Final Fantasy XII (Sony PlayStation 2, 2006)

"The Fantasy Continues..."
The Final Fantasy saga continues with this latest installment in the already historic library of Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy XII is a must have for not just Final Fantasy fans, but all gamers who love intense RPGs.

Gameplay: 9/10
Square-Enix has replaced the usual turn-based Final Fantasy fights with battles in real time. Instead of having to take turns to fight, your party can attack on their own based on your strategy. Now, why, you may ask, did I give the gameplay a 9/10 if it sounds so great? Simply put, the battles may be in real time, but its not the kind of fighting like in Square's Kingdom Hearts series. You have to wait for an action bar to load for any action to take place. Still, this allows Square's Final Fantasy series to still retain a portion of its well-known RPG battles. As for the quests, bosses, and areas, they're all great! There are many bosses you can encounter throughout the game (and not just in the storyline). You can go on dozens of quests that allow you to do things from delivering letters to killing evil monsters. The maps are great and allow a wide area of space for you to explore. Of course, I can't forget to mention summonings. Throughout the game, you can obtain up to 13 espers to help you in battles. In addition to espers, you can use special mist techniques (called quickenings) to deal serious damage to your enemies. All in all, the gameplay in FFXII is better than ever.

Story: 10/10
The story is better than ever. While I don't want to spoil any plot points for you (if you haven't bought the game yet and are considering it), I can at least tell you that once again you'll encounter a Princess, some vagabonds, and a few good-looking women along the way (even if some of them have bunny ears).

Graphics: 10/10
I gave a 10/10 because for the PS2, these graphics are amazing! Unlike in normal Square games where they have the best quality cut-scenes in the opening and ending scenes, Square has placed several high-quality cut-scenes throughout the game. Even without these high-quality scenes, the graphics look great.

Sound: 10/10
The sound system is also great. The songs throughout the game are perfect for each area and each boss and it really makes you feel what kind of environment you're in. The battle sounds are good too and aren't over exaggerated, making the gameplay seem much more realistic.

Overall: 10/10
Final Fantasy XII was a great game and is the kind of RPG that you can play over and over again and not grow tired of it. Truly a welcome addition to Square's already astounding Final Fantasy saga. It makes me all the more anxious for Final Fantasy XIII!!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10
Game Release: Final Fantasy XII (US, 10/31/06)

's been a long time since the last proper installment in the standard-setting Final Fantasy series. While Square Enix did ship numerous games bearing the Final Fantasy brand after 2001's Final Fantasy X, it took all these years before another lengthy, ambitious, lavishly produced, traditional role-playing game would arrive. Final Fantasy XII arrives at the end of the PlayStation 2's lifecycle, whereas Final Fantasy X benefited from a presentation that was truly cutting edge. This latest installment in the series also introduces a new strategic combat system that makes gameplay more cohesive yet more hands-off than before. In spite of this trade-off, it's an evolutionary step for the series and a refreshing change. And underneath the overhauled combat and the distinctive visual style, this is still Final Fantasy. Outstanding art direction, a likable cast of characters, a lengthy quest, and plenty of challenging battles all await you in this next installment to live up to the Final Fantasy name.
Unlike most previous Final Fantasy games, this latest game takes place in a particular fantasy setting that's already been established by some of its predecessors. Final Fantasy XII's world of Ivalice, first seen in 1998's great Final Fantasy Tactics and later again in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, is like a Japanese take on Star Wars' galaxy far, far away. Men and women walk the streets of Ivalice's impressive cities together with hulking, lizardlike creatures and other strange beings, and political unrest and war threaten their livelihoods as a resistance movement mounts to overthrow an empire that's taken over much of the land. Ivalice is more fantasy than science fiction, yet the air battles featured in the game's opening cutscene, and the decidedly high-tech airships that figure prominently throughout the rest of the game, give this Final Fantasy its token sci-fi flair. The story follows a cast of characters who set out to free the country of Dalmasca from the clutches of the Archadian Empire, which took it over by force. During the journey, you'll learn much more about the history of Ivalice, the strange forces at play behind the scenes, and, of course, about your characters.

The ragtag group of characters you'll be guiding throughout most of the game are as unlikely a lot as you've probably come to expect from a Final Fantasy game. Vaan is the token androgynous male lead, sort of an Aladdin-type with a good-natured personality and strong instincts. He might look a bit like a girl, but he's your typical good guy. His childhood friend, Penelo, somehow gets swept up into everything along with him, and soon enough Vaan also runs into a smooth-talking sky pirate named Balthier and his stern-but-stunning companion, a rabbit-eared woman named Fran. A strong-willed princess and a disgraced captain of Dalmasca's defeated military round out the main cast, though they'll be joined by other companions at various times throughout the game. Much like the cast, the story itself is similar to previous Final Fantasy games in a lot of ways, resulting in many implausible but exciting sequences and some dramatic, emotionally charged moments later on. It's a very good story overall, especially once the Empire's true intentions become clearer and the real villains are unmasked. The plot unfolds through lots of beautifully produced and expressive cinematic cutscenes and plenty of well-written dialogue. In between all this, expect a lot of combat, exploration, a

As a veteran player of every Final Fantasy game ever released, I looked forward to this version with much anticipation. I have completed this latest installment and while I enjoyed the gamplay, there were more "cons" to this game than any other I've played in the FF series. To give credit where it's due, the graphics and technical aspects were unmatched. However, that to me was cancelled out by a lack of strong characters and storyline.

Pros
- The graphics here are better than ever. The cut scenes are absolutely breathtaking, vivid, detailed and intricate. Technically, FFXII is unmatched and will absolutely captivate you.

- I found the battle system (which changes after every new FF installment) to be a refreshing improvement. There's no intro and exit scene for every battle, bless them, only with major bosses, which makes the game flow much faster and makes it more realistic. You can pick and choose your fights for the most part, flee your foes, and can spot enemies lurking through the mighty helpful "map screen" shown through most of the game.

- The various party and character command sections, (party, licenses, equip, status ,etc. ) are more streamlined and less time consuming than previous games, giving you more time to enjoy the game and less trying to figure out the best sword to use.

CONS

- There is no gil (money) for winning battles, only items which you can exchange for money. There is NEVER enough money to buy what you want until the very end.

- The Esper component is not as enjoyable as past games. Summoning an Esper uses up all your magic, which is a total flop, and you dont' have anywhere near as much control over the Esper's actions as past games. The Mist Knack chain sequences take some getting used to, are poorly explained, and again, use up all your magic.

- Character and storyline are just as not as well developed as in previous games and are downright dismal when compared with, say, Final Fantasy X (with the exception of the charming and amusing Balthier.) There's no real sense of comraderie or bonding, the storyline needs some work, and the characters are rather bland. Vaan is the wimpiest "hero" to date of all FF games, no? The Princess did not inspire any loyalty on my part (was truthfully mildly annoying), I still dont' know what Penelo was doing there, and the only thing Fran had going for her was her nearly bare bum.

- Game is a little TOO easy; and it's nearly impossible to die. Takes away some of the thrill.

All in all, a good game for those thrilled with the technical aspects and not so much for those who have enjoyed past FF's outstanding and unmatched character and story development. This game has some decent bosses and marks that really challenge your survival abilities, some decent side quests, hunts, and espers including whole game areas that are strictly bonuses. I just hope that future games will bring back the character magic and memorable storylines of past installments.

Graphics
9/10
Square has always been up-to-date with graphics. This is true in the case of Final Fantasy XII; realistic characters, wonderful animation and tip-top environments lie on your path. Encounter deserts, forests, jungles and dungeons. The lip synch quality however, has slightly decreased, but that doesn't remove the game of its great animation and graphics engine. We have a distinct set of foes: wolves, dinosaurs, cacti, tomatoes, fireballs and hissing cobras. The characters are also distinct from each other, and some resemble characters from previous Final Fantasies. But come on, with all of those millions of game characters Square's made, they really don't have a choice.

Story
8/10
This FF circles around war and conquest. It takes place in the land of Ivalice. In the opening, we'll see a cutscene involving the events of a great war. After that, we'll be in control of Reks, who you'll be playing as for the first half-hour. More events unfold in the palace, and then we listen to the narrator talk for a while. Then, you'll finally gain control of the protagonist Vaan, a 17-year-old boy with dreams of someday getting an Airship of his own and becoming a sky pirate. The story will dig deeper, and you'll meet a cast of characters like Penelo, Migelo, Ashe, and more. The story will make you more eager to see what happens next, and you'll be on the edge of your seat, until you fall off.

Gameplay
9/10
This time, the gameplay is much more than what it used to be. It combines real-time with turn-based. Sort of. You have to move around until you have the chance to attack, then press X to bring up the battle menu and choose how you wish to attack. Your party members will support you, and you can actually control them by taking them as the leader! There are magic techs as usual, like the shocking Thunder spell, the helpful Cure, and the frosty Blizzard. You have to use LP to unlock new moves and abilities this time. You also have the ability to choose if you want someone with great defense, a mage to work his/ her magic, or a heavy armed warrior. The game system is quite complicated and takes some getting used to, but if you can learn it, you'll enjoy it the way you enjoy all the other Final Fantasies.

Playtime/ Replayability
8/10
The game lasts for long, similar to other Final Fantasies, and is also more difficult in my opinion. That, of course, adds to the playtime. As for the replayability, I can't really say anything. The game may be so long that one playthrough will be enough to entertain you. On the other hand, you may want to go through it again for increasing your fun. Well, it depends really.

Should I Buy It?
Final Fantasy XII is an awesome game to add to your PlayStation 2 collection, but don't start counting your gil if you'd rather prefer the good old-fashioned (yet fun) turn-based system. If that's the case, rent it, try it out. I'd recommend trying out the game to all genre fans, it's quite entertaining and helps to pass the time. It's also gotten a decent story; you're bound to enjoy this game! Well, at least in my opinion.

ON the PSone console, there was vagrant story. Yes you remember the impression it left everyone with. If you don't know it, you are missing out on one of the greatest RPG's ever made on the PSone console.
Ps2- wondering what the greatest RPG is or will be? It's right here in Final Fantasy XII! coincidentally bearing a ton of similarity to the afore mentioned in terms of story value,graphics,especially sound, camera mode etc, Final Fantasy XII delivers the most memorable RPG experience on the PS2.
The world is Ivalice, The protagonistic characters are Vaan, Ashe, Penelope, Basch, Balthier and guests in the likes of Larsa. The story evolves around princess Ashe restoring Kingdom Dalmasca from the clutches of an Evil Empire contrived and machinated by ruthless Vayne. The story unfolds in visuals and sound acting reminescent of hollywood cinematics. Suffice it to say, it is better experienced then told. The graphics are the best the console boosts.
Final Fantasy XII, introduces a new battle and character development system such as Gambits and license boards which though can be overwhelming at first comes readily at home when you familiaize yourself with it.
While so much of this game rises to meet and overshadow the expectations of RPG enthusiasts certain elements retract from it. Such elements may include the dificulty level of the game which could be unexaggeratedly punishing.
Game time stretches anywhere from 40hrs of fun to an infinit limit proported by Hunting side quests, replay value and sheer exploration of the vast world.
If you think you have played the greatest RPG or one of the greatest games on the PS2, you haven't played it yet until you play Final Fantasy XII.