To begin, I'll explain that DayZero.com is experiencing technical difficulties due to traffic overloads. Luckily for them, I don't have a copy of my list, so I will have to check back over and over again until it's back up. This also means that I don't know what numbers are associated with the goals I have memorized. So anyway...
Goal 61: Open and Play Final Fantasy XII
This semester involved a few classes that required an average of about 4 hours almost every night for homework, a 40-hour workweek consisting of three different jobs, grad school applications, and plenty of projects. After four months of ease, I thought I should challenge myself with the twelfth challenge that does not involve reality, for the last time.
At a PreX-Mas party, a long-time gaming associate and soon to be world famous chef, David Stockavas, suggested that we get together over a weekend and game until it was time to go back to work. We decided we should kick it old school: 2 TVs, 2 PlayStations, 2 single player games, no distractions.
Final Fantasy XII was actually a gift from David many years back. I decided that I wasn't going to open it until I could commit to it.
...but we don't have two TVs or 2 PlayStations...
...well, I guess we should go get em then.
After refreshing myself on the rules and restrictions on Wal*Mart return policies, we headed on over there to pick up a nice TV and PlayStation to play my fresh videogame on. It was about 10:30 PM, but what's the difference at a 24-hour market? There were some guys waiting behind us who apparently recently bought the exact same TV. Giving it positive reviews, they were just waiting to get a game for a little while.
The staff probably got a bit suspicious when my card was denied twice. Good thing I had two cards!
We hadn't thought of it not fitting in my car, and it took a few tries.
Electronics set up, the game that would consume my life for weeks to come began playing on the screen.
Unfortunately, David was moving out of his apartment days later, so I had to move the TV into my room. I don't have the capabilities to handle such an expansive viewing device, so I had to just set it up in the middle of the floor while I played from my LuvSac during every waking moment.
TWO WEEKS, CHRISTMAS, and MANY HOURS OF BEING AWAKE LATER.......
...the final boss explodes into painful flames.
If I could tag this photo, or if I wanted to put 5 minutes more effort into this post, I would point out the screaming head two thirds to the right.
Taken at 6 AM in the morning with flash, I beat Final Fantasy XII (adding it to my repertoire of beating FF4,7,8,9, and 10).
As you can see, I beat the game in a very cooooool 85 hours.
I had to return the merch before I beat the game unfortunately. I packed it up and sent it back. Since Christmas had passed, it was easy to say that I didn't want it.
Goodbye sweet babies, you treated me so well. Here they are safely pushed up against the wall at Wal*Mart after I got my money back.
It had been a long time since I was able to dedicate so much time to a video game...years. It felt really good to veg out a bit before getting back to work and school.
Now, although I did get plenty of enjoyment out of the game, I must say that it had a very poor story for a Final Fantasy.
Here is my review of Final Fantasy XII, spoiler free.
The story begins at the finale of a conflict between the "Empire" and the country of Dalmasca. You play through a small sequence, and quickly find yourself as an orphan, Vaan, the brother of the soldier you play as in the conflict, years later. You meet key players involved with the international politics between Dalmasca and the Empire, and they join your party.
This is where the story goes wrong.
The rest of the game follows the story of the Princess of Dalmasca, rather than Vaan, the character that is supposedly the main character. In fact, Vaan plays almost no role in the events of the game, and is basically just along for the ride. In addition to this, the characters are developed, but are static. They don't seem to grow, or learn, or overcome challenges during the game. They simply have their objective and their personalities, and they set out to complete them. The game ensues, and eventually ends.
That's right. No huge twists. No blitzball or a cards to add interesting side games, there is little escape from the gameplay of battles. Just standard gameplay.
While I am in full support of the new battle system, the lack of interesting character development, story twists, or side-games detracted much more than the new system adds. While I found it interested and fun to play, I have much higher expectations out of the story for Final Fantasy games, and I hope they don't ever make something this poor again.
Now, although I did get plenty of enjoyment out of the game, I must say that it had a very poor story for a Final Fantasy.
Here is my review of Final Fantasy XII, spoiler free.
The story begins at the finale of a conflict between the "Empire" and the country of Dalmasca. You play through a small sequence, and quickly find yourself as an orphan, Vaan, the brother of the soldier you play as in the conflict, years later. You meet key players involved with the international politics between Dalmasca and the Empire, and they join your party.
This is where the story goes wrong.
The rest of the game follows the story of the Princess of Dalmasca, rather than Vaan, the character that is supposedly the main character. In fact, Vaan plays almost no role in the events of the game, and is basically just along for the ride. In addition to this, the characters are developed, but are static. They don't seem to grow, or learn, or overcome challenges during the game. They simply have their objective and their personalities, and they set out to complete them. The game ensues, and eventually ends.
That's right. No huge twists. No blitzball or a cards to add interesting side games, there is little escape from the gameplay of battles. Just standard gameplay.
While I am in full support of the new battle system, the lack of interesting character development, story twists, or side-games detracted much more than the new system adds. While I found it interested and fun to play, I have much higher expectations out of the story for Final Fantasy games, and I hope they don't ever make something this poor again.
Oh yeah, and I totally spaced that I was doing this.
Status: Moved.
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