Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age, a high-definition re-release of the Japanese-only title Final Fantasy 12: International Zodiac System, centers around franchise favorite characters seen in the base game. There’s Vaan, Rabanstre’s orphan who dreams of being a sky pirates; Panelo, Vaan’s childhood friend; Ashe, the Dalmasca princess who wishes to right the wrongs the Archadian invasion inflicted; Basch, the Dalmasca knight and kingslayer charged with treason; Fran, a Viera exile knowledgable in mythology; and Bathlier, the charming sky pirate who heads up the airship Strahl.
The game’s story trailer shows off those aforementioned massive atmospheric aircrafts, hordes of heavily armored warriors and knights, Balthier taking up the sword, Ashe resisting the Empire’s forces, Fran speaking some serious words of wisdom, and plenty of beasts to battle. These moments are freckled with the booming words of Vayne Solidor, Lord Gramis’ son, promising that he will “endure the hatred” people have for the Empire. As expected, the clip also features sweeping scenes of stunning landscapes, glimpses at intense sword fights, and the coming together of the in-game Resistance.
Final Fantasy 12’s official website provided a synopsis of the story in The Zodiac Age, and it sounds pretty amazing:
In addition to an undoubtedly intriguing story, Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age boasts a number of significant upgrades. The remastered title touts enhanced graphics and the introduction of the Zodiac Job System, which was previously only available in the Japanese edition of the game. Utilizing the new system, players can choose two job classes (out of 12 total) in a character progression system to apply to each hero. This feature packs with it a ton of variety to be added to the Final Fantasy 12 mix, and will likely leave gamers feeling more satisfied with customization options overall.
The improvements don’t stop there, though. Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age tacks on a scrubbed-up soundtrack, crisp 7.1 surround sound, faster loading times, a reconstructed battle design, an auto-save feature, Turbo Mode, Trial Mode, new character models and cutscenes, and the option of Japanese or English voice actors. Since the game is a PS4 exclusive, all users will receive trophy support.
Though remasters are practically required to sweep gamers off their feet, what with their sleek visuals and slew of new features, Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age brings to the table plenty to get excited about. Perhaps there’s even more goodness than some fans had originally anticipated.
Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age will be available for PlayStation 4 on July 11, 2017.
Source: PlayStation – YouTube
