Death By Tiny Walking Tomato Is Just Embarrassing.

[rionaleonhart]

Final Fantasy XII finally came out in Europe a few days ago, and I got my hands on a copy this morning. First impressions!

- Good Lord, this game is pretty. Although the opening video did make me think 'er, hang on, I didn't mean to buy a Lord of the Rings game.'
- Silver hair is obviously bad luck in this world.
- I cannot stop thinking of Vaan as 'Tidus Mark II'. Also, he sounds like a woman. And walks like one, too. I may just be picking up on this because I've been reading and maybe possibly writing too much genderswap lately.
- WHY DO ALL THE EVIL PEOPLE HAVE BRITISH ACCENTS? I had no idea we were so sinister! Well, all right, I did, because we have the grand tradition of being villainous in films. Still, I find it terribly amusing.
- I hated and despised the battle system at first - possibly because it is replacing the basic underlying battle system that has worked perfectly well for eleven Final Fantasy games and which I was very comfortable with, thank you very much - but I've only played for a couple of hours and, although I'm not exactly prepared to defend it to the hilt yet, I've already lost a lot of my hatred for it.
- Awww, Giza Rabbits! When I attacked one, it didn't fight back - it just ran away from me a lot and then cast Protect on itself, and then I realised that I would never have the heart to kill one ever.
- I am so desperately looking forward to Fran and Balthier showing up. All I know about them is that they are sky pirates and apparently awesome, and THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
- Rogue Tomato? Stupidest monster ever.

Comments

[dracothelizard.livejournal.com]

...A Rogue Tomato? See, in roleplaying games based on the D&D system, you get the Gelatinous Cube, which, depending on which game, is either a complete BASTARD who steals your hard-earned short sword and then never gives it back even if you kill it, or a very laughable foe who makes you giggle for five minutes before KILLING IT TO DEATH HAHAHA.

Also, British accents + any person = twice the sinister/villainyness, much like Red + any car = twice the sinister/villainyness. Don't refute this, it's a FACT that red cars look more evil than any other colour!

[squeemu.livejournal.com]

I have not played very much of it! But I have played it approximately 13 more hours than you, so I feel like I can say that while it took me a long time to get used to the battle system, I like it much better now. Although it feels like I'm in even less control, but at least I get to change party leaders so I don't have to see stupid Vaan and his stupid woman run!

NOT EVERYONE WHO HAS A BRITISH ACCENT IS EVIL! You just haven't met any of the cool characters yet.

GOD I HATE VAAN SO MUCH. PLUCKY ORPHAN SYNDROME, STAB STAB STAB. Er. I mean. Haha! Vaan. Man. It's definitely not just because of genderswap, it's one of the first things I noticed about him. Other than his horribly annoying voice!

Giza rabbits! I had the same reaction. Except, um, then I ran around attacking them to get good prizes. But I felt really badly about it.

I think I read somewhere -- possibly it was a VG Cats comic -- that the battle system was like peeing on your enemies. And now I can't stop picturing that with those funny lines going everywhere.

I like to think that the Rogue Tomato is actually another plucky orphan who dressed up as a tomato -- did you see the stitches it had on it?! CLEARLY IT IS A COSTUME -- who wanted to steal goods to get money to live, and that Vaan just went and killed it. ...I mostly think this because I hate Vaan. I'm a terrible person.

It occurs to me that most my reply is full of negative things, which is odd, because so far, I really like the game. It gets much, much better once you get some more people in your party. And you're right, it is so very pretty. And I actually really like the magic system! I use magic so much more here than with other Final Fantasies because your MP goes up as you walk around, so I'm not afraid to waste it. Hooray!

[moogle62.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what this thing is you speak of, but I am intrigued by sweet-sounding Giza Rabbits that run away a lot!

I know I'm going to miss her/A tomato ate my sister

[wolfenkahlon.livejournal.com]

AAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjOsv3WlPWw) D-don't say 't-t-tomato'! There's nothing funny about Killer Tomatoes! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_of_the_Killer_Tomatoes:_The_Animated_Series)

Gah, I've only just this weekend finally started FFX! oh well, now that I actually have a PS2 I can plough straight into XII immediately afterwards.

There's something extremely sad about the fact that the strategy guide arrived on these shores before the actual game did.

[nano_moose]

I actually hate random encounters, and I always have, so I am incredibly gleeful about their departure. I mean, they've been around since the pixel days, they break immersion, they're annoying and impossible to plan for. Besides, if they made eleven games with the same formula, SURELY IT IS TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW?

Of course my opinion on this is invalid because we still haven't got it yet. And when we do, I probably won't be getting it for a while. (Just like I still haven't got Kingdom Hearts. Either of them. So, er, there is somebody who finished it slower than you! I AM GETTING SO VERY SICK OF AXEL BECAUSE EVERYONE TALKS AND RANTS ABOUT AND DRAWS HIM.) From what I've seen, it looks like it's good? Feel free to contradict me. And hey, British accents! Can't go wrong with 'em unless you're Liquid Snake.

I am talking a lot to disguise the fact that I ran out of relevance the moment I admitted I can't play it. Whoo!

[twilit-wanderer.livejournal.com]

At least Tidus2.0 doesn't bounce when he runs? Because Tidus bouncing in time to the music on the Mi'ihen Highroad made me want to stab him a lot.

The sad thing is, Final Fantasy XII and I refuse to get along half the time! Really, it is a pity, because it is a very pretty game, and I want to play it! It's just, arg! I play Final Fantasy XI and there are so many annoying almost-similarities! The save crystals look like home points (which is fine - it's still where you go when you die), but the combat system is just... arg. There's the auto-attack, and the delay on spells, and then there is absolutely no group dynamic because everyone is controlled by you or the game's AI. Also there is no auto-target-lock, and you can't crouch to recover health, and a monster with a red bar means it's going to AGGRO, not that someone else is fighting it already!

So I keep confusing myself. WAIT, THIS IS NOT XI. STOP THINKING IT'S GOING TO WORK LIKE IT. And then I flail. Endlessly. (Though I am so glad we don't have to deal with "licenses" in XI, because that is possibly one of their worst ideas yet.)

[saaski-moql.livejournal.com]

It is the ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES.

...

Odd tv program, that was.

[melata-fic.livejournal.com]

The battle system is kind of fun. And lots better than getting into nuisance battle screens. Still not quite sure how to work it, but I'll get there.

Where does one find these adorable little rabbits? *lip wobbles* I'm afraid I might have to slaughter them.

You died by the Killer Tomato? Hee. I killed that one easily. It was the four-on-one wolf fight I had trouble with.

Fran is worryingly hot. Except, ew, aninal ears.

[heyheyrenay.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that hates to kill the rabbits. :D