Omega MK XIII and Yiazmat, and fish like Noctis in the original game

[@xersys]

"if you passed it up before or are just looking to revisit the world of ivalice, i'd recommend picking it up" Or, if you got it before and absolutely hated it, you might actually like this version because they fixed a lot of the dumb shit.

[@stevenalvarez2924]

Sorry Mr. Happy. But you probably know FF12 as much as me and Vahn is still in it. So as long as he is still in it, not gonna play :). Enjoy none the less though.

[@v-lifetv6590]

Or you all can play ff 14 lol

[@legendredux1291]

I hate job systems where you are locked to it no thanks just gonna play FF3 ,FF5 and bravely games.

[@faytalseif254]

I freaking hate this Job System why would they just fuck everyone over. The Original version never had any jobs before & I am still having a hard time just even combining certain classes. I hate Mechanistic the worst job you can pick.

[@Mrhappy1227]

Machinist is actually a lot better in Zodiac Age because of the dual job system, allowing it to be a solid second choice. I even used a Machinist as my main DPS through New Game- (Basically level 1 mode) thanks to the damage scaling on guns. Almost every character is a lot more powerful thanks to the job system in general. They aren't jacks of all trades, but they are certainly better at their designated roles.

[@PKProductionzBeatz]

the Job System sux....

[@Akidryt]

Hoped for gambit changes. This system is so boring.

[@jordankleen5815]

You can turn gambits off

[@stickybaker125]

I cant believe they ruined another beloved final fantasy game... Square enix needs to pull there head out of their ass

[@RocRolDis]

I'm gonna pass on this title. Not because of the systems but rather I hated the story in XII.

[@deiviswst6661]

Pc costs 50$ srsly... A ps2 game greedy square enix