LONG TIME NO SEE
Undeniably the most conspicuously absent game of E3; Final Fantasy XII’s prolonged development has been subject of much speculation. The all-FMW trailer at the show left many unanswered questions, especially amid talk that the new battle system had been overhauled since its last public showing. However, these rumors turned out to be false, as many gamers learned at a recent Square Enix event in
The most unconventional of the changes is the integration of a real-time battle system Granted, this isn’t really new information since the mechanics were in place for the E3 2004 version of the game, but now their presence has been confirmed. This means that all foes will appear. Onscreen (as well as on a radar), but wont attack until they notice you. Once they do engage you, the controls transition seamlessly into battle, eliminating the separation between ‘’battle time’’ and exploration time, much like an MMORPG.
While real time fights may sound like heresy, there will still plenty of classic Final Fantasy touches to please fans – most notably in the summoning of colossal beasts. Instead of previous games, where summons could only score one big attack (or replace the entire party), they are more like partners in the battle than isolated warriors. When called upon, summoned creatures will replace two party members, rampaging and unleashing special attacks while the players retains control of the party leaders to assist in the carnage.
Its transformation may not be drastic, but our time with the newest form of Final Fantasy XII revealed many intriguing elements that are likely to split the fanbase in two – those who embrace the changes, and those loyal to the traditional formula. At any rate, players wont know which camp they fall into until at least next year; the game hits Japanese shelves, though the inevitable U.S release still hasn’t been finalized. You probably shouldn’t bother digging out your moogle suit before the 2006 holidays though.
0 comments:
Post a Comment