Xenoblade or Final Fantasy 12.. what's your preference?

[Dr.Strangelove]

I can see why most people are picking the FF XII combat over the Xenoblade combat, and I don't blame them. I do the like the ability to control everything, like in FF XII, but I'm still not a fan of either. I personally can't get into the style of combat in both games. The mmo style auto combat is a turn off. Overall I did prefer Xenoblade much more than FF XII in pretty much every aspect.

[Aeolus]

I don't mind the combat in Xenoblade. I actually find it impressive that you can respond to the flow of battle well enough just by paying attention to all the battle cries your party members make. Listening to Reyn's Wild Down can tell you when to prepare to apply your next stagger inflicting move.

[D-Rider]

Final Fantasy 12, by a long shot.  The whole time I played Xenoblade (which admittedly wasn't too long, because it ended up boring me to tears), I couldn't help but think that I had done all this before, and done it better.  I found FF12 to be superior aesthetically, musically, and mechanically.  It was mature, it was classy, it had a sense of elegance and refinement.  Compare that with Xenoblade, which never shuts the fuck up, shouting MONADO MONADO MONADO all the time and making me feel envious of Helen Keller.

It's not that I think FF12 is some fantastic game, either.  I beat it once and haven't touched it since.  I just think Xenoblade is the most overly hyped RPG in recent memory, and I simply do not get why people adore it so.  Then again, I gave up on JRPGs quite a while ago, so I don't think it was really for me to begin with. :P

[Dice]

Weird... between everyone here poo-poo-ing FF12 and praising Xenoblade and chattin' about it for 50+ pages... you'd expect less polarization?

I don't know.  I kind of want to give FF12 a shot again.... quite frankly, the style of gameplay for both bores me. An online-esque game that isn't online just doesn't work well for me.  That, and something about games that require a major investment of time and effort and grinding...*groan*.  Certain games I have no problem investing the 80+ hours, but some just aren't all there for me.  I did love the world of Xenoblade more, though.

[Eusis]

It's not that I think FF12 is some fantastic game, either.  I beat it once and haven't touched it since.  I just think Xenoblade is the most overly hyped RPG in recent memory, and I simply do not get why people adore it so.  Then again, I gave up on JRPGs quite a while ago, so I don't think it was really for me to begin with. :P

Make a fairly solid, somewhat unique entry in a genre that hasn't received quite as many great games (on consoles anyway, especially the Wii) then keep it from being in English for a prolonged period, and you'll see people hyping it up more than it probably deserves. I liked it a lot, but to be honest Dark Souls and Demon's Souls quite solidly assured it wouldn't be my favorite RPG from Japan this generation.

[Tuan]

It has been ages since i played FFXII and i have completed it only once,but i remember really enjoying it.The only aspects i didn't liked was its story and characters but i loved the world design,exploration and combat.

Xenoblade one the other hand is one of the best RPGs i've ever played.It surpasses FFXII easily in pretty much every aspect and i'm thankful for it because it came out in a time when the JRPG genre is supposed to be declined.For me, Xenoblade was the FF i never got in this generation.

[Pmayo]

I have very little memory of the music in FF 12, and the stuff I have heard in theatrhythm did not really impress me. But so many people are praising the soundtrack here that I feel thats another thing I need to give another chance. On the other hand I have greatly enjoyed Xenoblades soundtrack, love how each location has a day and a night track.

And maybe because I have made a conscious effort to not over do side quests, but Xenoblade has not felt overly MMO to me like FF 12 did. I think its also the more active nature of the battle system to.

I don't mind the combat in Xenoblade. I actually find it impressive that you can respond to the flow of battle well enough just by paying attention to all the battle cries your party members make. Listening to Reyn's Wild Down can tell you when to prepare to apply your next stagger inflicting move.

Really enjoyed this aspect. Thought it was a pretty novel idea making the battle cries useful. Though if Sharla tells me one more time how "hot" her rifle is getting my head is going to explode.

[OrsonFury]

Really enjoyed this aspect. Thought it was a pretty novel idea making the battle cries useful. Though if Sharla tells me one more time how "hot" her rifle is getting my head is going to explode.

Or how about every time she says "I think I need a shower after this" LOL!!!!

[Prime Mover]

Xenoblade, no contest. The combat system was more refined, the locales were far more impressive (and more vertical, which I really love), and the story was just so much more engaging.

Look, I didn't hate FF12, and actually I thought it was a good exercise for S-E at the time, to try and break free of melodrama, but what was left was a game that was very impersonal and kind of empty. Unfortunately, it failed as an exercise, as FF13 went berserk in the bad-melodrama territory. Also, FF12 was the most uninteresting soundtrack in the series, hands down. Not a fan of the music. Xenoblade may have not had a Uematsu or Hamouzu-level soundtrack, but at least it did more than conservative, uninspired, orchestral background music (grrr!).

For the time I played Xenogears, it took center stage in my life. It also happened to be one of those few games like Okami that I ended up pausing for a few weeks to play other games (in Okami's case, ironically, FF12!) but came back to as if I'd never left. Many times, when I stop playing a game for another game, I never end up coming back. But after my brief interlude with Skyward Sword, I couldn't wait to come back! And re-entered the game world without any problems at all.

[Bleaker]

Final Fantasy 12 couldn't keep my attention past the prologue. Xenoblade kept me throught he entirety. I think its mainly cause the character you play in FF12 is pretty inconsequential to anything going on.

[Aeolus]

Also I have yet to run into a seriously godawful area in Xenoblade that can compare to that fucking sandsea in FFXII let alone areas like the Pharos Lighthouse or that Crystal Valley.

Also also FFXII's plot was cobbled together from both Star Wars trilogies (with a bit of wanting to be FFT and a lot of getting forced into being FFTAs 1 & 2).

[beLIEve?]

i certainly didn't hate 12 ...i mean i finished it and all. if balthier was the main character and the weaponization of eidolons had a darker feel that game could of been a bit more memorable. even though xenoblade has moments where i think that reyn and shulk are dipshits, whats her face dying sorta set a mature tone that then resonated with me enough to let the dipshitery slide a bit. 12 didn't have that tone to really back up the characters for me. i still had an okay time with it though.

 I liked it a lot, but to be honest Dark Souls and Demon's Souls quite solidly assured it wouldn't be my favorite RPG from Japan this generation.

THIS.

[Yggdrasil]

I always see people mentioning how XII could have been better if Matsuno didn't get sick/stressed while he was working on the project.

[Pmayo]

I also wonder if we where talking about the international version if this conversation would be any different. Never played it myself, but the fact that it makes characters unique would fix one of my main problems with the game.

Also agree with Reyn being really annoying. Never use him because of that. Really like Dunban though.

[Mickeymac92]

I was surprised that so many people on these forums seem to have such mixed views about FF12 since we only have a couple (glowing reviews of it)
http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/finalfantasy12/index.html
http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/finalfantasy12-intl/index.html
andddd
http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Xenoblade/index2.html
http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Xenoblade/index.html

They're not the same reviewers. Heck, one of them I don't even see around anymore.