I really don't agree with this. Because the way this part of the critique is written it implies that e.g. JRPGs which make you press "X" a lot during standard battles (a whole lot of them) actually provide meaningful gameplay, and that having to press that "X" 1000 times while only thinking about what you are doing 5 of those times is somehow better than not having to press it.
I very much agree. Especially for Final Fantasy, a lot of older JRPGs (and modern ones) are completely menial, hammering Attack for fastest results.
Those were not good times. A lot are still stuck in that model.
However, as much as I don't consider pressing a button to attack meaningful, I can only call worse a system where you don't even have to do it. And Final Fantasy is still struggling to this day to make inputs worth a damn. It's not FF7R that fixes it, in the opposite way.
There are lots of games where the actual execution is not the most interesting part of the gameplay, and many in which it is in fact tedious. Making a game focused more on setup/planning (and perhaps intervening in exceptional circumstances) is not in and of itself a bad thing at all, especially if it serves to reduce or eliminate repetitive tedium which would set in otherwise. In my opinion, the only issue with FF12's system is that it didn't go quite far enough in terms of flexibility with what the Gambit "language" allowed you to describe. But I still enjoyed it a lot.
While yes, it removes "tediousness"... it does so in the worst way possible: it doesn't fix the lack of engagement or lack of thought, it simply removes even more player agency and brainpower.
It's not the AI system that is at fault, it's even very commendable for a game with active combat.
But considering that you already don't need to think a lot in the FF model, and even less with the "new" system, to the point where going afk is not only viable but arguably preferable in longer fights....
The main issue being that if it's about removing the random battle grind... why is it still here? It's not like instantly crushing enemies is a new thing. Earthbound did it, among many others that I can't think of.
The entire combat is not even needed if you can just walk in a direction and things die. Hell, I'm sure it's only because the game is old that it doesn't posses autowalking to the next story point.
Because all of FF12 is pretty much F2P MMO distilled, a succession of story scenes and a game that almost plays itself, where even getting new gear is filling up bars, one of gils and one of LP. Not even hidden chests, or boss rewards, just... grinding stuff. While you are half afk.
As much as I don't like the annoying unlockable weapons in FFX, or the bullshit that is Excalibur 2 in FFIX, it at least was... an objective.
The Zodiac Spear in FF12 is just ridiculous, not even talking about the ploy to sell guides in the original, but in the Zodiac Age version you have to .... grind your way to it. Or grind until the 1% chance happens.
And it's probably the most representative of the game, where they don't want to give you a unique experience and challenging gameplay, but for you to come back to a form of tediousness that is probably unparalleled in the entire franchise.
Same here. The writing in the localized English version of FF12 is far more interesting and enjoyable to read than in any other game in the series, to me at least.
And that's what hurts the most. The game would be fun, if it bothered to give the player some reason to follow through. If I only wanted story, there's no lack of visual novels on Steam?
Had they
wanted to remove the boring stuff from the series, they would have shortened the time to kill, or straight up removed useless encounters. They gave even more HP to everything and added A LOT of mobs everywhere.
They would have shortened and simplified dungeons and open areas, and especially towns. They massively extended them, making the mob density particularly frustrating (and just going from shop to shop takes longer than any other FF - point becoming moot with fast forward of course, but still there).
They could give you automatic regeneration after battles. They didn't, and made save/healing points scarce, and items only available at select locations (one thing that FFXIII did do right in all its faults, it must be said).
They could avoid an extreme amount of back and forth for story beats and the very, very frequent loadings screens, it wasn't the beginnings of CD technology and the bloody thing loads more than a PS1 (well, maybe not, FFIX exists...).
They could have started it all with fast movement speed, but definitely didn't. Sure it got better with cheats, but then, that can apply to anything.
They could have made something great.
Visuals, soundtrack and world design certainly are. But I have a hard time believing that they made the gameplay of the game with the thought in mind to remove the more annoying elements of the franchise.
If they did, it ended up worse.
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