Final Fantasy XII - masterpiece? (possible spoilers)

[ZenfoldorVGI]

I actually think it's a masterpiece. I had to hardcore own a guy the other day for trying to flame other peoples opinions that the game didn't suck. He was being disrespectful. Disagreeing is fine, disrespecting and flaming is a no-no.

Yes, it gets lots of hate. Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to play and die.

FFVIII gets lots of hate too, and I believe that game is a masterpiece as well. I was never one to base my opinions on wheather others respected me or not, but I can't allow valid and reasoned opinions to be disrespected and laughed at.

Food, music, games. These things are largely based on taste, not fact.

That said, two lines of thinking enter here, and I think they have basis in reality. The questions you must ask:

A. Did most people who hated the game, finish it?

B. Should you be required to finish a game before you can give a valid opinion?

I think that FFXII is a very complex game with some questionable design choices that threw a lot of people off. The direction of the storyline, combat, and missable items, Zodiac sphere, ect. Fact of the matter is, to enjoy this game, you really need to start with a practice run, of about 30 hours, then start over, with a plethora of easy access FAQs at your disposal.

The game is more Diablo + Calculus, than FFVII + Real Time. FF games are never gonna be what you expect, however these games almost always have a hidden and rewarding level of depth that is very rewarding to plumb. The game is much more akin to FFTactics, than FFVII, and that's not just in the storyline, which to much shagrin is the weakest part of this entry in the series.

 

However, like Vagrant Story before it, the game(imo) is a hidden masterpiece. I feel, also, that it is one of the few games that reviewers averaged more time in, than the average gamer did, joining games like Okami, that many people opine over, but few people actually beat, or even play a significant portion of.

Should a game have to draw you in, and have to be user friendly and obviously good to succeed in user opinion in the modern market, or instead, can a game still have non-apparent qualities that are only available to dedicated players?

Personally, I feel pulling FF away from the casual audience and bringing in the new harder-core, non-apparent, harder to plumb stuff was an excellent experience. Considering that VIII is my favorite game in the series, I don't think too many people would find that very surprising. Especially in light of the fact that I claim Radiant Dawn is my favorite current gen game.