Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a carefully prepared remaster of an entry that was, in its time, the series' boldest experiment. The story takes place in the world of Ivalice, where the small kingdom of Dalmasca falls under the rule of a powerful empire, and the fates of a street thief, a deposed princess, sky pirates, and imperial officers intertwine into a narrative that leans closer to political drama than to a typical Japanese save-the-world story. It's precisely this more sober, more mature tone that gives the entry its staying power.

Combat plays out seamlessly right in the environment without switching to a separate screen and is governed by the gambit system, meaning conditions of the type when an ally drops below half health, cast healing. The player essentially programs the whole party's behavior and during battle only oversees things, stepping in for exceptional moments. It sounded controversial, but it works remarkably well, since it's about deliberate planning rather than repeated command-mashing. The Zodiac Age additionally adds a system of twelve jobs, which prevents all the characters from ending up the same by the end of the game, and adds an optional speed-up for the game's pace, removing the original release's biggest source of drag.

On PlayStation 4 the game received higher resolution, adjusted textures, and above all a completely re-recorded orchestral score, letting Hitoshi Sakimoto's expansive composition shine. Ivalice remains one of the best-built worlds in the series, with its own architecture, peoples, and history, and its vast deserts and underground temples have appropriately grand scale. The original release divided players, but with hindsight and in this form the title received a markedly warmer reception. Its influence can be seen in how it steered the series toward smoother combat. Today it's among the classics worth discovering. It offers one of the most expansive worlds in the whole series and plenty of optional challenges in the form of hunts for giant beasts, which can easily occupy just as much time as the main story.