In the new Gambit System trailer for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Square Enix spends some time lavishing attention on - what else? - the Gambit System, which appeared in the original Final Fantasy 12 way back in 2006. Check out the new trailer for Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age below:
The trailer points out that along with Final Fantasy 12’ s story and voice acting, critics reacted well to the game’s Gambit System, which allowed players to completely customize their party’s tactics for peak performance.
The trailer also listed five tongue-in-cheek reasons why the Gambit System is a major feature:
Better than ever: Final Fantasy 12 is based on the International Zodiac Job System, the remaster of Final Fantasy 12 which was never released in the States. Unique roles and fan favorite job classes allow players to customize their characters more precisely.
Anything is possible: The Gambit System allows players to be ready for any situation they can foresee by letting them set behaviors such as healing party members below a certain percentage of health, attacking enemies with a particular element and so on.
Maximum strategy: You can break open any party member’s AI, even in the midst of fighting, and maximize their potential to place the right combos.
Balthier: I mean, point.
Play History : Apparently, the Gambit System’s if-then structure is based on enemy AI from past Final Fantasy games.
In our preview of Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age , we discussed whether or not Final Fantasy 12 with a few added bells and whistles and an HD upgrade could still entice the modern gamer. Conclusion: yeah, probably.
“The best thing about the Zodiac Job system is that when used in conjunction with gambits (instructions for your party’s AI), your party feels more yours than ever before, even though you can literally play as any character. Tinker with the gambits and optimize your jobs well enough and battles practically play themselves, with you swooping in just in case something goes off the rails,” we wrote. (Okay, I wrote. Give me a break, let me use the royal collective pronoun, okay?)
While the new trailer spotlights the Gambit System specifically (which is not new to the remaster), that synergy with the new (to us) International Job System is where gambits will really shine. If you love how careful and deliberate old turn-based RPGs let you be with your strategy but are accustomed to the kind of real-time action even Final Fantasy XV featured, Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age ’s Gambit System will be your best friend. It lets you do all the strategic thinking beforehand, lets you see how the battle plays out, and allows you to adjust in-battle based on any unforeseen circumstances.
Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age launches July 11 and is currently available for preorder. The collector’s edition, a Square Enix online store exclusive, includes a Collector’s Edition Steelbook, an exclusive 6 card art set, background music DLC and an exclusive Judge Magisters Bust set.
Are you excited to to with the Gambit System some more? Looking forward to seeing how the new job system will synergize with the Gambit System for the sickest possible combos? Feel free to talk all about it in our comments section below.
