My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters: (Part 10)

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each character represents I'd avoid that entry.

#5: Balthier

Full Name (to knowledge): Ffamran mied Bunansa (nicknamed Balthier)
Game: Final Fantasy XII
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Princess! No need to worry. I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man: he never dies.”
Man, if I were homosexual, I’d fancy Balthier. This man just oozes brilliance, he’s just so fucking cool, he’s just got everything that makes a great character; cool looks, awesome looking airship, fantastic voice actor and most importantly, he has the best lines. People who know me know that I’m not that big on FF12, but Balthier is so high, because it just feels like Square-Enix wanted to give Balthier ALL the good lines. They have spoiled us with one character, in honesty they should have balanced them out more, but hey ho. Balthier is one heck of a character, and it’s unusual for me to have a character so high on a game I’m not as fond of, but Balthier is just too good to be lower in this list. He kicks off my Top 5.

Note: Balthier is the second and final character from Final Fantasy XII in this list.


#4: Zidane

Full Name (to knowledge): Zidane Tribal
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: The Main Protagonist
Best Quote: “Come on, Princess. Let's ditch Sir Rustalot and get outta here!” (talking to Dagger, about Steiner)

Some people thought Zidane would be my #1 because of the fact that I use his avatar and his quote (You don't need a reason to help people) a lot. Well, it was a debate for the #1 spot that’s for sure, as well as the other three characters. The Top 4 changed a few times but I’ve finalised them in this order. I’m a huge Zidane fan, the main reason being because I see myself in him a lot. He’s such a positive guy, very happy, but he burdens some thoughts, some feelings but for the most part keeps them to himself and gets on with his life. I see myself in him for those reasons, I’m also very sarcastic, I try to be funny, similar to him. Not talking about myself here, but I just think he’s a really nice guy, and not annoying like a lot of the other main characters, he’s himself. I suppose that’s why he’s this high in my list, it’s hard to explain really, I just like him a lot and think they should aim their main characters in this direction more often.


#3: Sephiroth

Full Name (to knowledge): Sephiroth
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: The Main Antagonist
Best Quote: “Only death awaits you all, but do not fear. For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me.” (Sephiroth whilst he cripples Tseng in the Temple of the Ancients)

Sephiroth is the final character from FF7 in this list and you probably know who the last two characters are now if you know me well enough, and you rule out the rest of the games. If not, then that’s great for me. Anyway, Sephiroth would be a lot of people’s #1 and I’d not disagree with them for the most part, I mean he is just the complete badass to a lot of people. He looks the shiz, he has a horrible, fucked up background, he causes lots of pain and death in the game, has brilliant quotations, and much more. He is a phenomenal piece of character creation, but I just prefer, two more character to him, one a villain, and one a hero. So, that’s just the way I see it, I’d not argue with you though, Sephiroth is truly a magnificent character, and can I just say, much much better than Cloud!

Note: Sephiroth is the tenth and final character from Final Fantasy VII in this list.


#2: Vivi

Full Name (to knowledge): Vivi Orunitia
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “How do you prove that we exist? Maybe we don't exist...” (Vivi’s quote)
Vivi representing the final character from FF9 means there’s only one game that’s not been ruled out, if you’ve figured that much out you should now know who #1 is, if not, find out tomorrow. Vivi was marginally pushed away from the #1 spot, but it was really hard to do that, particularly on a personal level. Just in case you don’t know me well personally, I have a daughter; I’ve named her Vivi, inspired by this character’s name. I’ve chosen her name based on the name, and not the character and his traits, I don’t know if that would be right, based on the horrible misfortunes Vivi goes through.

I’ll go onto that now. Vivi is a phenomenal character, full of emotion, full of thought, full of questions and answers. Vivi is a great creation, one that Squaresoft should be proud of. In this little boy, are all of the above, and much more. A little boy of his age shouldn’t have had to go through what he does in the game, being subjected to questioning his own mortality and his “black mage” roots. He goes through more shit than most of the characters in the entire series does. But not only that, but this kid goes through the game’s events and hangs in there. He takes all the stuff on the chin, and has the character to persevere through the events. And he does it with infinite charm; you can’t help but love Vivi. You feel sorry for him, go through the game with him learning as you go along what he learns, and you love him from start to “finish”, if he does in fact “stop”. Vivi’s story, his personality, his appeal, his image, should never be forgotten about in the FF universe. It’s just a shame he is in an unpopular title in the series.

Note: Vivi is the thirteenth and final character from Final Fantasy IX in this list.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

See other parts in the listing!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | The Winner (+ more)

My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters (Part 4)

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each character represents I'd avoid that entry.

#35: Kimahri

Full Name (to knowledge): Kimahri Ronso
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Pick spot. Shut up. Wait.” (to Tidus)
 
Kimahri is a great character, he’s so plain and simple yet you just can’t help but love the big guy. He is so loyal, so respectful to Yuna and he is everything a “guardian” should be. You don’t half feel sorry for him when Seymour destroys his race, and you just want to kick his ass with Kimahri for revenge. Another thing is you really feel sorry when you find out why he has his broken horn. Kimahri is a very good character, and deserves his place in this list.


#34: Ba'Gamnan

Full Name (to knowledge): Ba'Gamnan
Game: Final Fantasy XII
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: “We need Balthier alive! His corpse fetches but half the bounty!”

Ba’Gamnan’s role in FF12 isn’t incredibly important, he is a bounty hunter and wants Balthier’s body, preferably alive, so he can make money off him. Balthier uses his quick wit often with him, but that aside, Ba’Gamnan is really freaking scary. I don’t know what it is, if it’s his reptile look, or that damn awesomely sick weapon, but you just don’t want to mess with him. He’s a decent villain, and puts Vayne to shame in honesty, and really deserves a mention as one of the few sparks in an otherwise bland set of characters in FF12.


#33: Vincent

Full Name (to knowledge): Vincent Valentine
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: Optional Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Hearing your stories has added upon me yet another sin. More nightmares will come to me now. More than I previously had.”

It’s amazing how well received Vincent is, he’s most certainly the best optional character in Final Fantasy history (or is that Gogo? Difficult…). It’s arguable that you could say Vincent deserves to be higher up in this list, he most certainly is kickass, and his transformations would be a more than welcome expansion in a remake of this great game. Vincent, despite being optional, knows and plays a very important part in this game, but it’s his swagger, his look, his presence that makes him so memorable. That being said, he’s quite bland otherwise, and doesn’t say much unless he has to. But he definitely deserves to be in this, I’m sure some of you think higher than 33rd, but here is where he is placed in my personal list.


#32: Zorn and Thorn
Full Name (to knowledge): Meltigemini (or just Zorn and Thorn)
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: “Zorn: We are in trouble! Thorn: Trouble we are in!"
Zorn and Thorn are very good homage’s to a pair of Shakespearean characters named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who serve a similar purpose, which are court jesters. Zorn and Thorn unlike their Shakespearean counterparts, are actually one entity, a monster named Meltigemini. Zorn and Thorn are really irritating little brats for the majority of the game, first working under Queen Brahne, and then under Kuja, but they do their job so well I love them. I love the quirkiness of their speech, when they say the same sentence just jumbled up to make it sound differently. Zorn and Thorn are characters that aren’t easily forgettable in a game that has lots of great characters in, in FF9.


#31: Squall

Full Name (to knowledge): Squall Leonhart
Game: Final Fantasy VIII
Role in Game: The Main Protagonist
Best Quote: “I had a dream, too. It wasn't pleasant, though ... I dreamt I was a moron...” (referring to Laguna)

Squall is the first official main protagonist in this Top 50 list. He’s a debatable character, probably one of the early emos that you see on our streets today, however I do like him. Squall was emo before emo was, and when I was a teenager playing this game, I really understood parts of the way he thinks, probably to the dismay of some fellow FF fans. When I think of Squall, I think of a winey emo, yes, but he’s also a character in a state of transition, who is dealing with, ahem, puberty, and seeing how his character changes on screen from the start to the end of the game was an interesting ride. You may not like him, I personally for the most part do, but you can’t deny that it was an entertaining story that Squaresoft gave us and it served its purpose. I like Squall, I may not like his personality much, but I like him. That’s why he’s my #31.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

 

See other parts in the listing!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | The Winner (+ more)

Retro Review: Final Fantasy XII

Hallo everyone, it's unlikely I'll be able to get another retro review in until my computer is fixed, but here is my review on Final Fantasy XII, which I did in April 2008. It's possibly the last review I did, I can't remember doing one since. But as that was the highest vote tally in my first poll, I'll do my first proper review on this site as a video game review. To your right is four options of game review, choose which game you're most interested in. Anyway, onto the review.

 

"It has great qualities, but it’s just when you compare it to the storytelling of previous games, it’s just disappointing."

It's hard to review this game and give it a rating because as everyone who knows me is aware I adore this series with a passion. But, it's a disappointment. I asked my girlfriend, “What would you rating FF12?” She replied, “6 or 7 at the most.” But I gave it an eight, because it's not a bad game. Not by far. It's a great game in fact, but when you put it up on the wall next to Final Fantasy VI, VII and IX it really does not shine out.

The game is set in a world called Ivalice, the world of Final Fantasy Tactics, where the main character Vaan and his childhood friend Penelo dream get caught in a war between Archadia and Rozarria, two nations where the battlefield is about to be set in their kingdom of Dalmasca which was taken over by Archadia two years prior the beginning of the game. Ashe, the princess of Dalmasca and Basch both thought to have died two years ago eventually join forces and create a resistance movement against Archadia. Balthier and Fran are sky pirates along with Vaan and Penelo who get caught in the resistance movement. That's… pretty much the storyline. It's not great to be honest, and when you compare it to some of the others, it's as brief as comparing the Saw series to Cabin Fever. I mean, when people ask me to describe Final Fantasy VII's storyline, I gasp and say “Well… it's complicated.”

The graphics on the game are absolutely fantastic, there are no glitches no patches and they are as smooth as can be – it gives the Playstation 3 a run for its money. There is a small load scene between FMV's and the action but apart from that the scenes move smoothly. The best word to use here as you have probably already noticed is smooth. There is some gorgeous scenery in the game, especially in the latter stages of the game.

The sound is great – the voice acting is better than Final Fantasy X's and the soundtrack is decent. Once again if you compare it to some of the soundtracks of the other series then it stands out as pretty bad.

When it comes to replay value, something that the Final Fantasy series masters, it's not bad. I mean there is actually only one really, which is disappointing. It's called “Mark Hunting” which is basically hunting a monster that is pestering people in the game, they get harder and harder and eventually you go against some of the hardest monsters in the game. There is no “Blitzball” or “Card Game” like in the other series which is disappointing. Even the smaller side quests don't offer much.

The main thing I would like to talk about is the battle system. Ever since Final Fantasy IX the people at Squaresoft/Square Enix believed they had to change the battle system. In the old series, there was an ATB gauge, and until it fills up the characters stand still and do nothing. In Final Fantasy X they got rid of the ATB gauge which made the game flow much more. In X-2 they brought it back but instead got rid of all the waiting and delays and made the fighting flow even more. Final Fantasy XII works in exactly the same way but you can control the character in a 3D environment rather than in a set screen battle like the other games. The world map and battlefield is the same field this time around, the monsters can be seen as you scroll across the deserts, mountains and plains you go through. This sounds like a vast improvement doesn't it? My only problem is, the original way of fighting in the Final Fantasy series was not a problem whatsoever in the first place. I have no idea why Squarsoft/Square Enix think they need to improve the battle system. I've never seen anyone complain about it. Yes it has gotten mocked over time but games do! How many games in the past have got mocked but have kept the system the same over time? Game Developers always think they need to improve the game if it gets mocked, mainly games that contain scrolling or 2D graphics. Sonic went downhill and only makes one or two decent games every five years now because they tried to go 3D – Mario as good as their 3D games are no match for 2D Mario.

The Final Fantasy series has not been “great” since Final Fantasy IX, and this game follows that trend. Look how much time has past since Final Fantasy X – six years nearly? Six years and they make a tolerable but simple storyline with an improved battle system. It really isn't good enough. Where is the plot is twist? The complex storyline? The dark/hidden side of the main protagonist? The great female counterpart? The sick but great villain? The scenes that make you want to cry, that get you hooked on the game? There is nothing. Oh, but the battle system is good and improved. So for the past six years they think that all these things are best to be sacrificed in order to get a super battle system. Also, the storyline is so basic, they make you travel the whole world and stretch out the small storyline by making you have hours of battles in between. Basically, you go to one place which is all the way across the world, fight loads of monsters for hours, get there, beat the boss and *Insert story progression here*. And repeat. It's not good enough. Vaan, supposedly the main protagonist has nothing to do with the storyline, nothing, well he lives where the Archadian army took over. That's it. There's no love story, the villain is disappointing, Penelo is just annoying. The best qualities this game has, is Balthier, the awesome sky pirate who is arrogant, witty and sounds like David Bowie, it's fantastic! The graphics are great the battle system is good too. That's about it.

As you can tell judging on this review I should be giving it less than 8/10 but it is a good game. It has great qualities. All the series does. But it's just when you compare it to its great history of storytelling, it's just disappointing.

Overall: 8/10

 

I do maintain the opinion that FF12 is just a shadow on the Final Fantasy games around it, Final Fantasy 13 is a much better game, although I'm yet to complete it, so can't do a full review on it. I'll hopefully be doing a review in the next fortnight, we'll see how fortune works in my favour first. Have a good day.

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