Unfinished Games and Final Fantasy 12 (January 8)

So since I have a lot more free time now, taking the semester off from university, I have decided to return to a couple of games I really enjoy, but for the most part, never got around to finishing. Usually this is because something new will come out and I move on to that or I get busy with other non gaming related things (work, school, etc). So I have made a list to decide what I want to actually play

My to finish list of games
Final Fantasy 12 {PS2}
InFamouse 1 and 2 {PS3}
Uncharted 1, 2 and 3 {PS3}
Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3 (renegade, female and various other combinations) {PC}
Fallout : New Vegas (all factions but NCR and Lonesome Road) {PC}
Bastion {PC}

For the record this was just a simple list in which i did from the top of my head. With one exception : Final Fantasy XII. Now I have played quite a few of the Final Fantasy games (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10-2 and 13) and I have enjoyed them all except for that piece of crap called FF 13.But I have only actually completed a few of them, being 1, 7, 10, and 10-2. So I have decided to go back to 12, which I really enjoyed. However its been a long time since I played so I have restarted.  And for my own personal enjoyment I have decided to document my playing.

Restarting I remembered how pretty the cut scenes are. And how much I like most of these characters. The tutorial section is really good at setting up the story and introducing one of the main characters Basch fon Ronsenburg. Basch kicks a lot of ass, even though he is only a companion for this part.A temporary character who does have an impact on the plot after this but will never be seen again (for a good reason) Beyond story and Basch the tutiroal is not bad. But I have played this a few times so if I could skip it I would.

More cut scenes. skipping these as I have watched these ones a number of times. Probably saved about 5 min of time, but the short is now everyone thinks Basch is a bad guy, the king is dead (for real) and the princess killed herself.  Oh and the giant empire now controls the city.

OK now back and introducing the players avatar Vaan. A decent character, not annoying (thank gods.) For the first two hours or so he is often the only character in the party. And going into a city or town will remove the other active party members while there and leaving us with only Vaan. Wish i could switch to one of the other characters. But get the first quest, a kill quest, complete it and go to level 3. Then back into the city for a few (skipped) cut scenes and get some quests (don't touch that chest there)and out to the south. Oh and once in the litttle town, get the second party member Penelo. Hmm let me see she is pretty much the best mage, so time to use magic like its going out of style with her, Vaan keeps hitting stuff with his sword for now., Do the quest in this area and get to level 4 1/2 and head back. But stop plot, lets go do a quick side (kill) quest, in a new area. Then back to town, and take the gear off Penelo for now, because she leaves for quite a while.(Ignore that same chest) So back to soloing with Vaan. So after all this can we get out of the deserts for a bit?

Now for a solid story run., Go into the sewers (why sewer level?) but at least its pretty, and not a desert. Run through this short part and then up some stairs to the basement of the palace (more chests to ignore.) Taunt some guards and run from them to progress. Then into the 'hidden' door and some cut scenes (time to start watching them) and met two new party members who will become permanent members, Balthier the sky pirate and Fran the bunny girl, both equip with ranged weapons for now. I have plans for each party member how I will build them. But until I can actually buy or steal the weapon type I want for them they will use whatever works.  So continue through the palace and end up back into the sewers with a couple of really pretty cut scenes.

Now we met a new guest character Amalia. hmm she looks really familiar. Oh no time to think its time for our first real boss fight, a bunch of oozes. Burn you piles of goo! After the nice victory posing scene (hmm haven't seen this before in the game, glad they kept it in and its rare usage) we run through the sewers killing anything that moves for the XP and LP, OK almost out, quick save here and ooh that is one pretty angry horse composed entirely of fire? Oh hells kill it! And since it was a boss, after dropping it we get the victory poses and music, Now up the stairs to the town to sell... wait a cut scene where I get captured? Well crap.

So after all that the party is in jail, Amalia is gone, Balthir is sitting there and where did Fran go? Oh and for fun all my gear is gone to, but I can still use the small amount of magic I have bought, And now a small boss-ish fight (no posing after) with only Vaan? Oh thank gods Balthir jumps down and we go 2 on 3. Eat lightning ya buggers. Then oh Fran shows up and we run the hells away and (plot powers activate) there is out gear, (don't touch anything in the room, save and go by).Now we have a choice, go silently and attack only a few if we need to or kill anything that moves. This is an RPG so of course we go with the second option..  Hmm what's down here? A cut scene and hey its Basch. and he is just as bad ass, going up and punching stuff for now like a boss. But he is a guest so don't have him in the party, Yet. Continue through this dark underground passageway, get a cut scene, kill some bugs and upgrade some weapons. Still nothing I want, but will give Balthir a sword and Fran a dagger so they attack faster and do more damage. Oh and a boss at the end of the tunnel right before the door, Well where else would it be? Take down the giant ass electric eating spider and oh hells its a load bearing boss. Run out (in a cut scene) and into the .... oh back into the desert we were in back when we started our adventures, Well whatever we now have to go back to the town. But first a quick trip north to get to the small village by the river. And this is where I will stop for today, four hours in. My party will rest here then we go back to the town and plot.