This isn’t one of Ondore’s lies. Gamers are really getting the chance to go back to Ivalice, and it’s never looked better.
At almost 30 years old and with over a dozen titles, the Final Fantasy video game franchise is in a unique position: at just about any given time, there’s an installment that’s ripe for a remake. With so many beloved classics in the series, the continuing evolution of gaming technology means developer Square Enix always has candidates from a generation or two of hardware ago that fans would love to experience again with spruced-up visuals and more modern gaming conventions.
The latest title to get this treatment is Final Fantasy XII, which Square Enix has just announced is being remade in HD for the PlayStation 4.
Final Fantasy 12 originally came at a time when the franchise was particularly enamored with Zodiac themes and naming conventions, and so the PS4 game will be titled Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. Based on 2007’s Final Fantasy XII: International Zodiac Job System (itself an upgraded PlayStation 2 rerelease of 2006’s plain-vanilla Final Fantasy XII) the most noticeable change for the PS4 version will be high-definition character models, backgrounds, and cutscenes.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age looks to keep its predecessors’ combat engine more or less intact, although many are probably keeping their fingers crossed that unlike the original version, the PS4 title will be able to easily handle multiple spell effects simultaneously, which would make battles quicker-paced and more dynamic.
On the audio front, the entire soundtrack is being rerecorded, but traditionalists will be glad to know the original arrangements will also be included with the new game. Players will also have the choice of English or Japanese voices, at least in the Japanese release (Square Enix has not stated whether overseas versions will have bilingual dialogue). The developers are also promising an updated, more enjoyable character customization system, an auto save function, and an improved high-speed mode, which allows you to speed up the gameplay and get to your favorite parts of the quest all that quicker.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is scheduled for release in 2017.
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Source: Famitsu via Hachima Kiko
Top image: YouTube/スクウェア・エニックス
Insert images: YouTube/スクウェア・エニックス, Square Enix
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