So I played FINAL FANTASY XII For The First Time...

[@retrorebound8887]

And with our biggest retrospective review yet out, I ask you... WHAT DO WE PLAY NEXT?

[@Scorpious187]

Legend of Dragoon. Badass PSX game, super underrated. *And they did my boy Lavitz **_dirty..._*

[@BrettScr1]

Thank you for an eloquent description of one of my favorite games of all time, FFXII: TZA. I also agreed with much of what you said about FFX, but I played FFX-2 after that and liked it a lot more so I would recommend that. The Via Infinito is thrilling and creepy and challenging in the best way and reminded me a bit of some of the more challenging dungeons of FFXII. I think I am going to play KOTOR for the first time soon as well on your recommendation.

[@taharmebarki660]

Samurai warriors

[@matthewcampbell781]

I second legend of dragoon

[@someguy5319]

give X-2 a shot if you want, i will say im not a big fan of the tone shift from og X to X-2 but the combat is a more direct predecessor to XIIIs combat system imo as well as kind of a predecessor to Lightning Returns as well with how the dress sphere system works. or just play dirge of cerberus for the memes lol. sorry for the long comment but keep up the great videos! loving the content on both your channels!

[@FrankReynolds182]

I also need to point out that one of my favorite things about this game was how alive the world felt. Enemies were unique in geographic locations, the weather changed, and I can't get out of my head the first time I played this and stumbled upon Addremalech in the Zertinan Caverns by accident and got my butt kicked. I thought it was so cool that you could stumble upon these optional bosses just by exploring or following clues in the game world (like how you find Zalera after rescuing a thief that tells you of a treasure deep in the mines if you search far enough). It made the world feel very alive.

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

I managed to run right past him after a few attempts

[@WheeledHamster]

Alive? So you must like empty long large hallways because that's every damn maps in this game.

[@Terranigma23]

@@WheeledHamster I mean, it was the norm back then for a JRPG and it's still the same thing sadly. Just looks how bland Soul Hackers 2 dungeons are, but at least each area of FFXII are different/unique.

[@StreetDogSteve]

It felt so dead and wooden to me. It was like a single player mmo.

[@FrankReynolds182]

@@StreetDogSteve that's an interesting perspective I haven't heard before, but it's valid. i can see how it kind of plays like an MMO with the overworld and how it looks and plays. The reason I personally feel it's a living world is just how populated it is. How you find npc's in stores and cities going about business, you run across random hunt club members in the wild that will help you with stuff, and every little nook and cranny of dungeons and side quests offer cool content if you go looking and poking around. But your perspective is of course valid too. It takes all kinds.

[@NotIfICU1st_]

I love the towns in this game. They feel lived in and imply a history. I enjoy the mix of races living side by side. I would just watch the townspeople going about their day and talk to everyone.

[@bthomson7770]

I've always said that if I had Elon Musk kind of money I'd go find some massive desert and build Rabanastre, lol.

[@joshuaelmore3180]

Heh heh... That's what I do in these type of games. Walk around and talk to different people. You COULD obtain items or some valuable information.

[@joshuaelmore3180]

@@bthomson7770 THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. (And, Hilarious). 😂

[@onsokumaru4663]

@@bthomson7770 Why don't you aim higher and build floating Bhujerba instead.

[@montgomeryfitzpatrick473]

Don't forget to shout that you're Bosch Fon Rosenburg of Dalmasca at them

[@dominicschwerman8568]

16:30 Correction about Baasch and Gibrant's heritage. They are children of a country already conquered by the empire and not children of the Emperor.

[@igorsheludko]

First of all, I love this game. Secondly, I genuinely like how often you release videos, man. And they're top quality, too. Keep it up!

[@Heezy2023]

❤

[@devilovesdevil]

the towns in 12 literally were so alive it was amazing to see coming from 10/10-2 which also attempted full villages and towns and and 12 just stepped further. Vaan was fine to me, he wasnt annoying to me at all he seemed to be just like a normal kid that got wrapped in to the chaos instead of the always hes a main focus or the cause of things. He is a true normal guy who gets to go on an adventure and make friends and help those who do and feel like he can do more than just work in town.

[@Walamonga1313]

I don't get the complaints about Vaan at all tbh. I don't even like the game but that's not why lol

[@emarskineel]

​@@Walamonga1313his voice acting is pretty bad, especially stacked against the generally great voice acting of every other character

[@starburst381]

This game is my favourite FF and one of my favourite games of all time. The world is just gorgeous - so vast and varied and exciting. The soundtrack accompanies the beautiful art style perfectly. I feel totally transported when I play FFXII. Just an absolute work of art.

[@Sssisej]

Just finished this game for the first time ever absolutely incredible is now my second fave FF of all time haha

[@rommyremus9650]

​@@Sssisejff X number 1?

[@nitromusic8524]

Same!

[@wggames147]

😢 this is my fav game of al time.. this game is special for me..

[@DanielPereira-ey9nt]

I really like Vaan as a protagonist. I think the protagonist being a common person who gets caught in these grand events is very interesting and I find his personality very endearing. Even though he stops driving the plot after the leviathan section he still has a major influence in Ashe's development

[@elizabethclarke4981]

Agreed, it's a nice change from the typical star of the show route for the protagonist, and I thought his personality was fine it wasn't too immature but it's wasn't all dark and cold and mean like cloud( sorry not a cloud stan)

[@rommyremus9650]

​@@elizabethclarke4981plus Balthier helped keep him interesting

[@Americansikkunt]

Balthirr is the leading man, he even says so himself!

[@tevindublin7620]

Isnt balthier the main character lmaooo

[@Americansikkunt]

@@tevindublin7620 yeah, he is. Vaan’s role in the plot was as a viewer, rather than the typical main protagonist. Even Ashe affected the plot more than Vaan. He just sort of tagged along and saved Panelo when you think about it.

[@addaku]

I love the hunts in this game, along with all the other secret bosses and espers. Getting the best weapons through the bazaar though was tedious AF.

[@Shafa1Uchiha]

Basch and Gabranth are twin brothers yes, but they’re not the sons of the Emperor. The Empire invaded their home country, Landis, and Basch chose to flee to Dalmasca while Gabranth embraced the Empire and became a Judge Magister. The two other sons the Emperor had apart form Vayne and Larsa are unnamed, but what we do know of them is that they broke Imperial law in one way or another, which forced the Emperor to send Vayne to defeat and kill them for their treachery.

[@Slowdough99]

Thank you lol

[@gog6256]

I was just going to comment on what you said but when I looked in the comments you had already down that. I don't know how he made that mistake when it is clear the Vayne is a son of the Emperor who came in Rabanastre as the consul, and he had at least 2 brothers, Larson and one he had killed. Also I still see Vaan as the main character of the game, because it's hard coded into the game. Go into a town and the character you walk about with is Vaan. I played the PS2 version, in fact playing now again. I love the game.

[@Kimchichan91]

I may have misunderstood this part, but Basch and Gabranth are not related to Arcadia's Emperor. They are from Landis, a country which the Empire invaded before the main game and in its wake, Basch went to Dalmasca whereas Gabranth went to Archades (because their mother IS Arcadian) where he rose through the ranks of the Judiciary. Just wanted to clarify, great video otherwise. 😊

[@finalfantasyVII2]

I thought they came from another country! Kinda got confused and thought maybe Gabranth and Basch were just bastards born in Landis and were actually royalty. Thanks for the fix!

[@deavinbarnhizer3509]

He also said what Penelo was holding was the dusk shard. She was holding manufactured nethicite

[@deavinbarnhizer3509]

It’s man made

[@RavenAurion]

Ivalice is by far my favorite FF setting. I'm still holding out for the FFT remaster. Also Vaan's place in the story is just to be the players eyes. He is the main character to be someone that has no idea what the hell is going on so things can be explained to him and thus the audience. Also I'd suggested a watch of projareds retrospective of FF12 for a good explanation of why the comparisons to Star Wars are only surface level and when you actually get into things there isn't much overlap at all.

[@paulmuaddib451]

^this.

[@mitchjames9350]

I am holding out for a Vagrant Story remaster or remake with the cut content. It’s also set in the same setting.

[@cosmosofinfinity]

I watched ProJared's video and agreed with it on the Star Wars comparison, yet also still compare it to Star Wars anyway. If you see it you can't unsee it, and no amount of logic or nuance is gonna change that!

[@Based_Stuhlinger]

@@cosmosofinfinity It's really not that similar to Star Wars past surface level comparisons, the devs said themselves it wasn't an influence on them.

[@Limit5482]

Well you got your wish. It’s been confirmed 👍

[@davion4777]

The Zodiac Age is such a gigantic step forward especially in terms of quality of life I can’t imagine going back to the original version. By the way FF12 is a fantastic game that I feel doesn’t get the respect it deserves. I don’t love the story per se, but gameplay, art style, music and world building were all phenomenal. Game was also filled to the brim with content, and it truly felt like it was the last time Square Enix were proudily trying to tell they were the king of JRPGs.

[@PlasmaSnake369]

I heard it just makes it easier

[@DantesTyphoon]

I can't stand Zodiac age. It restricts the player and kills immersion. Every change other than graphics objectively hurts the original vision of the game.

[@notme8152]

Autosave in every map made il 10x easier, but I actually like it. Now I can challenge Archeoavis in Zertinan caverns until I kill them without doing 150 km every time

[@gamingdevil800]

This always came off as one of the stranger Final Fantasy games to me as Vaan the character you start as kinda takes a back seat. Then the game early on switches to Ashe being the main focus and basically the protagonist. I know it could be argued that it happened to Tidus in FFX but Vaan felt like he could've almost been a silent protagonist.

[@jedirayden]

Apparently the devs did that intentionally so that Vaan was basically just a bystander caught up in grand events, the idea being that he's basically just an avatar for you, the player.

[@MagicSnapO]

Basch was supposed to be the main character originally. They went with Vaan because he was younger and fit the trope slightly better. They also wanted the main character to be a kid caught in the middle of all the crazyness of the war going on. I still think he was too young an naive to be main chracter.

[@19ryuusei]

@@jedirayden and I immediately ditched him for Balthier/Fran. Sky pirates/bunny women for the win.

[@MagicSnapO]

@Chris M I liked Tidus because he wasn’t the usual depressed type and you learn about the world with him since he is from dream Zanarkand.

[@DanielPereira-ey9nt]

I don't think he could have been silent. even after Ashe starts driving the plot Vaan still has a major influence on her development. I also like having the viewpoint of a common person in a final fantasy game

[@nuxcreativeworks]

FFXII was my first FF and it's still my fave. The amount of content this game had on the PS2 was mindblowing to see... Ivalice felt so expansive and lived in, which made me fall in love with the world they created.

[@silhouette999]

I like how people's first Final Fantasy ends up becoming their favorite. They're all that great.

[@gJonii]

Was my second to last FF. XII was great. Unfortunate they abandoned that

[@dudeduderson4427]

I'll always remember seeing a mob for the first time in the open world thinking 'wow I can just go around them if I want' no more random encounters was awesome

[@seraphstray1552]

It's a game with mature themes that came out around the time I was in high school and was dumb. Playing this game as an adult, I had the same experience as you. I love the game now! Love the long videos!

[@Kamfrenchie]

what mature theme are you thinking about ?

[@slushiaddict]

when XII came out i hated it, but as an adult its probably my favorite. The story, characters, and world are just so rich it still blows my mind that packed it all into a single title for the PS2

[@Kamfrenchie]

are they rich ? it seems poorly written from what i can see.

[@magnuschronicle5063]

@@Kamfrenchie The story and some supporting characters are the only weak points of this game but even then it still isn't that bad. Everything else is just beautiful

[@GooseGumlizzard]

@@Kamfrenchie your mother i poorly written

[@videofudge]

@@magnuschronicle5063 i completely disagree

[@ladyphoenixgrey3923]

This and IX have been my favs since they came out. I still have my Titanium Special Edition copy of XII and the PS2 I played it on so many times along with the memory cards with my saves. I adore this game in every way and it will forever hold a special place in my heart. Balthier is the only leading man I’ll ever have. Basch is life. Fran, Ashe, and Penelope are all wonderful. Even Larsa and the other side characters are all so enjoyable. I know it’s not for anyone, but for me it’s the pinnacle of Final Fantasy in so many ways - most especially in the combat system. The Gambit System is just soooooo satisfyingly good. ❤️❤️❤️

[@whentheworldwasatwar8717]

I personally preferred not using the 2x/4x speed because it just makes the game easier/cheaper feeling and it just made it less appealing, specially on a first playthrough, it's like it kills the immersion itself. I will forever suggest anyone who's playing a game for the first time to never use the speed up, just use it on your second, but hey, that's just my opinion.

[@Akirkland24]

Great video! If you think 12 was the precursor to 13’s combat, look at 11. 12 was essentially the same system but with gambits added. MMO combat on steroids. I love the “auto-battler” because it’s all about the strategy of how you manage your team. I love it. I’m going to do a play through soon too. Haven’t touched it since 2007.

[@patrickmurphy9470]

I reserved this game at GameStop for PS2 and it was the metal cases edition and after breaking the seal and opening it the disk was nowhere to be found. Gamestop did replace it though.

[@TrvisXXIII]

Best gameplay for me personally in the entire series, hands down. There’s tons of content that never got stale

[@AR-io8fv]

I hope they bring it back and polish it up. It’s the best mix of turn base/real action

[@standheaykic66]

The gambit system is awesome, I love strategizing how my party should behave in battle rather than relying on my reflex, just like how RPG suppose to be played. Sadly Squenix will not go on this road, they would rather go action-oriented to please the majority audiences.

[@snazzydrew]

@@standheaykic66 yep. It's why I didn't enjoy 15. They are totally allowed to "innovate"... But they sadly lost me as a hyperfan.

[@nesoukkefka1741]

@@standheaykic66 I mean don't get me wrong XII is one of my favorite game of all time, and I would love to see his battle system come back and be more polish. But can you really blame Square for not wanting to go that route ? I really love XII and I'm really happy that the Remaster happen and thank to it a lot of players have gave a second chance to this game and enjoyed it. But back when the game was release the game, while official critics gave it positive review, the game got heavily criticize and shit on by the fans on release, it has tone down a lot but back then you would be gracious to found a place on the internet to discuss about this game without having dozen of players shitting on it, most of the fandom back then was really hating this game, and it continue for years. So yeah given how the game was initially receive and even considering all the mistakes they've done, I really can't blame Square here for not wanting to continue with this style of game for the main Single Player serie.

[@standheaykic66]

@@nesoukkefka1741 yeah, I kinda hope they make a spin-off series based on XII's gambit system, just like it's based on FF XI mechanic, an offline single player of FF XIV, with a lot of jobs and roles would be a welcome addition.

[@akiinmoonlight79]

I also hated on 12 as a kid, i even cried bcs it's was "such a weird FF" but over time it became one of my fave games of all time, it's such a timeless, magical masterpiece ❤

[@19ryuusei]

Honestly even back then, when I was like 12-13, I instantly fell in love, just because I liked ff but didn't like the slow paced/less visually appealing fights. And ff12 was just it for me, I loved the soundtrack, the gameplay. Went back and played ff12 zodiac age. I had my Nostalgia tinted glasses on and kinda didn't really hook me, but the more I played and figured out the job systems, it's grown on me.

[@Kennyko89]

I dont love the auto battle system. Maybe I am not fat enough into the game but it just got kinda boring. The story was nice so far tho.

[@chesster423]

agree... first time played it, i didnt like it.. i proceeded playing other games... then i gave it another chance and hooked by it forever... played ps2 and tza versions

[@caploch]

I couldnt have said it better myself... I was into 12 as a kid but quickly go stonewalled when I couldnt understand how to really farm levelling in the game and as a result continuously died. Now going back and playing it feels like a magical nostalgia of those times, and with more experience and knowledge about how to succeed at a FF game, this one really hit home for me when I completed it as an adult...

[@akiinmoonlight79]

@@caploch this 😭💜

[@DrGamersEmporium]

one of the most underrated ff games, and an underrated open world game in general. impeccable sense of worldbuilding, was ahead of its time for JRPGs

[@sheriffdraws8789]

It's a good game, but my second worst FF behind FF15. It doesn't even feel like FF tbh

[@DrGamersEmporium]

@@sheriffdraws8789 thats a point in its favor at this point, there hasn't been a good ff in over a decade

[@FelixS.]

@@DrGamersEmporium It is an open game but so is Ocarina of Time and those are no Open World Games. Open game or big areas =/= Open World. I agree on everything else you said :)

[@DrGamersEmporium]

@@FelixS. What makes a game open world? Ubisoft mechanics?

[@FelixS.]

@@DrGamersEmporium Do I have to Post you the definition now.? The aspects which distinguish open world games in the common modern understanding from classic „non linear“ games with separated, open areas like ocarina of time, soul reaver, Nier Automata, final fantasy xii etc. The mechanics you adress (sandbox mechanics) weren’t invented by Ubisoft rather than companies like Nintendo, dma design (todays Rockstar) etc. Seamless worlds without loading zones and the possibility to completely ignore the main storyline to just have fun within this world. The exploration itself is a gameplay loop itself which doesn’t work for FFXII due to its natural roadblocks regarding your story progression. Feel free to dive deeper into the topic by simply researching the definitions by yourself but this should give you a basic understanding how and why games like FFXII are to be distinguished from open world games.

[@stinsonboyz2]

This is easily one of my favorite FF games, no question about it. Glad you enjoyed it man!

[@notimportant8643]

Love this game, out of all the FFs I've put the most time into this one. Even tho it's not TECHNICALLY open world it IS very much so an open world game. Absolutely LOVED the worldspace, even to this very day ff12 has the best environmental variety of any game I have ever played ever. Severely underrated title

[@Scantronacon]

💯💯💯👍

[@courve]

The game was busted and incomplete. It wasn’t underrated. It sold crazy well for what it was and the re-release sold insane as well. It’s my second favorite after 6, but I think it landed where it was supposed to.

[@notimportant8643]

@@courve I disagree entirely, I played back on the ps2 and had zero issues

[@courve]

@@notimportant8643 you don’t disagree because your opinion doesn’t oppose mine. Objectively, the game was incomplete. By square’s own words, their follow up titles (international and then zodiac age) and then the game it self. Once the director of the game fell ill, the production fell apart. That’s why the first half of the game was story, explore, dungeon, repeat. Then it became dungeon, dungeon, dungeon, end. I’m literally playing through the game right now. There’s no hate here. I can be honest about what it is though .

[@notimportant8643]

I dont think we are playing the same game, the game IS complete, vampire the masquerade bloodlines is an example of an incomplete game (tho fixable with mods). Ff12 is playable beginning to end and there's was almost always side hunts/espers/areas to explore throughout the entire game. Idk what you are on about but I don't think you know what incomplete means

[@DecimatedSoul]

I'm glad u gave it a chance this time Matty!, absolutely love both of ur channels, ur one of my favorite youtubers on this platform

[@CollinsQuerJogar]

39:36 yes, you should do that, the advantage of bushi is that the katana is a magical weapon, so you can make a samurai who does a lot of damage but also has some crazy heals, Bushi + Magic class is a really good combo

[@TheGoaterGoat]

DUDE i seriously love your content most of the games you talk about are the ones i played! finally glad i’m watching a youtuber who gets so patient about games as much as i do! thanks for the good videos too makes me super nostalgia! you’ve been making me want these old games!

[@sipher3516]

I know some of the environments overstay their welcome by A LOT, but I'll never forget as a teenager when this game came out (I was 17 at the time) the game is telling you what an insane trek it will be to try and reach the Dynast-King's tomb on the other side of the Sandsea is, and I was like "pffft, sure thing game". Boy was I underprepared and boy was that a rude awakening. I remember when I finally made it through I really felt accomplished. It was a serious slog to get through that section, but the sheer scope of it gave a real weighty payoff. Same thing with the 100 floor tower.

[@deriktofil]

I played it back on release too, wouldve been 18. I too was not prepared for the sandsea. I remeber really hating it at the time. Having replayed the zodiac age, the turbo mode and map overlay is a god send. Its much more enjoyable.

[@michaelclifton9498]

8:03 does anyone know if tokyo RPG factory is still making games? I think the last game they made was Oninaki

[@bdup159]

As a kid it didn't "feel" like a final fantasy to me. But just even walking into the first city, I realized how overwhelmed I was but at the same time amazed at its world building and differences.

[@davidjacobs8117]

I love this game of course. It is my second favourite FF game. I am very fond of all of these characters really, even Panelo. I think it was quite intentional that these two kids end up over their heads with these other more mature and deep characters, I believe that is the point. I would disagree somewhat about it being Ash's story alone. Frans interwoven relationship with the Nethacite, Bosch's once hinted treachery and redemption, and Balthier's uncovered history with the empire and Cid who is the tool for masterminding this whole plot. Again, I think Van and Panelo being only lightly involved in the story was intentional such as a misadventure in which Van drags Panelo into actual danger. I get big Aladdin or Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin vibes from the two kids. Such a great 'behind the scenes' villain in Venat! He's in my top 6 FF villains. And in truth, when you think about it, I think Venat actually won as his goal was realized when the cryst was sundered. Loved the soundtrack too especially the final boss theme, I think it's called "The Fight for Freedom". Anyways, thanks for the video. Cheers.

[@DKZK21]

FFXII is one of those games that got largely judged on release for all the things it DIDN'T do rather than what it did and its execution. That being said, there are legit criticisms to that original version and a big chunk of them were addressed on the japan-only International version, so the Zodiac Age remaster is definitely the best version of that game available now and I'm glad you took the time to revisit it.

[@DecimatedSoul]

Watched the entire video man Matty this was ur most grand review I've watched

[@jessemasters1446]

Balthier is the leading man. One of the best. The combat in this too was top notch.

[@TroySpartan247]

Seriously! Baltheir and Ashe, take the wheel! Vaan is a solid tag-along to help the player learn about the world, but B&A are out to CHANGE it

[@JebberGamingJaws]

Great video, and looking forward to you playing VII and VIII.

[@pillarsofsnow7940]

What I love is that without the party Ashe would have been a villain. Even her theme is written as a villain’s, and it would be fascinating if 12 was a duology where part one is her becoming a conqueror and the second part be about taking her down

[@KarmaSpaz12]

Well there is Revenant Wings but...uh...anyone got a DS?

[@pillarsofsnow7940]

@@KarmaSpaz12 There are no Ravenant Wings in Ba Sing Se

[@mitchellharrison9237]

did you play the remake or the og cuz the messed up the level up system in the remake

[@TheHAMMER91]

When this game came out, I had tried for years to get into final fantasy like some of my friends had. I loved final fantasy 8 but never finished it, I played final fantasy 9 at my friend's house and I liked it but never got around to buying it. I skipped 10 and 10 to because I thought they looked silly, but decided to get 12 because it looked a little more serious in tone (I know now I had no idea what I was talking about lol of course I was a young teen at the time) I was pleasantly surprised at the new battle system and how the different overworld sections were designed, especially with enemies. I easily sunk hundreds of hours into this game back in the day! Still blows my mind that this game gets a lot of hate, but then again it blows my mind that FF8 gets a lot of hate as well.

[@I_Am_The_Social_Reject]

Just buy 9 and beat it. Then worry about the others. Also 7 is serious. So is 6. So is 4.

[@Erosgates]

Ff9 is fucking lit

[@seankarl8414]

FFX is easily the best game in the series saying it "looked silly" is madness.

[@Redroomjjgfd]

@@seankarl8414 what makes X the best? I had a lot of fun playing it but it seemed like it had more holes in it than some others, just interested in your thoughts. I don't really rank the final fantasies, I think the conversations are fun though.

[@wilssantos2]

FFXII is one of my favorite Final Fantasies (right after FFVI and VII) and, consequently, one of my favorite games EVER. I love how it feels like an MMO without being one, giving you all the "live world" in an amazingly big single player experience.

[@DecimatedSoul]

This is my favorite Final Fantasy Game of all times, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this title, The Story, the Espers, the bosses, the areas just 10/10

[@chesster423]

The areas? Yeah the Great Crystal is obnoxious XD

[@OMGOST]

Somewhat major misinterpretation of the story I found in this otherwise good video. Gabraanth and Basch are not in fact the son's of the emperor.(you mentioned this around the 16 min mark) Vayne and Larsa were the son's of the emperor. The official wiki excerpt I found can clarify my foggy memory on his and Gabraanth's backstory. Born in 670 Old Valendian in the Republic of Landis to a Landisian father and Archadian mother, Basch grew up with his identical twin brother, Noah fon Ronsenburg(aka Gabraanth), and their sickly mother. Basch is considered the elder, having been born first. They lived peacefully until in 687, nineteen years prior to the events of Final Fantasy XII, the Archadian Empire attacked Landis. Basch left Landis to train in Dalmasca in hopes of restoring his old homeland. He joined the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca and, over time, was promoted to captain. Landis fell and Basch assumed his mother and brother dead or enslaved to the Empire. So Basch went to Dalmasca and Gabraanth joined his family's conquerors, while Basch assumed him dead until later in the game. edit: rewatching it now seems like you may have just misspoken, so ignore the above if that's the case lol

[@Bigbabyj30]

I have to say this is my favorite FF game. I went as far to as to do three LP’s. One was just casual, the second was in the weak mode (new game -), finally the one on how to really be overpowered and get everything as early as possible. Then I realized that I didn’t complete the original so I completed it as well. That’s how much I love this game.

[@kriz2432]

You should try this kind of set up... - Vaan: Bushi/Knight He has the highest average of BOTH Strength and Magick Power, making him the most qualified to use the Katana as his Weapon, as it uses both Strength and Magick Power (Strength is still more important, btw... which is why Vaan specifically is best for the Katana.) Knight gives him the Strength Boosting Heavy Armor, and with correct Esper Licenses can get the best White Magicks. (Bushi will give him the Shades of Black Technick if you really want him to do Magick Damage or hit Flying Enemies.) - Balthier: Shikari/Bushi He has the highest Speed in the Game, meaning the fastest Weapons are best for him, which are Daggers and Ninja Swords, which Shikari provides. (Bushi is to give him access to Mystic Armor for Black Robes which Boosts the strongest Ninja Sword, Yagu Darkblade's Damage Output. (This is your Yiazmat killer.) - Basch: Knight or Uhlan/Archer or White Mage Basch's Stats are geared towards being a Physical Attacking Tank... which is Knight or Uhlan. Archer because he's actually the fastest Attacker with Bows but White Mage will give you a weaker Back Up Healer... like a Paladin. - Ashe: Black Mage/Time Battlemage Ashe has the highest Magick Power making her the best for dealing Magickal Damage. Time Battlemage will give her access to Support Spells which are so useful. - Penelo: White Mage/Time Battlemage She has the highest MP and this set up makes her the Ultimate Support Character. She doesn't even need any Attack Gambits, she'll still be your Most Used/Highest Leveled Character, lol. - Fran: Can pretty much do whatever you want. She can be a Red Battlemage, she can be Monk or a Foebreaker or pretty much whatever... whatever she will be she will never be the best at anything, except maybe Foebreaker since she has the Highest Vitality in the Game.... but that's pretty much it, lol.

[@adamc18]

This has been my favorite final fantasy game since the first time I played it on the PS2, it's such a fun game. You mention during the video that the first plot twist that you love is that Basch and gabranth are brothers and that the emperor is their father, but that's not true. They are brothers yes, but the emperor is larsa and vayne's father. Gabranth and Basch are from Landis, which was one of the kingdoms that was destroyed by the empire.

[@swenedog007]

Love the video matty very thorough and well thought out you’re killing it man. More matty is better so continue the lengthier videos! Also final fantasy 8 please!

[@YetiCoolBrother]

Glad you finally got the appeal of the Gambit system, it's been one of my favorite things ever implemented in a game ever since this game came out originally and I feel like I've played many games since then that would've benefitted from something like it. The "Galaxy Brain" feeling when your party can fight through a whole zone or boss fight by themselves because you set everything perfectly is unmatched lol

[@JustSkram]

Yeah, nothing more fun than sitting in the menu in order to get the game to eventually play itself. Top tier system /s

[@taciolothar3794]

@@JustSkram Like FF13 ?

[@goldenstryker6707]

Well the great part is that the player has full control of the gambit system. You could even turn it off for a more hands on and challenging approach but it's nice that it allows you to fully create your fellow party members precisely how you want unlike many other games.

[@MrMakoto2]

One of my only complaints about the Gambit system is the lack of a real way to set up a thieving gambit. There was no "steal from enemy with item" gambit. Otherwise I was pretty happy with it.

[@goldenstryker6707]

@@MrMakoto2 I agree that it would have been nice to have the option but I still really enjoyed manually trying to aquire the loot myself. It somehow felt more impactful with each success.

[@LarsVonTrier2007]

There is a grave error at 16:34 mark. Emperor Gramis Gana Solidor is not, and I repeat, is not the father of Gabranth and Basch Rosenburg. Please correct this.

[@Afr0Punk]

Try the OG Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story. They both take place in the same world (Ivalice) and both are excellent games.

[@Mark_o_Helm]

17:00 you talk about Vossler, but show the Judge in charge of the ship.

[@Blackda222]

Final fantasy 12 was my absolute favorite finally fantasy. The world. Story, atmosphere was amazing. I probably first played this when I was about 12 maybe alittke younger and I no I didn't finish it then but replayed it and it's just amazing

[@blastedmcgraw152]

I’m a FF going back to the early 90’s. It’s probably my favorite series of video games ever. With that said, this was the first game in the series that I played that just didn’t work for me. I stopped playing after about 20 hours. However, it’s one that I’ve thought about a lot in recent years , and might end up revisiting at some point, especially since this Zodiac edition is on Switch. Excellent video!

[@OmegaSon]

What didn’t you like? I’ve been getting into these games recently myself and I’m a bit iffy whether I should even bother going past 10

[@blastedmcgraw152]

@@OmegaSon at the time, my biggest peeve was that the upgrade system basically allowed you to turn each character into any type of class you wanted. Coming from the games before, I liked the more fixed roles of most of those previous games. I felt it gave the characters more personality. The story/world of this game also felt a bit cold/distant to me, the music wasn’t as good as previous games (this was the first project that didn’t involve Nobou Uematsu), and I didn’t like the way summons were handled. Again, this was back in 2006-2007, and i think that if I’m played it again today, I may have a different perspective.I would absolutely encourage you to at least try this one. It’s certainly different from the first 10 games, but that’s why a lot of people love it.

[@OmegaSon]

@@blastedmcgraw152 thank you for your insight sir

[@loud94]

I guess i was a weird kid, game came out when i was 12 and i absolutely loved it. To this day its still my favorite final fantasy thanks the the gambit system, characters and the awesome bounty hunts.

[@proclarushtaonasat]

so true, it was so satisfying tinkering with the gambits, finetuning your party not only in stats and gear, but also strategy. setting up combos, for stuff like autolooting enemies, but only once, by having the leader steal from any enemy with 100%health, and having the others follow up on the same target immediately, so its not at 100% anymore... or automatically cast fire on enemies covered in oil, so using one item on an enemy causes the entire party to nuke it into oblivion.

[@isaiahd2123]

This is my favorite Final Fantasy game. It's a comfort game for me.

[@alster06]

FF12 probably one of my favourite games. Absolutely love it. And for people who complain about Gambit system - Have two on Gambit and Control the other fully and take over where required I like the Struggle For Freedom mod as well it changes up a bit and grants extra Water and Quake Spells to help defeat those enemies weak to those elements because it was annoying that Only Fire, Ice and Thunder got fully upgraded spells

[@Hazamatoxin]

Absolutely loving these man!! Abolutely loving the content on this channel. FF12 is one of my favourites, so seeing you giving this game another shot, even after disliking it, was a great experience!! Honestly the vibe of the game is so unlike the other FF's which plays into to why I like it so much.

[@matthewcampbell781]

This being my 2nd favorite ff in the franchise I was kind of shocked to hear you didn't like this. We have such similar views. But the age is where it was different in 06 I was 15. I was eating up that story lol. This game captivated me more than 10 did. It just had a unique feel that I haven't felt before or since.

[@DashingDavid]

Yeah but he barely played it as a kid. He played it a few years ago as an adult and trashed the game lol but likes it now apparently

[@kathrynradonich3982]

Same I was 15 when it came out and I couldn’t put it down.

[@matthewcampbell781]

@joceja23 it is a bit more of a mature story, I wouldn't say that means I think they wouldn't get the story though. But it is part of his argument as to why he may not have liked it.

[@edwardnowakowski5990]

I only really learned to love ffxii once I learned how to code, there’s something satisfying about creating a setup that consistently works, and it’s fun to see enemies that expose the flaws in your gambits so that you have to either make a manual command or change your gambits in general. It felt like debugging code, which I admittedly always found really fun. I think your example of nabudis is a great example of the strengths of the gameplay. You went in with levels higher than a player would get to even fighting endgame bosses, and no knowledge of the area, and it was a challenge, when the same area can be conquered with a party in weak mode where you’re stuck at the minimum level if you know what you’re getting in to and what items/licenses you need. It feels more skill based and makes me feel like mastery of the mechanics is as important as having strong characters

[@JambiJuice]

I’m all in on 50 minutes of Matthew Schroeder talking final fantasy. Love the content you make man 🤙

[@ShadowRocker24]

Hi, I hope you do a part two video of this talking in depth of all the bosses and all the awesome ways you had to beat them, I had a blast beating all the bosses years ago, hope too hear your adventure as you beat them all, Espers and all

[@lightningthe13th6]

The comparison of Fran and Chewbacca always gets me 🤣

[@KayderimGameplays]

It is also worth to mention the trial mode, which in this game, is basically a 100 floor dungeon where you can fight monsters (some unique only found here) and get the loot they drop to the main game, it is very much worth doing it if you want to get some good stuff

[@bhullar21]

Playing this again right now. First time going back since 2007/08 probably. Absolutely adore this game. And can we put some respect on Balthier as one of the greatest FF characters of all time.

[@xxtropic_talesxx3463]

I know the Algorithm doesn’t love long videos..but I do. I like how you sorta just talked through the game. Not a lore video but not a letsplay, I dig it. I don’t even like final fantasy at all but the way this video is done..makes me slightly question my judgment. Keep it up! Let’s see more like this

[@greglyhoblit]

The algorithm is partly based on video length and watch time which is why some creators make overly long 8 hour videos about certain games

[@PaulieWalnuts13]

Ivalice is the best FF setting. 50 minutes of Matty talking about FF… sign me up

[@Open_Eye17]

Absolutely loved this game when it came out. Did absolutely everything back then. When I played the remaster I was amazed how I pulled through walking through everything so slowly without turbo.

[@Skdjefkrkfnfne]

I don’t know if you’ve been recommended this, but Lost Odyssey made by Mistwalker is one of my favorite JRPGs in the last 20 or so years. You should definitely add it to your list. It doesn’t get much attention especially nowadays. Really interesting mechanics and the story doesn’t follow any overused tropes and goes out of its way to make it more fantastical imo

[@nesoukkefka1741]

You know I have been replaying this game recently, over 10 years after playing it and I remembered that back then I really loved it, on every aspect. And first off I want to say being able to play it on XBOX One is absolutly great, the game had loading time and performance issues on 360, they are all almost gone when playing on Xbox One so that's awesome. And my replaying of the game, I still love the gameplay, the content, the game still look nice today and the soundtrack is still amazing, but sadly the story is not as good as I remembered some character are cheesy, some pacing issue, and at the end of the day despite his original premise that is great the game fail and deliver and another "bad guy want to rules over the world, so need to save the world" type of story, OH and by the way my god the main antagonist in this game is so bad. However what save the game to me are the dreams that narrate the memories of Caim (and other immortals), cause back when I was a kid I didn't have the patience to read through them, but good lord these memories are amazing, and they really do an amazing to narrate an immortal life, they do a magnificent job at showing just how sad Caim's life is as an immortal meeting all this wonderfull people and make nice memories with them, only to be crush by the hard reality that he is immortal and they aren't and he is doom to see this people die, which create some really sad stories, and I would honnestly lie if I say I didn't cry on some of these stories. And this is my main issue you have this memories that are so well written, also sometime they get really violent and fucked up, and in comparison the main story is just bland it's nowhere near the quality of these memories, both in term of how they are written and how deep they goes into Caim mind and his condition as an immortal.

[@marcosdheleno]

is that the xbox exclusive? its name always gets me confused with a bunch of other games.

[@nesoukkefka1741]

@@marcosdheleno Yeah it's an Xbox exclusive sadly.

[@wilkinlow]

Always wanted to get into it, but the barrier to entry is kinda high as you need an old fully Xbox set and the game just to play it. Microsoft should just port old games into PC game pass, it literally pay for itself. Game pass is really lacking in the jrpg department.

[@Scantronacon]

Loving the retro reviews!! Keep it up Matty!!!

[@LegitPunisherProGaming]

Playing this over right now in Ultrawide, still highly underated

[@RobziiTV]

The Esper mythology was fascinating to me when I was a kid. And it was so exciting to finally find a new one. All of them where amazing bosses, but the optional ones were really something else. It really felt like you found some secret of this world and overcame a great opponent. Loved this part a lot. I never used them in battle though cause it never felt that powerful, but their respective boss fight were everything

[@UsernameInvalid48]

definitely one of the most underrated FF games out there imo.

[@milkmustache1050]

Good memories of this game. I was 18 and my roommate and I picked it up day 1 at midnight at a Gamestop in a mall. We hated Vann so much. Then we realized that Balthier was our favorite and the main focus of a lot of the later game. We removed Vann completely from the party. Epic story. Epic boss fights. I remember so many close calls of throwing up potions at the last minute. Truly one of my favorite final fantasy experiences.

[@jacobturnerart]

Balthier's Han Solo act was great. Thank god Luke Skywalker was more interesting than Vaan.

[@aceplatini859]

"first time" - actually his third time.

[@Retcon404]

YES! I love FFXII what a great video, thank you. edit: also as a newer viewer I never knew about the old video hahah. Glad you replayed and enjoyed it, as I also always disliked FFXII when I was younger but after playing Zodiac Age I fell in love with it. Again, Great video.

[@onsokumaru4663]

I fell in love with this game at first playthrough. It was a fresh breath of air after playing the depressing FF10.

[@danbessette1453]

I'm envious of your ability to talk off the cuff with good accuracy. You're mastering the craft. Keep up the great content.

[@veretxnerd983]

Imagine a remake of revenant wings I would pay

[@Cape007]

Me too

[@AbsurdoSol]

Currently replaying this game!

[@evancampbell7048]

As always, Vaan is us, the audience. If he wasn't around all the exposition would have been terrible

[@tinyericz]

I got this a gift when I was young and thought I'd hate it, I had never played a ff before BUT I didn't want to let the person who go it for me down so I dedicated myself to learning it and playing and I fully loved it. I'm replaying it now and still love it more than any other ff.

[@55yamy]

The Zodiac age is probably my favourite FF game next to 7. I first started with FF7 remaster on switch back in july of 2021 but when I got to the chocobo farm got frustrated and stopped playing. I was looking into FF12 for few months before I got it in mid may 2022 and got so hooked. Beat it for the most part (trying again to do it better) which made wanting to go back to 7 to beat it and try the other games. (Mainly a Fire emblem player.)

[@latinaparfait]

I heavily dislike the new license system in zodiac age, its very restrictive while in the original you could focus on whatever you wanted for each character.

[@Foatizenknechtl]

im so happy in germany we get the game cover with the white background, i love that style way more x)

[@GeenoGab]

The best Final Fantasy for me. ITS fast paced and the optional missions are fun, especially the guild hunts. This game has the most powerful optional boss ever - "Yiazmat" with an HP of 30 million. Took me an accumulated 3 hours to beat this beast!

[@ghost_of_nyc]

3 hours?!!! I got the game during the pandemic and i havent beat it its in my backlog but its coming up soon any hints or tips before i start ?

[@phantom8157]

@@ghost_of_nyc Break skills: set up a gambit using every break skill. You will want to do this about 20 times each. Afterwards, he is easy. It took me just over an hour to beat him. To be safe, also have a curaja and hastega gambit in place, as well as auto remedy. This works for all the hardest hunts and side bosses

[@jasonmay6368]

Not even close to the most powerful.

[@channelnow5845]

Turbo mode is great because you know, as an adult, i got adulting to do so if you can grind out fights in twice or quadruple the speed wow wow wow

[@channelnow5845]

Wow

[@camma12]

I hated this game when it first came out it just felt like final fantasy had lost its soul to me but ever since replaying it with the zodiac age it's become one of my favourite FF games! Oh and Ashe is best FF girl from any game, fight me lol

[@saintsalieri]

Can anyone confirm if there is a crashing issue on PS5? I just started playing this and was thinking about moving to Switch before I get too deep since it would be nice handheld, but ultimately decided to stick with the game "free" on PS Plus. However, saving is weird and takes a long time. Should I expect to lose progress and would it be better on Switch? I did notice there us an autosave slot for each loading screen, which should help.

[@Ativetah]

I loved Vaan as a protagonist. He just wanted freedom as a sky pirate but was driven to a plot even he did not understood fully and was still young and inexperienced. Despite all of that he was very brave and mature to tackle all of this. But I really hated Penelope because she felt so pointless for the entire plot. You could have removed her and almost nothing would have changed. I also disliked Ashe for a while but she got better over time. Balthier and Basche were great and I used them a lot. Fran was cool outside of her outfit. Still my favourite FF with FF8 and FFX :)

[@Mark_o_Helm]

Emperor Gramis is Vayne's and Larsa's father, not Bash's and Gabranth's. They came from the country of Landis, which was destroyed in the war between Arcadia and Rozaria. Vaan held the stone on the airship, when it began to glow near Ashe. Penelo held the manufacted nethecite, wich Larsa gave her and protected the party from a magic attack.

[@Giggles_iJest]

Did you *really* like it or did you just cave into random strangers opinions on the internet?

[@Capydapy]

Yeah I was thinking this too. It sounds like the poor man just got bullied into liking it.

[@GCPlugs]

I swear Matty does not sleep. He’s pushing out videos with the highest quality pretty much all the time. While I love it, I hope you’re doing well man.

[@trevorflake7854]

Well made video! I want to play a Final Famtasy game so bad but have no idea what to play!! Can you do a video that goes over the different final fantasy games and add in which one is best for newbies lol?? Please all the other videos like that suck and I love the way you break things down and explain everything!

[@Kafuinga]

Glad you slowed down for this game and got to enjoy this masterpiece.

[@NoctLightCloud]

I love how FF12 and FFT are getting some appreciation and attention recently!

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

I've noticed this remaster did not get texture replacements for the levels. The old PS2 textures are just vaseline upscaled.

[@traviswhitman3760]

Took me that second play through, to really appreciate it.

[@JH-pj8nw]

This game was great but for some reason when the story slowed down just a bit and the world opened up, that was the point I always got burned out. I really gotta get back to it. The audio was so... tinny (?) though, like ultra low quality, so I hope the current version has fixed that.

[@samcherry120]

loving your review style man keep up the great work

[@zawarudoz]

I fucking loved XII when it came out. Always glad to see people coming around on it.