All Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age New Features

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a remaster of a version of Final Fantasy XII that the US never received. Here's every new feature and difference in FFXII: The Zodiac Age, release date July 11. 

A year after Final Fantasy XII was released in the United States, The International Zodiac Job System edition was released in Japan, featuring a re-haul on the license board.

In the original game, all the characters shared one license board which limited customization. In the International Zodiac Job System edition, players could choose from one of 12 different classes based on a sign of the Zodiac for their characters. The only downfall in this was that since there are only 6 characters, players would have to play the game twice to be able to try out all 12 of the classes.

In FFXII: The Zodiac Age, players can assign two classes to each character. This brings a whole new spin on the possibilities that players can customize the way they play. Head on over to the Zodiac Job System page for a full explanation of the new classes.

Due to the new job system, the Magicks system received a huge overhaul. The majority of the spells have changed type and have new stats.

There is a lot to see, so make sure you check out the Zodiac Age Magicks page before you customize your team!

EditNew Weapons and Armor

The Zodiac Age introduced a handful of new weapons, including the Vrsabha Spear, Dhanusha Bow, and Simha Sword, and changed the attack power of a handful of others. Most notably, Donjuro and Wyrnmhero Blade are missing from the list, having been removed from the game entirely. Check out our Zodiac Age Weapons page for a full list of the changes! Everything including the Armor, Shields, and Helmets has under gone minor stat changes. You can check out the updated stats on their respective pages: Zodiac Age ArmorZodiac Age HelmetsZodiac Age Shields

An all new feature introduced in the Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Age. Trial mode can be accessed from the title screen, and can be played at any point from the story mode. Players are able to take their team through 100 different stages on enemies which get progressively more difficult as you progress. 

The convenient part is that all LP points and loot gained during Trial Mode are carried back over into the story mode when you return to it. Come with us on the journey through trial mode on the Trial Mode page!

Two new challenge modes were released with the International Zodiac edition and are included in this one as well. There is Strong Mode, where all characters begin at level 90, and Weak Mode, where all characters begin at level 1 and never level up. Strong mode is available after beating the game at the end of the credits. Weak Mode opens as an option once the player overcomes all 100 levels in Trial Mode. These modes are only available at these times, and cannot be started at any other time.

Fans of the original Final Fantasy XII will rejoice to hear that with the simple push of (L1), there is now an option to move 2x or 4x faster than normal.

No more slowly, painfully, dragging your party through sand and snow to get anywhere. Once you get a taste of the fast life you won’t want to go back. Stay vigilant on your party though! While in speed mode It can be easy to get lost in battle and lose your whole party before you realize what’s happening.

The days of having to pause the game every time you want to look at the map are over!

All it takes is pressing (L3) to have a transparent map overlaid on your screen. This enables the player to see themselves traverse the area in real time. Simply press (L3) once more to remove it from your view.

EditVisual and Audio Enhancements

The original score has been re-recorded with a full orchestra making it even more epic than before. There is still the option to play with the original soundtrack, but the nostalgia brought on by the re-recorded score is just as glorious.

Textures and lighting have been reworked, in addition to introducing current generation depth-of-field effects, making the view even more beautiful than before. Voice acting is now high definition and players can choose between English and Japanese voice tracks.

One of the greatest new features added, that is commonly overlooked nowadays, is the implementation of the auto-save feature. You can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing you won't have to rely solely on the Save Crystals to set checkpoints for yourself. The game automatically saves on every loading page. A few other additions to Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age include faster loading times, updated treasure chest systems, items that can be stolen from monsters, and improved enemy tactics. Espers and party guests can now be controlled by the player allowing for greater control over the battle, too.

See Also: Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Review

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