-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
What should I play first? Final Fantasy X/X-2 or Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age?
- Thread starter LordDraven
- Start date
If you intend to do both in row you should start with X.
Design-wise, XII is way more modern than X, it would be difficult to go from it to X imo.
Design-wise, XII is way more modern than X, it would be difficult to go from it to X imo.
Do X first. You'll get to experience a perfectly average game.
Then play XII and experience something great.
Then play XII and experience something great.
FFXII is overall a better game and especially a better RPG. I replayed FFX and it has really not aged well with all the immature shit and cheap sexualization going on. Not to mention it's super hand-holdy with its rock-papers-scissors gameplay where the enemy has already shown their hand for half of the game.
In FF12 you can explore half of the world by the time you get to the first village in FF10
In FF12 you can explore half of the world by the time you get to the first village in FF10
They're both fantastic games, you can't go wrong with choosing either of them first, and their individual legacies have already made far better arguments to that tune than anyone in here will make to the opposite tune.
Personally, I'd go with X first, if only because in some ways it feels more dated than FFXII, and you'll feel that more prominently if you start with XII first.
Go with X, then play XII, and then play X-2.
Personally, I'd go with X first, if only because in some ways it feels more dated than FFXII, and you'll feel that more prominently if you start with XII first.
Go with X, then play XII, and then play X-2.
Haven't played XII, FFX is the only FF I've ever actually finished.
It's a gorgeous game in many ways, and rather simple as long as you don't get into the hellishly grindy postgame.
It's a gorgeous game in many ways, and rather simple as long as you don't get into the hellishly grindy postgame.
I'd say start with the more linear and straightforward design of FFX/X-2, and move onward to the more open system of FFXII. Then again, I absolutely loathed FFXII and never finished it to this day. The transition would be much easier going from a simpler to a more complex design.
FFX is the perfect first Final Fantasy game. 12 isn't representative of the rest of the series. It's also a boring ass game with a really boring story.
This is amusing seeing close together.
So which one of you is "wrong"?
Start with X, especially if you're new to FF. It's turn-based, so you can get the hang of things more easily, and the protagonist is himself something of a FF newbie.
X-2 is also a great intro to ATB combat. It's easy, highly customizable, and a ton of fun once you get over the general corniness of the early story.
You also get Last Mission with X/X-2, which is a pretty cool Mystery Dungeon-style crawler with randomly generated floors.
It's something I say to everyone new to FF: always start with X/X-2 HD. It's three highly different RPGs in one package, and there's sure to be something enjoyable for just about anyone who's even remotely interested in the genre.
X-2 is also a great intro to ATB combat. It's easy, highly customizable, and a ton of fun once you get over the general corniness of the early story.
You also get Last Mission with X/X-2, which is a pretty cool Mystery Dungeon-style crawler with randomly generated floors.
It's something I say to everyone new to FF: always start with X/X-2 HD. It's three highly different RPGs in one package, and there's sure to be something enjoyable for just about anyone who's even remotely interested in the genre.
Underrated gem. Story isn't up to much and has a weird mission structure but the battle system is unsurpassed and quite deep.
It's really good but you play it after X since it's a sequel.
It feels less like a game and more like a very, very long epilogue to X. This isn't bad, mind. It's very good actually and it lets you see where even minor characters ended up after the first game, which is very nice. It also has a very nice battle system. But as a story in of itself...like, the plot is very much an excuse so you go on a grand tour epilogue in my opinion lol but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like the game, but it very much stands only as a sequel. It doesn't really stand as its own game in terms of characters or story in my opinion. No arc taking place in the game is interesting in of itself, they are interesting only because you are generally interested in those characters since the last game already.
Also it bears repeating that the battle system is rad
X is fucking amazing imo, one of my favourite games of all time. X-2 is very meh, but the combat is good. XII is OK, nothing special but is decent fun.
Play it after X. And be ready for a major shift in gameplay and tone from that game.
I think X is a better overall game than XII, even if XII has much stronger writing I just don't think it's very fun to play and it felt weirdly incomplete.
Also once you finish X you can play X-2 which is the actual best game of that bunch.
Also once you finish X you can play X-2 which is the actual best game of that bunch.
My thoughts. Both are good games but X can be hard to go to immediately following XII.
The only FF games X-2 is better than is II, The XIII series, and XV.
Depends on what you like. They're all good, but Zodiac Age is probably the best 2019 game out of those. It's just fantastic.
But XV is better than all the ones you listed and the ones in the thread title.
The only FF games X-2 is better than is II, The XIII series, and XV.
X is a better game. Great story and pretty good battle system. X-2 has a doodoo story but frankly phenomenal battle system. XII plays itself after you get a certain amount of abilities and the story is not up to par and peters out too soon.
XII the zodiac age is absolutely incredible, definitely my fav FF game and a pretty good starting place. However it's kind of a "love it or hate it" situation so maybe not the best jumping on point for everyone. Best combat in the entire series by a LONG shot imo.
If you're a fan of high fantasy, Ye Olde english dialogue, an ensemble cast and game of thrones type politics, XII is excellent. Plus theory crafting and class building is incredibly deep and something only a few FF games have.
That being said X is also incredible and I think the first FF game most of the PS2 generation kids played like me, and a great jumping on point. Voice acting is noticeably rough though. I'm more of a fan of suggesting playing 7-8-9 or something before 10 since it's kind of a continuation of the turn based system, while XII totally reinvents combat.
If you're a fan of high fantasy, Ye Olde english dialogue, an ensemble cast and game of thrones type politics, XII is excellent. Plus theory crafting and class building is incredibly deep and something only a few FF games have.
That being said X is also incredible and I think the first FF game most of the PS2 generation kids played like me, and a great jumping on point. Voice acting is noticeably rough though. I'm more of a fan of suggesting playing 7-8-9 or something before 10 since it's kind of a continuation of the turn based system, while XII totally reinvents combat.
I think this is partly a reason I've always had trouble getting into FF12. As someone who played a shitload of FF11, in some ways it always just felt like a much worse version of it.
FFX is amazing though, I'd start with that. The game is intimate, the soundtrack is arguably one of Uematsu's best and it's easily the most well told story of the Final Fantasy series (I havn't tried FF14.) For those reasons the game is cemented in my top 10 greatest of all time list.
This is my favorite series of all time but really have to say, having played through X recently for the ~third time, that I really don't think it's aged particularly well. Extremely slow at the start, generally poor (but uneven) voice acting, linear, somewhat boring battle system that's all about fairly straightforward optimization... It's good, don't get me wrong, but feels considerably less interesting and polished than other entries.
XII is amazing. Play it.
XII is amazing. Play it.
Well I don't know who is wrong. All I know is that I am right.
X is more of a traditional FF game so I say start with that one.
XII is very divisive as you can tell, but if it clicks for you you're in for one of the most sublime JRPGs ever made. XII is personally in my top 3 FFs, but that doesn't mean its without some shortcomings.
XII is very divisive as you can tell, but if it clicks for you you're in for one of the most sublime JRPGs ever made. XII is personally in my top 3 FFs, but that doesn't mean its without some shortcomings.
I'd go:
X
X2
XII
Save the best for last, and X-2 is better than X in every way minus the story so don't skip it like most people suggest. The combat system is just so good.
XII isn't a masterpiece, but it's the last great Final Fantasy.
X
X2
XII
Save the best for last, and X-2 is better than X in every way minus the story so don't skip it like most people suggest. The combat system is just so good.
XII isn't a masterpiece, but it's the last great Final Fantasy.
