Collection Spotlight: Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition

I came across my Final Fantasy 12 Collector's edition in a happenstance situation. I had went to buy Suikoden 4 and Dragon Quest 8, in used condition. Even though it looked in nice condition, the Dragon Quest 8 was actually flawed and would not even spin up in my PS2. So I returned them the day that this Collector Edition showed up new in the store.

Let's first look at the packaging.

From Game Collecting with Rick

While this Collector's Edition does not really have the flare of a Working Designs set, it does have some really cool features. First off, the case is metal. What you're seeing there is inset lettering, stamped into a metal case with a aged copper/bronze patina. It LOOKS like some epic before you even touch the game.

Opening up the case we find just a single extra disc of content, along with the game disc and the manual. The bonus disc is rather nice, and has some short documentaries on the making of the game. Nowhere near that of the Working Design sets, but still very good if you are a fan of the game.

From Game Collecting with Rick

DO NOT WATCH IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS! Its definitely for post-game watching.

Also included with those documentaries is a documentary about Final Fantasy the series as a whole, and has some really cool, if brief, information. The documentary is relatively spoiler free and safe to watch.

Continuing the tradition found in Final Fantasy 7, the case itself is adorned with some really nice artwork. I do not have the regular edition, so I do not know if it has this artwork on the inside.

From Game Collecting with Rick

The game itself is one of my favorites of all time, but it does have some real flaws to it. It has a side-quest system of quests that is as long as the main story... without actually having anything to do with the main story. People get caught up in this non-story, expecting a payoff, only to find out they've spent 60 hours and forgotten what the story is.

Then old school fans were upset that it was not Final Fantasy 6. New school fans were upset that it wasn't Final Fantasy 7. Still others were just glad it was not Final Fantasy 10-part3.



I think the game is wonderful. If they had strung the story together a little better it would be positively epic. Its story is political at first, but leads to a great mythological Xenogears-esque story about man choosing his own destiny in a world controlled by forces beyond his comprehension. The characters are a bit of a let down, but there are several gems in there including Balthier and Basch. Basch being one of the best characters in a Final Fantasy game ever. Balthier will remind you a bit of Locke and Setzer from FF6.

Pick it up if you're a fan of Matsuno's other work, its a can't miss. I can recommend it to open minded and patient gamers of RPG's also, and Final Fantasy fans that have gone through most of the other games. Newbie RPG players should probably steer clear.

Either way, grab the Collector's Edition. It is currently not all that rare to find, and costs perhaps 5 bucks more than the regular non-greatest hits edition of FF12. It is highly worth it for the "wow" case alone.