Final Fantasy XII International: Zodiac Job System Hands-On
Upgraded FFXII features new job system, double speed mode, a trial battle mode, and more.
MAKUHARI, Japan--At Square Enix Party 2007, we had the chance to get our hands on Final Fantasy XII International: Zodiac Job System, which was just announced on Thursday during the publisher's press conference. It's become a tradition for Square Enix to rerelease its blockbuster titles in Japan under the International label. And with more than 5 million copies sold worldwide, FFXII was a prime candidate for this.
The most apparent change in FFXII International is the voice acting. Much like the previous releases under the International label, FFXII International features characters speaking in English, with Japanese subtitles on the bottom of the screen. In terms of visuals, the game features 16:9 widescreen support, which wasn't available in the original Japanese release. Widescreen support is becoming essential in Japan, as electronics stores are mostly selling widescreen HDTVs nowadays due to the fact that analog broadcast will be terminated in just four years.
The primary new addition--as the game's title clearly suggests--is the zodiac job system, which is more or less a fancy term for the game's new license board system. The boards come into play during character evolution. While the original FFXII had only one license board, FFXII International gives you a selection of 12 boards that you can set on each of your characters. Doing so will let you customize your characters into playing like a certain job, such as a knight, monk, time mage, breaker, archer, black mage, white mage, red mage, kikoushi (gunfighter), uhlan (spearman), shikari (a fighter that uses daggers), and mononofu (a fighter with a mix of Japanese-style attacks, including samurai and ninja skills).
It's completely up to you as to how you set the boards on your characters, and if you chose to do so, you can even set the same board on multiple characters. However, you can't change the board on your characters once you've picked them, meaning that you'll need to finish the game (or restart) if you want to change their boards.
Fortunately, the developers of FFXII International intended the game to be played multiple times, and there's a new feature that lets you save time in doing so. Pressing the L1 button in FFXII International lets you go into "double-speed mode," where the game literally runs at double its normal speed (during both exploration and battles). Since FFXII is already using the PlayStation 2 hardware to its maximum, the only way to add this feature was apparently through frame skipping. So when the double-speed mode is turned on, the graphics move a bit choppy, albeit extremely fast.
Another major new feature in FFXII International is the new trial mode, which can be picked from the title screen. This mode resembles a survival-style battle where you take on memorable enemies in the game (mostly bosses), one after another. You can use your characters from your saved data to fight in trial mode, so if there's an enemy that's too strong, you can build up your party members in the storyline mode and then challenge the enemy in trial mode again. The enemies get stronger and stronger as you beat them, and we've been told that there might be some surprising enemies if you get near the end of the mode.
FFXII International also features a number of additional adjustments to offer more freedom and to make the gameplay experience smoother. We noticed that the guest characters and summon monsters can be controlled during the battle in FFXII International. That means a lot for the summon monsters because you can choose when to use their special attacks. On the field, the locations of treasure boxes have been moved to more convenient locations for players, and although you still get items randomly when you open them, the game's developers have raised the odds that you'll receive the items you want. It's also easier to get money than the original FFXII, so you won't have to work as hard to afford your essential items.
With the new improvements, Final Fantasy XII International should be a solid game for both new players and old players. The title is slated to ship this August in Japan. Square Enix hasn't announced a release for the US yet, but GameSpot will bring you the first updates if they do.
ffX-2 was one of the most complete disappointments of my life. Luckily this isn't a terrible, terrible sequel, but a tweaking of the original game. And it actually seems like it turned out to be pretty cool.
remake ff8!!!..... my third favorite ff game. Next to ff12 and ffx which is the best. They already made a sequel to X so that's over with. Sadly :(
they should release all ps2 final fantasy international edition in english in one box like the metal gear solid essentials pack.......comon SE america do it 4 the team
Come on SE, maybe we could have had FF XIII in North America this year if you guys didn't waste your time churning out a v1.2 for every product you've ever developed.
this game is amazing. i bought it in japanese and its even better than the original 12.
the double speed mode is only useful if you want to try all the different licence boards, which I find useless (for now), because they need a lot of new weapons and spells to sustain the boards or it'll just be like fragmenting and expanding the original board with things like: "+300 HP" or "increase evasion" I find more useful to be able to control the Espers, but anyway if they're going to do remakes, then how about older games (I haven't even finished FFXII)
I quite like the double spped thng. I wouldn't use it to skip cutscenes or talking or fighting, put for general plodding around leveling up it would be handy inbetween fights. Don't think it takes too much effort to make these international editions. Doubt it'll ever see uk shores anyway. Some half decent remakes would be appreciated tho yeah. The psp ones look ok but damn ugly. If they're gonna remake the really old ones they need to tart them up a bit I think.
it's a good idea to have this. but i hope they make first remakes of ff 1-9... especially 7-9... i'm waiting for those remakes... =(
This is so stupid!! they really have to stop wasting time on these sort of things! stop wasting time on things like this and start re-making the older games like VII, VIII and IX they are classics, but they're completely overlooked nowadays! it's cruel of squarenix to re-release the game with added features and it's absolutely ridiculous putting in a double speed mode final fantasy games are made so that you spend hours and hours training and putting all your effort into the final goal, if you can rush through it all it seems pointless to me, you won't enjoy a dramatic conclusion nearly as much GRRRRRRR
They must release this here in the UK I mean come on, what are they thinking!!!!!!! =(
I'de like this. FF 12 rocked and i too put in over 160 hours into it... If this comes out in the US, I might get it. The game is good enough to play more.
Why didn't the original have the zodiac license system? I won't be buying from Square Enix anytime soon if they're just going to screw over the consumer.
why do they make this changes when everyone has already played the game until the end? I don't want to start all over again (too much hours)
This would only stay in japan.
dog gammit!! the trial options seems ok... the double-speed mode is useless... BUT WHY COULDNT THEY INCLUDE THESE 12 TYPES OF LICENSE BOARDS IN THE ORIGINAL FF12?? i had to open that ONE WHOLE LICENSE BOARD to all the characters, which pretty much makes a real renaissance warrior, not really needed in the first place... Vaan - small sword & shield user, big sword user, bow & arrow user, gun and bomb user, white & black & red magic user... jack-of-all, master-of-none... really stupid...
i've clocked in over 160+ hours on this game (using the guide oh so very sparingly). so it would be silly for me to go out and buy this version, especially since it seems geared towards the more 'novelty' players and not necessarily the 'hard core' players (double-speed mode? come on)
I have FFXII and I am about 60 hours i don't really think that I would buy this game because of some new features (even that they seem to be pretty good), but maybe those who really like FF or for them who have not bought FFXII yet might be a good deal.
I need trial mode. I need it.
I know the game is going to be good, but if it's released in the US then I doubt I'll buy it. to me, the only thing worth mentioning are the 12 new boards. nothing else seems like a big enough upgrade for me to want it. maybe if they improved the already amazing graphics even more and made the game significantly longer then I'd buy it.
A fast-forward mode, new license boards (which is the only new feature I'd be interested in), survival mode and guest party/summon control wouldn't really be enough for me to purchase FFXII again. I love the game, but I still have a feeling (due to Square Enix's past releases) that this so-called "International Version" will stay in Japan.
They should put This on English version, plus FF X-2, and Kingdom hearts 2 Final mix !!!!!!!!!!!!!
If it's international, why Japan only?! well... at least a good RPG will be released on the PS2 (and NOT on those next-gens)... but I'll get it. No matter what happens.
They shoulda released this first, as it would be pointless to buy both
Sounds awesome, I just played the original for the first time and love the Liscence Board system. This sounds like a welcome change.
it was obvious that they do this ,no more ff on ps2 no more money ,it is like with ff x-2 international...... O! gash like they can't do another ff on ps2!
UGH! Why didn't they have a job system to begin with?! This game screams for it! Me wantee...
i wanna go live in japan! ._. damn those international versions not being international! >.
It's called "International" because the Japanese are getting the version of FFXII that the rest of the world got (we got a few extra bits like 16:9 support) plus more extras. So to them it is the "International" version while to us it is (unfortunately) a Japanese thing.
damn it, I think I will buy one of those mods chips.
As always in the end the Japanese get the best. Why can't the rest of world have a Japanese version!
International lol!!There are a Portuguese, SPanish, Polish, Zuandabish?!
LOL. I agree with Sonic, International = Japan?
yeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss! i bought the ps3 thinking everything was region free, and got major bummed about the ps2 emulation being region locked. since i live in taiwan, the jap ps3 was the only choice and after a year i'll be able to play it in english. wooooooooooot anyone know if the menu system is in japanese or english
If its called International...why is it Japan only...?
-Jad- No kool.... S-E really new pay more attention on US and UK maker and fan base... all those International and Final Mixes are really good but there not love from S-E 4 us... that's it. thats never going to happen. best buy your mod chips now
No kool.... S-E really new pay more attention on US and UK maker and fan base... all those International and Final Mixes are really good but there not love from S-E 4 us... that's it.
I remember back when i first got FFXII I was discussing ways to make game better, as if it wasn't god enough, and I suggested a different license board (based on certain classes) for each character -- if you want Ashe to be a White Mage, you'd give her a White Mage license board -- and i'm so glad they actually did this...would've been nice to have job specific armor too. I'll defenitley be buying this game whether its released here or not.
AnFangs_Endes "...I WANT TO BE A FINAL FANTASY XII INTERN...randomness over...btw 4billion(people on earth...) / 500 million(...riiiight...)= 1/8 of earth's population....I CALL SHANANIGANS!jk..probably something like 50mil..." 0_0.....Are you living in the 1970s? The world's population his 4 billion around then. The world's population is about 6.6 billion right now. Though, I agree with ObiKKa, FFXII indefinitely sold around 5 million copies, not 500. 500 million is still a sizeable portion of the world's population.
Oh goody, the game was so boring the first time, it has to go double the speed to make it fun! Trial mode sounds kind of like the coliseum from KH. Eh, doesn't sound like enough has changed to make it worth buyable again if you already bought (if they release it in the U.S.). Save your money for other games.
AnFangs_Endes "...I WANT TO BE A FINAL FANTASY XII INTERN...randomness over...btw 4billion(people on earth...) / 500 million(...riiiight...)= 1/8 of earth's population....I CALL SHANANIGANS!jk..probably something like 50mil..." No, more like 5 million, I'm sure. Wish games could sell for 500 million or even, in a nice way, 50 million, coz that would make it easier for the underrated/original/innovative games to sell enough to make profits for the developers that make them... But, alas, don't worry, for the older video-game-hating generations are dissipating away, plus more & more children & newer families are accepting video games! But it's still damn too slow! Bugger.
//SSephirothT Usually, international version of Final Fantasy (and Party Mix for Kindom Hearts) is the US release of the game, which already included upgraded features. However, this Zodiac Job System seems to be all new that haven't included in the US release, so I think they are trying something new.
When have square enix ever released an international version back to the US?
great ff
It's obviously a typo. Should be around 5 million.
...I WANT TO BE A FINAL FANTASY XII INTERN...randomness over...btw 4billion(people on earth...) / 500 million(...riiiight...)= 1/8 of earth's population....I CALL SHANANIGANS!jk..probably something like 50mil...
LOL! 500 milion? How could you make a mistake like that?
Holy Cow, 500 million copies!, is that a typo?
500 million? WTF?
i thought this is just teh same american version with added abilities. ohhhh so what IMO
Now I want this and not the original. But I doubt it's coming to the States. Japan just loves to release excellent games over there and give us the shaft...
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Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System
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- Publisher(s): Square Enix
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Release: Aug 7, 2007 (AS) »
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