Square Enix has announced the release date for its upcoming remaster of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age at the Final Fantasy 30th anniversary event today, setting the title for a launch on PlayStation 4 on July 11th in North America/Europe and July 13th in Japan/Asia.
The original release of Final Fantasy XII was back in 2006, when the game released to mixed reactions among fans for its departure from active time battle to a more action-oriented combat system. It was, however, critically acclaimed, holding a Metacritic score of 92.
The Zodiac Age is a remastered effort from Square Enix with impressive visuals, especially considering that it’s now ten years old. The updated version also features several new additions to gameplay, including a rebalanced combat system, trial and high-speed mode and a reworked job system – which was cut from the game’s original Western release.
Speaking with Polygon last year, director Hiroaki Kato said the following:
“We actually got help from Hiroyuki Ito, who worked on the game design for previous Final Fantasy titles,” Kato said. “We overhauled the game balance so that it would be easier for players — closer to the feel of a classic Final Fantasy title.”
He then went on to explain the reason for Square Enix’s interest in remastering Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age:
“We’ve seen many other titles incorporating [open worlds and real-time battle systems] now,” Kato said. “There’s probably less resistance on the user’s side now for the ideas that Final Fantasy 12 presented. Even in terms of systems for character growth and sidequests that you can take, it really holds up today. That’s what pushed us to go forward with this remaster.”
Tell us, will you be picking up the remaster when it launches? Or did you not care much for the game in the first place? Sound off down below and let us know!
