When it comes to Final Fantasy XII, longtime series fans typically fall into one of two camps: You either love it and place it high on a pedestal in the pantheon of great RPGs, or you hate it and think it’s an affront to the hallowed Final Fantasy name. I’ve always placed myself firmly in the first category, celebrating FFXII’s deep and innovative combat system, and praising its mature and cohesive narrative.

Loading

Ultimately, a remaster provides any developer with a unique opportunity. Yes, a fresh coat of HD paint can easily be slapped on a ten-year-old game, but implementing new systems to make an older game better is an especially impressive feat. When Final Fantasy XII first hit store shelves in 2006, some fans had qualms with character progression and a steep learning curve. Fortunately, The Zodiac Age addresses these issues head on, making an already excellent game more accessible.

Get a Job

First and foremost, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

see deal Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age - PlayStation4 $35.90 on Walmart

Environments are equally notable, and much more expansive than I remember. Some of these labyrinthian corridors admittedly felt like slogs in the original, but the added ability to crank up battle and speed multipliers and overlay an area map on screen help make navigating some of the more convoluted areas much easier. This sort of streamlining will likely help with sidequests and hunts in each of FFXII’s sprawling locales.

Loading

“ A perfect excuse to experience an awesome game in a whole new way.

The biggest overhaul here is obviously the introduction of the International Zodiac Job System. The original game had you building out characters across a License Board, which allowed you to unlock abilities and perks based on experience. Since every character used the same License Board, most characters ended up feeling too similar by the end of the adventure. Enter The Zodiac Job System. Originally introduced in the international version of Final Fantasy XII in 2007, this system allows you to assign specific roles (White Mage, Knight, Archer) and build your characters out accordingly. Eventually, you’ll earn the ability to unlock a second class, resulting in deeper party coordination and more varied options in battle.

That being said, the core battle system itself remains largely unchanged. Players who complained that Final Fantasy XII’s battles were too hand-off will likely find little changed outside of the rebalanced difficulty.

Test Your Mettle

Fortunately, for those looking for something truly challenging, Square Enix has implemented a new Trials mode which pits your team against wave after wave of increasingly stronger enemies. You’ll eventually be able to fight your way through 100 waves, including bosses and late game mega-monsters, but I found myself frantically swapping out tactics and characters as early as Stage 15. It’s a hectic and rewarding gauntlet that I imagine I’ll spend a significant amount of time within the final version.

Loading

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age aims to be a triumphant return to Ivalice. Square Enix has gone to great lengths to address some of fan’s biggest issues with the original release and hopefully this remaster changes some tunes. If not, those of us who’ve loved Basch, Fran, Balthier and the rest of the gang for over a decade still have a perfect excuse to experience an awesome game in a whole new way.

Zachary Ryan loves Final Fantasy XII, but hates Final Fantasy X. Go figure! Feel free to yell at him on Twitter @zachariusd