[Hammerite]

to all those who have got it now, how is it?
and whens it out in britain?

[RLacey]

Play.com and Amazon.co.uk are both saying the end of February 2007 for the British release.

[Hammerite]

might get it.
if its story is mediocre like 10 then i'll probably pass.

[Lucien21]

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=69380

Gave it 10/10.

And February looks like the UK release date.

Buy it with a PS3 in March and play it on that.

[kuze]

Gametrailers.com gave it 80%, justifying it with shallow characters and little involvement in game's story. They also criticized the repetitiveness of the monsterbattles and the fact that there are too few "big bada-boom" summons and magic effects.

[Solid Snake]

More of the same.

[wilco]

According to gamerankigs 80% is the lowest score with an average of 93%, maybe the Famitsu perfect score was right after all?

The story looks intriguing, political I've read, and the new combat system apparently works very well and it's a welcome change. (it's not more of the same at all!)

I think the end of February is the release date in Europe, along with Okami and a bunch of other games... maybe they think Christmas is in March over here...

[insane_cobra]

Not interested in it in the slightest.

[Jayel]

No more random battles...
I think I might like this one.

[Spiwak]

I'm actually kind of excited to try it. Final Fantasy are the only JRPGs I've been able to stand, but I never did like random battles. Speaking of which, I did like Vagrant Story, actually...partly because of the much cooler combat/equipment systems and also partly because I like the atmosphere/period.

In conclusion, I will give FFXII a shot, though it might take me a while to get to it considering the other games I'd like to also play.

[Once A Villain]

It's a great game. I'm 18 hours in. The story IS interesting, that's why some people are saying it's not. They are FF fanboys who like the shit storylines in the previous 4 FF games released. Them saying FF12 has a bad story is like a stamp of approval in my opinion. This one is by Yasumi Matsumo, who has left Square now but was their most talented game designer. Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story were other games he did, both are among the best Square games of the last 10 years.

FF12 has great gameplay (more like an MMO), an entertaining quest and PLENTY of sidequests. Also, the boss battles are terrific. They are harder and require far more strategy than FF bosses in the past. I'm having a great time with this one, and I disliked the last 4 games (not counting 11).

[CrimsonBlue]

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

Them saying FF12 has a bad story is like a stamp of approval in my opinion. This one is by Yasumi Mitsumo, who has left Square now but was their most talented game designer.

You can't really blame them for expecting fantasy in a Final Fantasy game, instead of political war games. Personally, I care little for politics, and so the story is a bit dry and boring so far. But then again, I've only played for about eight hours, so what do I know. I do hope it gets better though.

But the battle system is great, graphics are really good, sound is decent (although I miss the Uematsu touch on the soundtrack). BTW, the voice overs sound pretty strange on my system, as if I was watching a really old movie on an old tv set. It doesn't sound as clear as it should.

[daikatana_]

Originally Posted by Hammerite

might get it.
if its story is mediocre like 10 then i'll probably pass.

In that case, you can pass... I always liked ff games, but i didnt like ff9 and ff10 much. Now i have even ff7 dirge of cerberus... Havent played it yet, and i dont expect too much...
lets see

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by CrimsonBlue

You can't really blame them for expecting fantasy in a Final Fantasy game, instead of political war games. Personally, I care little for politics, and so the story is a bit dry and boring so far. But then again, I've only played for about eight hours, so what do I know. I do hope it gets better though.

Sounds promising to me, since I generally like the politics and "world affairs" going on in the game more than most things in them. The romances were probably the most important to me, but I'm sure they haven't taken that aspect out.

[Once A Villain]

Originally Posted by CrimsonBlue

You can't really blame them for expecting fantasy in a Final Fantasy game, instead of political war games. Personally, I care little for politics, and so the story is a bit dry and boring so far. But then again, I've only played for about eight hours, so what do I know. I do hope it gets better though.

I personally think it has gotten better as it has gone along, so hopefully you'll feel the same. I don't find the story too political, and for me there is plenty of fantasy in there. I'm just glad none of the main characters suffer from amnesia which has been a popular Square choice for their heroes. I'm also glad that, thus far, it's not about saving the whole damn world. Also, the writing itself, dialogue and such, is so far and above other FF games that I think I'm just in shock. Maybe that's why I like it more than it probably deserves.

EDIT: Damn, I just fought one of the greatest boss battles in FF history. I love that this game is actually challenging unlike the others.

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

I'm also glad that, thus far, it's not about saving the whole damn world.

Don't be surprised when that comes in halfway through, though. FFVII didn't have anything like that until fairly late into the game, actually, if I recall. Well, OK maybe not...I was thinking about the meteor but I guess pretty early on you're aware that the Planet is dying.

But the point stil stands. Every Final Fantasy I've played (granted, that's only VII-X) involves saving the world, and I would expect this one to take that path eventually.

[VictimOfScience]

I didn't think I was going to like it either until about 3 weeks ago when it started getting exceptionally good press. I looked at as many pics and vids and previews and reviews as I could and was determined to get it.

I haven't looked back since.

I am 25 hours in and I am so addicted to this game that its not even funny. Its a technical masterpiece on the aging PS2 hardware and just about everything about this FF is better than any other FF (save Tactics--the best--but that wasn't really a FF game). The combat system is incredible, the world is HUGE (though not exactly entirely open in the same way they have been in the past), the music is beautiful, the graphics are amazing, the characters are interesting, the story is engrossing.

Everything you have heard about this game is true. Except for the sucking; that is udderly false.

/waits for everyone to get that pun....

The only questions left are:
1. When are you getting it?
2. Can Rogue Galaxy top it as best RPG on the system??

[CrimsonBlue]

Is Rogue Galaxy using real time battle like Dark Cloud and Dark Chronicle? If so, I'm definately getting it. After getting used to the FFXII system, I'm not sure if I can go back to turn based random encounters. Not that FFXII is real-time, but you're not thrown to a new screen for every battle.

[Burns11]

Rogue Galaxy is real time with no loads before battle.

Having played both, FFXII is better (barring the improvements Factor-5 is doing), best RPG on the PS2 (best game on the PS2 IMO, right above Ico). I am now replaying it again in english.

[Putrid Moldyman]

The best thing I can say about FFXII is that it doesn't feel like a guilty pleasure. It's a well-designed, well-written game, and I don't feel it's beneath me to be playing it unlike a lot of the more recent RPGs out of Japan.

Balthier's going to win Gamespot's "best new character" award this year. Just you wait.