Customers consistently note that "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age" offers wonderful characters, story, and gameplay, enhanced by its portability. Many appreciate the battle system, music, and the quality of the remaster. Some customers mention the game can be a bit harder than the original version, and there's a slight learning curve, with a potential impact on battery life.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 727 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Portability
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A good port with some new features
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Switch port of Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is in decent shape. In handheld mode, the image is definitely blurrier than any other release, including the base Xbox One version. I have posted a comparison between the Switch Handheld version and the PC version (in 1080p), but keep in mind that it will always look crisper on the actual Switch screen than it will on a screenshot. The frame rate is limited to 30fps (which is true for all other versions except for PC/Xbox One X) but it seems to be stable.
The Switch/Xbox One ports come with some new features that the PS4/PC versions do not have. They are:
-Licencse Reset, which allows you to switch jobs at will (acquired less than an hour into the story)
-Additional Gambit sets. Gambits allow you to manipulate party AI, and this new set feature allows you to create up to 3 different sets of Gambits and switch between them at will.
-An improved New Game+ that lets you start at level 90 and carry over weapons, magic and gil
With these new features, along with the portability of the Switch, it is hard not to recommend this as the definitive version. The blurriness is definitely notable to me, as I have played the PC version as well, but in this case the good heavily outweighs the bad.
P.S. Oh, and the title screen appears to have some input lag not found in the PC version. If this is a bad first impression, worry not. I tested everything past the title screen
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Gameplay
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Nostalgia
|
|
Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Final Fantasy is a cool game for nostalgia. The game could have been made better but if your into Final Fantasy you won’t regret checking this one out. It goes on sale for 20$ during Black Friday if your a budget gamer like myself who doesn’t have all the time in the world to game and has patience. It would be worth it to snatch at sales price.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance, Portability
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great on the go
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Runs great on Switch, a modern classic FF made portable
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battle system, Gameplay, Story
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome
|
|
Posted . Owned for more than 2 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Love the story and the gameplay. Great cinematic and battle system
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Good Game
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Love Final Fantasy. Picked up the last copy my local Best Buy had for 25 bucks.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Gameplay
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Addition To The Final Fantasy Game Library
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I've been on a JRPG/RPG game craze these last few months and am definitely happy to add this game to my collection.
While not for every gamer if you're a fan of the mentioned RPG/JRPG games and for the price this game is definitely taking a look at.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Get this game
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Very good remaster, one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. A must
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Game
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Game works great and was worth the sale price. Would recommend.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Final Fantasy XII
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
good game works and enjoy playing it with everyone.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great game great price
|
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great game. As of writing this review, it is full price in the nintendo online shop. So its a great deal for this physical copy
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Gameplay, Portability
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
The most definitive version of FF12
|
|
Posted . Owned for 6 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is a review more focused on what's new rather than the entirety of this game. This is a re-master of a PS2 game with updated graphics, more features & content, and quality of life changes. Best to look up a more thorough review if you're a first timer.
The most definitive port of the game to-date of a beloved Final Fantasy game; Final Fantasy 12.
-Includes quality of life features like the high speed mode & auto-save
-The zodiac system from the international PS2 release was included allowing for a much more customized character experience
-Trial Mode (100 levels of battles)
-The Sky Pirate's Den (the in-game achievement system separate from game platform trophies/achievements systems on PS/Xbox)
-Choice between original vs re-orchestrated OST
-New Game+
-Balance changes
I believe those are the more notable changes, but I'm sure there are more that I haven't mentioned here.
While the Switch version does not run at 60fps (runs at 30fps), I think it's not really a necessity for the RPG games. But what you do have is portability, which is exactly why you would get the Switch version. I believe the versions that do run on 60fps are the Xbox One and PC versions (as far as I know). PS4 runs at 30fps, which is strange. So, it's a trade off; portability or 60fps?
So whether you've never played this game before or would like to re-experience the adventure in a new light, this port is the version to play.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Difficulty
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Strong recommend.
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Probably one of the best Final Fantasy games out there, ported to Switch now. Strong recommend. Playing this game is complex and fun. Feels like playing an offline MMO sometimes.
The AI in this game is fantastic and the game lets you customize hit they behave. The game is long and can be tough at times, but also feels very rewarding once you customize your character and party AI just right.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Gameplay, Story
Cons mentioned:
Difficulty
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Solid addition to FF series
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Best FF game overall IMO, aside from the FF7 remake. Solid storyline, enemy difficulty is carefully balanced, really loving the Gambit system which adds a wrinkle and layer to strategy. Not a cakewalk game at all but not overly difficult. Nintendo Switch version looks great!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battle system, Story
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Dream Port
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Zodiac Age rendition of the Final Fantasy XII Remaster is absolutely a dream on the Nintendo switch. The game is just as I remembered it back when it originally released and I was a teenager. I never did beat it originally, but replaying it on the Nintendo Switch has been an absolutely blast. This port of the game is very well done and features the enhanced visuals albeit the resolution on a large 4K display. Can be noticeably soft at 900p, but that’s excused considering the steady framerate/overall good performance.
Pros:
- Great Story
- Arguably the last good Final Fantasy game in the main numbered entries.
- Reworked jobs system lets you reset the license board at will.
- Excellent Visuals for the time; the style still holds up.
- Combat system is as great as it originally was
- the option to SPEEDRUN through the game makes leveling a breeze and getting to the next part that much more enjoyable.
Cons:
- Length of the game may not be for everyone
- Animations show their age
- 900p and not 1080p (subjective)
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Gameplay, Story
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Hop in the Vaan we're playing a great game.
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
After having played through Final Fantasy XIV's Ivalice raid series I was inspired to seek out this game. XII is a great game and it's combat it a departure from the earlier games in the series being almost mmo like. Story is solid and the game is on sale frequently. Worth picking up on sale.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battle system, Gameplay
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Classic
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Played it multiple times.
Everything about Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age seems like it should have been a true classic. It has a lot going for it: a mature story, beautiful graphics that aged gracefully, a strategic combat system and huge world to explore full of side quests. Yet despite of all these desirable qualities, it does not do any of them exceptionally well. The mature story features an intensely stupid protagonist and a cast of very dry personalities. The visuals, while timelessly rendered, gets undercut by level design that is extremely cookie-cutter and the same assets are constantly being reused. The combat and character progression makes the cast interchangeable with no real distinct qualities to speak of while being used while fighting the same pallet swapped enemies for dozens of hours.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Gameplay, Portability
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A better game
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
When Final Fantasy XII was first released, I was very indifferent on it. I liked it because it was a Final Fantasy game but also disliked the many different things it attempted to do. What I found was a game that I liked somewhat. The Zodiac Age edition is the best version of FF12.
Not only does it add a new boss fight, it adds speed options ot battles. The monotonous MMO gameplay was pretty slow when it was first released but you now have the option to speed the game up, which makes battling and grinding insanely easy. It will also help with the hour long optional fights near the end of the game. And with the Switch version, you can do all of this on the go. It's the perfect RPG for long trips.
Final Fantasy XII was a good game in 2006. It's a fantastic game in 2020. A must have for Switch RPG owners, even if you gave the original a go a decade and a half ago
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Gameplay
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A Classic with a few new tricks& new coat of paint
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
A beautiful update to an underrated final Fantasy game (briefly available at a price reasonable to those of us who still have the ps2 era game). For those unaware the Final Fantasy series is more like an anthology each numbered game is a new story with new characters and world. Therefore each game can be played with little to no prior experience with the series.
Much of the game plays more like an MMO (with intricately programmable party members substituted for other players) than a traditional turn based Final Fantasy. Character customization has been expanded from the original game with a new character license board setup. Each character has a upgrade tree based around their job(class) that grants new job related skills, expands equipable armor and weapons, and stat boosts. This system has been expanded by allowing a secondary job (license board) for each of your party members. This allows you to assign a complimentary job and set of skills to your party members.
The graphical update really shines through for me due to having played the original game extensively. Blurry character models and backgrounds are now crisp bringing new life to to the beautiful world of Ivalice and its characters. I can understand some who may not appreciate it as much especially if they have played newer square enix games (in particular Final Fantasy XV or even to a lesser extent the FF XIII trilogy) made initially for newer and more powerful machines from the ground up. This is after all a much older game that has merely received a lovely graphical update.
Ultimately if you didn’t care for Final Fantasy XII originally I don’t think enough has changed to alter your opinion. However, if you ever had any fondness for the original game or are completely new to it and the idea of a character driven political thriller in a high concept fantasy world featuring an ensemble cast of playable characters (no chosen one heroes here) then I recommend giving it a chance and I hope it enchants and thrills you as much as it’s dedicated fans.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battle system
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A PS2 classic finds new life on the Switch
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I heartily recommend this game to anyone who likes RPGs and is looking for a unique take on combat! It's a hybrid of turn-based and real-time elements unlike anything else I've played before. Even other Final Fantasy games don't resemble it! Without spoiling the specifics, I'll say that you get to program your party to perform certain actions under certain conditions, while also retaining the option to manually command them if necessary. Computer geeks will definitely appreciate the If-then style framework of the combat system. There's also a robust character job system that gets explained early on, and it stacks up well against any modern RPG.
The story of the game is quite good, but it does have some faults (not going to spoil them) that thankfully don't ruin the overall experience, in my opinion. The most impressive thing it does is give you a real sense of the world and its socio-political turmoil. Towns are lively, and there's a lot of fun text to read from the people while you're exploring.
As for the characters, you've got a fairly interesting cast, I'd have to say. They adhere to many classical archetypes, but most of them have cool visual designs and intriguing personalities. All of this is helped by the nicely voice-acted cutscenes this game has.
Graphically speaking, this is a PS2-era game remastered for the Switch, so it's not going to be a visual juggernaut in the technical sense. I enjoyed taking in the sights, though! Beautiful artwork goes a long way, and this game has it in spades.
Now, let's get to the music! The soundtrack does a great job of fitting the atmosphere of the places you're exploring and fighting in. There's a solid balance between "gritty medieval society" tracks and "upbeat fantasy adventure" tracks. On top of that, this game lets you freely swap between the original PS2 version's soundtrack, the remastered soundtrack, and the original CD soundtrack at any time!
To conclude, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a worthy buy for any RPG lover, even one who has never played a Final Fantasy game before.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battle system, Story
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A wonderful fantasy to embark into!
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1.5 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Amazing Final Fantasy game!
It’s change in battle system may take a bit to get used to, but the systems work together smartly & draw players in with depth that never seems to be fully overwhelming either.
The characters & story is superb and is worth the many hours to invest in the great world of Ivalice!
It runs well on Switch in handheld & docked modes, and has the quality of life options of boosting battle speed and others like the PS4 version & other recent FF remasters like VII, IX, & X/X-2.