It has been 11 long years since aspiring sky pirate Vaan and friends romped their way across Ivalice in Final Fantasy XII, and the game’s remake, titled ‘The Zodiac Age,’ is being released this summer on July 11.  Originally released on the PlayStation 2, the game went a very different direction from its console predecessor, Final Fantasy X, featuring a story heavy with political intrigue and fresh new gameplay with the game’s Gambit combat system.  At this year’s PAX East, Gamespot sat down with producer Hiroaki Kato and director Takashi Katano to discuss the ‘why’ behind bringing us back to the world of Ivalice, rather than any of the other numbered Final Fantasy titles available (and long overdue!) for a remaster.

According to Hiroaki Kato, part of the reasoning behind The Zodiac Age was the massive success that Final Fantasy X enjoyed.  As some of you may remember, FFX has actually had a few different remasters.  The first remastered release arrived on the PlayStation 3, with the game later being remastered for the PlayStation 4, releasing in May 2015.  One year later, the game arrived on PC via Steam.

“When Final Fantasy X came out as an HD remaster on the PS4 and became a successful title, we thought that maybe we should bring this one back as well. So we brought together the core members of the original development team.”

Another reason behind choosing specifically to remaster Final Fantasy XII is because of the console the game originally launched on, the PlayStation 2.  According to Takashi Katano, attempting to bring a numbered FF title that existed prior to the launch of the PS2 would have to be a ‘remix’ rather than a remaster, much like what Square Enix is doing with Final Fantasy VII.

“The PlayStation 2 would probably be the only hardware that we could really remaster from. Anything before that probably wouldn’t be a remaster anymore, but a remix because of all the polygon models and sprites, like Final Fantasy VII. That’s probably why they’re doing a remake, instead of like a remaster.”

Square Enix has also just announced the limited and collector’s editions for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.  Both editions come with a SteelBook, along with a code that can be used to unlock the soundtrack from the original game for use within the remaster.  The collector’s edition also comes with a physical soundtrack CD, a 6 card art set, and an exclusive Judge Magisters Bust Set.

The limited edition version of FFXII will run you $49.99, while the collector’s edition, which is only available through the Square Enix Online Store, costs $199.99.  Digital pre-orders of the game are also available through the PlayStation Store, which will net you an exclusive PS4 theme and a set of four music tracks from composer Hitoshi Sakimoto.

So, are you planning on picking up Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age?  Do you plan on getting the collector’s edition?  Which Final Fantasy game would you like to see a remake of next?  Let us know in the comments section below, or come start a conversation with us about it over on Disqus!  As always, stay tuned to DFTG for all the latest Final Fantasy news, and follow us on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!