Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is out now on PC
So nice, they released it twice
Patience is a virtue, but sometimes, you need to be positively saintly to hold out for a PC release. It's been a very long time since Final Fantasy XII's original debut on the Playstation 2, but the underrated (at the time) JRPG has finally found a new home on our humble, flexible platform. You can now buy Final Fantasy XII on PC, upgraded with a slew of enhancements from the recent console remaster of the game, and for 20% off the RRP thanks to a generous launch discount.
Originally dismissed by some at launch as effectively being a 'single-player MMO', I feel Final Fantasy XII is a game that people are only beginning to properly understand now. Granted, it has its flaws - most of which seem to stem from a rewrite of the story late in development - but the hands-off tactical combat that runs on basic AI scripts assembled by yourself is strangely compelling stuff, especially when paired with the fast-forward feature, allowing you to practically skip past grinding and travel times as you optimize your party.
In addition to the usual suite of PC-centric graphics options, the Zodiac Age edition of the game includes all the tweaking and tuning done for the Japanese second release of the game (including a whole new character class system), as well as a bunch more upgrades (mostly visual) from the remastering process. While some object to the visual 'noisiness' introduced by the new textures, I give them my stamp of approval simply because they made Vaan's abs significantly less terrifying-looking.
We should hopefully have a full Wot I Think piece on the game in the near future, although my personal take is that it's probably worth it if you don't mind a slightly more experimental, MMO-ish RPG framework, paired with a story that clearly doesn't revolve around the ostensible protagonist. Oh, and if you have a decent amount of free time. That always helps.
You can buy Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age now via Steam and Humble. It'll set you back £28/€40/$40 right now, which includes the hefty 20% launch discount offered until February 8th.
