Why Final Fantasy XII Didn't Measure Up to the Rest of the Series

Final Fantasy XII was released in 2006 for the Playstation 2. While critically-acclaimed and a financial success, the game drew some ire from hardcore fans of the series. So why Final Fantasy XII doesn't have the same hardcore following as the more popular games in the series like Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X? Let's take a look at several factors.

Delays

Development for Final Fantasy XII was quite a bumpy road. It began in 2001 and took five years to be completed. Not to mention that the game's producer and director, Yasumi Matsuno, resign in the mid-way point. To make matters worse, the last single-player title was Final Fantasy X in 2001. Hardcore fans therefore had to impatiently wait for five long years.

For a popular series like Final Fantasy, the numerous delays were unacceptable. When Final Fantasy XII was finally released, the hype wasn't there as it would have been if the game came out earlier.

Non-Interactive Combat System

Just like Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII radically changes the combat system. Most of the battles are automated as your party will automatically attack in addition to the AI-setting Gambit system. While you can take direct control, much of the success is determined by how well you prepared the Gambit system beforehand.

As a result, you will spend more time watching the action on screen than actually playing Final Fantasy XII. Of course, this did not sit well with long-time Final Fantasy fans that were familiar with directly fighting epic battles.

Boring Gameplay Scenarios

Hardcore Final Fantasy fans are used to overcoming the odds and conquering a powerful evil. Those feelings were rarely expressed in Final Fantasy XII. Instead, the game frequently puts you into long fetch quests that involve exploring one dungeon after another. Final Fantasy XII simply lacked all the amazing set pieces Final Fantasy was known for.

Slow Developing Story