Everyone has a handful of acclaimed franchises that they can’t just connect with. There are always going to be those outliers that just don’t land, either because of personal preference, jaded memories, or simple lack of connection. It’s important to recognize that this is a personal observation instead of a reasoned critique, like my long-standing boredom with the otherwise acclaimed Elder Scrolls series — I recognize the craft and care put into the series, I just don’t like it.
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The other big franchise that I’ve only ever had a few successful connections with is Final Fantasy. One of the bedrocks of the RPG genre in the world of gaming, I’ve always wanted to get into the fantasy epics but I always fail to actually connect emotionally with the characters or get invested in the stories. While I enjoy the spin-offs or crossover games like Kingdom Hearts, the mainline series has been moderately entertaining at best (looking at you, Final Fantasy VII) and frustrating at worst. However, I’ve still torn about saying I outright dislike the series as a whole, because one entry from 19 years ago is one of my favorite RPGs ever.
I’m Not A Final Fantasy Guy
One of my big gaming confessions is that I’ve never been a fan of the Final Fantasy series, — but I don’t know if I actually really dislike the series, because Final Fantasy XII is amazing. I didn’t care for them at all as a kid, an age when RPGs typically failed to connect with me. I grew more appreciative of the genre as I got older, even with turn-based games. Even then, I found the Final Fantasy series to be melodramatic in a way I never really fully got into.
I’ve played through multiple entries in the series, and while there are characters I’ve become attached to (like Barret in Final Fantasy VII, Vivi in Final Fantasy IX, and Auron in Final Fantasy X), the overall narratives and lengthy worldbuilding tend to leave me bored over time. It’s a series that I can appreciate in theory a lot more than in practice, and I love the tangentially connected spin-offs like Final Fantasy Tactics or Kingdom Hearts more than any of the core games in the series.
Similar to my personal dislike for Elder Scrolls, I can see why people love this franchise, but it’s never fully landed with me. It was a cool idea that just left me bored almost every time. The exception to the rule, though, is Final Fantasy XII, which became my favorite entry in the series by far.
Why FFXII Is One Of My Favorite RPGs
The presentation of Final Fantasy XII was the first thing that won me over, with a more distinct visual style that felt in line with fantasy aesthetics but less defined by the Final Fantasy house style. The story felt like the kind of world-crossing epic right out of the gate that some of the other games didn’t. The cast of characters was quick to establish themselves as distinct archetypes that didn’t just fall into the typical JRPG molds. The game even had some fun subverting those expectations by making Vaan, the initial protagonist, more of a side character in his own story.
Another element of the game I embraced was the emphasis on active combat, which made the world feel larger and more independent. It’s a trait that has been replicated in other Final Fantasy titles to great effect, raising the stakes in every encounter and breaking up the world-building and storytelling with more exciting combat. I’m even someone who likes turn-based combat in the right situation, but I always found the Final Fantasy approach to the mechanic frustrating due to its deluge of options and immersion-breaking snaps from the exploration for deliberate, slow-paced combat.
Instead, FFXII included a more active style of combat that puts emphasis on active engagement. It forces players to think on their feet, taking all those gameplay options and leaving them for you to figure out. It’s also on the player to decide if they can take on the threat or if they just want to flee, adding to the sense that this is a fully immersive world. The enhanced visual potential of the PS2 opened up the larger world, allowing players to really feel like the world around them is wondrous, dangerous, and enticing. I’ve played over a dozen Final Fantasy games that my friends and fellow gamers have told me brought them into a world of magic, and Final Fantasy XII was the first time I really felt that for myself.
The storytelling is compelling and quietly complex. Balthier and Fran are delightful, while Basch’s guilt complex and Ashe’s struggles to become a leader make them among the most compelling characters in franchise history. While I’ve still been frustrated with the story and character choices for subsequent Final Fantasy games, the shift in gameplay and the presentation tweaks that have come into play as a result of Final Fantasy XII have made me like them more than I would have probably otherwise. Yet, I’m still conflicted over whether or not I’m actually a Final Fantasy fan, or if I liked FFXII enough to convince myself that I could be.
